I'm so excited that this is Thursday and my friend Kristi from Pelicans and Pipsqueaks and I are launching our monthly link-up of teacher thoughts!  Thoughts on Thursday is a weekly teacher blog link up where we talk about our thoughts on a specific subject. Sometimes we'll talk about classroom stuff, and sometimes we'll talk about life in general. You may even grab a freebie or two along the way ;)

It has been a wild month of August and I am beyond ready to get back into the swing of things. So this month - Football!!

So it won't come as any surprise, but living in Baton Rouge, I'm a little bit of a Tigers fan.

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Jessica

Hi guys! How's your summer going? Mine has started off with a bang and hasn't stopped.

I'm linking up today with The Primary Punchbowl to share my classroom move this coming fall. Many members of the Punchbowl are changing up jobs this year. Elisabeth from Literacy and Lattes wrote a great anchor post HERE so check it out.

Well my principal had been asking me since October if I would take the Video Production job at my school. My master's is in educational technology so it is my dream to eventually teach technology or coordinate technology somewhere. I put it off and put it off and kept telling myself

"There's no place like first, there's no place like first!"

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Jessica

Hi friends! It's Five for Friday time again with Doodle Bugs Teaching! It's been a really busy week and I think it will not slow down until AFTER the new year! I absolutely love this time of year. Everything everywhere is designed to fill your heart with love and kindness. I hope you are feeling it, too!

Let's get started! 

 This week our elf in the classroom showed up! After reading the book, the kids got to choose a name for him. We had quite the selection, but in the end they voted on Chippy.

This one was my favorite! Darth Elf!

And he has been quite naughty. The kids love him and they are so excited to come in everyday and look for him.

The other day he changed all of our screens. 

My classroom door is also elf themed! 

It's finally December!! It's my favorite month! 

I wait all year and it's here. The city is always decorated with tinsel, wreaths, and lights. There are events practically everyday, and everybody sends out Christmas Cards!! I will more than likely not be doing the last thing there because I caught the flu last week and it was not a good time to take pics. 

What is everybody's favorite thing about the Holidays??

And, sadly, my student teacher had her last day this week. I am going to be so lost without her. She has helped to make this year fabulous and the kids are going to miss her so much! They wrote her farewell letters and I bound them into a book. I also gave her a lifetime license to my TpT store and a jump drive with some various freebies from my blog. 

Carly Summer has the opportunity to attend the Model United Nations conference right here in Baton Rouge. At this event, high school kids from around the state come together to discuss diplomacy, international relations, current events, and learn about the UN directly. 

She has to dress professionally and speak publicly. I am so impressed by her school. They are giving so many great educational opportunities for these kiddos. 

FINALLY OUR DISNEY MAGIC BANDS CAME IN!!! 

This means it's real. It's actually happening in 22 days. 

Yay!!! It's so exciting. 

Well that's it for now!! See ya real soon! 

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Jessica

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and fun! 

I am happy to be linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! It's been awhile but I'm thinking the time is right to join this linky party again! 

I've had an eventful Thanksgiving break, from the flu, to product planning, to Black Friday shopping, to tree decorating - it has been full! 

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Jessica

Hi friends! Just a quick jot this morning to tell you all about what you could win to make this day even better!!
It's Winner Wednesday!

My fabulous friend Jennifer over at A Dab of Glue Will Do is hosting this linky so that you have a chance to win some great resources for your classroom!

This month you could win my October Themed Math Centers!

These centers are great for practicing balancing facts and basic addition and subtraction. 

Check it out!

Equal Eyes!

Practice basic addition and subtraction facts!

What's missing? 

Also some fun whole group ideas!

12 Math Centers with a fun Halloween theme!

I hope you enter! Good Luck! 

If you would like to check this product out on TpT click {HERE}! It's on sale this week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Jessica

Happy Friday Y'all!! It's the last day of Blog Hoppin's Teacher Week 2015. Today's topic is Favorite Subject!

I would have to say my favorite subject to teach is READING!! I love to read so I love to share my LOVE of reading with my kiddos. Since I work in a school that isn't required to follow a specific curriculum, I'm free to design my own reading program. We use Journeys as a supplement though and follow the spelling and high frequency words in the curriculum. Why? To be honest, it's just easier! It's already there, each week, ready for us. Another Sanity Saver!!

I usually begin each reading mini lesson with a read aloud of a book that showcases our skills for the week. For example, when teaching story structure I may read a fairy tale. I use voices and I'm really animated when I read! Anything to get the students interested in the book. I'm always modeling what good readers should do, so I will stop and talk about what we've read so far. After reading we may create an anchor chart or complete an activity or do partner talk or use {questioning cards}. There's always something to reinforce the skill taught.

I created interactive notebooks last year to help excite my ELA block.

The kids LOVE to create their interactive notebook activities. It's a great way to practice and review the skills and words we are teaching. 

They are so fun! Well that's it for my #TeacherWeek15!! Thanks for joining me! 

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Jessica

Happy Thursday! How is everybody?? It's Friday Eve and the fourth day of the Blog Hoppin' Teacher Week 2015!!

Today's topic is Sanity Savers: What Makes Work Easier?? 

One Word: Astrobrights!

This paper is the best thing since sliced bread. Like the best. I use Astrobrights to color code EVERYTHING!! I use it for file organization, classroom decor, labels, notes home, storage, etc. 

Here is an example: 

With my Math centers, I usually make about 5-6 copies of each center. Why? Because I have 26 students and when I have 6 students trying to do one center all at the same time it tends to get a little louder than is necessary. And then stuff gets lost and kids start getting a little rowdy while they wait for pieces from the center. BUT if I have a center for each student or pairs of students then this issue goes away. 

When I make a new center or purchase a new center I make sure to have it available in B&W as well. INK SAVER ALERT!!

Then I print them out in different colors. All parts of the center. 

Roll and Write Center

Roll and Write Center

The students know to grab all parts of the activity in the same bright color. So if you are grabbing the pink dice, then you also grab the pink envelope with the pink cards inside it. 

 I cut the paper in half, fold it, and then staple or tape the sides to make an envelope. Sometimes I even laminate the paper before doing this. 

Counting Caterpillar Center

So the students each have an activity in the same color so no pieces get mixed up and each child is happy with his or her own center. Man, when I started doing this my life got so much easier!!!!

Centers are quiet and engaged. Students are working the whole time. There isn't any loud volume voices. I can work with small groups. It's just amazing!! And it is so bright and the paper is such good quality. It just makes sense!!

Well that's it for my sanity saver today. Can't wait to read how everybody makes their life easier!! 

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Jessica

Hi y'all!! It's already Wednesday of Blog Hoppin's Teacher Week 2015! Today is all about classroom tours!!!

I can't wait to see everybody's classrooms! At the beginning of August I did my official Classroom Reveal here on the blog. (It's a little long of a post, so I'll condense it here to just the overview and my favorite place).

I LOVE MY CLASSROOM!!! It makes me so happy everyday to walk in and inspire little minds :)

These are the four corners of my room. 

My absolute favorite place in the whole room is the Classroom Library. 

 I've spent years collecting books for my library. It is the most prized possession I own. I have labeled, categorized, color coded, sorted, databased (is that even a word??) every book and I keep it in this handy binder. 

These fancy new bins are from Big Lots and the labels with the pictures match the labels I have on the books. Makes it easier for my little munchkins to find and put up books. 

Well that's it for my short classroom tour! What's your room look like? 

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Jessica