Monday, February 3, 2014

Hey...it's been awhile!

Okay...so I have come to the conclusion that I may not be the best at posting consistently, but I promise I am working on it!  The flu has hit our school hard in the past month and despite my best efforts I caught it. So, today while I sit surrounded my tissues and tea, I have decided to create a little and show you all (and my blog) a little lovin'.

First off, WHERE HAS THIS YEAR GONE?! Maybe it's just me, but holy moly it feels like this year has just flown by!  I have found that every year there is something that stands out and makes it unforgettable. Some of these memories can be good and others can be ...well...not so good.  This year I would have to say that my engagement to my boy will definitely be a memory that will stand out forever, but I also have found an AH-MAZE-ING website that I use daily in my classroom (which I am going to share right now).

 I am a strong believer in brain breaks. They are life savers during my afternoon stretch (especially after indoor recesses..woof). I use to, and still do at times, use YouTube and look up fun just- dance videos for my firsties to wiggle and dance to while releasing some built up energy. That was all fine and dandy until my kiddos told me they were tired of the same old songs, so I started asking around.  I talked to our reading specialist (who I swear is fairy god mother) and she told me about a new website that Children's Hospital had launched called GoNoodle. The website was created to get students moving in the classroom to increase blood flow while still hitting academic material.  I immediately went back to my classroom and signed up for a FREE account. Let me tell you....these brain breaks are awesome and the kids LOVE them!  You sign up, vote for your class monster-mascot and work your way through the brain breaks! They have brain breaks that are both educational and not educational.
Here is just a short list: kids zumba, bodySpell (where you can add your spelling words and spell them with your body), mega math marathon (great warm up for math)...and much much more! When you complete a brain break the time you spent completing it helps your monster-mascot grow healthy and strong!  My firsties love it and I love it because it makes learning active for them!  I STRONGLY encourage you to sign up for an account...I would do it for you, but let's face it, I can't.

I also want to thank you for sticking with me in my long absence from blogging.  While I sat here today watching Downton Abbey episodes and coughing up my lungs, I realized Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. Valentine's Day always seems to sneak up on us and I always feel rushed, soooo to help ya out...

 .... I MADE SOME FOR YOU GUYS! Please post back so I can see how you used them in your classroom! 

Enjoy! 




Thanks for stoppin' by! 

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