STAGINGBLOGSunshine&Lollipops

If you consider yourself a "Pinterest Teacher" then this is a gift you may want to consider for your kiddos at the end of the first full week of school. Dollar Store Bubbles and a sign that says: "I am bubbling with excitement that you are in my class!" What a great way to make your class feel welcome and loved. Also a confidence booster!

Here is a link to a freebie you may be interested in...ENJOY!

Many parents have a hard time when their kiddos come home with writing that they cannot read or that has many misspelled words. I had an interesting situation in my grandson's class on Grandparent's Day. Grandparents were supporting their grandchildren with writing. I was supporting my grandson. Every time he asked me to spell a word I said, as a teacher, let's listen to the sounds that you hear in the word and write them down. he asked me if the spelling was correct and I said,"Can you read it?" He said, "YES!" " then that is great spelling. I can read it too!" I said it may not be exactly what an adult speller would write but look you have all the sounds!" I continued to say, "When you are not sure, sound out the word, or look around the room for the spelling if you know it is around here somewhere or maybe it is a sight word you can find on your word wall." "You are doing an awesome job! Keep on writing and reading and before you know it you will be zooming with spelling!" He smiled and felt extremely proud and his confidence blasted off into a galaxy of spelling and writing!

However, as I listened in to other grandparents helping their grandchildren, I heard things like, That's not the way you spell that word, here let me show you," OR "change that d to a b now the word is spelled correctly!" Even, "Don't you know how to spell that word? That word is easy here: p-l-a-y?"
I started to ponder about how many parents are struggling with kid spelling, inventive spelling creative spelling or whatever you may call it. So, I created this letter with the idea of writing it in Kid writing and then gradually improving as I wrote to end with standard adult spelling to demonstrate to parents that we are not ignoring spelling but in K-1 and maybe into second grade Kid Writing is developmentally appropriate and as your child reads, writes and practices spelling sight words, their writing and spelling will improve!

In my opinion Kid Writing is the way to go. It gets kids writing and using bigger more difficult words because they know that if they try and they can read it, then it works. As children progress and read and write more, their spelling will also improve. Put this altogether with sight words and eventually standard spelling ideas and/or programs and you develop a great writer and speller! If children are constantly worried about how to spell a word or if a word is spelled correctly, then this interfere with their writing and vocabulary and they will only write using words they know how to spell...how boring is that, but more importantly children's spelling progresses through stages that lead to conventional or standard spelling and it is NOT simply rote memory of spelling words!
What are your feelings or thoughts about spelling?

Spelling: Kids Writing Parent Letter Freebie

Here is a link to a great book that speaks to this topic: How Children Learn to Spell

I love, love, love this quote...it exemplifies why differentiation is so important as we journey into a new school year! When I taught I tried to keep this first and foremost in my mind as my kiddos walked through my classroom door and I learned about each little mind and how it worked. I grew up with a dad who could not read and learned everything by listening to the talk show radio stations that were available. It was because of my dad that I became a teacher. One of my most treasured pictures is my dad "reading" a book to me when I was about 3 years old. I did not know then that he was reading the pictures, but later in life I realized this was how he read to me all those years ago!

An InLinkz Link-up

As I was walking around town today, many acquaintances asked,"Oh, are you off today?" That just goes to show you that if you live in a smallish town like I do, everyone seems to know where you are supposed to be at certain times of the day. Yes...usually I would be teaching at 11:00 in the morning. So I answered with a perky upbeat tempo, "I am retired now!" "Oh, really?" The next question is usually always the same. "So, how do you like being retired?" My answer..."I LOVE it...it is fantastic, marvelous, I can get up and do whatever I want or don't want to do every minute of the day...no plans just bliss and happiness! I don't even wear a watch anymore!" They say, "REALLY?" "I mean you are such an active person, don't you get bored or upset that you are not teaching?" Jealous? Perhaps...but why should I feel guilty that I am happy with what I am doing with my life...now that I am retired? I was happy teaching and now I am happy retired.

So, as I strolled around town stopping at various places: the Post Office, a local health food store, a grocery store, the high school to drop of a letter of recommendation and a few other local spots, I began to look at people's expressions...no smiles, no upbeat prancing, no laughing, giggling, singing, humming or happiness or if they were happy no one was showing it except for one man who smiled and said,"Hi, how are you doin' today?" I thought to myself; Where's that happy to be alive attitude, time to smell the flowers wisdom, dance like no one is watching attitude..where was it? It was buried deep down in the hecticness of life.

I am a firm believe that the diamonds you look for are usually right in your own backyard (Russell Conwell Acres of Diamonds) Everything you need to be positive and happy is in your own mind or right in your own life (backyard). So let me share with you what I call Mimi's Mini List of Ways to Stay Positive Everyday.

1. Count your blessings and there are many. Everyday before you go to work or get your day going, think of 4 things you are happy about. It can be a small as I woke up this morning and am able to enjoy this beautiful day!

2. Look for the positive in everyone you encounter and give them a smile and a kind word. A smile and a kind word can go a long way and you never know just how important that smile may have been to the person who noticed it...show those pearly whites!

3. Find something positive in what life's journey brings everyday. Even a negative situation can have a positive twist.

My dad was an extremely fast paced type "A" personality kind of guy. He never stayed in the same spot for more than 5 minutes and in fact, if he had something to deliver to my house, he would beep the horn and toss it on the lawn...no joke! At age 66 he had a stroke, this negative situation was turned quickly into a positive. He was not able to pick up and move around too much after this unfortunate situation, but I got to know him better than ever because he could only sit in his wheelchair and talk. Sitting and chatting in his living room created some the fondest memories I have of him. He expressed his feelings and I really began to develop a friendship with my dad that may not have happened if it were not for this illness.

4. Don't take anything personal. If someone snaps at you and you respond in a negative way then you will feel that negativity long after the incident, but if you respond with a smile and kind words...you will spread positiveness and maybe even make a friend.

I know these ideas seem simplistic, but....why not give it a try? You may just change the way you think and...According to Aristotle: Happiness depends upon ourselves.

Be positive...think positive...stay positive...you have nothing to lose!

Another fabulous idea for Back to School that I forgot about when I was racking my brain for what ideas I have used in the past...see what did I tell you...those shoes (great ideas) need to be organized so you can pick and choose as needed. So, even if you don't use this idea this year. File it in "Back to School" and use it next year!

I am all about building community and making our classroom like a "school family" where we can feel safe, learn about each other, take care of each other and do our best together as a "family". The classroom is a place where we can solve problems, feel comfortable and make our environment one in which all students have the opportunity to learn, grow and do their best!
So this activity that I have created is just what you need to promote classroom community!

Back to School…We are Alike and We are Different

This back to school ready to use printable activity can be used the first day of school, first week, as a getting to know you activity or as an anytime activity. It also includes a first day activity of “Find Someone Who…” to get your students up and and moving around to meet other classmates. Here is what is included in this packet:

A first day getting to know you activity sheets for students to find other students with various attributes.
An I like and I can sheet for the students to fill in about themselves to use for the Venn Diagram.
A Venn diagram to compare and contrast with a partner.
Differentiated sheets to use to write about their findings.
Small frames for self-portraits.
An idea for activity use.
A sample of what the project might look like when completed.
An Original poem to hang or copy to display with the finished projects in color and black and white.

ENJOY!!!

Love this quote. What else can YOU add? With the school year approaching...I thought all my teacher friends need to know how much you ARE appreciated and loved! No one really understands how much you do and how much you inspire and influence those around you! I know you are rested and ready to create the magic of learning! Have a great school year!

I am back from Vegas and survived the fast paced whirlwind of a this amazing town...I left the dings and dongs of slot machines and the crooners singing in lounges to come home to the stillness, heat and humidity of PA...overwhelmed, but ready to create, create, create and create more...I am exhausted thinking about it!!

But, as the saying goes "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." But, what I say is "What happens in Vegas needs to be shared!" I have not been to Las Vegas in over 26 years and it has really changed. Over 42 million tourists came through this hoppin' town last year!

This year my friend Kimberly (Kimberly's Kindergarten) and I hopped on an airplane and flew to Las Vegas to become 2 of those 40+ million people visiting! We attended the Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) Conference for the first time!

We met fellow shop owners, saw some incredible teacherpreneurs and of course teacher celebs, learned about marketing, blogging, Pinterest and Instagram, which I cannot figure out if my life depended on it...HELP! Anyone interested in teaching an old dog new tricks????

From left to right...Stephanie, Cheryl, Me, Stacie, Kimberly...Miss you!

BUT...the highlight of our amazing journey was meeting up with Stacie from Teacher Life is Good, Stephanie from First Grade Bangs and Cheryl who is a newbie of our newfound friends. It is rare to meet people and hit it off so quickly, but these incredible women became our partners in crime and it seemed as though we had been friends forever! We ate, drank,laughed,were merry and were ALL excited to make our first million, which seems a little off in the distance,but we were told that we needed to look in the mirror and say," I want to be a millionaire" and it might just happen. Believe me if it does, you will be the first to know and maybe you'll be coming to Vegas with us next year all expenses paid...well, don't hold your breath...wait that is a negative thought...THINK POSITIVE...You never know!!!

What was the highlight of your trip this year?

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