Three More Freebies! and Show and Tell Wednesday

Well...you guessed it! I am home AGAIN with a sick little boy! I am praying he is better tomorrow, so I can go to school! Bronchitis is NOT an easy thing to kick though! At any rate, after my two-hour nap (which I desperately needed!), I got back to it on my computer. Today I made three different sets of Clip and Count games. There are sets for fall, spring, and summer. All you have to do is print out the one you want, cut apart the number strips, mount them on poster board (or something else that's pretty durable), and laminate them. Give your little ones the strips with some clothespins and you have a fun and easy game for centers, take-home packs, or small groups! These games will help them with numeral recognition, the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and fine motor skills! I hope you and your little ones enjoy them! Click on the images below to go straight to my TPT store where you can get them for FREE!!

 

Fall Clip and Count

 

 Winter Clip and Count

 

Spring Clip and Count

I am also excited to be joining Jennifer at Darling Little Learners in her new Blog Hop called "Show and Tell Wednesday." I've linked this post to the blog hop, and you can link up by clicking on the button below! Thanks, Jennifer, for hosting! I always love to link up and see what other people are doing!!

Rockin' Resources Linky Party

 

There have been a TON of linky parties and blog hops circulating lately, but I could not resist this one! Kelly over at The Teacher Idea Factory is hosting the Rockin' Resources linky party where teachers are sharing the things they could not live without in their classrooms. I can't wait to go take a look at all the wonderful things other teachers are using! (Which also means I'll probably be doing some shopping later, too!)

I have a few things that I love, love, LOVE in my room!! Here are my 5 faves:

Smelly Markers!!!

Any kiddo who has ever been in my class knows that I love my smelly markers! I know there are different brands floating around out there, but I am a total Mr. Sketch snob!! They cost a little more, but my nose says they are worth it!!

 

 

Self-Adhesive Business Card Holders!!!

I use these to label EVERYTHING! I use the business card template in Word to make the labels, then slide them in! Easy peasy!! I put them on my tubs, lockers, cabinet doors...you name it, I put a clear pocket on it! It makes labeling things (and changing the labels on things) super easy! And...if you Google them, you can buy them in bulk which makes them MUCH cheaper!

 

 My Printer!!!

I am definitely not one who likes to spend money if I don't need to! (I used to spend half of my paycheck every month on stuff for my room, but I got over that about 3 years ago!) Now, if I see something cool in a resource book or in someone else's room, I do not go running to the nearest teacher store to buy it. I get on my computer and make it! Without my printer, I would still be going broke!!

Dry Erase Crayons!!!

I got SO lucky with these! I stumbled across them last fall in the clearance section at Walgreen's. They were only 99 cents a pack!! I had no idea if they would work, but for a buck...I bought every pack they had! There are 8 jumbo-sized crayons and a mitt for erasing in every pack. I love them! They wipe off very well, and you don't have to worry about lids that are missing or not on all the way. They never dry out! And, since they are the jumbo size, they last a really long time!

  

"Magic Wand"!!!

 I got mine as a door prize at a staff development session several years ago. You strike it on any hard surface and it makes this quiet, chime-like noise for several seconds. I use it as a signal to turn off your voice and give me your attention. My daughter (who will be a 6th grader) told me this week that her teacher last year would strike it once, and they all had to be quiet before the noise stopped. I'm always looking for fun ways to get my kiddos' attention and this was definitely a welcome addition to my toolbox!! They come in several different shapes, but mine happens to be the star.

  

Now, I'm off to blog hop and see what everyone else is sharing! You can link up and share your faves by clicking on the button at the very top of this post!

  

Linky Parties and Giveaways!

I finally took a break from my own classroom to see what was going on with all the wonderful blogs that I follow, and I was so excited to find some linky parties AND giveaways that I could share!

The first linky party I'm joining is the First Day Jitters Blog Hop hosted by Fierce in Fourth Grade. You can link up by clicking on her button below!

 

 So, what are my first-day jitters?  Well, that's pretty easy since I'm teaching pre-k for the first time! I'm really not too jittery about the 4's. But, the 3's....that's an entirely different story! They are SO little! I'm just nervous about the first few days (weeks) while they get adjusted to being at school and away from Mommy. I know there will be tears, anxiety, fear, and more tears! I really hope I can make them comfortable to get through this phase of our year as quickly as possible!!

The second linky party is the New (School) Year Resolutions Link Up hosted by Teaching Maddeness. Here is the button to link up!

 

I've never been big on New Year's Resolutions, because I really don't wait until January 1 to make a change if I need to work on something. But, I ALWAYS set new goals for myself at the beginning of each school year. I'm sure these will change some as I get into my new grade level and really get a feel for what I'm doing, but for now...these are my goals for this year:

1. Stay child centered! This is a big one for me, and I really want to stay focused on it, even though I know there will be lots of times when it would be easier to be teacher directed. (Especially with 3's and 4's since there is so much they aren't able to do for themselves.)
2. Keep the parents involved! This is a little harder to do in my building than in many others I've worked in, but I'm already working on several different ways to keep them involved as much as possible.
3. Honor my TA! I've never had a TA that was in my room all day. I've shared TA's with other teachers before, but having one all day, every day is something new for me. I want to make sure that I always remember that she is just as much a part of the room as I am, and I don't want to do anything EVER that will make her feel like anything less than that!

And now for the giveaways! The first one I found is from Math is Elementary. She is celebrating 50 Facebook likes by giving away a $25 iTunes card! And, who can't use that?!?!?! Just click on the button below to visit her blog and enter!

 

The second giveaway is from Elementary Adventures. She is giving away a $25 gift card to Teachers Pay Teachers!! I would LOVE to win this one!! She's celebrating 100 followers! Click the button below to check out her blog and enter her giveaway!

  

Both of these giveaways end soon, so hurry over to enter before it's too late!!

Newbie Blogger's Blog Hop

Thanks to Ms. Lee @ Calling Plays in 2nd Grade, I just joined the Newbie Blogger's Blog Hop! It's pretty easy to do! First, you answer a few questions about yourself, so that your fellow bloggers can learn more about you.

1. What state are you in?

I am in the great state of Texas!

2. What is your current teaching position?
I am teaching pre-k 3 and pre-k 4 this year!

3. What is your teaching experience?
I have been a teacher for 14 years! I taught for 9 years in Oklahoma, all of which were in kinder and 1st. The last 5 years, I've been in Texas and have taught kinder, 1st, and 4th. This year I am excited about moving to pre-k!

4. When did you start blogging?
I just started blogging on July 12, 2012! Only a week ago!

5. Share a blogging tip or resource.
Be a creeper before you become a blogger!! Check out your favorite blogs to see how they are set up, what they include, and what helpful links they have that can help find what you need to start your own blog!