Updates & a Freebie

This little blog is so neglected.  I feel like a bad mommy.  Thank goodness there isn't a Blog Services that someone can turn me into for neglect.

It's so hard to believe I've been in school a month.  I keep pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming but I guess I'm not.  I love the beginning of a new year for a lot of reasons.

I redid a lot of my class (again...I know) and have pictures to share but, alas, the camera is at school.  I promise I will get them posted before the end of the year.  HA!

My permanent Promethean board was installed before school began and da da, da da, da...i'm lovin' it!  There's another reason this blog has been neglected.  I spend a great deal of time trying to find flipcharts to go with every lesson I do.  And let me tell you, that a whole bunch of flipcharts that are free on Promethean Planet leave a LOT to be desired.  I haven't paid money for any yet because they are ex.pen.sive!  I'm afraid I'll spend a gazillion dollars (almost) and it will be the same crapola as many of the free ones.  Anyone bought anything that can vouch for their worthiness?  Or do you know of another great resource for flipcharts?

My class is wonderful.  I've got 18 students with another possible on the way this week.  (I'll get into that in a few.)  I'm Whole Brain Teaching them to death!  I love it and they seem to, too.  I'm going to enjoy it while I can since the class coming up next year is incredibly exhausting.

I have an adorable little guy who had a brain tumor as an infant and requires a lot of special help because of it.  Unfortunately we only have a special ed teacher for him for about 20-30 minutes a day.  Remember I'm at a private school.  Frankly, it isn't enough and I am left to do the rest on my own.  The other kids end up helping a lot.  Anyone else have that problem?

So now I'm supposed to get a new student who is coming from the public school because the parents are unhappy because their child is a "genius" but not getting anything extra.  This means I'll have the largest class in second grade and an extremely special need student, a high maintenance parent and a "genius".  Is that fair?

Do you ever feel like you get penalized because you're an effective/good teacher?

Okay, onto the freebie.

I had to make over the "number squeeze" game to fit my theme.  I also wanted it to go up to 120 instead of 100.  It includes math talk cards.  You can grab it by clicking on the preview below.

Leave me a comment if you have any advice or answers to my questions.

1.  Are the Promethean Planet "for sale" flipcharts worth it?
2.  Where else do you find good flipcharts?
3.  Do you get stuck doing your "own thing" with special needs students?
4.  Do you ever feel like you get penalized because you are good at what you do?

Calendar Cards Freebie

This is the last week to get everything together for the start of school.  We don't get any paid days to work in our rooms.  Do you?

As I've worked to redo things in my room so that they go with my color and bee theme I decided I had to remake the cards for my calendar.  I use a pocket chart.  Thankfully it was yellow or what would I have done?!  Oh the shame!

Then I noticed that the yesterday, today, and tomorrow cards that we move each day were ragged and messy.  I believe I've had those since 1995!

You can grab your own to use by clicking on the picture.

On another note, our not quite three year old Shar Pei, Juju, had to be put to sleep yesterday.  

We found out a little over a month ago she had a horrible disease known as Shar Pei fever that would cause her kidneys to fail.  

We knew her time was limited but had no idea that she would go so quickly.  

She was the guardian of our house and family.  She loved to sit in the window and watch the rabbits and squirrels.  Her fur was the softest, fluffiest fur of any dog we've ever had.  Most of all she was her mama's girl and followed me everywhere!  We all miss her but probably mostly me.  

I was lucky enough to have her in my arms when she left this world.  

I know she is at peace and hopefully giving the rabbits and squirrels a run for their money in doggie heaven.

I'll leave you with this poem.  Get out the tissue!

Rainbow Bridge  author unknown Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

And The Poster Goes To . . .

Rafflecopter has handed me the white envelope and the winner of poster is . . .






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please send me an email in the next few days so I can get the poster to you.

And for those of you who didn't win, Erica has graciously offered a 15% off coupon code for ANYTHING in her shop not just this fabulous poster.

It is 2bhoneybunch15

Be sure and give her some love while you are there!

A Freebie & a Follower

This morning as usual a friend and I got up early to beat the heat and go for a walk.  We've been walking faithfully all summer because we both want to lose a few bunch of pounds.

So afterwards we ran some errands in spite of being in our grubby clothes and sweaty.  Hey, it's summer and it's Saturday, right?!

We both have dogs that need special prescription dog food so we stopped at the vet's and I forked out $80 for 35 lbs. of food.  Holy Guacamole, that's expensive!

Then we stopped and bought some wine for a co-worker's wedding next Friday.  (Taryn if you are reading this...I have erased your mind and you know nothing!)

Finally we stopped to look at rescue pets.  Why?  Well we both love animals and my mom is secretly looking for a new dog even though my dad says no.  He wants a new dog too . . . he just doesn't know it yet.  (Chandler Bing! . . .  you Friends followers will get that one!)

So anyway, while there admiring  a pair of loving Chihuahuas (that's a hard word to spell BTW) I'm chatting up one of the volunteers and mention my class pets.  And she's all "Do you have a blog?...The Honey something?"  Me "Yeah"  She "I follow your blog.  You're Erika right!"

Be still my heart!  I felt like a celeb!  If only I'd showered and dressed up!

Then I thought sheesh, don't I always joke about not showering during the summer?  HA

Anyway, she made my day!

Thanks second grade teacher at Broadwater!  (Which BTW is nearly right across the street from my school.)

Which made me think maybe there are some bloggers out there that would like to have a meet up in Billings. Anyone in the area interested?  Even people from WY, SD, or ND?

Now on to the freebie.

I'll be going into my classroom this coming week to begin setting up.  I don't know about you but there are things I change every year.

Sorry for the repetition as I'm sure I've blogged about this before.

But what other jobs do you get a fresh new start every year?

I love my signs and displays from last year but want a little more unity in color and design so I've been redoing a bunch of them to match my color/theme.

I had a request for a yellow, black and white theme that would go with the bee theme but not be over the top  bees.  I thought to myself "Great idea!"

So here are the WBT rules in this color/theme.  Click the picture to get them.

I've also added CAFE headers in the same colors to my TN Shop.  You can grab them for $1 by clicking on here.

I'm working on adding more items using this color scheme as well but have had trouble uploading things to TN.  Anyone else had this issue?

WBT Rules Freebie

I'm on vacation from blog design this week and thought I'd redo a few more things for my room. It won't be long and I'll be back in my room putting things together.

Today I decided to revamp the WBT teaching rules so that they fit in with my overall look a little better. Since I teach in a Christian school I've revamped rule 5 to include keeping God happy too. However, the original rule is there also.

Click here to download.

If you haven't already click here to enter my giveaway!