Friendship writing {Valentines, MLK or just because you're special}

I knew I wanted something to start the new year on the right foot.  As tight as my class is this year, everyone can use a reminder of how awesome they are, right adults?  ;)  So I read "The Crayon Box That Talked" and we talked about how each of us is unique just like the crayons.  It was super fun this year because I have twins in my class.  I held up 2 blue crayons that looked the same on the outside but when I colored with them, they were different shades of blue.  The kids immediately pointed my twin girls out as those 2 colors.  So cute.

But instead of having the kids think about how themselves, I put everybody's name in a bowl and they picked one out.  We talked about how fun it can be to have a secret and be able to surprise a friend so most of them made the long 24 hours without telling.  We drew the names after reading the book but didn't write until the next day so they'd have plenty of time to watch their secret person and see what makes them really special.  The next day, they revealed their secret friend and wrote about what makes them special.

We used this as a class bonding activity but I'm going to keep them hanging up for a while because it goes along perfectly with Martin Luther King {and the spirit of getting along with everyone} as well as Valentine's Day and sharing the love.

We just wrote on notebook paper but if you prefer to have an outline, I have two free downloads for you.  One has a picture space and one is just lines.  You don't have to do anything as a trade, just sharing the love!

You are ALL special!  Thanks for reading & loving on your kiddos.

love notes.

Amy from Literacy and Laughter is hosting a linky party to showcase all of the things she loves this month.  Being that it's President's Day and I have the house to myself {thank you George & Abe} I figured it was a great day to be reflective.  If you're lucky enough to be off as well, enjoy some easy reading, link up your own little lovies & be sure to take some time for yourself today doing whatever makes you feel relaxed & rejuvenated...even if that's sitting in front of the computer screen...and even if it's already something you do every day.  ;)

Name: Kristin
Grade you teach:  kindergarten
State:  NC...a midwesterner turned southerner and loving it!
Birthday: July 26th
Favorite colors: pink
Lucky number: 44
Favorite subject to teach: literacy, specifically guided reading & small group time
Go-to snack: cheeze-its.  yogurt.  chips & salsa.
TV show: The Cosby Show.  New Girl.  Cougar Town.  Friends...
Last movie you watched: 5 Year Engagement.
Music you're loving right now: Home by Philip Phillips.  I still love it.
Always shopping at: Target.  Teachers Pay Teachers.
Word of the day: balance.  Taking time for myself but also doing some neglected housework.  ;)

A blog I'm loving right now: Sarah's 1st Grade Snippets
You have to check out her {free} guided reading & math snapshots.  So great for parent-school communication.  I love them and am thrilled she continues to make new ones!

My February pin board:

A product I adore: CoverGirl lash bast fusion mascara.
I am obsessed with glam eyelashes.  If I could get away with it I would wear fakes every day.  :)  I've tried a zillion different kinds of mascara and even stuck with a few expensive name brands for a little while {DiorShow} but I always come back to this one.  It's cheap, it's good & it layers well if you want to wear a few coats.

Mascara tip: when you think your tube is almost out, add a few drops of saline solution or contact lens cleaner to get a few more wears out of it.

Favorite hobbies/free time activities:
Blogging & Pinterest are really my hobbies.  I love to shop but don't really find myself with the time or extra money to do that as much as I'd like so I read InStyle magazine instead.  ;)  I also love the beach and being in the sun so when the weather is warm my free time will be spent at my parents' pool!

Favorite vacation destination:
Again, anywhere with a beach.  :)  We went on a catamaran tour in Saint Maarten last year and it was one of my most favorite vacation memories so far.

Best advice I've been given:
Finding the balance between confidence & humility has been life's greatest lesson.  Of course I'm still working on it but it's let the real me shine without dulling the sparkle of others.

Plus a few from my Words to Live By pin board that are too good to pass up:

Most rewarding part of teaching:
Hearing my kids use kind words & treat other with love.  I know that's not technically a score on the report card but molding such young, impressionable minds into good people is the heart of being a teacher for me.  Knowing how to treat others is what will really make them successful in life.

What I'm known for:  shoes. clearly. maybe glitter is a close 2nd.

Random fact #1:  I cry at everything.
Just about everything has the potential to make me tear up.  They can be tears of happiness, sadness or if I'm just moved by something...which is easy to do.  If it has to do with kids, God or an inspiring story, just pass me the kleenex.

{ok, ok...even if it's not something that's intended to evoke emotion, it'll probably make me cry anyway!}

Random fact #2:  I am a child.
I really think this is why I love teaching kindergarten so much.  Exhibit A: I am currently watching The Muppet Movie on Netflix while I type this.  I laugh at kid jokes.  I thoroughly enjoy kid movies.  I am dying to go to Disney World again.  I am perfectly happy to play in the sand at the beach, color pictures while I wait for my dinner at a restaurant or make a fool of myself in public.  Any chance to dress up is a good day in my book!

The loves of my life:
this guy.  who's not as little as he used to be.

my wonderful husband.

the best family I could hope for.

my best friends.

this little nugget, yet to be named.

Happy love month!  Head on over to Amy's to share your own lovies!  Or at least give them a call to let them know you appreciate them.  ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  Who else has a sugar stomach from too many chocolates and candy hearts?  {don't let me be the only one raising my hand...}  This is a loooong post with a bunch of things we worked in for heart week, a freebie and a surprise at the end.  Let's get this party started!

{just for fun}

We made our little Valentine people again of course!

I've retyped the glyph & added a recording sheet to along with it.  After all, what's the point of a glyph if you don't read them to find information?!  {this is your freebie because I love you all!!}

{math centers}

I love scoop & count from Can Do Kinders.  I don't actually have my kids record but the practice with 10s frames is great.

My other favorite Valentine's Day math activity is from Lory's Page.  She works in sorting, graphing, counting, measuring, adding...you name it!  Fab fab fabulous.  And it keeps them thinking for quite a while!  ;)

Love this missing teen number activity from Kinder Hoppenings.  Awesome brain power happening while they count forward and back then forward again.

Thought the "I love you this much" measurement activity from Growing Kinders was so cute I had to make them myself.  We called it measuring hugs!

Aaaaand for some higher level thinking, we used Be Mine Boxes from The Inspired Apple.  I didn't have her adorable boxes so I just wrote numbers in the middle that each kid needed to work on.

{literacy}
Most of my literacy time is laid out for me with specific mini-lessons, independent reading time and a literacy curriculum.  This is new this year and it is a major struggle because I feel like I'm missing so many elements...but there just isn't time anymore to work it all in as the kids need it!  {ack!  Not stopping to vent, it's just hard teaching sometimes when you feel like your freedom of choice has been removed.}  But between my guided reading groups and writing time, I squeeeeeze in as much as I poss-ib-ly can!!

Love this ABC order activity from Finally in First.  Such cute little monsters!

Kinders can never have enough nonsense word blending practice and these monsters from The Art of Teaching were just as much of a hit.

Practice counting syllables with this cute freebie from Mrs. Ricca's Kindergarten.  My kids had so much fun with this we didn't get to the next activity until the next day!  They flipped it over and started making their own pictures on the back of cupid, flowers and chocolate!

This CVC game from A Differentiated Kindergarten is fabulous for medial vowel practice.  We didn't get to it this week but it's going to be at my game center {word work} next week.

For Valentine's day, Christmas and your other popular holidays, get these vocabulary cards from Kindergarten Smiles.  I laminated them and hang them on my writing center as we introduce new topics.  My kids love them and they're ridiculously helpful for my ESL students!!

And one of my favorites, Annie from The Moffatt Girls, put up this Color by Sight Word freebie.  If you like it {which I love for morning work as the kids are coming in} be sure to check out her other Color by Sight Word downloads!

{valentines for the kids}

I found this awesome silicone mold at Target for $1!  I bought it first, then looked up how to make heart crayons.  Luckily, it worked out.  ;)  I had my kids help me make naked crayons by taking off the paper.  I broke the big ones into little pieces and baked them at 230 for about 30 minutes.  I popped them in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool and they were ready to come out!

I thought about making them more according to coordinating colors {reds and pinks together, etc} but thought it would be more fun to color crazy pictures with all the colors mixed together.

Bah HA!  That was a big fat lie!!!  I mixed all the colors together because it was a collection of left over crayons from various places in the classroom.  But if you bought it, the five year olds definitely will!  ;) They had a blast coloring "crazy pictures" while they ate their cookies and passed out their cards.

And I have never seen this before...one of my kids phonetically spelled each of his classmate's names on his treat bags.  Yes, I sent home a list!!  So funny...but he knew what each bag said so it worked for him!  Still cracks me up.  

{Bryan}

{Ethan & Jhonathan}

Is anybody still hanging in there for the surprise?!  Is your sugar coma gluing your eyes to the computer screen??  ;)  I know that most of the activities I shared with you today aren't mine and I'm trying to get some brand new things out to you...but I've been quite tired {and a little nauseous} every day after school, making it really hard to get anything done.  It's for good reason, though...

We are so so so excited.  I promise to keep posting as often as I can if you'll promise not to be away too long!  Happy day of love friends!

{nationwide} valentine exchange.

Have you seen Scholastic's valentine exchange idea?!

Basically, your kids make a valentine that list their 3 favorite books and you send them to scholastic.  Your valentines go to a class somewhere else in the country and within 4 weeks you get valentines back from kids just like your students!

Love it.  But I thought...how in the world are my kinders supposed to get 3 book titles - plus decorations - on a small little heart?!  Hence, I came up with these options.  They are simple so please put them on some construction paper then sticker and glitter away!!!

6 small designs

 or 3 large designs

Feel free to use yourself and share with other pre-K, kindergarten and 1st grade teachers who are also participating.  How great would it be for our students to connect with valentines from co-blog-buddy classrooms?!  If you use these printables or receive them in your classroom, let me know!  I'll be really curious to see how far they travel!  :)

If you're not involved with Scholastic yet, you can use them for a "We love Reading" bulletin board or new Valentine's day writing activity!

For more rules and specifics go to Scholastic.  The contest is open through February 21st.

i {heart} valentines.

I. love. Valentine's. Day.  I was never the girl who boycotted the holiday {and no, not because I was never single on the 14th!} but I was the girl who passed out valentines in junior high when no one else did.  In 7th grade I was actually injured from spraining my ankle during cheerleading practice and decorated my crutches for school with tinsel and hearts.  My mom had this totally rad pair of red hightop reeboks that I wouldn't let her get rid of because I wore them EVERY year as part of my Valentine outfit.  Matching scrunchie and all!  Oh yes, I was the epitome of fashion.

Even now I love it.  I wear my heart on my sleeve in daily life so it isn't too shocking for my friends to hear that I love them or to get a big random hug, but it seems like the whole word is sensitive and caring for that one day...and it's so nice.

Ok, ok...and it's another holiday that let's me do fun crafty things at school.  ;)

We make these cute heart people every year and they're soooo easy to do.  I cut the large hearts but use the diecut machine to make the hands and feet.  If using diecuts isn't an option you could hand cut the small hearts or teach the kids to cut them out themselves!  They'd be even more unique that way!  The legs and arms are my favorite part because when the kids accordian fold them, they kind of wobble around.  If only I could do my wobble-leg impression for you...but I guess that'll stay with my teammates!

These are the glyph directions that we use.  I kept them generic in case your heart people don't look exactly like mine.  All you need is construction paper in red, purple, and 2 shades of pink, red and pink glitter {or glitter glue} and x's and o's for noses.  Mine were foam shapes from Valentine's Day pack but if you don't have those, the noses could also be glitter or hand-drawn!

I've used multiple valentine boxes in the past but am sticking with kleenex boxes again this year.  I've been collecting them all school year but since it's cold season I'm sure you can find plenty empty boxes to be donated throughout your school and in the homes of your students!

I have a big scrap bucket that all of our construction paper goes into and I drag that out into the middle of the carpet for the kids to use.  I show them how to cut hearts but let them do the rest.  Depending on what I have in my art cabinet, I'll lay out doilies, foam shapes and stickers.  The Target dollar bin is a great place to look right now if you're need of crafty things.  The teacher who first came up with this idea wraps the entire box in butcher paper then cuts out the hole but I don't bother to take time on that step!

I'm having trouble locating my pictures from last year {eek!} but I borrowed this picture from Mom Daze.  This is basically what they look like, depending on what your kids decide to use as decorations.

For math, keep those heart boxes {even if you throw out the coconut candies!} and save them for a fun math game.  I wrote numbers in each section for my students to practice counting and matching numbers to amounts, but you could also write an addition or number sentence in the bottom for differentiation.

 I teach the game using foam stickers or colored pom poms.

Then I bring out the candy hearts for people who follow directions and do a good job, although it's ultimately for the kids who need a little reminder to focus.  ;)  Each kid has their own bag so they can play multiple times without worrying about germ cross-contamination.  They use the same bag on Valentine's Day to graph the candy hearts!

Happy heart month!  :)