Common Core?????

Ok. So maybe some of you have read my Blog description, then read my posts, then thought, What does this blog have to do with Common Core? If you have, that's ok, because that's what I think every time I look at my blog. There really are more interesting things in my life, however, since that was the intended purpose of this blog, I though maybe I'd throw in some CC stuff here and there. I do have some cool documents for you, but I'll save those for later on in the summer because I know most of you are just trying to make it to the end. I'm done, by the way. You wanted to hear that didn't you?
Anyhoo...I do have some questions for you... 1. Did you do CC this year? And then I follow up with, Really? I'll be honest and say I was 100% introduced to it this year and we followed those standards strictly. Did our quarterly assessments line up? No. Did our report cards and progress reports line up? Not at first. They're better now, but not great. My district adopted the CC Curriculum Maps and these guided our instruction throughout the year. My honest answer is some of the activities are great. Others, eh. The Language Arts Units are divided into 6 units (great if you assess every 6 weeks, not so great for every 9 like us). The Lit Coaches have put together some great resources, though, that I want to share with you. Why re-invent the wheel right?
First is a great document to see how the year is lined out called the First Grade Year At a Glance. This really helps give you an idea of what the entire year will look like, all subjects. Another great document they've made outlines each LA Unit and the materials you'll need and standards that will be covered. Here is the link to Unit 1. If you're interested, this document will get you ready for the beginning of the year.
Next question, are these documents helpful?
If so or if you teach another grade, play around on the district website under curriculum. They've really worked hard to give us what we need and what we've asked for.
And last question...what other kinds of documents do you need or CC questions do you have? I am absolutely NOT an expert, but I'm learning along with everyone else.
Have a great weekend!!! I know I will!

That's so Nice!!!

Isn't that so nice?! This is my first (I hope) blog award and let me just say...I'd like to thank (imagine me holding my brush as a microphone) Vanessa at Kinder Love who gave me this award!




So nice to think of my little blog. I'd also like to thank my family especially my husband who has tolerated my new blogging obsession hobby. And thanks to all the teachers out there who inspire me everyday, to not "Be a better man" like Tom Cruise, but to be a better teacher!
Thanks! Now, I need to give this award over to 15 new bloggers! If you are not a new blogger, I apologize, but I am, so that's why I screwed up if I did! :)
How about you go show these girls some love?! And if you are one of these girls, you need to 1)Follow my blog 2) Link back to the person who gave you the award 3) Pass the award on to 15 new bloggers

So here are the 15 new bloggers that I am passing it to:

http://learningwithahappyheart.blogspot.com/

Mrs. Halbert

Ms. C http://firstgradeabcs.blogspot.com/Rebecca and Katie 

  Lori   Delighted http://onceuponafirstgradeadventure.blogspot.com/2012/04/oceans-freebies.htmlMrs. H 

S. Simpson

Natalie

Tiffani Great job, girlies! I enjoy reading your blogs and I hope everyone else does, too.

Ok.

Thanks.

What's that?

That's not 15, you say? Oh, I'm sure you miscounted. See ya.

Ok.

You're right. It's not 15. It's a little less than that. Do I not get to keep the award now?!?! But, I've worked on this post for like, three hours (to be read in whiniest voice.) Ok. How about this...I owe all of you.....6 new blogs. When I find them, I will share them. Deal?

Linky Party???

Ok. So I've secretly wanting to join a Linky Party since I've started this blogging thing. No problem, you think. Just join one. Well it's not that easy. I do consider myself fairly computer literate, but this has been puzzling me because I couldn't figure out if there was an image, such as in Farley's May Currently linky party, how do I type on it and make it my own. I've learned that blogger has no such editing tool, so I've just been waiting for someone else to ask that question and then I could just tag along and figure out the answers. But none of you seem to have that question. Smarties!!! So I just had to give up and admit defeat and ask. And thank you so much to Kerri at Ms. Kerri and her Krazy Kindergarten who took the time to help me figure this out! Go visit her, too! She is so helpful!! :)

So now, I'm hoping to join Farley's linky party. I encourage you to link up, too, and if you have trouble and have silly questions like me, think nothing of it. I'll be glad to help if I can! :)

I'm going to ignore the white background on the page. I'm anal and that kind of thing bothers me, but I'm full of blessings remember, so I'm not going to care about that.

Hey, go visit Farley and that helpful Kerri! :)

                      

I've been hacked!!!

I totally had a different post in mind for today, which included a mother's day freebie which I will get to. So I'm innocently checking my emails today when I spot one from walmart.com regarding my recent purchase. Well, I must tell you the truth. My first thought was YES!!!! I love recent purchases!!! But that was quickly ruined by my second thought which was But I haven't made any recent purchases. So my third thought was, My sweet husband bought me something for mother's day! But that was quickly ruined by But he wouldn't order anything online. He's a buy the day before, kind of guy. So my last thought was OMG someone get into my account. And sure enough, someone had. They tried to buy two cameras which added up to over 600.00, using my credit card. Luckily, walmart cancelled the order on their own and then my credit card company called and said there were two questionable transactions on my account. The first was this attempted purchase to walmart.com. The second? It was for $3.40. To Teachers Pay Teachers! Ha!!! So my TPT purchase may have saved me because they thought why is this teacher buying something so little and then something so much!!! So Thank You, TPT, you may have saved me over $600! Isn't that funny in a horribly scary and violating kind of way?!

Teacher Appreciation

Is this a great day or what?!  First of all, thanks so much to all those great teachers who gave away all the awesome freebies on TPT! I downloaded so much stuff, I can't even tell you what I got! I can't wait to take the time to look through all the units and such! I would have given away something myself, except I only have one item on TPT that costs anything and it is just a little helper to prepare for the standardized test and if you are like me, tests are the last thing I want to think about right now! So, hopefully I'll get some good stuff together this summer and have a lot more on my TPT store. Or better yet, I'll just start getting a lot of freebies together!
Anyway, I'm going to post some more for my fairy tales unit in the next couple of days. Stay tuned for the some Goldilocks goodies!!!