It Has Been Way Too Long!

  Can you believe it has been a more than a month since my last post?! I can't believe it! But then I think about all the changes that have happened in my county and I quickly realize where the time has gone. We have changed soooooooooooo much.

 Full Common Core integration, the grading scale, and an online grading book are just a few changes. The most difficult change is the fact that we have not received new materials for our core subjects. I hope you can imagine all the extra time and work myself and my fellow teachers have to put in to develop activities and materials that have the rigor of Common Core. So I am sorry for neglecting the blog world but my kiddos come first. I have had to learn to negate my time more wisely than ever before.

Onto a much brighter subject, I did find time to create this freebie! In two weeks our school will be focusing on our yearly anti-drug campaign. Our theme this year is fall so we will have lots of pumpkins, scarecrows, and other symbols of autumn without the scariness of the typical Halloween decorations. For the door decoration competition I designed this writing for my kiddos to do. They have to write about how they won't "fall" for drugs! Click here for the writing!

 Click on the scarecrow for the brainstorming sheet!

I  made the brainstorm sheet to use in whole group discussion. I plan on using it to write down the kid's ideas on how they won't fall for drugs. It also has an area to include words that they might need help spelling.


*The clipart is from Scrapp'n Doodles, the font is from DaFont.com, and I can't remember where the border is from but when I find out I will post it! *

Drum roll please...The Winner is...

...Jean Robinson!!!! Woo-hoo!!! I am so happy you can put that other caddie back and use this new one in your writing center! Keep an eye out for an email about the details. :)

I'm hosting a giveaway + September Currently

Can't you just hear me shouting, " I am having a giveaway!!!!!!", in a Oprah-esque voice?! I certainly imagine that is how it would sound. :) If you couldn't tell I am pretty excited to be giving away a classroom organizer by ArtMinds to one lucky winner. The giveaway ends tonight at 12:01 a.m. I would hope you register for it before then. Isn't it a school night for most of us??

Also, I linked up with Farley from Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for her September Currently.


I love reading through every one of them. It is funny to see how teachers usually think alike. Well, here is my Currently ! You might have to click on it since I had to use like -8 Font to fit in all of my thoughts. :)

A bit about my favs.... 

The beach- I love living on the beachside. I know I am blessed and say a prayer of thanks for the wonderful life I am living every day. I need the beach. It is my place to go to take in the beauty of nature, my place to relax and laugh with friends and family, and it really is a place to just let it all go. I even read in a scientific magazine that being near moving water, such as the crashing waves, makes you more relaxed because the running water produces negative ions. Sounds good to me!

My Kitties- Ralph and Meme are the sweetest kitties ever. Ralph sleeps on my chest and drools on my hands. Kind of strange but I love that he feels like he is protecting me. Meme always sleeps near my feet. I am so happy we rescued them. I often feel like I want to recuse all the abandon kitties but know that might be a bit extreme.

Ralph and Meme when we first adopted them. Aw, cuddle cuteness!

Leopard Loafers- This summer I have enjoyed adding bold and colorful pieces to the ole' wardrobe. I found these fun loafers at Target ( I say Tar-jay) and had to purchase them immediately. There is another pair of loafers I want at Dillards. They may or may not be covered in gold glitter and have gold spikes. :O I think I might have to rewrite some Pete the Cat books to include my new fancy shoes!     

                                                                                                  

PS- Happy Labor Day! I hope we all get to enjoy a few hours of fun! I know my night will be spent grading and such so I better go to the beach pronto. 

Labor Day Giveaway

    Hello!!! I promise I will start blogging more as the beginning of the year starts to settle down. I haven't even had time to "blog stalk" or pin anything on Pintrest.

 I did however find an awesome classroom organizer by ArtMinds. Take a look here!

    I thought it would be a nice giveaway item. My organizer is going to find a cozy home in our writing center. If you would like a new and shiny classroom organizer for your writing center (or anywhere really!) just enter the rafflecopter below.  Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Common Core/ Daily 5 Resources + Giveaway Appreciation

   If you couldn't tell by my mysterious absence from the blogging world these first few weeks of school have been beyond intense and exhausting. Anyone else falling asleep before the sun sets?? Well, the biggest changes around my district are Common Core and our new grading system Pinnacle. After much discussion and hunting my team has found a few great resources and I thought I should share! We all know teaching includes begging, borrowing, and "stealing" ideas and resources! I promise we really don't steal anything. We are teachers after all. :)

Resource #1
Daily 5 Share and Swap

   Over at TeachEm2Think, the school district of San Juan has put together a never ending list of links, posters, literacy resources, and more for those Daily 5/CAFE teachers to browse! They pretty much covered it all. You want some chimes for grabbing the kiddos attention? They have a link. You short on recommended readings to deepen your knowledge of Daily 5? They have that too! How about some "brain breaks" to shake out those wiggles? Yup, they have that!

Resource #2
ReadWorks

This is the go-to website for literacy lessons directly linked to the Common Core! The webpage is easy to navigate and user friendly. There are multiple ways to search for the perfect book for you lessons. I like to select the topic or standard first. Then I look through the selection of suggested lessons and books. Can we say, "Hallelujah!"

Resource #3
Settle On In

If your district uses the McMillian Treasures series, you are in luck! This blog-like website follows the reading series through each weekly story. The best part is that there are links to games, videos, and the online features of the series just waiting at your finger tips. I use this every day with our district's Active Inspire flip charts. Mrs. Settle deserves a standing ovation for finding and organizing the myriad amount of resources! Bravo to you, Mrs. Settle!!

And I want to say a huge thanks to Lacie at Polka Dots & Pencils! Little did I know I had won a huge, and I mean HUGE, giveaway that was hosted over at her lovely blog! These past few weeks have been crazy busy and I didn't realize I won the giveaway until tonight ( the giveaway took place almost a whole month ago)! My next blog post will spotlight some of the awesome treasures I received in the giveaway.

Can I be honest, I was so excited when I found out won I called my bestie teacher friends immediately. There were over 7,000 entries and little ol' me won. This is the closest I will come to winning the lottery. :) Okay, I must go to bed now and get ready for another fast paced, fun filled day!

T'was the Night Before School and All Through the Teacher's House...

...Ms. Roseboom was creating, organizing, and labeling with delight!! Here is a small list of some of the to do's from today:
           * laminating and writing out name tags/ desk tags
           * printing, laminating, and labeling go home tags
           * printing out a million learning centers and (you guessed it) laminating them
           * writing out lesson plans
           * organizing more supplies and goodies I picked up from Target
           *  laying out my clothes for tomorrow :)
           * ironing said clothes and the fiancé's too (He starts nursing school tomorrow!)
           * remembering to bring the camera, jitter juicefuls, jitter juice, my lunch
           * writing in important school dates/functions to my new May Book calendar
           * trying to get a good night sleep but I am way too excited


   This past week has been a whirlwind and I get the feeling the next week might be too! Between preplanning, meetings for the county and school, and Meet the Teacher I have not sat down. But I have to be honest, it is one of my favorite times of the school year. The anticipation has been building up to the first day of school and it is this close (holding two fingers a smidge apart). Just like Meet the Teacher I know I will not be able to sleep because I am so, so, SO very excited for my firsties first day of first grade.

  To all the teachers who go back tomorrow I hope you have the best first day ever and enjoy each moment. This year will be amazing! :)

Meet the Teacher :)

  Tomorrow morning I will be welcoming in my students and their families for Meet the Teacher. It is almost like Christmas Eve because there is an excitement or buzz in the air! I am so elated to see their faces and meet them for the very first time I just might not be able to sleep. Nights like tonight remind me of the joy I feel for being able to teach. It is my passion. I feel blessed. I know I am so very lucky to have a career in which I am able to do what I love for a living.

I thought about how everyone experiences the butterflies in their stomach when they meet for the very first time. So I want to share a bit about me on here. You see, I created this blog to have multiple purposes. One, get connected to other amazing teachers and sneak a peek at their creative ideas. Two, be able to put out my own "freebies" and ideas for others to use. Three, and most importantly, show my student's parents and families what happening in our room. I will be adding updates on school events, highlighting amazing work, and communicating important information.

                                   Meet the Teacher- Blog Edition- Miss Lindsey Roseboom

This is my second year in first grade and at my school! I previously taught 2nd grade at a school in Daytona Beach.  I love teaching first grade because the students grow so much during this year. Being a part of such a momentous year is a heartfelt experience. I couldn't imagine it being any other way.

 I believe learning should be full of movement, talking and communicating, and hands-on experiences. Because of these beliefs I will be using Whole Brain Teaching, Kagan's "Think, Pair, Share", and Daily 5 to teach the Common Core. I enjoy doing professional development to further my knowledge on student learning and achievement. In the near future, I will be going back to school for my Master's in Applied Learning and Instruction. Don't worry, I will not be leaving the classroom! I can't imagine not being a teacher and look forward to many, many years of teaching.

I live in Daytona Beach and spend most of my free time going to the beach, surfing, and being outdoors. I am engaged to my fiancé Ben, who is currently studying to be a nurse. We have two cats, Ralph and Meme. My favorite colors are aquamarine and gray. I am learning how to sew and create my own educational games and such on Microsoft Publisher.

Ben and I!

I look forward to sharing an amazing year with my students and their families. First grade is a fantastic place to be!