TEKS vs. Common Core

In Texas y'all we just have to be different! For example, we ride horses to school...haha just kidding, but I really have been asked that question before! 

What I'm talking about today is curriculum. In Texas we don't use Common Core. Instead, we use TEKS: Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. They are very similar to the Common Core Standards. For example:

Common Core:

L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaker. 

Prints many uppercase and lowercase letters.

TEKS:

(17) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression)

The expectations are very similar which is why it KILLS me that we won't jump on the Common Core Band Wagon! Y'all have so many awesome resources already created and it would make things easier on everyone! But, what do I know? I'm just a silly Kindergarten teacher : P

45 of the states have adopted to use the Common Core Standards. Click HERE to see a map and who is using Common Core. The District of Columbia and 4 territories are using it too! 

This summer I am really focusing on creating wonderful resources to use in my classroom and to share with YOU. I only sell products on TPT that I use in my classroom. I have long debated over aligning my products with Common Core standards since that it what so many of you are using in your classrooms. However, I felt like I was being a "faker" (haha) aligning my products with a curriculum that I don't follow in my classroom. I know that sounds silly, but that's how I feel! However, I have come to a decision. I am going to include the TEKS AND Common Core Standards on all of my products.  I have spent the afternoon printing out the Common Core standards and will begin adding these to all of my Teachers Pay Teachers Products. I hope that this will help those of you in the other 45 normal states following the Common Core curriculum. I will let you know when everything is ready to go! : ) 

Let me know if you have any thoughts on Common Core! 

Five For FRIDAY!

I keep forgetting that today is Friday! Summer messes up all of my days. I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share 5 random things from my week. Click below to link up!

1. School was out Friday and I headed to Austin, TX on Sunday for a few days of wedding planning! Here is a (panoramic) picture of the gorgeous place we are getting married in. We also took engagement pictures at a ranch in Dripping Springs, TX. I am hoping to have the pictures back sometime next week! 

2. While I was in Austin I always have to go to Lakeshore Learning. I absolutely love this store and only get to go a few times a year. Here are a few of my treasures, but I can't get them to rotate the right way. Grrrr.

3. Yesterday I completed my first of many little summer projects. I found this at Home Goods and I added the knobs and turned it into a little necklace holder. It turned out really cute!

4. I have had the smallest version of the Cricut for about 2 years and I have been thinking about upgrading to the Cricut Expression 2. I just happened to mention this to my room mom and she had a brand new one that she made me a deal on. I can't wait to play with it more this summer. You can see my old Cricut lurking in the background. 

5. I woke up this morning and found that my little hibiscus was blooming. Also please note my green grass. YAY! 

I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start! : ) I love having time to catch up on all of your blogs. 

Reading Rodeo

SURPRISE! It's me! I finally found out what was causing me to feel terrible every week...MONO. After weeks of being sick with everything from the stomach bug to headaches, I finally had some blood work done and found the culprit of the yucky-ness. I am finally feeling better and getting some of my usual energy back.

The end of the year is so busy! Oh my goodness! A week ago we had our big Reading Rodeo. This is one of the signature things that my school does every year. The kids earn points for every book they read and then they can spend these points on fun activities and snacks. We had everything! Mechanical bull, game trailer, bouncers, candy, wrecking ball, snow cones, photo booth, cotton candy, obstacle course, popcorn, giant slides and even a rock wall. The kids LOVED it. This year for kindergarten each child was given 50 points to kind of get them excited and motivated to read for the next year when they have to earn every point.

The other big highlight of Reading Rodeo is an author coming to visit. This year we had Kimberly Willis Holt. Most of her books are for the upper grade levels, but she does have a few picture books for the younger kids too. It was really interesting to hear her speak. 

Last year I was hired a few weeks before Reading Rodeo and I was able to attend and see Susan Stevens Crummel speak. She was amazing to see!

Friday was the last day of school! It was very bittersweet. I am really going to miss my sweet kids so much. I will have some pictures to post once I find my camera : ) Happy SUMMER!

Muffins with Mom

I am home sick AGAIN!

The stomach bug has been making it's way around our school and I was a victim of it all weekend. Apparently, it isn't all out of my system either : ( I am resting all day today and  hopefully I will be back to normal tomorrow. I am so sick of being sick : ( 

On Friday we had a special Muffins with Mom Breakfast for Mother's Day. It was a cupcake themed little celebration. Here are the gifts we made for our moms:

Then on the inside of the envelope, we put our little gifts:

A portrait 

An All About My Mom writing activity

They were so funny! 

I hope all of the mothers out there had a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! 

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week, SALE TIME

Happy Monday! 

This was a crazy Monday for me! I was out Thursday and Friday last week with an absolutely miserable headache and sinus stuff. So, I have spent most of the day playing catch up and trying to get myself back in the groove. I'm still not feeling 100%, but way better than I was.  I will post some of my plant unit picture soon. 

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! My school chose to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week back in April. It was a really fun week! 

Are you excited for the big Teacher Appreciation Sale? I can't wait to do some shopping! My store will be on sale! : )

Here are a few of my newest and best selling  products that may interest you. Click on any of the following pictures to check it out! : )

Happy Shopping y'all! 

Parts of a Plant Freebie

Hello friends,

What a great weekend! I  feel like I was so productive! Fiance helped me get the flowerbeds ready for planting! Actually, I should say I helped him. Sort of. Yardwork isn't my thing : ) We got a few rose bushes planted and two flowerbeds done! Yipee! How fitting that this week we are starting our plant unit. I have a little freebie for you to use with your students. 

I had a really hard time finding a basic labeling sheet for my students to use. So, I made one and decided to share with you. A color copy is also included. 

Go to my Teachers Pay Teachers Store HERE to download for FREE. While you are there make sure and follow me so you don't miss anything! : )

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. According to my calculations,I am down to 24 days of school. AH! I can't believe that I have almost taught for one year. It has been an AMAZING year! : )

Cheep! Cheep!

Chicks have taken over our classroom! 

For about 21 days we watched and turned our eggs in the incubator. Then last week,THEY HATCHED! 

SO EXCITING!

My sweet room mom even made us a special little chick snack!

Meet Gingerbread, Crispy, Kitty and Fluffy. 

Here are a few pictures of some of our chick fun:

Today, the chicks were taken to the farm. My kids were so concerned about the farm calling them by name and being able to tell them apart. It was so sweet. It was so much fun to have chicks in the room and I can't wait to do it again next year!

We have also been learning about insects although they have been over shadowed by the chicks! We made these really cute butterfly life cycles today as a way to cope with our loss of the chicks. : )

I can't wait to hang these up in the hallway. 

Next week we are starting our plant unit. Hooray! : )

Y'all have a great weekend.