Cutest New Blog EVER!!!

SOOOO SUPER excited about my cute new blog template!!!! Dreamlike Magic has some of the cutest blog templates ever!!!! In honor of all of this cuteness, I am working on a PRETTY SWEET giveaway with some awesome bloggers!!!!!  Stay tuned!!!!!

Also, be sure to grab my button!! YAY!!!!

ENJOY!!!!!

Transformation Thursday...Classroom before and after!!!

In honor of "Transformation Thursday," I thought I would take a look at how far I have come with my classroom!!!  I have not worked in my classroom for next year yet, but I am sticking with the same theme.  Just a little background...This will be my 8th year teaching and my 3rd at this school!

I was SOOOO excited to start at a new school! However, when I walked in my classroom, I wanted to CRY!!!  There was NOTHING!! I quickly snapped out of it when I realized the potential!!! It is a very large classroom- great for all of my center work!!!!  There was a brand new Smart Board and 3 HUGE bulletin boards! (I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!)

Here are some crazy pictures I took when I first walked into my new classroom:

After 3 years of hard work, I think I FINALLY have it like I like it (for now at least!!!)
What it looks like now:

 

Much better, right?!!!! I can't wait to get in there and get everything ready next year!!!!  I love this time of year!!!!!!

Enjoy!

Nicole

Bright Polka Dots and Cupcakes- OH MY!!!

As you know, I LOVE classroom decoration! My classroom is a Sweet Shoppe but I miss some of the bright colors that I had in my classroom!!! This decoration pack is the perfect way to keep the bright colors and still incorporate cupcakes!!! 

 

This pack includes 136 pages of:
- Clip Chart

- Word Wall

-Daily Schedule Cards

- Days of the Week Cards

- Months of the Year Cards

- Table Numbers

- Classroom Jobs

- Banner Letters

- Name Plates

- Blank labels and Cupcakes

 

This unit is available at my Teachers Pay Teachers store (click here)!!!  It's a great deal!

Enjoy!!!

Nicole

Math Talk Moves in Kindergarten

In addition to the math Common Core, we began to use math talk moves in our classrooms.  Let. Me. Tell. You. SOMETHING....They are AMAZING!!!!  I am working on a math unit based on math talk moves. While searching and researching Math Talk Moves in kindergarten last year, I found it very difficult to find any information on how to incorporate math talk with my kindergarten students. Yes, even in kindergarten, my students were conversing about MATH!!!!  I was blown away! We spent the year modeling and practicing and it was SOOO worth it!!! 

There are 5 main Math Talk Moves:
1. Revoicing
2. Restating
3. Apply Reasoning
4. Wait time
5. Prompting

These talk moves can be intertwined throughout whole group lessons, small group lessons, and math partnering.  Here is a short video clips of my students using math talk during a math center:

 

Do you use math talk moves in your classroom? How do you incorporate talk moves in your classroom?

Enjoy!

Nicole

 

Classroom Decor!

I have always been way into decorating my classroom- it's my home away from home!!!  I am OBSESSED with Schoolgirl Style! If you haven't heard, you better check her out! AMAZING!!!  It inspired me to do a little work in my classroom!

Last year, I FINALLY decided on a classroom theme- Mrs. B's Sweet Shoppe!!!  The students loved it! I even used a birthday cake scented Scentsy bar- it even smelled sweet!!!! I tried to incorporate cupcakes into EVERY part of the classroom! Even my students were my "sweeties"!!!!
 

 

 

 

If you are into cupcakes and the soft pastel colors, I have created a classroom decorating pack!!! I have my cupcake decorating pack on sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

This 110 page pack includes:
* Word Wall
* Classroom Jobs
* Center Signs
* Clip Chart
* Days of the Week
* Months of the Year
* Banner Letters
* Schedule Cards
* Table Numbers
* Student name plates
* Blanks labels and cards

 

I also have an Adorable Apples decorating pack that comes in bright polka dots and cute chevron apples!!!! (Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store!)

This pack includes 103 pages of:
- Clip Chart
- Days of the Week
- Months of the Year
- Schedule cards
- Word Wall
- Center Signs
- Table Numbers
- Student name Plates
- Banner Letters
- Color Words
- Blank labels

 

Do you have a "theme" in your classroom? If so, what is it?! How do you incorporate your theme in your classroom?

Nicole

 

 

 

Taking a look back .....Dr. Seuss Day!!!!

The last half of the school year was an absolute BLUR! I am going to try to flashback at all of the exciting activities that kept us BUSY BUSY BUSY the last quarter of school!

For Dr. Seuss's birthday, our school transforms into Whoville! It's the most exciting time of the year! Each grade level hallway was assigned a book to bring to life! Our hall was responsible for "If I Ran the Zoo." It is an absolute amazing book-- the animals, the places, the colors!!!!

Here is our interpretation:

My bulletin board! The students were given construction paper, pom-pom balls, google eyes, glue, and scissors. They could make any kind of animal they wanted! The students then gave the animals a rhyming name. They loved it!

 

The students then wrote about what they would do if they ran the zoo.  They loved being a zookeeper!!!  

Each room was designed from the book to look like a zoo cage (our doors had bars on them...I forgot to take pics! oops!)

 

In true Seuss-fashion, we lined the hall with polka dots, balloons, and tissue paper pom-pom ball trees!!!  

 

I dressed up as Gerald McGrew! 

 

My neighbor teacher and I with our Gerald McGrew drawing!!!

 Our yummy treats!!!!

 

What are some fun activities that your school participates in for Dr. Seuss's Birthday?

 

-Nicole