Thursday, September 29, 2011

Direction, Position, & Maps

Do y’all remember this oldie?!

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Sweet little Rosie. Just a walkin’ along, singin’ her song. Leavin’ behind that pesky ol’ fox. We were recently learning about positional & directional words, so we read Rosie’s Walk to review position. And then we did this cute little craftivity to reinforce what we learned.

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How cute is she?! Pretty dang cute, I think! The kids LOVED her!! I’ve been TERRIBLE…absolutely TERRIBLE…about taking pictures in the classroom this year. I’m gonna echo Abby when I say that this year’s class has been pretty challenging, so I’m left with little time to document our day. Trust me when I say that their sweet little Rosie’s were PRECIOUS! I let them pick out their own feathers and they had SO much fun!! It was a great way to reinforce what we read!!

We also read this classic…

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…and then followed it up with this awesome little hands-on activity inspired by Jenn Bates over at Finally in First.

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Photo via Finally In First

Again, no pictures, but the kids loved creating their maps!!!

We also talked about legends & symbols on maps. I showed them different examples and then we made our own…of the great state of Texas, of course!

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We used the heart stickers to symbolize our city and the little star stickers to symbolize our state capital. I cut out the Texas shapes…found the outline online…and had the kids put it altogether.

I had SO much fun teaching these concepts this year!! Thank you, sweet blog friends, for all your inspiration!!!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Wandering Wednesday

Hey y’all! I’m just poppin’ in for a little Wandering Wednesday fun and I can’t wait to introduce you to the sweet bloggers we have lined up for tonight’s little tour! I’m not gonna lie when I tell you that I’m SO excited it’s the middle of the week. Almost time for a 2-day break and ohmiword…I NEED ONE, STAT!!!!

First stop tonight, sweet Marcy from Buzzin’ on Cupcakes in First Grade.

Marcy is a first grade teacher who loves cupcakes and her kiddos! She taught Kindergarten for 3 years and now teaches first…and she LOVES it! She loves teaching through project-based learning and she’s got some fabulous ideas!! I LOVE this one about being a C.E.O.

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And these student drawn flamingos for a fellow teacher’s birthday are DARLING.

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And those self drawn portraits that stay up all year long make me want to start a new project in my classroom!

Stop on in at Marcy’s, say hello, and don’t forget to follow her first grade adventures!!

Next up, we have Amanda over at First Grade Garden.

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This is Amanda’s first year teaching first grade and she’s ready to share the awesome things in her classroom with the rest of the blogosphere. Amanda is pretty new to the blogging scene, but ohmiword…she’s sharing some awesome things!!!

Like this cute little weather umbrellla.

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And her downloadable season book…

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I also love the idea of the All About Me bag!

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Stop by Amanda’s garden and check to see what’s blooming :) You won’t be disappointed! And while you’re there, leave a little love and don’t forget to follow!

Last on our stop, Kelly & Diane over at Made For 1st Grade!

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I’m sure you’ve heard of these ladies before. And if you haven’t, you should!!! Lawdy! They have more creativity in their little pinky than I could ever think to muster up. I so want to visit them and watch them in person!! Their activities make me smile!

My class used their darling Pete the Cat writing template {after doing Deanna’s Pete the Cat Unit} and turned it into a class book! LOVE!

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We also just finished up with their Shake the Beans activity! My kids LOVED it!!

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They’ve got some amazing teacher created materials for purchase at TpT, too!!

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Stop by Made for 1st Grade and say hello! While you’re there, you can also check out the links to Kelly & Diane’s personal classroom blogs…both oozing with darling ideas!!!! Don’t forget to leave some love and follow along while you’re visiting!

That’s it for our little tour! Hope you enjoyed wandering around as much as I did!!!

If you’re interested in being featured on Wandering Wednesday, shoot me an email at thefirstgradeparade@gmail.com.

Have a WONDERFUL night!!!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Sci-Fri Fun!!!

Hey sweet friends! I’m posting over at Blog Hoppin’ today to tell y’all a little bit about what my team is doing this year to make Science exciting for our kids! And I gotta say, it’s becoming my favorite activity of the week!!! Can’t wait to hear more about what y’all do to keep Science FUN!!!!

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Apples & Happy Fall, Y'all!

Happy Fall, Y'all! Is anyone else a little excited about the new season?! Pumpkin patches, apple cider, Halloween, Fall festivals...ohmiword. I can hardly contain myself! HA!

I've recently had an influx of emails requesting some of my apple themed documents I promised to share when I posted about our week of apple fun last year. Sorry for the delay! These aren't anything special, but if you're interested in adding a few things to your files, here ya go!

Here's the recipe for the applesauce we make every year. IT's SO stinkin' GOOD!!!! I like to send this home with my kids the day we make it in class!

After we make our applesauce, I like for the kids to label the items we used to make it. Since this won't be the last time they see some of these things, it's good for them to know what they are!


We also read a lot of non-fiction text about apples and their life cycle. I like for my kids to sequence the life cycle after we read about it and here are the picture cards we use to do so! I give each of my kids a large sheet of construction paper folded in half and a sequencing sheet. They cut out the pics, label each one, and glue it inside their folded piece of construction paper. Easy breezy!


Another fun little activity I put in my Math Tubs is this little non-standard units of measurement with apples! Of course, we don't use real apples for this one. I like to buy these...


I put them in a little baggie and then have the kids measure different items in the classroom with them {glue bottle, pencil, paintbrush, scissors}. After they measure and record, I let them choose other items in the classroom to measure {if there's enough time left!!} They LOVE this one!


Our week of apple fun starts Monday, so I'll be back with more apple themed activities next week to share with y'all!! And I'll be back this weekend with a recap of some fun things we've been working on in the classroom the last couple of weeks!!

Happy Fall, y'all!!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Wandering Wednesday

Hey y’all!! Happy Wednesday! Hope y’all are having a great week {so far}. Not many complaints here…except for the visit I had to make to the “girlie” doctor today. Blech. Not my favorite place to be. Now I’m home and enjoying the smell of the beef barbacoa in the crock pot. Truth be told, Mr. Spouse *might* have misunderstood the directions and the meal in the crockpot is a far cry from what I had planned, but I’m crossing my fingers for a fortunate accident!!! In the meantime, let’s start wandering through blogland. I’m excited about the ladies featured tonight because they all exude creativity, inspiration, and flat out amazingness :)

First up on the tour, sweet Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching.

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I’m sure y’all know Kacey by now. Sweet Kacey is in her 12th year teaching. She spent 4 years in first grade…she was a librarian for 3…and now she’s back in first which she says is her heart! LOVE IT!!! And just incase you didn’t know, Kacey also has her very own personalized stationery business {Doodle Bugs Paper}. If y’all haven’t visited her shop, go there now! Her stuff is PRECIOUS. Her darling beyond darling classroom ideas and printables are all over Pinterest and she is the dang cutest thing. You might know some of her work…

This darling bulletin board makes me smile…

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So does this dang cute poster!

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Love these FREE counting by 2’s printables.

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And this {FREE} counting by 5’s apple activity is SO in my math tubs! LOVE.

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If you haven’t stopped by Doodle Bugs Teaching yet, head on over, say hello, and follow her fabulous classroom happenings!!!

Next stop, sweet Janae from The Sharpened Pencil.

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Janae’s blog was one of the first blogs I started to follow BEFORE I started Emilyk Cole. I loved peeking into her classroom! Her blog was known as “First Grade Fun” before she recently updated for a more universal blog name. I think “The Sharpened Pencil” is just PERFECT! Janae is another first grade teacher who’s been in the business of making kids smile since 2005. Her precious activities always inspire me.

I loved this idea…

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And her Blueberry Story was pretty stinkin’ genius for Back to School night.

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I also LOVE this math activity…so did my kids last year!!!

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Head on over to The Sharpened Pencil and say hi to Janae! While you’re there, take a look around at all the fun things she does in her classroom…and don’t forget to follow along!!

Last stop on our tour, let’s visit Nicole over at Today in Second Grade.

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Nicole is new to the blogging world, but y’all…she’s got some DARLING ideas!! She’s new to second grade this year after having taught special education for the last 3 years. If you haven’t stopped in to visit yet, you must!! Just look what you’ll find…

Is this not precious?!

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LOVE these little Rainforest booklets…

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And the Wolf/Pig writing is TOO stinkin’ much!!

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And look y’all…she’s a dang talented baker, too!!!

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Head on over to Nicole’s sweet blog and give her some love! While you’re browsing around, don’t forget to follow!!

That’s all for tonight folks! I’ll be back next week with a few more amazing features!! If you’re interested in being featured on Emilyk Cole, shoot me an email at thefirstgradeparade@gmail.com.

IN the meantime, head on over to The Inspired Apple and visit my sweet friend, Abby. She’s hosting a “What’s Inside Your School Bag?” linky party. And seriously, who doesn’t love a good party…especially when it’s in the middle of the week!! HA!! I’ll be linking up tomorrow…after I recover from today, of course :)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Teacher Talk

Do you ever feel like your "Teacher Talk" spills over into your home life? Maybe you hear yourself saying things to your husband...or even your own kids or friends...that you don't even realize you're saying?? Mr. Spouse has caught me uttering a few of these phrases around the house and he's quick to remind me to "leave the teacher talk at school". I just can't seem to turn it off!! HA!!! Here's a little sneak peek into what a typical day "sounds" like for me {both at school AND home :)}...

"Turn your voice off."

"I'll be happy to start when you can show me you're ready!"

"Awesome blossom!!"
"Pin a rose on your nose!!"

"Can you sit criss-cross honeysauce for me!?"

"That's the right answer to different question :)"

"I just wanna put you in my pocket and take you home with me!" OR "I wanna put you in my pocket and sit you on my shelf :)"

"You are such a love!"

"Thanks, lovebug/darlin'/precious/sweetness"

"That's adorbs."

"Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket."

"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!"

"Now let's try to do that WITHOUT complaining :)"

"Get inside my hug! I don't want you to miss out on the love!!" {To get us in a straight line}

"We can do hard stuff!!"

"Pat yourself on the back :)"

"Bravo! ladies & gentlemen! That's some Oscar Worthy behavior/work/listening/etc. right there!!"

"Heavens to Bootsie!!"

"You are such a little smartie!"

"Thanks for filling my bucket"

"Oh, I'm so sad. That's such a bummer."

"Don't be tardy for the party!!"

"You rock the house."

"Love you to the moon and back!"


Okay...so I guess I could see how that *might* annoy Mr. Spouse :) Please tell me you sound just like this...even when you're NOT at school?!?!?!?

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Daily Schedule Cards

TGI{almost}F, sweet friends! Hope y'all are having a great day {so far}!!!

I get lots of emails asking me for my Daily Schedule Cards Power Point file. Because of copyright with the graphics, I'm unable to send them to y'all to edit, so I went ahead and added several new cards {by request}. Just thought I'd post them here incase y'all would like a copy, too!! Just click on the pic to download.




If you need me to add another, let me know!!!

Have a blessed day!!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Wandering Wednesday

Hey y’all! Welcome to another edition of Wandering Wednesday :) Wednesday means we’re one day closer to Friday…get excited people!! HA!! Festival season is starting and my MOST FAVORITE festival is set to take place this weekend! Our little family of 4 will be there in FULL force consuming as many corn dogs, lemonades, funnel cakes, and fried pickles as we can stand! I can’t wait!!! While I’m busy waiting on the weekend to get here, I want to introduce y’all to some new…and not so new…blogs. I’m so excited about this week’s features because these ladies are hands down AMAZING. Grab your favorite beverage, cuddle up with a cozy little blanket, and get to readin’!! You don’t wanna miss out!

First up, let’s stop in at Melanie’s corner of the internet.

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Have y’all been here yet? Because you’re SERIOUSLY missing out if you haven’t. Melanie is in her 14th year of teaching and is currently educating a classroom full of firsties. While Melanie loves teaching, she has a SERIOUS gift for design and LOVES decorating! She’s the darling designer behind Schoolgirl Style and has an eye for all things precious. Just take a look at her classroom…

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Darling, right?! Makes me want a do-over! HA! Schoolgirl Style features lots of classroom decoration inspiration from both Melanie and other teachers around the country. LOVE the ideas she has posted! She’s great at picking out themes and then creating the most adorable details to go along with everything. She even gives readers a shopping guide {where to purchase what you see} and has her own little shop, too!

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If you haven’t visited Schoolgirl Style yet, RUN…don’t walk…over there NOW!!!

Next stop, Castles & Crayons.

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This beyond darling blog belongs to Kelli. Kelli is in her 7th year teaching and loves being with her first graders! And y’all, this Alabama girl is such a sweetheart! I loved her posts on the Daily 5 so I emailed her a few questions about her set-up, and she was sweet enough to email me some great ideas & explanations. And she pretty much cracks me up :) Her ideas make me smile!

Take a look at her COMPLIMENT board. LOVE this idea. I’ve always had a “Compliment Chain” in my classroom, but I SO “borrowed” this idea this year!

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And check out this dry erase table she repurposed! LOVE this idea!!

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If you have ANY questions about the Daily 5, you’ve GOT to check out her blog. She has tons of D5 posts and she’s a great resource! Kelli just started blogging in June, so she’s fairly new to the scene. Make sure to stop by, say hello, and follow. You won’t want to miss what she has in store :)

Anna Brantley is a name with which you’re probably already familiar. She’s the creative cutie behind this fabulous blog…

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Love.her. Anna is a sweet Georgia girl who’s in her 5th year of teaching. She’s another first grade teacher who has amazing ideas and creates some pretty fantastical materials for her {and your} classroom. She also offers some great freebies! And let’s be real…who doesn’t love a freebie?!?!

Love these classroom labels!

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This noun sort activity is pretty dang cute, too!

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You definitely need to know about Anna if you don’t already. Head on over to her little slice of the web, say hello, and don’t forget to follow!

Last on our stop isn’t necessarily a teaching blog, but the author used to teach first grade. Her name is Brittney and she’s a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom. I actually know Brittney personally. Our oldest boys are in playgroup together and she’s leading my most recent Bible study {which is AMAZING!!!} We’re stoppin’ by her neck of the woods because I get lots of emails from moms with toddlers asking me what kind of activities I do at home with my boys. I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal, so I don’t do many organized activities on the home front, but my sweet friend, Brittney, does. And she’s got LOTS of great ideas!!!

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If you’re looking for fun themed days, she’s got ‘em. Her most recent “Batman Day” was PRECIOUS.

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If you’re lookin’ for some fun lunch ideas for the kids, she’s got those, too!

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She even showcases some of her fun “Rainy Days” ideas and fun themed ideas for “Letter of the Week”, too. It’s all dang cute!Out_of_the_Rainy_Day_BoxLetter_of_teh_Week

If you’ve got littles at home and you LOVE to keep ‘em busy…both playing AND learning…then head on over, take a look around, and say hello! She’s got great ideas on pretty much everything…including house décor!!…so you’ll wanna follow along so you can keep up with all the cuteness.

Whew! Quite a little tour! Hope you’ve found some new blogs to keep you up at night :)

If you’re interested in being featured here on Wandering Wednesday, shoot me an email at thefirstgradeparade@gmail.com and let me know!

Happy Wednesday, y’all!!!

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