Currently March and Dr. Seuss' (Belated Birthday)

(Hop on over and see Farley here!)

Oh happy day! It is March...I know it is 5 whole days into March. We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday all last week by reading his books and doing this fun activity with "Green Eggs and Ham." I made my students a treat for the occasion.  I bought vanilla candy coating, melted it and put a green M&M and pretzels (to represent ham). I got the idea from this pin I pinned on Pinterest a while back. Then we wrote about what other green food we do not like!  Here are some samples...first grade translation provided for free :)

"I do not like green chicken. I would not eat it when the dog barks.  I would not eat it in the parks."

"I do not like green meat. I would not eat them on a roof. I would not eat them with a tooth."

"I do not like green pizza. I would not eat it with a bear. I would not eat it in a lair."

I wholeheartedly agree with that last one!  Who wants to eat with a bear?!?  Too cute and they had so much fun!  Happy belated birthday Dr. Seuss!  Apple on everyone!

The Science Fair and Valentine's Day

 Every year we have the science fair.  It seems to be the only time that I am able to fit in a genuine complete scientific type lesson.  The kids LOVE it!  This year we wondered about chips and if they are healthy for us.  I  gathered some of their favorite kinds of chips and one that I knew wouldn't be as greasy just to balance out their oh-so-healthy choices. We crushed the chips and put some on one inch graph paper for a week.  The paper absorbed the oil and we counted the squares to see which chip has the most.  Let me tell you...the chips have been off the papers for half a week and the oil is STILL spreading!  Grossness! The finished project will be placed in the hallway tomorrow...I secretly would like to win first place.  That would be awesome for my class!  When we were wrapping up our project one of my students was very distraught.  I asked him what was wrong and he was just holding his head in his hands and groaning.  He said, "But Cheetos are so good! I don't want to eat healthy chips!"

 

Valentine's day is coming!  Are you ready?  I tell my hubby that I would rather spend time with him than anything else and I surely don't need any more candy because I get TONS from my students!  Do you get loads of candy from your students?  I don't know how they figured out how much I like chocolate and sugary stuff!  I am giving my kiddos a heart shaped crayon and a book (it is also Love of Reading week).

 I hope the rest of your week is great!  Apple on!

A Funny, Short Vowels, and a Bulletin Board

I love sharing my first grader's funny moments...here is one from the other day.

S1: "Mrs. C...my mom is pregnant she just found out last night. She took a test."
Me: "That's exciting."
S2: "You mean the kind of test you put in your mouth?"
S1: Stares at S2 and then looks at me
Me: shaking my head no at S1

Student 1 and I seemed to have an understanding that not everyone needs to know how a pregnancy test is taken.  I laughed inside while I was shaking my head.

Well here are some short vowel things I have been working on as I promised! First I have these great Short Vowel Fluency Pages.  I use these pages at the beginning of the school year A LOT.  Here are some ideas...use them to make classroom posters of each vowel as we review/ learn them, use them as an assessment, use them for a reading center (refer to this post), or use them to have your students practice their short vowel fluency. 

Click the picture to get your Short Vowel Fluency Pages!

 Next I have a Blending Words with Short Vowels  power point that includes 10 words for each short vowel and 5 sentences for each short vowel as well...that's 75 total slides!  The red counters move up one at a time at the press of a button.  You can choose the speed that you want your students to say each sound.  Then the arrow shoots across to let the students know when to put the sounds together as a word!  My walk to read class has really benefited from using this daily.

Click either picture to get your Blending Words with Short Vowels!

Finally I wanted to share my new bulletin board that I have to show off my students work. I dyed clothespins for a little over a day in some food coloring, vinegar, and water.  After they were dry I hot glued tacks to the back and wall-LA!  Now I have clips for all my students work and I won't need to use a stapler!  I do have to warn you to make sure you measure out a 13X13 square for every clip to hang at the top of.  If you don't your student's papers won't fit both directions and also you might have to go to the art room and measure out more paper and move your border after you have already put it up...irritating I tell you.  I plan to pin the objectives associated with our work on the star clip in the top right corner.

orginal idea found here

Apple on!  Back to work tomorrow!  I love Mondays!

First Grade Funnies and *sigh* Grading

 Oh the woes of being a first grader are many!!! I read this while I was grading homework today and laughed out loud...I also showed my husband who pointed out the adorable pictures which I hadn't looked at until after the fact...so hilarious!  Good parents!

About a week ago I read the book Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10 to my class and had them make a text to self connection.  They were asked to think about what I do after school...after they go home.  I had some pretty standard answers and some that were weird and some that were just too darn adorable not to share!

 "I think Mrs. C goes to bed and watches TV and sleeps." In the picture the student drew me watching Sponge Bob Square Pants on TV and they insisted that I  knew that Patrick (Sponge Bob weird starfish friend was there as well.) 


And my favorite....

"I think Mrs. C cooks eggs for her husband." 

:) So cute!

*sigh* I despise grading papers...check out the pile I have already!  Anyone else have this problem?  How do you manage your grading?

 Happy grading and I hope you find some funnies in your grading like I did!  Apple on!

P.S. Remember to check out my TPT store...I don't have much in there yet but I promise you my products are neat!