First Grade Common Core

If you are looking for some help integrating Common Core into your lesson plans, this book is just for you!  It has tons of worksheets, activities, and posters that will have you teaching all the first grade common core standards in the English Language and Mathematics in no time!  With over 550 pages, you will not want to take your eyes off this book. 

First Grade Common Core

 

 

I can't wait to get back with you on things I have done from the workbook.  Go check it out!  You won't want to miss it.  

P.S. They also have one for Kindergarten, too!

Missing in Action

Warning - This is a long post with a lot of catching up-to-do since I have been MIA.

I am sorry I have been missing in action.  I have been staying up-to-date on reading everyone's blogs, but it just does not seem possible for me to sit down and write my own.  I have been exhausted lately.  Let me catch you up on what's been going on:

Two Weeks Ago -
The cheerleading squad I coached was asked to perform at the pregame show for the Tennessee Volunteers.  We cheered that Friday night at a school an hour away, came home for about an hour, and boarded the school bus (YES, a school bus for a six plus hour drive) at midnight in the pouring down rain.  We drove all night to get to Knoxville in time for them to practice with the other squads.  The girls got to sleep, but the other coach and I had to stay awake in order to make sure the bus driver was OK.  It was all worth it when the girls got to perform on the field before the game.

 Yes, rain and all they had a good time.

We stayed over night in a hotel and boarded the bus to go back home bright and early the next morning.  Let's just say I was so glad to get home and sleep.

Homecoming - 

Once we got back, I had to go into full power to prepare for homecoming.  We had exactly a week in between, but it was full of planning PowderPuff, practicing for Pep Rally, planning for Homecoming Royalty, and much more.  Our town takes homecoming very serious and everything is pretty much on the cheerleaders and their coaches.  

This Week - 

This week was homecoming.  Here is a recap of our Tomcats Gone Wild week:

Monday - The Hunted and The Hunter (Animal Print and Camo Day); Cheerleading practice from 4 - 6

Tuesday - Color Day; Powderpuff Games starting at 6

Wednesday - Wildly Tacky Day; Homecoming Royalty Practice at 3:30

Thursday - Wild Wild West Day; Freshman Football Game at 6:00

Friday - Purple and White Day; Pep Rally at 10:30; All schools dismissed at 11:30; Parade at 1:00; Tailgating at 3:00; Varsity Game at 7:30; Crowning of Queen at Halftime

Although the other schools did not get to participate in the dress-up days, everyone participates in Friday's events.  Pretty much the whole town shuts down. 

 One of my students and some crazy cheerleaders in the back before the parade.  The coaches always get to drive John Deere gators while the cheerleaders walk and roller blade passing out goodies.

On top of all this, I gained a new student on Thursday.  This makes 21 students.  My classroom is only equipped for only 20 students so I have been having to figure out how to make it all work.  One of my students needed make-up work for a whole week due to a family emergency.  We had a fire drill due to the fire marshall visiting during my planning time so I missed it, and I received so many phone calls and visits from the community asking about homecoming stuff that I couldn't keep up with it.  Even though it was a lot, it was well worth it in the end.  Of course, I crashed Friday night after it was done!

Fire Marshall

I am still waiting to hear if the Fire Marshall approved my canopy entrance to the classroom.  He is sometimes very picky about things, but my principal said she was going to fight for me.  We will see how it goes.  I would hate to take it all down:

I meant to share these pictures awhile back since they are from the first week of school, but most of the things have stayed the same.  The monkeys are vines are gone to make room for student work, but the door still looks the same.

Someone New Sunday

I am pleased to be featured on Pocket Full of Kinder's Someone New Sunday today.  I guess it motivated me to write this post.  Go check it out here:

Thank you Shuna P. for featuring me!

I guess that is all for now!  I will try to write more this week.  I hope everyone has a blessed week!

Elizabeth L.

Wednesday's Word of Wisdom

I have been missing in action the past couple of weeks due to total chaos. It is definitely football season. There are so many things going on with school and cheerleading. Hopefully, things will calm down soon. I apologize for not having Wednesday's Word of Wisdom last week. I had all intentions of doing so, but our weekly football game got changed to a different night due to storms and so I spent my night rearranging plans and making sure everything was set for a night earlier. This devotion is definitely appropriate for how I am feeling today. My inspiration came from a Cornerstone devotion that I received a couple of weeks ago.

Source: http://myblessedlife.net/2012/03/when-youre-overwhelmed.html

I am very overwhelmed this week!  I have a Freshman Football game tomorrow night, a Varsity Football game Friday night that is about an hour away, and then the girls and I leave at midnight Friday night for Knoxville to cheer at a UT game on Saturday.  On top of cheerleading, I just found out that the 1st and 2nd graders at our school will be taking the SAT-10 next week.  We have to have everything taken down or covered in our rooms!  I also have wife duties, grad school, and piano.  It's crazy right now.

This has been my verse the past few weeks.  I am overwhelmed, but my strength comes from the Lord.  He knew all of this was coming before I did.  As the teachers at my school has created as our theme quote for this year, "It is what it is."  I have to take what I am given and count my blessings.  

Are any of you feeling overwhelmed right now?  How do you manage a blog and the craziness of life?  (Obviously, I am not doing a great job right now.)  What verse do you go to when you are overwhelmed?

I pray that you are able to keep from being overwhelmed this year.  I pray that you keep God as your Rock.  I pray that if you do become overwhelmed that your remember that God has a plan and He is your strength.

*Sorry this post is probably more for me than you, but I did want to share what was on my heart real quick.*