Thanksgiving Fun!

I love the holidays! Im the kind of person who, if not supervised by someone at the store, will buy every thanksgiving and Christmas decoration. I LOVE decorating my house, I LOVE shopping and buying gifts for people, I LOVE baking and cooking all the yummy holiday food, I LOVE holiday music and will never tire it! Most of all I LOVE being with my family and friends and slowing down our busy lives to catch up and spend time with each other. OMG I am getting so excited just thinking about it! 

In our class we are gearing up for thanksgiving and learning all about the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and Turkeys. They are really when we learn about how these people used to live. They are very surprised these people couldn't go to Walmart and get whatever they needed or order Pizza on their Iphones and have someone bring it to you. It just blows their little minds! 

So here are my few of my fave units for this month!

1. November NO PREP just print by Time4Kindergarten: I love this unit because well let's be real, who has the time to prep every activity for your classroom. This unit makes it easy to just print and go. I like to use these for early finishers, morning work, and sub work. You can find it HERE

2.  November Early Finishers tub by KreativeinKinder: I have some kids that get done with their work very quickly and need something to do while the other students are still working. These are fun, educational activities that students can grab and work on quietly while others are working. Love her work! You can find it HERE

3. Thanksgiving Math and Literacy Fun by Deanna Jump: There is no explanation necessary! You just CAN NOT go wrong with Deanna Jump! She is absolutely awesome:] You can find it HERE

4. Time for Turkey-Literacy and Math centers for kinder by Kindergarten Lifestyle: I love center time and so do my kinderbabies. They think they are just playing by they are really learning! I love all of her center activities:] She is amazing! You can find it HERE

5. Thanksgiving math and literacy activities by ME!: This is my new unit! It includes beginning sound, sight word, ten frames, numbers 10-20, and 2D shapes activities. It also includes my cute little shape turkey craft that I posted on Facebook earlier this week. Today (11/10) only is 50% off in my store! You can find it HERE 

Here is a picture of  the shape turkeys we made last week! I just love them!

Hopefully you can use some of these activities in the next few weeks with your kinders! I know they will love them! Have a great week!

Yes I am alive...

So sorry I haven't been around lately, it's been a little cray cray around here! It's review week in my room we are getting ready to switch into a new 9 weeks. My babies are doing great! They are some very smart and quick learners! I have a good chunk of kids that have not EVER been to school before but yet 10 of them already know their letters and sounds! Happy teacher dance! I am super proud of them!

We are starting a review week this week so teachers can review and assess for report cards. For the next two week we will be doing Pumpkin/Halloween themed activities. I don't know about you but every day my kids come in and ask me if it is Halloween yet.. they are so excited! In my store right now you can go grab my new pumpkin literacy mini-unit call Pumpkin Palooza! It is aligned to the TEKS(for all my Texas buddies) as well as CCSS. Visit my TPT store to get it!

 

Hopefully I will have more picture next week of my kids doing our fun pumpkin activities for you! I am the worst at remembering to take picture until the activity is all done! Well, gotta get back to lesson plans and Cowboys football :] Have a great week!

OH and one more thing! I have a facebook page now:]. YAY ME!! If you are on facebook search Kindergarten Sparkle and Shine and like my page! There is a new fan freebie posted you can grab, but you have to like my page first :]

September Apple Unit Ideas

IM BACKKKK! I have been MIA these past couple of weeks. I started school on August 26th with 26 cute, sweet kinderbabies. Its been a little crazy in our hallway because this is unusually large group of kinders. We have the largest grade level in the whole district!! We have been having so much fun learning and getting to know everybody in our classroom family.

This week we are starting our apple unit! In ELAR we are working on letters and sounds, syllables,and rhyming words and I have created a mini apple literacy center pack that focuses on those skills. In this pack is a uppercase and lowercase letter match/memory game, a syallble sort, and a rhyming word go-fish game. You can find this pack HERE and for today only it is FREE!!

I am loving these apple anchor charts from Kaci at Mrs. Hoffer's Spot. I love graphing and making anchor charts with my kids and these are AWESOME for that! Grab it HERE

I also LOVE the apple morning work and homework pack from Danielle at Kroger's Kindergarten

It's an awesome resource and you can find it HERE and HERE!

Also hop on over to to Jeannie Partin's TPT store she has a GREAT Apple Five senses pack that will go great with my science unit coming up next week and for my science center! CLICK HERE! to grab it.

What are you planning on doing this week? Are you doing apples or something different? I would love to hear your ideas! Just leave a comment below!

School, School, Back to School!!!

I am a little excited to start school next Monday! I can't wait to meet my new kinders and love them and teach them all sorts of things!! This week I am finishing up my classroom, and planning my first week. Our school is starting some new changes which I am very excited about and I hope that this year is AWESOME!

Teachers Pay Teachers is having an awesome back to school sale today and tomorrow only! My small, little store is 20% off and if you use the promo code BTS13 and get an extra 10% off your purchase!!! CLICK HERE to go to my store.

I'm off to spend some money and clear my TPT wishlist!! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Freebie :]

Hi yall! So teachers have to report back on Monday. I always stress out around this time and its I am stressing a little more because I have a whole new team this year. I am the only returning Kindergarten teacher at my school and they will be looking to me to remember what we did last year. Did I mention I have a HORRIBLE memory, I would forget my head if it wasn't screwed on.  So anyway you are probably here for the freebie so CLICK HERE to get it. I hope you like it! Im off to make a million to do list and hopefully hangout with the fiance before he goes to work:]

Happy last Saturday of summer!!

OH MY an AWARD!!!

I am so excited to be nominated for the Liebster award by Tiffany over at Middle School Stories. This award is given to new bloggers who have less than 200 followers [ that's me!] and is used to help other bloggers get to know the new kids on the block. 

There are a few rules/guidelines:

1.  You have to link back to the blog(s) that nominated you.

2. Answer the questions posted by the person that nominated you.

3. Share 11 random facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 5 more blogs that have less than 200 followers.

5. Post 11 questions for your nominees to answers

So here goes....

1. Where did you go to college, and what was your degree in?

- I went to Stephen F Austin State University in Nacogdoches Texas. My degree is in Elementary Education EC-6th.

2. What is your dream teaching job?

- My dream teaching job would be in the school district I grew up in. In teaching you make an impact in many lives and I would love to make an impact in the lives of children of my hometown.

3. What is your favorite professional book?

- To be honest I haven't read a professional book in some time [bad, bad teacher!] Last year was my very hectic and crazy first year teaching. Although reading a professional book might have helped last year.

4. How many years have you been teaching?

-This will be my 2nd year teaching. I love it!

5. What is your must have food/drink/candy to get through a day at school?

- EVERY morning I have to swing by sonic and get my morning dose of Dr. Pepper! I am a grumpy teacher if I don't have it. Believe me I tried it a few times when I was trying to watch my caffeine intake. It wasn't pretty!

6. What career would you have if you were not a teacher?

- That's a hard one because honestly I can't see myself doing anything else but teaching :] BUT if I would have to choose I would like to think I could be a wedding planner.

7. What is your favorite time of the school year?

- My favorite time of the school year is meeting all my new kinders and finding out which skills and experiences they each bring to the classroom.

8. What do you do to keep yourself organized?

-I have to admit it, I AM A LIST MAKER! Sometimes I even put things on my to-do list that have been done just so I can get the satisfaction of crossing it off :]

9. What is your favorite lesson?

- I love 100th day! 100th day is the day that we have been in Kindergarten for a 100 days and we celebrate that we are 100 days smarter by counting to 100, making things out of 100 pieces..etc. Okay I know this isn't one lesson but it is my favorite!

10. Morning-person or afternoon-person?

- Definitely afternoon person. Mornings...I would love if mornings started about 10:30am

11. What makes you most excited for the new school year?

- New school supplies and of course NEW KINDERS!!

11 Random Facts

1. I'm a ginger. Red-hair, pale skin, a bajillion freckles..yep, ginger!

2. I love roller coasters.. I will ride the tallest, fastest roller coaster all day long, if I could.

3. I eat Ketchup on everything! Like...Mac and Cheese, Cooked broccoli, mashed potatoes, taco bell tacos.. I could go on but I don't want to make you sick:]

4. I love the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys.

5. I love cats.. I would take every one of them from the shelter if I could.

6. I'm engaged to a video gamin' sports fanatic.

7. I have been best friends with the person who nominated me for this award since high school.

8. I am an alumni member of Zeta Tau Alpha. 

9. I LOVE the Disney princesses.

10 I'm left handed

11. I share my birthday with the good ol' USA.

Bloggers you should Follow

Sea Bears Kindergarten

Kindergarten Blossoms

Krazy 4 Kinders

My first grade Backpack

A frolic through first grade

Your 11 questions to answer

1. What is your favorite school supply item?

2. How many years have you been teaching?

3.  What is your favorite part of your room?

4. Morning or Afternoon person?

5. If you could have any super power what would it be?

6. How many years have you been teaching?

7. Who was your favorite teacher and why?

8. Do you collect anything?

9. Why did you decide to start blogging?

10. What state are you from?

11. What made you decide to become a teacher? 

Have Fun

-Rebecca

Chevron Crazy!!

Ya'll I just LOVE all the chevron stuff that has come out for the classroom. I went to Mardel's earlier this summer for their education and sale and stocked up on Chevron, Polka dots and zebra prints in turquoise, lime, and black and white. I am so excited to start decorating with all my new CUTE stuff. I know all those prints together sound and look very busy but I hope to do it in a very subtle and non-busy way, if that makes since. SOOOO because I love chevron stripes so much I have made some super cute Dolch word cards for your word wall. This pack includes All words Pre-Primer through 3rd grade! Take a look HERE! I hope you like it! 

If you have any requests you want me to make for you, just email me at rjmartin0704@gmail.com :]

-Rebecca