Summer-like Temperatures!

This last week we have had some CRAZY temperatures!  Yesterday it got to the mid 70s!  It was BEAUTIFUL out, except for all that mud.  Almost unreal for the midwest!
Here is the before picture (just last week) of our weather/snow and my boy Tanner.

Here are pictures of our BEAUTIFUL Day!  I don't know what it is about puddles and recess but we had WAY too much fun with both!

The end of the dinosaurs...

Our class has been studying dinosaurs as part of our science unit on living-nonliving and was once living.  We are really working on the terms Questions, Claims, and Evidence. 
For our questions this time we wanted to know more and more and more about dinosaurs, how many kinds there were, how big they were, what they ate, etc.  We have been doing research on the computers and in media center books.  We took a virtual tour of the Museum of Natural History which was SUPER COOL, we tried to get Dr. Scott from PBS to Skype with us about dinosaurs, but he was unable to, BUT he did send us a COOL email to share with the class!  We have watched some clips from PBS's Dinosaur Train and used World Book Web Online Classroom editon to complete our research.  Thursday we finished our section on "was once living".  I broke the students up into groups, Plant eaters, Meat eaters, and Flying dinosaurs.  Let them work by themselves or in pairs on the computers to do research.  I love WBW because you can LISTEN to descriptions instead of just read it.  We really enjoyed exploring the world of dinosaurs!  After our research, each group labeled a digram, each student shared 1 fact that they found and then we shared our creations in the hallway for everyone to see! 

Creative Kiddos on Valentines Day

Valentines Day:  A day for a sugar high, with love in the air and fun dip flying EVERY WHERE!!!  Yes fun dip!  Fun Dip was the candy of choice this year in my classroom.   Along with the fun dip we had some VERY creative first graders and parents who designed some AWESOME Valentine boxes.  Usually I have the kiddos decorate a bag at school, but for some reason this year time got away from me/us and the class voted to make their own.  Here are some of their awesome creations!

PD day!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Google Docs!  We are currently having a professional development day on Technology and Google Docs is the way to go!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  
Just saying.... :)

Meet the Teacher

The teacher/owner of  thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com is hosting a "meet the teacher" party, so I must do my part :) 


First a little bit about me...

I have been teaching for 3+ years now.  I LOVE every minute of it!  I have been blessed with my pride and joy Tanner who is now 3!  I can't believe how quickly time has flown by! 

I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 7 years old and have now "tamed the beast" for 24 years.  I participate at a diabetes camp called "Camp Hertko Hollow" every summer.  I am fun, a bit crazy at times, and try to make learning fun!  I lose things quite easily but at great at those "Where's Waldo" books, so in the end it evens out.  I was fortunate enough to marry my best friend.  He would be the one milking Nellie :) .

Now for the Q & A

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a teacher?                                             

A:  I would probably become a writer. 

Q: What are your hobbies?                                                                                    

A:  Reading, writing, playing with my kiddo, crafting (anything and everything artsy), spending time with my family.

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?                     

A: I wanted to be a pediactric diabetes educator (kind of a teacher for kids with diabetes).  I had a GREAT PCDE when I was growing up and she made me want to be like her and do what she did. 

   

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?                                                                  

 A: Diet Pepsi (I should be a spokes person for it :) ), cinnamon bears, cuddle time reading books, and Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, fun colored pens and smelly markers, journals, and stickers.

Q: What is your biggest fear?!                                                                       

 A: Losing those I love.

Q: When you’re on vacation, where do you like to go?                                   

 A: My vacations are usually spent at Camp Hertko Hollow, in Boone, Iowa at the YMCA Camp there.  Otherwise I am a homebody. 

                                                         

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?                                                   

A:  "You must take care of your self and be comfortable in your skin for others to take comfort in you." 

Q: What do you value most in others?                                                                   

A:   Drive and determination.  Also sense of humor. 

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass down to your kids, what would it be?                                                                                                        

A:  Passion, for everything I do.   

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world….living or dead…who would it be?                                                                                                               

A:  My Grandma Shirley, there is just SO many things I want to share with her that I can't. 

Now tell us one random thing about yourself:

I could possibly be on the TLC show "Hoarders Buried Alive"  I can't seem to throw ANYTHING away and I will take anything that people want to give up....You know I might be able to use it for SOMETHING.  Right?