Been a long time...

It has been a ridiculously long time since I have had the chance to post  some "good" stuff!

My camera was stolen by one of my firsties the week prior to our spring break (which was the week of March 21...yeah, long time) and was returned to me last week, however life set it (I just finished my MASTER'S!!)

Here is what we've been up to the past month! :)

 We began at the end of March learning about plants.  {I love doing this unit with the kiddos}

 After learning all about sunflowers...and Van Gogh... we made these gorgeous paintings!

 I created this four week plant growth project that was set up much like Cara's Groudhog project.  

 We conducted several experiements with seeds and flowers prior to beginning this project and made predictions before we "planted" our seeds.  I just used a lima bean seed, cleaned them, and then wrapped them with a damp paper towel and placed them inside plastic ziploc "greenhouses."

 We observed and measured our seed daily and at the end of each week wrote about our observations.

 These are our cute little greenhouse where we grew our seeds!

On another note.... I usually give my kids morning work with they first come in (stuff to do while we wait for the tardy bell to ring, me to take attendence, and for our school news to be done).  I have used squiggle writing ever since I interned and LOVE the kids creativity.  I saw a freebie on someone's blog {sorry... I have forgotten who} that had a download of a TON of squiggle writing papers.  I, surprisingly, already had the same ones in my filling cabinet that were there when I took over the classroom three years ago!  I L-O-V-E these and so do my first graders.  Here are two samples of what two of my creative girls came up with when given a "squiggle" of a less than symbol!!!

Sorry for being MIA!!  Loving all of the creative ideas out there these past couple weeks.  This really is a network of AMAZING men and women!!!  Maybe we should show our blogs to some of those 'important' people who are lowering the bar for educators :(

And the winner is....

.........

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:20Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Congratulations to LeAnn Cooper who said.....

I'm a follower!

www.hangingwithmrscooper.com

Please email me your info at kellymchaffie@hotmail.com! :)  So excited to see what you will create with these blocks!!!

Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my fun little teacher blog.  I promise to get more involved.  I graduate with my masters in TWO weeks!  WOO HOO!!!

Now time to go watch Teen Mom! haha...guilty pleasures!


FYI:  Not sure why the generator number keeps switching to max. 100... it was set at 36.  WEIRD!

OH MY 100!!!!

Never thought it would happen.  Never expected it to. But I logged on today and suddenly noticed I had 100 followers!  I am amazed that 100 people would want to hear what I have to say or would be interested in my daily {teaching} life!  I feel somewhat humbled, and somewhat like a slacker.  I am not like many of the other bloggers.  I have yet to figure out how to get my documents to convert to a PDF properly, or how to add all these cute buttons and such.  I often feel as though I neglect the blog world do to my overfilling my "plate" with so many other tasks, events, and such.  I even lost my camera last week :(  

Life has been a mess, but I'm so glad to be a part of the blogging world, where I can vent, create, beg, borrow, and steal with fellow teachers!  Thank you for showing an interest in ME! :)

To show my appreciate I am going to be giving away a set of these awesome picture blocks:

I first saw them on Kindergarten Crayons, ordered them immediately, and typed up some cute first grade sight words.  I am also using them for vocabulary words that we learn with each theme/unit.  They, of course, will have an adorable corresponding picture... and as soon as I get it converted to PDF, I'll have it posted for everyone to snag.

Here's what you do to get in on this fun little giveaway {it will be the easiest entry around}:

1. Become a follower of my blog: Beg, Borrow, Steal for one entry

2. Post about this fun little giveaway for another entry

I will pick a winner on Tuesday, April 5!

Good Luck and THANK YOU!!! 

  

Doing the Happy Dance!

OMG!  I'm doing the happy dance. Right now.  In my computer chair! :)  

My F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E. fellow teachers are having an AWESOME give-a-way!  I don't think I could be more excited about it!  Not only are these three ladies amazing (Abby from The Inspired Apple, Michelle from Fabulous in First, and the infamous Deanna Jump) but they're giving a way some GREAT literacy tools for you to implement within your own classroom.  These ladies are some of the best to learn from.  I have been a follower of Michelle's for two years now (stalked her over at her regular old website Fantastic First Grade) and she really is the BOMB-DIGGITY (yes, I just used that term)!  She even takes the words right out of my mouth in her post: "there's no sense in reinventing the wheel"... HELLO!  Beg, borrow, steal!!!!

Head over there right this second.  I am bound and determined to win this goody!!! :)

Click Below:

woop, woop!!!

10 things in 3 years...

Love all these cute link parties!  The latest.... "Ten Things You've Learned About Teaching."  Head over to Rowdy in First Grade to link up!

Okay, so I've only been teaching for three years and most of the fellow teachers who have already linked up have "stolen" some of the things I was going to share... so you may see some repeaters! :)

1.  Red Wine is truly a "case of the Monday's" cure!

2. Your "special friends" are NEVER absent.

3. The Daily Five and CAFE menu has become a saving grace in teaching my firsties to read!!!

3. The things I get most excited about has changed since college.  I went from clothes and accessories to colorful pens and storage!

4. The Dollar Tree is now my FAVORITE store.

5. I spend all my free time surfing blogs to 'steal' ideas!

6. Your best buds are fellow teachers.  We truly are the B-E-S-T!!

7.  Being a teacher doesn't get you out of jury duty :(

8. Teachers throw the best parties

9. Teachers can go HOURS without having to go pee.  This is truly amazing and remarkable!

10. At the end of the day, when you're reflecting on ALL the kiddos who make up your class, even the ones who make you want to pull your hair out or change professions, you love each and every one of them and would rather be unappreciated by the rest of society (in Florida it sure feels that way now) and be scraping by with horrible pay, then doing any other job.

I {heart} teaching!

What about you??

Hold the Phone!!!

Have you seen the blog Thirst for First?!  OH. MY. WORD. If it is not adorable!!!!

Not only is it adorable and filled with cute-cute stuff but she's also teamed up with Abby from The Inspired Apple to host ANOTHER amazing GIVE-A-WAY!

Click HERE to check out the goodies!

{This HAS to be the time I become a WINNER!}  :)

Venting

I. AM. EXHAUSTED.

I seriously feel like this lady does!  I have two more days until I am on spring break and I just don't feel like I can make it!  There is so much going on and so much to do all in preparation for my leaving two days early (I will have a sub on Thursday and Friday) and for my vacation.  And of course I took on the task of tie-dying all my firsties some Field Day t-shirts that need to be done by Wednesday AM (I love to color coordinate...it's a little ridiculous) AND I have a 5 page paper to write for my master's course!!!!  Not to mention I'm back on antibiotics for this gosh-awful cold!  As Abby would say, I am feeling "12 kinds" of exhausted!

Have you ever felt like you're drowning and just can't come up for air?!   My. Word.

The highlight of my night will be this:

I'm crossing my fingers that Emily is the one getting the ring.  I have been right every season in my predictions so far so we shall see!  

Thank you my fellow "balcony" teachers for listening to me vent a little.  It was much needed!

BOOKS ARE AMAZING!

The countdown is in FULL swing for spring break!  7 days for me and counting!!!!! I could NOT be happier!  I love my sweet kiddos but I am ready for some RE-LAX-ATION!!!

Before I depart to the beach for a week there is still work to be done.

These past weeks, we've been learning (on top of everything else) about homophones, synonyms, and antonyms.  If you do not have these books go get them!  They are TOO cute for words and really give "fantabUlous" examples of each!

These three books are a MUST!  The kids LOVE the illustrations and the rhyming text.

Of course, there's always a cute follow up activity to go with each and OF COURSE, I have not had my camera to take any pictures of them.  But I will, promise!

Happy Tuesday

Brain Pop Jr. and Dr. Seuss

Brain Pop is where it's at!!!!  There is a GREAT video on BrainPop Jr. that tells all about this amazing author!  Great resource for an author study. Plus, they include so many fun activities to go along with the video.  The video lasts only 8 minutes and is too cute for words!  My kiddos love them some Brain Pop!

Check it out HERE.

Just Can't Get Enough!!!!

Blog Give-a-ways have become a bit of an obsession (and a mission) of mine.  I am bound and determined to become a winner!!!  

I love that so many amazing teachers are willing to GIVE-A-WAY their goodies!  Teacher collaboration is so wonderful.  

One of my ABSOLUTE favorite teachers to 'stalk' (Cara over at The First Grade Parade) is teaming up with another awesome teacher (Jodi at Fun in First) that I just recently began 'stalking' to give-a-way TWO awesome packets!  Click HERE to find out all about these marvelous goodies!

Good Luck!