First Grade Gallery- Lessons for Little Learners

Classroom Chic Giveaway and Classroom Cute

Published: June 24, 2012 | 09:04

I am so excited because this summer, I will get to move into and set up a new room! I am going for an entirely new look and want to move away from the primary colors I have had for so long. So, I've been playing around with some theme sets and working on several to see which one will look best with the storage items, posters, pocket charts, lamps, and furniture that I have spent a bundle on over the years in the name of cuteness. I'd like to give it all away and start over but that's not about to happen so, I've got to see what works best with what I have. Most importantly, to work around the glider from my baby's room (the baby is heading off to high school next year :)) which is now the cozy corner and focal point for gathering in the room!

I love the simple look of black and white with some brights here and there. This is my new Classroom Chic Set in black and teal. I am having a Giveaway on Teachers Notebook. If you like it, here's the link to enter to win it:

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/deals/giveaways

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Decor-SetBlack-and-Teal-Desk-Plates-Banner-Word-Wall-and-More You can grab a freebie in the preview file!

I saw that Creative Teaching Press just came out with a whole new line of black and white borders and accessories that would be perfect for my bulletin board wall. Yes, an entire wall that takes three days to cover in fabric, add borders to and decorate, so I'll have to love it for a long time! I'll be walking into Joanne's with my printables in hand matching fabric colors!

Here's theme idea #2 in my Classroom Cute Set-Polka Dot Owls (our school mascot):

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/jmoriconi/classroom-decor-set-polka-dot-owls-desk-plates-banner-word-wall-and-more You can grab a freebie in the preview file!

Coming soon to the collection: Classroom Colorful, a coordinating polka dot owl clip chart for behavior management and new CAFE posters so check back to see what's new!

I'd love to hear about your classroom theme, or ones you've seen that you might like to have:) so leave me a comment and a link to see it if you can! Have a lovely week!

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SmartBoard Calendar Math~ Back to School, Sale and a Freebie

Published: June 17, 2012 | 05:28

It's not even been a week that we've been out of school and I'm already anxious to begin creating items for next year! I'm super excited now because I just found out that I'll be moving back to second grade! I will miss teaching first grade but love the second grade curriculum and the fact that second graders are more independent. A plus is that I'll be working with a fun team of teachers that I have worked with before!I will have to say goodbye to my First Grade Gallery blog...

In the next month, I will have my custom blog up and running! I am very happy with the elements that I selected and can't wait to see what the designer can do with them. I will let you know where to find me when the time comes!

This is my latest creation that I think is just too cute and I hope you will too! Those of you who have worked with SMART Notebook files know that it can be very time-consuming to create activities but so worth it because the kids are wildy motivated to use the SMARTboard! There are fun links to other sites in this file and I animated some of the pages to include cutting paper sounds for ordering months and days and glue drop sounds when they are put into place. If you have favorite songs for calendar time, directions for how to add those to the page are also included!

Here's a link to Calendar Math on Teachers Notebook:

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/jmoriconi/back-to-school-themed-smartboard-calendar-math

I'm running a sale on Teachers Notebook! Grab what you like at 20% off!

$SmartBoard Calendar Math~ Back to School, Sale and a Freebie$

Free Common Core binder covers for Math and ELA are available too and remember to download doodle journal paper preview freebies on TPT!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Binder-Cover-Freebie

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Doodle-Border-Journal-Papers-Too

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Doodle-Border-Journal-Papers

My students had a great time making their Father's Day Scrapbooks! I wish I would have taken a picture of the inside pages of their books because they are all so different and creative! I recruited Moms to help out and it went very well! I'm sure the Dads will love receiving them today!

SmartBoard Calendar Math~ Back to School, Sale and a Freebie

If you missed my previous post, here is a link to the item:

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/jmoriconi/fathers-day-lunch-bag-scrapbook

Enjoy your special day with Dad!

Source: firstgradegallery.blogspot.com

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New Doodle Border Papers for Daily Five and a Freebie

Published: June 13, 2012 | 18:04

I've been thinking ahead to next year and changing things up a bit. I just created these fun writing papers that I plan to use for Work on Writing during Daily Five. I thought they would make for fun journal or class book pages too! You can download the previews at my shop at Teachers Pay Teachers for a fun doodle freebie!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Doodle-Border-Journal-Papers

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Doodle-Border-Journal-Papers-Too

On another note, today was the last day of school and the kids had a blast with shaving cream on their desks. Rather than a free for all of flying foam, I decided to make this a structured activity and I was pleased with how well it went. Each child was given a pretty generous squirt of the stuff and, like clouds, asked to imagine what it looked like. Next they were allowed to touch it with one finger. We shared describing words as a class. Next, one hand went in, then two....they could hardly stand the wait! Then the fun part~spreading it all out and drawing pictures and writing in it! It was a super fun activity and more controlled than usual which made for better clean up afterward. Note to self to do it that way again next year!

Source: firstgradegallery.blogspot.com

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Berry Thankful Freebie and Volunteer Gift Idea

Published: June 10, 2012 | 18:01

This is the last week of school! I'm wrapping up loose ends and thinking of ways to thanks to the many people who have helped with our very busy classroom!

While grocery shopping at Kroger, I spotted these berry strainer/storage bowls and thought they would make a unique and useful gift. They had them in red, bright green, purple and yellow. I filled them with dark chocolate and raspberry Dove candies! You can download the tag freebie at my TPT shop to use with your own creative gift idea!

Berry Thankful Freebie and Volunteer Gift Idea

I am getting organized as I clean up for the end of the year too. If I don't do it now, it may never happen! I will be trying to organize all of my resources, templates and project ideas into monthly storage boxes and binders. These are available at my shops as well.

Tomorrow is the big class picnic. We are having a water balloon toss and yearbook signing too. Report cards are done, data entered, records finished, classroom almost all packed up. Three more days. I think I can, I think I can....

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Huge Holiday Sale

Published: May 28, 2012 | 07:05

My blog friends and I are all hosting a huge sale this holiday weekend! Everything in my shop is on sale for 20% off! I've just posted some new items for back to school and some to wrap up the end of the year!

Whatever your plans may be, enjoy the day and take a minute to honor those brave individuals who are to be remembered this Memorial Day!

Source: firstgradegallery.blogspot.com

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Slices of My Year Pizza Box Giveaway on Teacher's Notebook

Published: May 20, 2012 | 10:11

The year is ~~sadly~~, ~~happily~~, well, just coming to an end in the next few weeks and so my class is getting ready to do some thinking about our school year and how much they have grown in first grade!

I've been saving a project each month in a jumbo storage bin for our keepsake pizza boxes. The students really enjoy looking back at all of the fun times we have had with each of our themes and holidays as we pass back their forgotten treasures and photos I have taken. I've been doing this craftivity for years and it is wildly popular with the kids and parents!

It's now available at my shops and as a giveaway promo on Teachers Notebook!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/End-of-the-Year-Slices-of-My-Year-Pizza-Box-Craftivity

Click here to enter the giveaway on Teachers Notebook:

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/deals/giveaways

On another note~I've been looking into custom blog designs (that is on my summer bucket list) and thinking about names that speak to lower elementary teachers and creativity. The one that comes to mind, especially when putting our projects into the pizza boxes is "Glitter Everywhere"! I'm sure you can relate!

Source: firstgradegallery.blogspot.com

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Time to Plant, Grass Heads and a Freebie!

Published: May 14, 2012 | 16:54

With our cute Mother's Day projects finished and sent home (whew!), we are ready to start a new unit on plants. Today the kids were busy crafting away these big and bold flowers that will decorate our bulletin boards until the end of our school year in June.

Our unit will include this project for labeling plant parts. You can get it at my shops.

Time to Plant, Grass Heads and a Freebie!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plant-Parts-a-Cute-Craftivity

It was really great practice for cutting, gluing and planning out how to arrange the pieces. We did this whole-group and they turned out really cute!

I started the unit with this PowerPoint for the Smartboard. I found the most beautiful images to use for this. The kids just loved it!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Life-Cycle-of-a-Flowering-Plant-A-PowerPoint-Lesson

There are also some Thinking Maps having to do with planting in my Spring Mind Maps packet.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Mind-Maps

This is our cute seed-themed May attendance for the Smartboard!

Here's a cute freebie for your planting unit! Enjoy!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Planting-Seeds-Poem-Freebie

Be sure to check out my Mother's Day post to see our cute pots and planting kits!

In case you were wondering what they were, here are the grass heads:

This activity is great fun! Have students bring in a colorful sock. The colorful socks should be bright but dark like blue, red or purple or the dirt stains will show through. Fill it with dirt and grass seed. Tie the end and flip it over. Push straight pins through button holes. Set them in a small cup of water or a saucer and watch your grass heads grow! I made these with an entire grade level of students so I rested them in an aluminum tray until they sprouted.

The kids love giving them a haircut! If you don't want to use socks, the dirt can be put in a cup and students can add wiggle eyes or draw a face with sharpie marker. I can't wait to do this!

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Mothers Day

Published: May 13, 2012 | 04:01

As a busy teacher-mom, I just had to share this funny. It's one of my all time favorites! Whether you have kids or not, I'm sure you can relate! Enjoy your special day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXgoJ0f5EsQ

123 Teach With Me is having a Mother's Day Linky Party. Head over to her blog to check out some of the great ideas for Mother's Day! I linked up!

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Teachers Notebook Sweepstakes and my Banner Contest Cuteness for Teachers Pay Teachers

Published: May 07, 2012 | 15:14

Hi! Just a friendly reminder to log in to Teachers Notebook today to enter the Sweepstakes promotion! I just did. You can enter every day! Sadly, my name is not listed as a winner for days one and two. Still keeping my fingers crossed! While you're there, enter my giveaway promotion! I'm giving away my best-selling Comprehension Cafe Companion!

So this is one of my banner entries for the contest. It didn't win, but why waste cute?

You can use it on your blog too if you ever would like to, just link it back to me somehow! Thanks!

There are such awesome sales and freebies being offered at Teachers Pay Teachers! The sale ends soon, so get the things on your wishlist from your favorite teachers!

I've got a huge sale going on at both of my shops, so take a peek and see if there's something there you may be glad you found!

I'm off to shop!

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Teacher Appreciation Sale and my Freebie Item on Teachers Pay Teachers

Published: May 06, 2012 | 05:22

As a very busy Teacher-Mom, I know how hard you work to balance out all of your responsibilities while making creative teaching a priority! As a way to say thanks for all you do, I am giving away one of my "Groovy" products today only! I missed the boat on the K-2 Blog Hop, so here you go...

Teacher Appreciation Sale and my Freebie Item on Teachers Pay Teachers

Here's the link to my store!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kidsrcute

Enjoy! Please rate and leave feedback for me! It would be really great to have you as a follower too!

Everything in my store is on sale during the Teachers Pay Teachers Teacher Appreciation event including my best selling items~ Mother's Day Lunchbag Scrapbook and Comprehension Cafe for Daily Five Companion!