Here is your chance!

This is your chance to get your hands on the BEST pencil sharpener!  If you missed my post about this amazing tool, you can read about it here.

Troy from Classroom Friendly Supplies is offering a FREE pencil sharpener to a follower
(U.S. residents only)!  A winner will be picked on May 29. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linky Fever

I have a problem.  I really, really, really like Linky Parties!  I've linked up with 3 for this one little post.

First, with Pinkadots Elementary.

Here is our supply list for the next year.

I also make sure to stock up on...

I also want to link up with Jivey this week. 

This week she wants to see how we organize our math materials.

This is one of my favorites.  It is a tool organizer that I screwed into the bag of my math shelf.  Kids can come take a drawer for sorting, patterning and counting during math stations.  Easy!

I also love my dice box.  I love collecting different types of dice and this is a great way to organize them all!

Last, I'm linking up with Jess from I {heart} recess.

I have not reached the 200 follower milestone yet, so I am considered a Budding Blogger.

1. Why did you start blogging?
I have learned so much from the blogging community and wanted to be a part of it for awhile.  It took me awhile before I actually took the plunge though.  My coworkers convinced me to give it a try and here I am!

 

2. What is your favorite subject to teach and why?
My favorite subject to teach is reading.  I love seeing a child go from knowing only a few letters at the beginning of the year to reading at the end.  You see amazing growth in kindergarten and I love being a part of it!  Plus, I have a slight addiction to children's literature and love the chance to share my favorite books with my kinders.

 

3. Describe your teaching style.
I work really hard to show my students that effort=results.  I am their biggest cheerleader!  However, I also am pretty firm and have high expectations for their behavior.  Last, I love to teach using music.  We are always singing songs to learn concepts.  :)

4. Give three interesting facts about you.
 1.  I have two sisters who are also in education but at the other end of the spectrum.  One teaches at the university level and the other at an area tech school.  

2.  I LOVE to read!  I sometimes even read while blow drying my hair in the morning :)  My favorite authors are Jodi Piccoult and Sophie Kinsella.

3.  I got my dream job right out of college.  I have been a kindergarten teacher for 13 years and consider myself very lucky!  My first group of kinders are graduating this year.  I even got some graduation party invites.  How cool is that?!?

5. Do you have a TpT store? If yes, post the link :)

Yes!  My store is at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sara-Edgar

I am ONE away from 150 TPT followers!  Come on over and become a follower!

I want to end this post with this...

 This picture made my jaw drop...

It is a view of a neighborhood that is now completely gone.  So sad.

Five for Friday!

Well, we survived another week!  11 more days of students plus 2 staff days (Boo! for snow day make up!)=13 days of work until SUMMER!  One more Friday left to link up with Doodle Bugs for my 5 random moments of the week!

Field Trip!  Monday we went to an area nature center and the park.

The kids used nets to fish out little insects/larvae from the pond.  

 

The day was a lot of fun even though it started to rain later on and a student from another class fell in the pond (yikes!!).

K, L, M, N, O Days for our 26 Day Countdown!

K was supposed to be Kindness but we were at the nature center.  Those teachers that didn't go did a lot of things with being a bucket filler using this book and video.

L was Ladybug day!  Look at this cutie who took the day very seriously!

M was Movie and Mismatched day.  We all dressed in mismatched clothes and watched A Bug's Life.  I know, I know!  That's a long movie but we took an intermission and then did a character map of the main character.  I promise that I got my assessing finished something was learned!

N was New Name.  Kids could pick a new name for the day.  It was a lot of fun to see what names they created for themselves.  I wrote it on a sentence strip so they could wear it on their heads.

I was amazed at how easy it was to remember their new names, too!  

Today was O for Olympics.

Love this video!

We also ran the track and read some great non-fiction books about the different events. 

Here is Ladybug Girl (from above) again with her Olympics gear.  Her friend is wearing a gymnastics leotard.  So cute!

I reviewed this AMAZING sharpener this week!

Come back next week for a chance to WIN one for yourself!  I can't wait!

I got to have my new favorite smoothie TWICE this week!  Once from parent and once from a coworker.  Have you tried Caribou's new White Peach Berry Smoothie?  YUM!

 

My friend Becky over at the Compassionate Teacher is celebrating 100 Followers with a giveaway!

Click on her button above to enter.  There are 3 chances to win!

Wooaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

I love getting mail!  Saturday usually doesn't bring anything great besides the Valpak.

This past Saturday, however, I got a package!

Can you guess what it is? 

Wouldn't that be the weirdest post if I stopped right there?

Hmmmm...

I'll tell.

THIS came!

 

My very own pencil sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies!  Not just any pencil sharpener, but the one I have been seeing others blog about and wanting in the worst way.   The 

I have never had luck with pencil sharpeners.  My most recent purchase was an electric one that sounded as if it were grinding bones!  I had to ask my parent volunteers who came to help me sharpen leave the room so I didn't have to yell while teaching.  Shesh!

I've seen the reviews of this one but had to try it myself and Troy was nice enough to send me one.  By the way, Troy is a teacher!  How cool is that!

Anywho...

 Here is my first pencil...the before!

 The after!

 This is my daughter, who also happens to be a kindergartner.  She was AMAZED!  After every pencil she would give me a huge wooaaaaaaahhhhhh! and then laugh and laugh.  She ran around the house and grabbed every pencil she could find. 

I had to sneak it to my school on Monday because she loves that little sharpener!

Here are some more!

 It took me 1 minute to do 5 pencils!  Beat that bone grinder!

I brought it to work and showed a few coworkers.  After showing them how amazing it was, they all asked where they can get one.  Want one for yourself? 

Go to Classroom Friendly Supplies!

 Tell Troy I sent you!

 

14 days left!!

Let's Get Aquainted!

Linky Questions

1.  What made you decide to become a teacher?

2. What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher?

3. If you were not a teacher, what would you be?

I'm glad Latoya is back!  I missed her last week :)

1.  I thought I wanted to be a teacher since I was in kindergarten myself.  I REALLY knew I needed to be a teacher after an amazing 3rd grade teacher.  Thank you Mrs. Alwin!

2.  I have had past students contact me from WAY back (student teaching days even) to tell me how much they appreciated me.  Gives me chills every time.  It makes me feel like my students know how much I care even though they may be too young to fully appreciate it right now.

3.  If I were not a teacher, I would love to be a cupcake baker :)  I have a sweet tooth and I'd love to use my creativity with decorating.

Link up with Latoya by clicking on her button above!

I'm so excited that tomorrow is our field trip!  We were supposed to go back in April but Minnesota's weather was not cooperating and the pond was frozen! 

Five for Frat-urday

Ugh!  I hate being late for things but I'm afraid I am.  I have also not blogged this week.  Busy time of year!

Anyway, here are my five random things from this week!

Sunday was the Minnesota Teacher of the Year Banquet.

Here is my portfolio and award.  

I am very honored to have been nominated.  It was nice to go to this once in a career type of event!

This week was F, G, H, I & J.

Monday was F for Football.

 Playing some football in heels and a Vikings jersey.

These girls were making up cheers for the players.  It was so cute!

Tuesday was G is for Green and Games.  Kids could bring a board game from home and wear the color green.

Wednesday was Hat Day. 

We are taking a break with this song.  My kids ask for it EVERY day!

Thursday was I for Insect.  Our kinders brought in an insect...dead or alive.  

We made bugs out of Plaster of Paris.  I poured the mixture into the plastic spoons (ignore my spills!!).  I used the puzzle for the spoons would be more level.

 When they pop out, they are the perfect little bug shape.  The kinders added color with Sharpies but I would not recommend that!  We painted them last year but I ran out of time.

We also did a craftivity for the story There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed a  Fly

FREEBIE ALERT!!  Snag it from my TPT store for FREE here.

Friday was J for Jump into 1st grade.  I forgot to take a picture but my kids went to a first grade room for a big to get a sneak peek of what is to come.  They always come back sooo excited!

Mother's Day!  We made these necklaces this year.  My daughter's teacher used the idea from The Schroeder Page and I in turn copied her :)

 Sorry for the blur!  

We cut out a heart from Sculpey and then pressed their thumbprint into it.  I baked them for about 15 minutes at home.  Then, they rubbed chalk on it.  I painted it with clear nail polish so the chalk wouldn't rub off and the colors would stand out.

Add a piece of colored cord, a picture and a poem and BAM!  Mother's Day present!

 

 Look what I got in the mail today!!!  The pencil sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies!  

I am in love!  Look for my full review this week.

Here is a peek at just SOME of the things I got during the Teacher Appreciation TPT sale.

 Fix-It Up! Again-Growing Kinders

Kindergarten Morning Work 1 and 2 from A Teeny Tiny Teacher

My Field Trip-What The Teacher Wants

Writing Through The Year Bundle-Deanna Jump & DeeDee Wills

I also bought a ton of clip art!

 Ugh!  Lesson learned!  Blog a little throughout the week instead of saving it for Frat-urday!  This took awhile to write!  Thanks for sticking around!

Are you late like me?  It 's not to late to link up with Doodle Bugs for your Five For Friday!