I forgot...

I totally forgot until tonight that I said I was going to post the stamina graph that I use during Daily 5!!  Thank you goes out to Miss Amanda Clark for reminding me!!!  THANK YOU!!!  This is the chart that I use and it works great!!  I DID NOT MAKE THIS and I have no idea who did so if this is yours - THANK YOU - and please let me know if it is yours so I can give you credit for this fabulous document!!!  We have actually made it to 10 minutes so I can being pulling groups SOON!!  YAY!!!  Click on the picture to download!

We have done some fun stuff with math journals and science this week!  I will share later on in the week!!  Until then... have a great day tomorrow!! :)

Just had too...

I know I'm not suppose to post 2 times in one day, but I just hated having to post my last post.... so, I wanted to try and make up for it.  Here is a Clip Chart Management document that I started using this year and it is really helping to document behavior when using the Clip Chart.  I hope you can use it!  I was inspired by one that I saw on Pinterest!  I am thinking I am going to make one for when they clip up too!!  So I can remember all the good things that happen each day!! :)  Click on the picture below to get it!  

I hope this makes up a little for my earlier post! :)

Sorry guys...

I'm so sorry to do this but I had to take down the things that I have made using Scrappin' Doodles Clip Art which include the Daily 5 Anchor Charts.  :(  They have recently changed their Terms of Use and now require a $15 license in order to give away items made with their art.  :(  

I do not have this license and not sure if I will purchase it. 

You can find the charts on my TpT Store. 

Again, I am sooo sorry, but like you, I am a rule follower and want to make sure I am doing the right thing.  

Give me an E.....S.....G......I & Daily 5

I just have to share about some awesome assessment software I have been trying these last few days.  It is called ESGI - Educational Software for Guided Instruction.  It is a web based assessment program that allows you to quickly and easily asses your children.  There are remade assessments already loaded or you can make your own assessments - I have not tried that because the preloaded ones were just what I needed - letter name (capital/lowercase) letter sounds, initial sounds, rhyming, number identification, shapes, patterning, coin identification, cvc words...the list goes on and on!  I have been testing for 2 days and I am 3/4 of the way done.  What I love about it is that I can even assess on the go!  I just take my iPad and we are good to go!!  The kids think it is big fun too...especially with the iPad.  I can't wait to finish and print out the parent results letters, and even individualized flash cards for each of my students.  Our county uses Dibels as our main assessment tool, but I like having this so I know exactly what letters they don't know, not just how many they can name in a minute!!  I am excited to use this to help guide and individualize my instruction as much as possible.  

So, we have made it to 6 minutes for Read to Self which I am super excited about!!!  We are so close to me being able to actually pull a short 10 minute small group!!!  They get so excited when I color in their stamina graph.  I had a good giggle to myself today when I had some kids model the wrong way to Read to Self.  This one little girl was having a hard time working the whole time and was spending a lot of time looking everywhere but her book...so I immediately rang my chimes and brought everyone back to the carpet.  I asked this same little girl, who by the way is probably the quietest kid I have, to model Read to Self the wrong way.  I was a little unsure if she would really get into it and do the "wrong" thing.... but she SOOOOOO did!  It was so cute.  She totally copied the way I did it when I introduced Read to Self.  I sometimes forget that some of my kids actually pay attention and remember what we talk about!!  

O.K - before I go, I have to make a confession...I have a problem...My name is Ashley and I am a cronic classroom re-arranger!  There I said it!!  I feel better.  This afternoon, after my hubby came by to pick Whitnee up for piano lessons, I re-arranged my entire room in less than an hour!!  I always do it in the late afternoon, so no one sees  -  although everyone at school is pretty used to my addiction.  :)  I never know how the room arrangement is going to work in real life, and if it doesn't work, I can't stand it - so after a week and a half in my room with real life kids - all I can say, is that it was NOT working for me!  Traffic areas were congested, seating was not working for me, and I just felt like there was a lot of wasted space... I could go one and on!! :)  I always like seeing the kids reactions the next day too!! :)  Eventually they get used to the room moving around and just smile and say "You did it again!!"  Please tell me I'm not the only classroom re-arranger around here??  I would love to hear from you and we might could start our own support group!! LOL  

I need Help!!

I need some cute Birthday ideas!!  I want to display my kids' birthdays but I am just at a loss for creativity.  This is always something in the past, that gets thrown by the wayside and before I know it it is May and I never did anything with it!  I am always caught off guard with birthdays and would like to change that this year!!  So, if you have any grand ideas on how I can do this to match my decor I would be forever grateful!!!!

Friday, Oh how I love you!!!

I made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Waaaahooooooo!!!!

I week down... :)  

This is my daughter Whitnee and I on our first day of school!  This was before I got hot and sweaty due to the air conditioning not coming until 45 minutes AFTER I got to school...nice start huh??  I can't believe Whit is in the second grade this year!!  Where has the time gone???

I really don't have anything earth shattering to post about but just wanted to celebrate surviving the first week of herding cats I mean kindergarten!! :)

I do have a few goodies for you before I sign off and get some much needed rest!!

Here is a new copy of my rules posters WITH the title!! :)  RULES

I have also had several requests for a set of rules with more diverse graphics so you can find that set HERE if that would work better for you.

Thank you so much for all your kind words and encouragement!  You sure know how to make a girl feel good!!  Hugs to everyone!!! 

4 days down...1 to go!!!

I think these have been the longest 4 days of my life!!  I love them dearly but the first few weeks of kindergarten are always sooo exhausting!!!!  I keep remembering that tomorrow is Friday....tomorrow is Friday....tomorrow is Friday!!! 

I thought I would share a few pictures of my room...I have had them on my camera but just haven't had the energy to get them onto the computer until tonight.  I didn't take a ton, but enjoy the few I did manage to snap.  Bear in mind that some of the pictures are from when bulletin boards and room were not finished... :)

Finished Clip Chart! :)

Rules up and ready!

Cafe Board

Calendar - still a work in progress.  I have added weather cards (we don't have much of a variation in weather :) ) and will soon add specials and mountain math.  

Library

The black squares are where our self-portraits will go... :)

Meeting area

That's about all I got... the kids are in the process of making it their home and I will post more pics when it is ready!! :)  Have a HAPPY FRIDAY!!! :)

D.O.T Book

About 4 years ago I kept reading about this tool called a "Mouse Book" used by students to organize and transport the important things they need to bring back and forth to school everyday.  It was one of those things just like the with the Daily 5 that I thought - "I don't need anything like this...what I do it just fine!!" Well, I kept reading about teachers who raved about this tool so I finally gave in and tried it out....and I have never looked back!  I  LOVE the concept of this type of binder and it has helped me and my students stay organized!!  You can call this book whatever you want to match your classroom or school theme - I have had a B.E.E Book, a C.L.O.W.N Book and last year and again this year...

the D.O.T Book - Daily Organizational Tool
Here is a picture of our D.O.T Book from last year(Sorry for the upside down picture... my computer is not cooperating!!) 

Here is what the covers will look like this year.  Click the picture to download.  

If you would like an editable version, you can find it HERE - It is not pretty so you will have to change the fonts and what not.

Here is a shot of what it looks like
 when you open it up.  

You can see the important papers spot on the inside cover.  This is where we stick anything that comes from the office or anything that I need the parents to see.  On the opposite side I have the money pouch.  This is my FAVORITE part of the book.  No more lost lunch or ice cream money.  No more floating picture envelopes in the backpacks!  You can kind of also see the index card we keep in the money pouch.  We ask that anytime the parents send money that they write the date and what the money is for.  This little card has been a LIFE SAVER for us!!!  Behind the money pouch we start the different sections of the book.  
The first time I send home the DOT Book, I put the following 2 document inside.  These documents helps to explain exactly what it is and what the different parts of the book are for. 
Click the picture for your download.

I hope all of this is helpful to you when you are putting your Book together.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  :)

Rule Number 6... or 3 :)

Hey!!  I have also had several requests for the following additions to my rules posters.  

For those of you who want to use 

Rule # 6: Respect others, respect yourself respect your school - Here you go!! :)

And for those of you who want to use this in place of my Rule # 3.  :)

Teaching Blog Addict - Check it out!! :)

Let me tell you about an awesome place just in case you have been hiding under a rock all summer or vacationing or just out of the loop like I was all summer!! LOL!! 

 The Teaching Blog Addict is an awesome place to find a vast assortment of teaching resources and advice. Take a minute and head over there and check it out!! You will not be disappointed!!! 

I promise!!! Click below to start the fun!!! :)