Friday 22 May 2015

An oldie but a goodie . . . freebie that is!

Things look a little different around here. I decided to freshen up my blog look, despite the fact that I haven't blogged in forever!



But the new blog look is not why I'm here today . . . I'm here for a freebie! I'm linking up with Freebie Friday over at Teaching Blog Addict, so make sure to head over there for more great freebies! Today, it's an old freebie - but still one of my favourites - it's my Summer Vacation Printable Mini Pack!


I don't know about you, but the end of my school year looks crazy. We still have five weeks to go, but those weeks are packed full of assemblies, field trips, special events, and, oh yeah, a *wee* bit of downtime (and learning, too!). In between the busy moments, I always find we have little chunks of free time where the kids are still all kinds of crazy, but we don't have *quite* enough time to get anything substantial done. Enter this mini pack. It is NO PREP for teachers - you are already busy enough - and has a few fun & simple activities to get you and your students through the last few days of school.

You can click {HERE} or the picture above to check it out - hope you enjoy!


Saturday 9 May 2015

A Random Assortment of Books, Shoes & Reviews

Can you believe the end of the school year is just around the corner? No? Me neither. The school years keep passing faster and faster and I cannot believe it.

So, it's the end of the school year and I haven't blogged in over a month, of course there are a few random, unrelated things about which to talk.

Number one is new books. Lately I have been finding a ton of new books/authors that are "new-to-me." It doesn't matter to me if they came out a year ago or one month ago, it is great to find new classroom books to add to my classroom library. I may or may not have a bit of a book obsession. It doesn't matter what age/grade level the books are meant for, if I like them, I buy them. Here are two that have caught my eye lately.

The first one I found came out about a year ago. It's called Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light. If you teach preschool, kindergarten or even first grade, this one's for you. It's a great book for little learners who are practicing counting up to 20. The heavily detailed illustrations are in black and white *except* for the object that is being counted. Students will enjoy spending time counting the objects and searching for the dragon in each picture.

Click {HERE} to check it out on Amazon.



Another great book is Oh No, George! by Christ Haughton. This is a great book for students who are *trying* to make good choices, but may be struggling. George demonstrates how to make things better when his choices have negative repercussions (hello restitution!). **Spoiler alert** The unfinished ending provides a perfect opportunity for students to decide what the best decision would be, providing great practice for students who are struggling in that area.

Click {HERE} to check it out on Amazon.



Another thing I've been thinking about lately - shoes! I am not a huge shoe person, but I do love a great ballet flat. These new colors of Tieks have been calling my name. What's your go-to shoe?


And finally, I'm thinking about the end of the year - what teacher isn't? I don't know about you, but the next few weeks (still almost two months left) are full of assemblies, field trips, meetings and, oh yeah, curriculum. It is so important to make sure students are prepared for next year, so I have created a few reviews to help cover that. With an answer key provided for each packet, you just need to print and you are ready to go - a busy teacher's best friend at the end of the year!

You can click {HERE} or the picture to check them out.


Enjoy the rest of your weekend because you know Monday will be here before you know it!