Dr. Seuss and Wall of LOVE

This week was Wolfelicious week!!  We learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it.  

 For Valentine's, I made a Wall of LOVE.  Each day we had school in February up to Valentine's Day I wrote something I LOVE about my class.  I numbered the hearts with what day I taped it to my board.  Everyday when the kiddos would walk in they would look to see what I LOVED about them.  They were sad when I took the hearts off the board once Valentine's Day was over.

We are now learning the double phonograms and it is getting super confusing.  I try to practice with my students as often as we can so they understand the phonograms.  I usually use magnetic boards to have them write the phonogram on.  This week I decided to use their Handwriting Practice Notebook and trace the phonogram when I said the sound.  The students seemed to enjoy it.  It is always good to mix things up to keep the students interested.

Dr. Seuss

Today we had Dr. Seuss day.  For this day we switch with all the kindergarten classes.  We have each class for 20 minutes.  We read a story (watch a movie about a story) and have a snack.  I alway to The Sneetches.

I had two great parents make 140 star cookies with green frosting.

Then I had my students complete a writing about the Sneetches.  Do you think the Sneetches stayed nice to each other?  Their answers varied.  I love reading what their thinking was.  The sure are Smart Cookies!

A few weeks ago I held my first Jamberry party.  (If you don't know about Jamberry you can go here, here, or wait until Sunday to find out more!).  I can't believe I was able to get so much for hosting a party.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a Wolfelicious day!

Jamberry Independent Consultant
http://aprilwolfe.jamberrynails.net

TPT Sale!

Have you heard that there are now 3 million teachers who use Teachers Pay Teachers?  Teachers Pay Teachers has made me such a better teacher!

To celebrate TPT is having a sale.  You don't want to miss it.

In honor of this incredible accomplishment, many sellers will be having a sale on Thursday & Friday (2/27 & 2/28).  The products in my store will be marked down 20%.  However, if you use the code TPT3 on the day of the sale, you can save an additional 10% (total of 28% savings). 

Thanks for stopping by!! I need to go fill my cart!

Jamberry Independent Consultant
http://aprilwolfe.jamberrynails.net

Please STOP talking!

I have been thinking more and more about my post that I made recently.  The one titled Let Them Be Little, Please!  I received so many comments about how so many teachers feel the same way I do.  It made me feel so much better to know that I wasn't the only one that felt that way.  Puzzling, because so many feel this same way but we still have our standards so high that children aren't allowed to be children, and it is causing elementary schools to be in an uproar all the time!  

There was always different times throughout the school year that the students would be a little harder to control.  Like, around the holidays, but now it seems nonstop!  All they want to do is talk, talk, talk!  As soon as I say to stop talking, guess what?!!  They begin talking again.  What is wrong with these kids?  Are they disrespectful?  Is it poor parenting?  Is it poor teaching?  What is it?  

Another week of school is over for me, and more and more I am feeling the stress of being a teacher.  

 Now, do I make it worse on myself?  Probably a little bit!  But I have high standards for my students and I want to fill their little sponges with the knowledge they will need to be successful.  I just don't teach to the 'test' like some teachers do.  I teach the standards and what I think the students will need to be successful in life.

I think we have made our standards too high that most of our kindergarteners can't even meet the standard!  For example, we use Read Well as our reading series.  Last year we started having the students get to unit 20 by the end of the year.  This is a first grade reading level.  I noticed last year my students were struggling with this.  This year the same thing is happening, but it actually may be worse!  

At the end of the third quarter our students need to be finished with unit 15.  I have one more week before I need to start assessments for the 3rd quarter and my groups are at 13 and 14.  The group at unit 14 will most likely make it, but the other group at 13 will not!  I have been busting my butt to get these students where they need to be.  I have given reading homework for the students to practice.  Most of the students are having trouble with the fluency part.  It doesn't seem right for half of my class not to meet the goal.  What is wrong?  Is it me?  It must not be because the majority of my team is in the same boat.  Is the standard too high?  Are the students not back from Christmas break?  Are their brains finished for the year?  It could be so many things.

I came across this post on Facebook and I thought it was brilliant!

Is it because the students seem to be finished for the year?  Do we need to slow down and teach more in depth?  Do we go back and teach how to get a long and be respectful?

What are you doing in your classroom to help with the talking?

I have been using the Scoreboard from WBT and picking a mystery student.

I am hoping these students turn out ok with the pressure we are putting on them.

Thanks for reading!

Have a Wolfelicious day!

Check out my Jamberry page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/April-Jams/578026248954936

 

Jamberry Independent Consultant
http://aprilwolfe.jamberrynails.net

A Wolfelicious Valentine's.

Hi!!  Another week down in Mrs. Wolfe's classroom.  This week was an exciting week because we celebrated Valentine's Day.  Our Science/Social Studies time was filled with wonderful Valentine's Day crafts.  The students LOVEd the crafts.  Here are some of the things we did.

We made the iHeart Man.  The students thought it was so cool because the heart looks like a muscle man.

Next, we made a fine motor project of gluing little pieces of paint swatches to a heart.

I LOVE how those turned out.  The students thought they were so cool too!

Next we made an Owl.
(Thanks Rachel for the project)

The students loved how their hands were the owl's wings.  I think they will owl love this project. (hehe)

Last we made a cupcake. Apparently, with the Valentine's Day commotion, I forgot to get a picture of the cupcake.

I made Valentine's for my students.  I made them a little baggie with a glittery pencil, a heart shaped eraser, a ring eraser (they are fascinated with erasers), and a mustache.  After I gave the students their baggie.  I had them put on their mustaches.  Then I put together this bigger picture.  I will also use their mustache picture for their scrapbook.

Another picture I took this week was also for their scrapbooks.

These turned out SO well!  Here is one of my kiddos.

Valentine's Day is now a super busy day for me.  My little one just turned one on Valentine's Day.

 Happy Birthday Chalan!

 He is my little sweetheart. Well, one of my sweethearts!

I hope you had a Wolfelicious week!  Thanks for stopping by!

My New Adventure!

I am so excited to share with you, I am taking a new adventure and I became a Jamberry consultant.

Have you heard of Jamberry?  I hadn't until recently and then I fell in love! 

I have always loved to get my nails done.  I would always get the gel nails.  Oh boy!, did that ruin my nails.  I hated how they used the electric file to ware down my nails.  My nails ended up brittle and unhealthy.  Then, I found Jamberry! (insert music here, LOL)  I had to try the wraps out.  Quick application, easy to apply, and no filing my nails down.  I knew I had to try them out!  

Here are my nails I just did last night.
They are bright, beautiful,  and they look like they should be on Pinterest!
Win, Win!

Not only are these easy to apply and quick to apply, they are cheap.  I was paying $50 for a pedicure! (I know, ridiculous)  These wraps are easy on your budget.  The pack of wraps is between $15 and $18.  Each pack does 2 manicures and 1 pedicure.  You can't get that price at a salon.

I would love to have you like my Fanpage. (please!)

 

If you would like a free sample, I have created a link where you can sign up for one.

 

If you have any questions about Jamberry, please contact me so I can answer them.

 

If you would like to host a party, please email me!  I would love to get you free Jamberry nail wraps!

 

Jamberry is Wolfelicious!

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Handwriting and Writing

What do you do with your class to help improve their handwriting? 

 I know I know, I battle with myself sometimes if learning the correct way to write is still important.  But then I remember that my students need to be able to write notes and lists.  People need to be able to read those.  They may not have to write long essays but the will definitely have to write notes and lists for themselves. Therefore, teaching my students the correct way to form their letters is important to me.  With all this curriculum, it is difficult to fit in handwriting.  Here is one of the ways I incorporate handwriting practice into my day.

One of the centers in my classroom is Handwriting Practice.  When it is the students turn to go to this center, they find their Handwriting folder and get started.  They know what to do and they are working on numerous skills.

Cover of the Handwriting Practice folder.

At the beginning of the year I have their first name in the book.

Second quarter I add their whole name to the book.

These pages we use for different things.  I could give them a sound and they write it.  I could give them a letter and they write it.  I could give them a number and they write the number and a picture to match.  Basically, for these two pages there are numerous things.

More name practice and phonogram practice.

Phonograms and Numbers.

 

 

 Letter and Sight Word practice.

Sight Word practice.

Sight Word practice.

This Handwriting Practice folder is so beneficial for the students.  I have seen such an improvement on my student's handwriting.

For Winter, we made adorable Eskimos for our classroom door.

I love how bright the students made their Eskimos.

The past few weeks I have really been working on writing.  Since we have been talking about Dental Health this week, we did a writing about the Dentist.  First we brainstormed what we wanted to talk about.

We used this map to help us.



 

Then we filled out the map together.  Next, we wrote the sentence together using our sounds to help us write words.

The sentence we came up with was...

The Dentist told us to brush twice a day, brush for 2 minutes, and floss.

Then, later in the week I gave the students some pictures.  Then I told them they had to write something about the pictures.

I have a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Brush for 2 minutes a day.

I brush my teeth so I don't get cavities.

I was trilled with their sentences.  They did a Wolfelicious job on these!

Did you read my blog post from last week?  I found out that a lot of us feel the same way!  It is always great to know that you aren't alone with your feelings.  If only we could go back and let our kids be little!

If you missed the post, here is the link to it.

   

I hope you had a great week!