Book Clubs Giveaway

How cool. Check out First Grade Pandamonium for an awesome giveaway. It is a unit for sheets to use with Book Clubs and all you have to do - wait for it - is blog about it and become a follower of an AWESOME blog! Go check it out!

Happy Reading! Amy C!

Recipe Link Party!

Over at Clutter Free Classroom they are having a link party for your favorite recipe during the school year!

Here is mine:

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
pack of chicken breast
bottle of bbq sauce ( I prefer the Montgomery Inn!)
buns


Directions:
1. Place chicken in crock pot.
2. Pour entire bottle of BBQ sauce over chicken. (If bbq sauce doesn't cover all chicken add a little water.)
3. Let cook on low all day. Chicken will fall apart and shred itself!
4. When finished cooking, place enough chicken to make a great sandwich!

I serve mine with corn and a strawberry salad with spinach, lettuce and romaine mixed together!

Delicious, quick and easy!

Hope you Enjoy!

Happy Reading! Amy C!

Giveaway.....

"Teaching Heart ( www.teachingheart.net ) is hosting their annual back to school party on July 24th till July 30th.  Each Day a new prize!  Gift cards, Books, Teaching Heart Products, and more!!!  Plus a free printable will be posted during the week.  You need to visit the blog at;http://teachingheartmom.blogspot.com/ 
daily to check out the prizes each day and enter for the ones you want to win!!!"


Happy Reading! Amy C!

Alisha Needs Help too!

So The Bubble Blonde Teacher needs our help! Her husband bet her she couldn't reach 125 followers by Friday evening.... when she reaches 125 she will get the camera she wants - so in short.... GO JOIN HER BLOG!

Happy Reading! Amy C!

I. Need. Help!

Alright - teacher frustration/overwhelmedness (is that even a word) has set in! We don't even start school until August 17 (my birthday - what a present huh!?) and I am already freaking out about my room, theme and activities for beginning of the year - I don't think they are good enough and I am not happy with what I have done... and then I read every one's blogs and I get even more upset because I am jealous of their ideas and think, "Why can't I come up with that stuff!?!?" (insert awesome blogs here such as The Inspired Apple, Chalk Talk, and my list could continue because on my dashboard I have 250 + blogs JUST for teaching! - OBSESSED - I think so!)

Here is where I need help. I am sticking to my theme, "Oh, the places you'll go!" and I need a theme for my binder my kids keep and the folder at the beginning of the year. I use right now the "BEE Binder" (Bring Everything Everyday). In this binder is where they put notes home, homework, word wall practice, our poetry notebook, EVERYTHING!

So put your brains together and come up with a Dr. Seuss themed name for their binder! I am S.T.U.C.K!


Happy Reading! Amy C!

First Day in First Grade

So this morning when I couldn't sleep - I went on over to Mrs. Kincaid's First Grade and she had the CUTEST idea. We all know the world is way too into technology - and so are our schools and our families.... so therefore Mrs. Kincaid came up with a play on facebook! She made a page that said "_____ Likes First Grade!" 

I had to copy her - I can't take the credit!

So - I am going to make one for each of my students and take their picture - they will decorate the frame and we will put the picture in it!! On Friday of the first week back (we start on a Wednesday) we will send them home! 

I have made a few in all different fonts - if you would like one with your grade level let me know!! Just email me at amycoates@me.com

Thank you to Stephanie Kincaid for the great idea! 

Happy Reading! Amy C!

SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Awesome giveaway.... GO CHECK IT OUT! Another Day In First Grade


Happy Reading! Amy C!

What I Am

At my school here in Lexington we have a theme or a stewardship for the entire year - this year our theme is: Christ the King students share their "amazing gifts." We have stewardship activities for each grade - my grade (1st) works with other children... I am still trying to think of what we will be doing this year to share our amazing gifts...

While searching for different ideas I came across this heartwarming video:

maybe I am late on discovering this but I absolutely love it!! My theme for my classroom this year is "Oh the places you'll go." This song is so fitting - I want my kids to learn in the first few days of school and do an activity with it - who has ideas??? I am thinking a possible book titled "Who We Are" and each student decorate a page... but that is all I have right now!

What are your ideas?

Happy Reading! Amy C!

GIVEAWAY....

There is a wonderful giveaway over at Ms. Saylor's Blog. It is from the wonderful Doodle Bugs Paper!

GO CHECK IT OUT! FAST!

Happy Reading! Amy C!

Take Home Books

Hi everyone!

I am looking for some topics to make Take-Home Writing Books for my first graders! So far I have a tooth fairy journal and The Birthday Journal...

Can you think of any other ideas?


Happy Reading! Amy C!

Oh the places you'll go!

It is that time of year again...back to school shopping! I love walking into Target and smelling the crayons, seeing brand new notebooks and unused glue sticks! My favorite thing to see are the pens, pencils and SHARPIES! 

Another reason I love Target is their DOLLAR $POT! It is such a great addition to each store and always has something there... well this little visit turned into picking up a lot at the DOLLAR $POT! 


Exhibit A: 

They had these Dr. Seuss Bags... so I purchased thirty... my head started rolling... ideas were starting...

I also  purchased thirty composition books, pencils, and erasers.... which all went in one bag!



....So with all the cute Dr. Seuss things that led me into my theme for the year, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" I am super excited.

We do Guided Reading Groups which I call, "Book Clubs." These Dr. Seuss bags are going to be their Book Club bags. Each week or two weeks, we have a new book. The book goes home for Book Club to practice reading and to possibly do an activity... enter the Dr. Seuss Bag... there is no reason now for anyone to forget the book club book at home! They now have their own book club bag to carry their book club book and homework back and forth! (And it's super cute!)


Happy Reading! Amy C!

My Favorite Books Links Party!

There is a book challenge over at Rundes Room! They are doing a link up of favorite books for different categories! Check it out!

Here are mine:

                      My Favorite Books

  Childhood Favorites – So hard to pick one … I had so many.  I think I’d have to say my absolute favorites were Anne of Green Gables, Babysitters Club and I loved Little Women! All books were such great examples of strong young women - which I grew up in a family of five girls! So it was a way to step out of our life and into someone else's! 

Classroom Favorites - I teach first grade and there are so many great picture books. I love The Kissing Hand series - such a sweet story about trust, faith and love! But, I also love the Junie B. Jones Series. We read one a week and play games and complete activities on correcting Junie B's grammar. I love hearing all the kids laugh and giggle and then the excitement on their eyes when they can read the series by themselves! 

Reading to my Own Children Favorites – I don't have any children... but when I am with nieces and nephews I will read anything to them! I love reading Dr. Seuss, Little Critter, Pinkalicious, Harry and the Dinosaur and Henry and Mudge!

Professional Favorites – Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire! Such a great book full of inspiration! 

Guilty-Pleasure Favorites – I enjoy any books. I just finished the Hunger Games Series and absolutely loved it! 

What are your favorites!?

Postcard Exchange

Hi everyone! So lately I have been "tardy for the party" and am missing out on all the Postcard exchanges. Every time I find a new postcard exchange, Kentucky is taken. So... I am seeing if anyone wants to do one!

Here is the info:
A postcard exchange is where a teacher from each state and her classroom participate! The teachers and students send a post card to a specific school in each state. So, you will need to purchase at least 49 postcards and stamps.The exchange is open to anyone teaching. It would be really cool if participants had a blog, website or another way to share updates and pictures. Postcards will need to be mailed out by the end of October.

It would be nice if all participants to include a line introducing their classroom and a fact about their state! You could even include a line about what you want to learn more about or to contact us at.

If you would like to join the exchange just email me at: amycoates@me.com. Include your name, school, state, and blog!

If you have any blog friends that want to participate let me know!