If you don't currently have a project through DonorsChoose and you have a free vote, please help me by voting for my current project to get lots of books for my classroom. Just click on the picture below or the link to take you to Sonic's Limeades for Learning. It's super fast & easy! You can vote everyday through the end of September. Also, you can get two extra voting codes if you make a purchase at Sonic. Vote codes are suppose to be on the bag sticker.

Thanks in advance!

School started last Wednesday and it seems like the first six days have flown by faster than ever! I'm so proud of my class this year! I think they might possibly be able to out talk an auctioneer on a good day, but I already feel like we are going to accomplish so much. That is such an exciting feeling!

I have student who is visually impaired this year, so I tried to keep my floor plan open so he would have an easier time with orientation and mobility. I spent the better part of last year arranging and rearranging my room to figure out a way that I could handle keeping it the same for the majority of this year. If I rearrange anything that he has to walk around, he will have to be reoriented his surroundings and I feel like that is something we need to avoid so we can spend as much time as possible teaching him academic and life skills.

There are a few blank areas and bookcase shelves that will be filled with environmental print, theme books, student book bags, magnet areas, pocket chart goodies, etc. So, don’t mistake the blankness for lack of a better idea for the space. I didn’t go into detail explaining everything, but I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about our room.

Sorry this one is blurry. I didn’t realize it until I was getting ready to post it. The following two pictures are of some of our Braille materials and resources.

Today has been a crazy day! It was full of ups and downs {literally}. Therefore, my post is all over the place and out of order and just all around wonky. You have been warned!

I was so excited to get our Highlights order forms in the mail today. Does anyone else get anxious to get free products from Highlights like I do? Ha! I usually attach a note to our behavior slips telling parents what products we are working toward earning. How bad is that? Then, I give the kids a special sticker treat the following day if they return their order form with a yes or no response.

If you aren’t getting Highlights order forms, click here to read more about the program or to have them sent to your school. I even had my four year-old helping me out with the stickers on the forms. She thought it was great doing ‘teacher work’ and I was able to get something else done for a few minutes tonight.

This afternoon, I dropped my students off at recess and as I was walking back to my room with my Dr. Pepper can in hand, I slipped on water on the floor by the water fountain and fell. I did some kind of crazy splits and burned & bruised my knee, bruised my arm and pulled what felt like every muscle from my waist to my knees. I just sat there for a minute thinking I wasn’t going to be able to get up and I was even more concerned that I wasn’t going to be able to open my pop because it might spew all over the place. Luckily, two sweet teachers were in the hallway and quickly came to check on me.

Being a HUGE fan of physical comedy, I would have thought this was absolutely hilarious—if it happened to someone else! Ha! For me, not my best moment. It hurt so bad that I cried when I got to my room. Such a baby! Then, I had no sooner sat down to inspect the damage when the secretary. She already heard about it! The Principal, nurse, library aide and other teachers all came in. I got an ice pack, Tylenol and tons of offers to help get my kids. I declined insisting I was fine. All we could do was laugh.

The nurse had to fill out a report to document what had happened and the secretary and principal held up number scores as I walked by the office to pick my kiddos up from recess. They gave me a 10 and a 9.2. I was a little disappointed that the Principal gave me a 9.2 since she didn’t see it happen, so I offered to recreate the event for her for a second judgment. :)

Seriously, I feel like I won’t be able to walk tomorrow because my back and leg muscles are so achy, but it was all very funny! {AFTER the fact!} I am blessed to work with such wonderful teachers and staff members who were all so sweet and concerned—even if they did laugh!

On the way home from school, I was checking the mail and I had an envelope from The Education Center, Inc. with the cute little Mailbox emblem to the side. I couldn’t think for the life of me what it was for, until I opened it. A few months ago I had submitted an idea for one of their idea requests for snack time and now they will be publishing it!

 

I highly suggest that you check out the ideas they are looking for this month.  Click here to see the topics. Then, go here to submit your idea. It is definitely worth it if you love The Mailbox resource books and products.

If your idea is chosen to be published you can get a $20 gift certificate to use with The Mailbox catalog. Plus, they usually send you a copy of the magazine in which your idea is published.

This Monday is either an indicator of the insanity about to take place this week OR it could be that it will only get better! I’d like to think it’s the latter option! ;) Did anything crazy or exciting happen with you today?

Here’s a shape identification book, along with the sight word a.