Today's Spooktober Guest: Ms. M

Hi Everyone,

It is Ms. M from Ms. M's Blog, a.k.a Ms. k/1ELL. I am here to share some Halloween fun with you all.

I was excited that the FBU ladies asked if I would like to guest blog. I thought of a million Halloween items to post about, but I chose to tell you about my new project. A doorway spider web.

I always love the spider webs made from the white cotton webbing but I am TERRIBLE with the stuff. It is always a mess for me and never sticks. This year, I had a brilliant idea. I used some of that fancy bakers twine from the Twinery. I bought a sampler pack recently and have been looking for ways to embellish my classroom. So I used it to make a spider web. Want to make one for your class or home too?

The first thing I did was to take some bakers twine and make an X in my doorway.

Next I added a 3rd piece of twine across the center.

This is where it gets complicated. I next, taped another piece of twine to the top of the doorway, dead center to the intersection of the would be web. I took that piece of twine and I strung it to the right. When I reached the right of the X I tied a knot and stung it down to the next piece of twine and tied another know. I continued to do this all the way around.

When I got to the top I took the twine and stung it straight down and tied a knot in the center. The went to the bottom line and tied a knot again. I left some twine hanging from the bottom because I wanted to have a spider hang from it like it was coming down from its web.

I did this process again 3 times. Here is the picture of what my we looked like then.

I was not happy that some pieces were not taut but looking at it now, it looks pretty good.

After constructing the web it was time to add the spider!

I just LOVED this, but unfortunately I had to remove the large spider. Some of the taller staff members at my school kept running into it. I am pretty short so I had no problem, but I also feared some students jumping up to tap the spider. :/

Here is what I came up with.

I added some small spiders to the web and placed the large spider at the top of the web as if it was coming down on to it. I love it! I like it more than the original design.

The best part is that the kids all thought it was real and asked me constantly until I stood on a chair and touched it. Here are some shots of them walking out of the room. I had to blur their faces, but you could still see the expression in their bodies. Priceless.

Thanks for reading along. Feel free to check out some of my other projects over on my blog, by clicking on the button below. :)

Enjoy!

***Wow, Ms. M, that is one spooky & CUTE spider!  Thanks so much for sharing!  

Now, go visit her blog and see why we think she is spook-tacular!   

 

Friday Freebie {9-11}

This coming Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9-11.  I still remember vividly where I was when the attacks happened.  

I was student teaching at the time and my kids were in specials.  I was in the library with my Mentoring Teacher watching the horror unfold on the TV screen.  I was teaching 3rd grade and my mentor said that we weren't going to tell the kids, so I tried to pull it together in a hurry.  Then, just as we had gotten the kids back to their seats, a parent volunteer came storming in and asking us (in a very loud voice) if we knew about the plane crashes.  So much for our plan...we had to tell the kids (a brief version) about what had happened.  We felt like their parents could explain in more detail if they so desired.  


I will NEVER forget the looks on their 8-year-old faces (confusion, fright, sadness).  I knew what I was feeling and it had to be quadrupled for them!  Anyway, I asked my mentor if I could plan a lesson/craft based on what had happened for the next day.  We were all going to remember this and I felt like we needed to help the kids understand.


So,  I made a huge flag out of butcher paper to hang in the hallway.  Then, I asked the kids to draw something about the events of 9-11 on white paper and also to write one word about the day on a star.  This is how it turned out. (I apologize for the terrible quality of these pics ~ camera technology sure has come a long way in 10 years.)

The next year, when I had my very first class of Kinders, we made a hand-print flag out of a sheet that I will forever cherish and display proudly in my classroom!

For today's freebie, I saw an awesome idea for a 9-11 family project at What the Teacher Wants.  It may be better for older kids, but I'm sure you could adapt it for those little ones!

I am so grateful today for all the heroes of that terrible day...firefighters, police, & the people of NYC!  I'm also grateful for the soldiers who fight daily to protect our country from anything ever happening like this again!  Please say a prayer for those out there directly impacted by that day, who lost loved ones, and still miss them beyond measure.  WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!   

Just so I don't leave you feeling depressed (like I am right now after writing that), I do have some good news today!  My APPLE FUN UNIT is done and ready for purchase in our Teacher's Notebook Shop.  It is 26 pages for Pre-K, K, & 1st and includes...

As usual, we are having an introductory sale (15% off) from today (9-9) till next Friday (9-15).  Hurry...you don't want to miss all the apple-y fun!    Click HERE to view!  :)  Ta-ta for now! 

Making a Year Mondays {Rules}

What is one of the first things to teach your new kiddos when they come into your room?  Every teacher knows the answer to this one...RULES & PROCEDURES!!!  I know that doesn't sound like a fun concept, but without it, your classroom would be a bunch of confused chaos.


So, here are some cute ideas to make the rule-learning fun for your new sweeties!  {and they are all FREE downloads...yay}


Growing Kinders has an activity kit in her TpT store HERE called "The Day a Monster Came to School" that is super cute!

Castles & Crayons has a fun Marshmallow Toes activity teaching your Munchkins how to walk in the hallway.

Kindergarten Kiosk has a wildly adorable Jungle rules poster.

One of my favorite songs to use when introducing the rules was always Dr. Jean's "The Rules of the Classroom Rap."  Also, today on You Tube, I found a video from Teacher Tipster, Mr. Smith is so funny & very creative!  I used to sing this song with my kinders & it is really fun!

So, how do you explain your classroom rules to your kiddos?

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, will there be enough room?"  I'm sure that's what some of you are saying as you try to find a spot for everything in your classrooms!  I know I thought that every year! :) 

One of my favorite books that I read to my to my kindergarten kiddos and now to my own little Munchkin is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by  Bill Martin Jr.  I'm planning on using this book as a theme with Noah when we start our "Flight School" in a couple of weeks.  I have searched the blogosphere for ideas & found some very creative projects to do and snacks to make (all with FREE downloads)

File Folder Game from Oopsey Daisy 

Coconut Tree Snack from The Page's of Our Story

Lapbook from 1+1+1=1

tree craft from The Crafting Chicks

  

magnet board activity from Playing House

Here's a video to show your kiddos.

So, if you need some fun activities to do in your classroom as centers or at their seats, I made a new Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Mini Unit.  It's for sale in our Teacher's Notebook Shop.  It is 22 pages of language arts, math, and fine motor activities including...

-Name Handwriting Practice

-Beginning Letter Sounds

-Uppercase / Lowercase Letter Match

-Patterns

-Find the Difference

-Handwriting 

-Fine Motor (Do-a-Dot or Circle Magnet Pages)

-Counting

-Number Recognition

-Color Words

-Beginning Reading

Click the picture to view the product.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, ya'll!

Teaching Trends Tuesday {New Unit}

Hello, Fab Friends!  Ok, so this "teaching trends" blog topic makes me a little nervous because this school year will be my fourth year out of the classroom.  I cannot believe it has been that long since I had those "beginning of school butterflies" that always made my stomach their {home sweet home} for at least the first 3 weeks of school!  

One classroom trend I know is different from when I stopped teaching is...BLOGS!  I think during the last couple of years, the teaching social media (blogs, websites, facebook, twitter, and now pinterest) has exploded!  I think it's so amazing and I am continually inspired by how many creative teachers out there are willing to share their talent with the blogging world!  

Another trend that I am so loving for the classroom is teacher-made materials!  Who else knows better what teachers need teachers themselves?  I was always making materials for my kindergarten kiddos, and now I am even more motivated to make materials for my little one (as well as stock up my collection for when I return to the classroom).  

So, to start off my year of printable units, my BACK TO SCHOOL UNIT is ready for purchase in our brand new Teacher's Notebook Store!  I used the cutest school-related clipart from Digi Web Studio.  It is 31 pages of fun math and language arts activities to do at the beginning of the school year.  It can be used with preschool, kindergarten, or first grade.  Take a peek at what's inside...

The unit is regularly priced at $5.00, but for ONE WEEK ONLY (until Tues. July 19), since you are a faithful FBU follower, you can have it for 30% off making it $3.50.    

What I Love Wednesday

I can't believe it's Wednesday already...where is the summer going?  *sigh*  


Anyway, there are so many fun summer activity ideas floating around in my head right now!  I hope I get to all of them with Noah this summer!  To help me get my ideas organized, I'm going to use this ultra cute Summer Bucket List at Tatertots & Jello via Positively Splendid.  It even comes with FREE printables...how awesome is that?

One activity (actually on my agenda for this week) is to make a Rainbow I Spy Book from Delia Creates!  Delia took several collage pictures of her sons' toys.  Then, she pulled a few toys aside to take individual pictures of what they were supposed to "spy."  Then, printed them as 4x6 pictures, slid them into an el-cheapo photo album, and voila...a book to keep kids happy and busy on long car rides, church, and wherever you need a quiet activity!  

And, lastly for today, I was told by several incredibly smart ladies that I needed to buy Noah the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD so that he could learn letter sounds. Weeeelllllll...I took their advice and bought it! I have to say that I was skeptical.  Being a Kindergarten teacher, I thought that no DVD could actually teach the letter sounds!  My review of this DVD???  It is TOTALLY AWESOME!!!  We have had the DVD for 2 weeks and Noah (age 3) now knows ALL of his sounds!  A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!  I'm so excited because now I can start with sight words and blending sounds in the fall!  So, if you have a Preschooler at home or teach Pre-K, this video is for you!  Check it out!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!

Theme Thursday!

Graphics Designed by: Lettering Delights 

I recently just completed my "X Marks the Spot" unit.  My themes are centered around the letter we are learning for the week.  Letter Xx is hard to put to a theme, but our fellow FBU girl, the Frog Princess, decided to do a pirate theme for the letter Xx.  I loved this idea and have used it every year!  We end our week with a pirate party!  

Graphics by Lettering Delights

We have 5 stations at our party-musical islands (musical chairs), treasure hunt for pirate loot, sight word pirate ship ring toss, sleeping pirate, and digging for jewels.  

Graphics by Lettering Delights

Here is what we do- at musical islands, students march their way around the chairs to pirate music.  The chairs are placed on blue butcher paper or a blue carpet to represent islands. 

When students go on the treasure hunt they are following clues around the school to find the treasure!  Little did they know it was in the room the whole time!  Each student gets a loot bag full of pirate treasure and fun pirate stuff from the Dollar Tree. 

Graphics by Lettering Delights

 At the sight word ship, students have to read and spell their sight words.  For every word they get right, they get to throw a ring on the ship! 
 Sleeping Pirate is always a hit!  We have a pirate hat full of treasure.  One kid in the circle is blind folded, students pass the hat around and one student steals the treasure out of the hat.  All students act like they are hiding the treasure, and then the kid who was blind folded must guess who has it!  Their guilty faces normally gives them away! :) 
The last station students had to dig through sand to locate beads to make a pirate bracelet.  Anytime sand is involved there is fun to be had!  Once students made a bracelet, they listened to a pirate story!  
So much fun!  
After we rotated through all the stations, we wash up for some pirate grub!  Students had corn dogs, chips, cookies, apple slices, and juice boxes!  Students really enjoyed this party! I left my camera at school, but I will share pictures soon! 

Graphics by Lettering Delights

Arrgh Friends, have a great Friday!