True Confessions of a Teacher on a Budget...

Ok, so I can't be the only teacher out there on a budget right?!?! As teachers we are constantly trying to find inexpensive ways to reach our students. Here's my secret...The Dollar Store!!! Seriously, I can't go in there without checking out the teaching aisle!

They have different items on a day to day basis, so if you see something you think you could use...someday...grab it! At only a dollar an item you really can't go wrong!

Here's a picture of my latest dollar store finds!

 

 

• Pointers! (theses are great to give to students when you call them up to help you! They just love being able to 'SHOW' you what they are talking about on the board!)
• Sight Word Dice! (A quick an easy game can be made with these when you have students roll the dice and then practice writing the words they roll.)
• Timers! (I have tons of theses! They are super helpful in setting limits for students or keeping them focused on a task until the time is up.)
• Fishing for Letters! (I can't wait to have my students use this game to practice matching their upper case and lower case letters!)
• Sequencing and Number cards! (These are great practice for students independently or in small groups.)

 

 

January's Highlighted Author is...

Dr. Seuss!

Dr. Seuss published 46 children's books in his lifetime!

A few examples of his works are...

• The Cat in the Hat
• Green Eggs and Ham
• The Lorax
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
• Hop on Pop

Dr. Seuss books are great for beginner readers because they feature repeating sounds! When children are learning to read they are first learning how to connect sounds to make words. With the rhyming and repetition of Seuss' books kids are repeating the same sounds over and over which helps them master the skill!

I also love Dr. Seuss books because of their fun and engaging storylines. Seuss is able to create a magical world, while still using simple sentences and sound repetition that help beginning readers excel!

Great Teachers Share!

One of my favorite mantras is "Work Smarter, Not Harder!" 

There are great teachers all around us! We have all taken the time to create great, effective lessons to engage our student while still meeting the CCSS, so now lets take the time to share them!! 

When looking for a new lesson I love to head on over to TeachersPayTeachers and explore the stores of so many hard working teachers. 

The site allows you to create an account, where you can then make your own store, or shop the stores of other teachers! While you do have to pay for many of the full lessons on the site, there are TONS of preview lessons, as well as freebies! Buy a few lessons from a store you like, then take advantage of a freebie they have too! 

To start your searching and shopping head on over to TeachersPayTeachers by clicking here!

Get Crafty!

I LOVE crafting! One type of crafting I enjoy is card making! I do this with a great group of my teacher friends. We get together once a month and make all types of cards! They are great to keep in my desk to give to students for all occasions!

I also love to take boring things and make them great! Check out my personalized clipboard in the slideshow below!

For your own crafty Ideas check out one of my favorite websites, Pinterest! Click HERE to head over to Pinterest now!

As always...don't forget to take time for yourself and relax doing something you love!

December's Highlighted Author Is...

LAURA NUMEROFF!

Numeroff is the author of the very popular children's book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. 

Meet Mouse's friends in some of Laura Numeroff's other books which include, 

• If You Give a Pig a Pancake
• If You Give a Moose a Muffin
• If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
• If You Give a Dog a Donut

Why Laura's books are great for readers...

Laura Numeroff's books were created for young beginner readers and feature rhythmic text and a full circle story line. 

I personally love these stories because children love the silly antics of the characters. They are also great for working on sequencing and cause and effect with kids! 

YouTube can be a great resource! The Video below is 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie being read, with story pages shown

as the reader speaks! Check out Laura Numeroff on YouTube 

for more video stories!

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my blog! The posts in my blog will share with you great resources I have found for teachers, parents and students, crafty ideas to make your classroom SUPER fun and topics or lessons worth exploring! I look forward to creating this blog WITH you, so please leave comments and feedback with your own personal ideas or thoughts! Enjoy!