'Tis the Season to Be Jolly!

I don't know about you, but I am in such a jolly mood!  My tree is up and decorated, online presents have been ordered, and the weather is getting er uh, warmer?!?  Well, you can't win them all! :0)  Snow days will eventually come! 

How about you?  Have you been feeling jolly, yet?  Are your students getting excited about the upcoming holiday?  Mine are already making their lists and checking them twice.  It seems like the Christmas pencils I gave them today paled in comparison to what they are asking for Christmas!  I feel like I need to stock my prize bin with video games and laptops! LOL! 

On a serious note, how do you celebrate the holidays in your classroom?  Do you use the word, "Christmas", or do you have a "Winter Celebration"?  Have you created any cute activities that you think others would like to use in their classrooms?  If so, leave a comment and let everyone know! 

Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season!

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Stay Tuned for My New Christmas Packet!

Hey there!  I have been busy working on my Christmas Unit for my first graders and I am so excited to share it with them (and you, of course!)  It should be ready for download tomorrow on both TpT and TeachersNotebook.  Yes, it is part of the Cyber Monday Sale!!! Woo hoo!!! 

I have to thank you for all of your support and feedback on my teaching materials!  Together, we create a partnership that benefits the students we teach.  Each time we provide feedback or chat about a lesson, we are making it just a little better for the kiddos!  That's what I love about teaching- it is about challenging yourself to be the best you can be! 

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!  Check back tomorrow for a link to "The Ultimate Christmas Unit". 

Warm Hugs and Loving Smiles,

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"Run, run as fast as you can- now on SALE 'The Gingerbread Man!'"

Hey everyone!  I wanted to share that I just posted a FABULOUS new unit called, "The Gingerbread Man".  It is full of activities with a holiday theme for those who can and cannot teach a Christmas unit at school!  Your students will love the whimsical designs on each page and will be engaged with plenty activities for the month of December.  Right now, it is on sale over at TeachersPayTeachers, so get it before the sale is over!!!  I hope everyone has a restful Thanksgiving! 

Warm Hugs and Loving Smiles,

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Easy Word Work Centers

My first graders LOVE word work and the best part is, it didn't take much work on my part to make it fun!  Here are some simple things I did to make working with words exciting and I did not spend a ton of time or money to make it happen!

1.  I asked teachers with older kids to donate any old word games they had at home.
2.  I found nice Melissa and Doug wooden magnetic letters at a Tuesday Morning store for about $3.00.
3.  I utilized the Promethean Board to play games (which are already made on the program).  If you don't have an electronic white board, give the kids dry-erase markers and a regular white board- they still have a blast making words!
4.  We have one computer but it is great to keep two students busy playing on Starfall or ABC Mouse.

Learning doesn't have to take too much time or money!  Post some ideas you have for cheap and easy centers! 

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Newest Site I LOVEEEE!!!

Hi there!  I am so excited that I found a new site that I just LOVE!  It is found at http://www.abcmouse.com/ and it is FREE for public school teachers!  I was searching the Internet this morning looking for online activities for my preschooler when I came across this site.  It has activities for learners from 2 years old up through elementary school.  I have to say, it is the BEST!  The teacher can add students to her classroom and differentiate the level of learning based on the needs of the student.  I was happy that I could use this for my son at the Pre-K level as well as for my first graders!  I was so pleased to be able to adjust the level of learning to match my first graders' needs.  As you can tell, I am LOVING this FREE site, so please go check it out and let me know how it worked for you!  Happy Learning!

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WOW! HUGE THANKSGIVING SALE!!!

Thanksgiving is all about giving and I am in a giving mood so I am throwing a HUGE 50% OFF SALE over at my Teacher's Notebook store!  ALL ITEMS ARE 50% OFF TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY!  That means you could purchase ALL 18 ITEMS on my store for JUST UNDER $30!  Now is a great time to stock up on those Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Winter activities so don't miss out! 

I will also be GIVING AWAY 5 COPIES OF MY NEWEST CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES TO 5 LUCKY WINNERS!!!

 To enter do the following (1 entry for each number):
1.  Join my blog and leave a comment saying you joined my blog.
2.  Follow me over at Teacher's Notebook and add my shop as a FAVORITE!  Comment and let me know. Thanks!
3.  Follow me on TeachersPayTeachers and become a follower!  Comment and let me know. Thanks!

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THIS THURSDAY, A WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING!  BEST OF LUCK!

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S.  If the spirit hits you too, please comment about your SALE and where we can find it!  Thanks! :0)
Click here to go to the sale:  http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/TeachingTales/sale 

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