SIght Word Game - FREEBIE

I created a game to use with my students using the sight words from our Reading curriculum. If you are interested in this freebie click here!

Happy Teaching!
Patsi K in MN

January Activity Calendar FREEBIE

Each month my teaching partner and I send home a Monthly Activity Calendar. The items on the calendar are taken from our curriculum objectives and skills that we are working on in the classroom, plus some 'just plain fun' for families. I do not send any other homework. The families can choose to do one activity a day or do them all on the weekends, whatever works in their schedule. Click on the image below to find the calendar. Subscribe and follow my blog to be notified when other months are posted!

Happy Teaching!

Patsi K in MN

Versatile Blogger Award - check out these other great blogs!

Thank you to Louanne at My Kindergarten Kids blog and Michelle at What I learned in Kindergarten blog for choosing my blog to receive the Versatile Blogger Award!

(This award involves a) linking back to the person who nominated you, b) telling 7 things about yourself and c) passing along the award to 15 newly discovered blogs and letting them know you nominated them.

7 Things about me!
1) I am a wife and mom - two fabulous kids ages 17 and 14 and a great hubby of 22 years.
2) I have been a teacher for 21 years - fourth grade, first grade and most of my years in kindergarten.
3) My husband and I own a heavy equipment and tractor salvage business and I am the bookkeeper.
4) I love my Macbook, my iPad and my iPhone - do you see a theme? One word: SYNC!
5) I am addicted to taking photos - of everything!
6) I have had a kindergarten website for since 2001 - www.abc123kindergarten.com.
7) I love organizing and rearranging.

15 Blogs I love to visit:
1. Chalk Talk: a kindergarten blog
2. Growing Kinders
3. I HEART CRAFTY THINGS
4. Keen on Kindergarten
5. KinderGals
6. Kindergarten Crayons
7. Mrs. Wills Kindergarten
8. Whoo loves kindergarten?
9. Mrs. Lee's Kindergarten
10. Clutter-Free Classroom
11. Doodle Bugs Teaching
12. Digital Kindergarten
13. Mrs. Jump's Class
14. Lil' Country Kindergarten
15. Kindergarten Kiosk

Happy Teaching!
Patsi K in MN

Transformation

UPDATE: The last several months went by QUICKLY! I am officially the mother of a high school graduate! And my younger son is a new driver! Summer is here and I am catching my breath! I am going to do the CFC Challenge 'my way' so watch the upcoming posts and enjoy as you sit in the sun :O)


Original post: Over the last weeks, I have given a lot of thought to change. There are things that we can control and things we can't. I want to spend my energy on the things I CAN control. The Clutter-Free Classroom's New Year Project has me thinking, why is it so hard to get a handle on the contents of my classroom? I am in full control of the arrangement, contents and state of affairs. I don't share it with another teacher, it's not used as an Early Childhood space or After-School Enrichment classroom. It is my haven. So why is it so hard to establish routines? Could it be because the other 15 occupants (5 year olds mind you) don't share my vision? And how can I change that? Could it be because I am a busy teacher, wife, mom, bookkeeper and project-oriented individual? More to come on that, maybe even a new blog!

So with that I am accepting the challenge of the Clutter-Free Classroom. Even though sharing the 'BEFORE' photos of our classroom wasn't one of the requirements, I am going to take a deep breath and post them here. I am a procrastinator and a perfectionist - and keep in mind that the Holiday Break was my time to 'catch-up' and I did spend about 3 hours in my classroom space, before my son broke his arm, my father-in-law was admitted to the hospital and other family members were involved in a serious car accident. Oh my! Needless to say, my classroom is still a "cluttered" slate, ready for the TRANSFORMATION that 2012 will bring. I snuck in to grab manuals so I could make plans for substitute teachers and snapped the photos, I only had about 5 minutes, or trust me I would have scurried about cleaning/stashing for company, but instead you are getting a glimpse at the post-holiday reality.

Here's a peek - no judging please!

Happy teaching!
Patsi K in Mn

ABC Do-A-Dots FREEBIES link

I have been looking for activities to use at a center for the Do-A-Dots (aka Bingo Markers). I came across a bunch of FREEBIES at the DLTK's site - As I was choosing what I thought might work, I found the page with the alphabet set!!! Click here for that page. And if you are wondering about the Do-A-Dots - this is what I am talking about:



And then I realized that I could buy an activity book to go along with them...

How fun! Maybe it will inspire me to create a set for my class of their names to "dot" on - or sight words.... or color words..... or number words..... oh my!

Happy Teaching!
Patsi K in MN

Clutter-Free classroom project

Happy New Year! There is a great new project starting at The Clutter-Free Classroom blog. Check it out here 

My mind has been spinning all day with ideas of how to attack organizing and structuring in 2012. When I found this I found myself thinking 'why re-invent the wheel!' I can spend my time on other priorities and follow her structure :o) Yeah!!! So exciting. Now off to do lesson plans for a modified week - my son has a nasty broken arm and we may need to do modified days this week. :(

Happy Teaching!
Patsi K in MN