Last day for Amazon giveaway & a FREEBIE!

Don't miss your chance to enter my bloglovin' giveaway!  Two winners will win any 3 items of their choice from my TPT store and one winner will win a $10 gift certificate to Amazon! I just stocked up on printer ink from there today to get ready to start printing all of the fabulous things I'm finding on Pinterest and TPT for "back to school"! 

 

Tomorrow is the last day to enter! The link to follow my blog on blog lovin' and facebook are on the right side of the screen.  It only takes a second. :)
 

                                                             a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

I went on a cleaning spree today at my house so I think now it's time to settle down on the couch with the pooch and work on a few TPT things that I have in the works that I'm VERY excited about!  Stay tuned!

I'm making a folder full of all of the things I can print ahead of time for the new school year (basically everything that doesn't have a list of student names).   I ran across this desk fairy note.  I am going to go ahead and print out a bunch and add GLITTER so that I don't have to do it throughout the year.  Here is a link to grab it if you like it! (glitter not included ;))

 

After I have my post gum-graft appointment tomorrow morning (ick!) I am headed to visit my sweet niece tomorrow and do some shopping at Hobby Lobby with her. We don't have one where I live...isn't that the saddest thing you ever heard?

 

I CAN'T WAIT to love on this little cutie pie!

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER to you!

 

 

FREEBIE Friday :)

I linked up with What the Teacher Wants last year for a behavior management linky party and ever since, this little picture has been pretty popular on Pinterest! 

I wish it wasn't such an awful picture! Ha!  It was before my Canon came into my life. ;) 

Anyways, this is a super simple concept that you can use in your classroom daily to encourage good hallway behavior.

Just pick a name (cards, chips, popsicle sticks...anything works) before you leave the classroom and look at it, but don't tell who it is.  The idea is that you will watch this person very carefully the whole way to your destination and back.  If they do an excellent job in the hall...they get a "ticket" or small prize.

(I also encourage them to line up quickly and quietly without throwing elbows and the other strange things they do to be "first" by saying I will only pick a mystery walker if they are lined up and ready by the time I get to the door!)

FYI: The colored chips in this picture are from Staples (in the teacher section) and I use these tickets from Creative Teaching Press for my behavior management system in my classroom so it's very easy to give a ticket to my Mystery Walker. 

My students collect these tickets for monthly raffles for fun coupons and prizes.

About halfway through the year last year, I also started picking a "secret student" on occasion...especially when we started doing more independent work. Same concept...just pick a student and tell them that you will be watching them do whatever activity you are working on.  After that activity, if they did what they were supposed to do...ticket!

I've had people ask me...and no, I do not call the "mystery person" out if they did not earn the ticket!  I just act extremely sad and say something like "Oh well...maybe my mystery walker will earn their ticket next time when they remember to keep their hands to themselves in the hall..."

(in my best teacher voice, of course)

Since these little ideas worked so well for me last year, I revamped my signs for my classroom and you can give them a try, too!  Click the picture to download the mystery walker sign FREE on TPT.

(and click the link below the picture for the secret student sign)

Secret Student Sign

Happy Friday!

Amazon GIVEAWAY & Binder FREEBIES Updated for 2013-2014!

So my HUSBAND (still getting used to saying that and LOVIN' it!) came home from Lowe's yesterday with a plastic pool for this little beach bum (and maybe me). 

 

Ridiculous. 

 

I have a funny feeling we are going to be the talk of the neighborhood soon.  I could totally see all 3 of us ending up in that thing one hot afternoon in the near future. HA! 

 

Pictures to come...maybe. ;)

 

It is a nasty, cloudy morning...so instead of splashing in the pool, I am catching up on laundry and clicking around on my laptop.

 

I updated my "binder covers for everything" for the 2013-2014 school year.  I've had a lot of people asking when these would be ready so I put them on top of my list!  Mine are printing now. :)

 

 

Go get 'em so you can feel organized...even if you're not.  It's June...you shouldn't be organized yet!

 

They are FREE and I'm more than happy to change 'em up a bit if you need something different.  These are just the ones I needed last year and decided to share...had no idea so many people would be interested in using them.  Just get in touch!

 

PS - Don't forget to...

 

 

Google Reader is going bye-bye on Monday.  Keep up with this little blog and all your favorites on bloglovin'!  I must admit...I pretended like this wasn't happening for as long as I could because I just didn't want to deal with it...but it was actually super easy and I (gasp) like bloglovin' better than google reader!

 

 

Just go to www.bloglovin.com and make an account (easy) and make sure you "import all your favorite blogs from google reader" so you don't miss out on anything!

 

Click here to follow my blog on bloglovin' if you're not already a follower.

 

 

 

 You're done!
 

 Also...as a "thank you" for taking the time to make the switch...a lot of bloggers are doing some awesome giveaways for their "new" bloglovin' followers!

Enter below.  THREE winners will be selected to choose any THREE items from my TPT store and one lucky winner will win a $10 gift card to AMAZON.COM!

You can get a couple extra entries if you like my brand new facebook page as well...figured I might as well do it all at once! ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

Now go check out all of these other fabulous bloggers who are having bloglovin giveaways!  You're bound to win something cool! ;)




Mrs. JOHNSTON is back!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 

Hi friends!  I am so very sorry for my extremely long absence from this little blog.  I do have a few VERY good reasons...but I've missed you!  Before I get to WHY I've been gone for so long...I must say, this whole Google Reader disappearing and switching to Blog Lovin' thing is stressing me out...mostly because I don't understand it at all.  Apparently, I have to "claim" my blog on Blog Lovin'  so I am pasting some html code in this post to attempt to do that.  If something looks strange...let me know. :) 

 

I'll be back soon with a prettier link to follow me on there once I figure it out. Until then...click on the ugly blue link at the top. ;)

 Anyone else had any luck figuring this whole switch out?  Help!

 

Soooo...the BEST reason I've been MIA?

 

I got married!

I am officially Mrs. Johnston, now.  Yay!

 

The sign my sweeties (and my awesome substitute) had waiting on me when I returned!  Total sweetness!

 

We got married in the outer banks so we were able to enjoy an early beach vacation, and since we returned...I finished the school year, had two "receptions" back home, gotten started on some summer projects around the house, and most recently...had a little oral surgery (ick!).

 

So, while I'm laid up on the couch with Pinterest, my pain meds, and my favorite little cuddle buddy... I wanted to catch up on a few things and share some pictures! 

 

My view for the next few days.

 

I am fairly certain that you don't want to see pictures of my gum graft surgery (I won't even look in the mirror!) so how about some more wedding pics, instead? ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I've been on the couch for the past 2 days...I've been pinning away! It's still June and I'm already gearing up for a mini classroom makeover and some exciting new ideas for the coming year!

 

Nerd alert! hehe

 

Here is one of my favorite ideas so far...click on the picture to be taken to the original source!

 

I can't wait to get to Hobby Lobby and find some cool fabric for this little project!

 

Here are some of my latest school finds at TJ Maxx (love those red sale stickers!)

 

 

 

 Time for another nap...or another pain pill...or perhaps both!

It feels good to be back! XOXO

 

 



 

 

 

 

Photo Dump and INSTAGRAM PARTY!

I've missed you! I am in way over my head with wedding planning, long-ish term sub plans for wedding, pre-wedding celebrations, PALS testing, report cards, and oh yea...TEACHING every day! :) Ahh!

 

I couldn't miss out on a chance to link up to the instagram Party, though! What a fabulous idea.  I loooove instagram and have managed to find some of you, but this will be an awesome way to find new blogs AND to get my blog fix when I don't have time to sit at the computer and surf.  I'm happy to announce that "What Happens in First Grade" now has an instagram account.  Unfortunately, it will probably only have pictures of Sawyer until I can get to school in the morning and snap something else! ;)  Sorry...it's brand new!

 

 

Click below to link up!

 



Follow me on instagram @ whathappensinfirstgrade! I want to follow you, too!

 

 

We have indeed been busy, busy, busy in first grade despite my blogging absence.  Here is a quick "photo dump" of what we've been up to!  I promise I'll be back soon....even sooner if anyone wants to write a week's worth of sub plans for me.  Any takers? ;)

 

Fact Family Review

Some of our favorites:

-Number Sentence Sliders (super easy to make with sentence strips - cover one of the numbers OR the +/- sign and your partner has to guess what is hidden!

- "Visual Math" Number Sentence Shakers

 

 

 

Phonics Work with the Sounds of "oo" 

Fruit Loops and Sunglasses make everything more fun!

 

Money Practice Games

-Most are from from the fabulous Cara Carroll at The First Grade Parade.

-We also had an awesome time with my little "Money Bugs" count the room activity.

 

 Taking advantage of the pretty weather to do a little short i/long i partner writing sort with sidewalk chalk

 

 

PS - The UPS man just made my day with these precious little koozies for the wedding...

I'm ready to say I do!

 

Happy teaching to you...and see ya on instagram! ;)

 

Money Bugs!

Is anyone else working on counting coins this week??  I just finished making a few activities that I can't wait to use with my kiddos. My laminator is warming up as I type this!

 

My kids LOVE "read around the room" activities this year so I made a "count around the room" money game called "Money Bugs."  Get it? Like money bags? 

 

Get it? Get it?

 

 

I thought I was really clever but Andy just gave me a strange look when I told him.  Sigh.

 

If you are interested, check it out at my TPT store.  It includes dimes, nickels, and pennies but NOT quarters. Just FYI! :)

 

 

 

We have been enjoying an absolutely perfect Sunday.  I've been busy, busy, busy on plans after a long walk with the pooch and a grocery store run. Andy is busy studying for a BIG paramedic test for work tomorrow. 

 

lazy.

Today, I am thankful for the electrical outlet on my screened-in deck because it doesn't make me feel so bad to spend the entire day on school work when I can enjoy the fabulous weather and a cool breeze!

 

I am also thankful that yummy fruit is starting to be in season.  I can hardly stand to buy it in the winter when it doesn't even taste like real fruit!

 

Oh yea...and riesling.  I'm thankful for that too. ;)

 

I am also thankful that you decided to stop by my blog today so I have a FREEBIE for you.  This is basically the game of "WAR" with coins.  I just don't like calling it war...don't ask me why, I just don't...so I call it "top-it." 

 

Students will pair up and take turns turning over the top card on their stack.  The person with the highest amount gets to keep both cards...you know the drill.

 

This is war top-it of the coin variety and it's yours if you would like it!

 

Click Here to Download from TPT

 

This also includes mostly dimes, nickels, and pennies.  The last page does include some quarters in isolation that you can leave in or take out but it does not include a lot of practice with counting quarters. 

 

So if your kids are smartie-pants and already know how to count quarters with dimes, nickels, and pennies...SORRY!  hehe.  We're not quite there...yet...

 

but...practice makes progress!

 

Happy Monday and Happy Teaching to You!

XO

What's the BIG idea??

Spring Break has officially come to an end and I am SAD about that but going back means I'm getting closer and closer to May when I get to marry this handsome guy! 

 

 

Then, of course, glorious summer days ahead!  I think I can do it!

 

Spring Break was productive, but not busy.  I had plenty of days to sleep in and work on some wedding projects at home.  It FINALLY warmed up yesterday and spring decided to make an appearance in my little corner of Virginia so I spent the day getting a little (too much) sun and reading a book.  It was a REAL, grown-up book.  I don't read those much from September-June!  I read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.  WOW. I highly recommend.  I finished it in two days...couldn't put it down.  It's definitely not a "feel good" story...pretty disturbing actually, but quite good!

 

 

I also had a chance to FINALLY finish up a new unit I've been working on for quite some time. I had a really hard time in the past teaching main idea to my first graders as a reading strategy.  I feel like I've finally come up with some ideas to help them grasp the concept.  This year was the first year I felt truly  successful with it, so I decided it was time to share!  This is also the first year that I feel like I've truly used the concepts of main idea and details to help my students as writers.  I am shocked at how it helped many of even my reluctant writers feel confident writing a short paragraph with multiple sentences on the same topic....YES!

 

I also noticed that as I shopped on TPT, there were a lot of resources out there for upper elementary grades...but not so much for primary. So if this is something that you are working on this spring with your little ones...I hope you can use it! 

 

It is on sale this week for $4!

There is a lengthy preview available on TPT so you can see exactly what you are getting. Just click the picture below to check it out. :)

 

 

I'd also love to give away a copy to the first 3 friends to leave me a comment.  On your mark, get set...go!

 

For now...I'm off to watch the Country Music Awards and gear up for my kiddos tomorrow! 

 

Happy Monday and as always...Happy Teaching to you!