Technology in my Classroom

Good Evening Friends!!

Might I warn you, I am unbelievably exhausted. Pretty sure I am delirious. So if I ramble and jumble up some words, pay no attention :) 

So today I FINALLY brought in more than 1 iPad for my kiddos. I know, I know. It's almost March and I shouldn't have waited this long, but my room was so cramped and I was really nervous of anything to get broken. But boy, do I wish I had brought them in sooner. This week is celebration of Texas Public Schools, so on top of other lessons, I am incorporating Texas into them all. So I had guided reading going on, making Texas Flags, and addition and subtraction on the iPads. The kiddos played a few free apps that were downloaded onto the iPads. There are some great apps on this site! 

I will tell you, my kiddos haven't been this excited to do math in awhile. They are getting so much better at addition, but when I transition to subtraction, I have my few who struggle.  I could hear them working together to do these games. I also heard some say they WANTED to do subtraction. WHAT! Who are these kids?! :) I was so happy. 

Needless to say, iPads will be used daily if not every other day in my classroom. I have those kiddos who only play games at home, or at least 99% of the time, and one of my boys who does NOT get excited about work, EVER, shouted at me, "I really like you, Mrs. Thomas, this is so AWESOME." 

:) Melt my heart!!

I have been SUPER busy, and will be until spring break (only 8 days left of school) Not that anyone is counting, who does that? 

Speaking of which.... You know what's in two days...

Now is the time to grab what's on your wish list. Don't forget to enter the code! Wish I had time to get more created before the sale, but I am pooped. Hope what I do have intrigues some of you. You can find my store HERE.

Have a blessed night y'all! :) 

Mrs. Thomas 

Facebook Free For All

Well, my goodness!!! I participated in the Facebook Free For All this time around, and I have gained almost over 500 new followers on my Facebook page. Which in the end means I am going to have to keep up with my blog more :) I am so so thankful for all of those who have stopped by to get the freebie. If you like what you downloaded, don't forget the full version is available at my store! My kids have loved what I made for them to play for March. I hope you all get a chance to use it as well. 

I know I don't have much in my store, but for those of you just now following, I'm a first year teacher who jumped in to all of this head first!!!! Call me crazy, believe me I feel crazy some times! BUT-- I have met some absolutely amazing teachers who I am so thankful for. After the Facebook free for all is over, I will blog about the freebie and leave it up for those who were late to get it as well as preview for some of my new units. 

Since it has been my first year, I have purchased quite a bit just for the fact I needed something right then, and I didn't have time to create. Given that, I will be creating almost ALL summer long so that I have my stuff and the stuff I have purchased to differentiate between for next year. I can almost guarantee my class will not be the same. I've heard it from every veteran teacher. 

Anyways -- Welcome!! I hope to start sharing more of my first year with you all, and a lot that I have learned to do, and what not to do! 

Have a blessed night!!

Mrs. Thomas 

Valentines Day and (the last two weeks)

Good Evening! 
Today is the day BEFORE Valentines Day. Super nervous about how I am going to survive tomorrow, but I have the day packed back to back in hopes the kids don't even remember we have a party ;). haha. Wishful thinking, I know! 
So, I literally waited until TONIGHT to get the kiddos anything for Valentine's Day, and I really refuse to purchase anything with sugar in it for them for parties. I found packages of bubbles for the kids and made up these cute little cards to go with the bubbles 

You are free to download if you would like! 

They are also free on my store under Cassie Thomas at teacherspayteachers!

I have been such a poor blogger lately. It is really hard for me to get in the groove of blogging. I haven't even really been making much units or activities for my kiddos, if I do it's just what I need and I haven't been putting it on TpT. It's hard for me to balance EVERYTHING sometimes. 

I was out 2 days last week SUPER sick, and then before those 2 days last week I was out for the Texas Kindergarten Conference!

Which was absolutely AMAZING. As a first year teacher, I have to accept that there are so many things I don't know and will learn along the way. I need to take a step back sometimes and breathe. I try to do so much at one time and I get way ahead of myself. I absolutely am so thankful that I was able to attend the conference. I know next year things I will do differently reading and writing wise. As well as integrating science and social studies, and even math through ELA. Thanks to Deanna Jump. Which was truly an honor to get to meet her. I felt like such a stalker or crazy person with how nervous I was to talk to her. This blogging world is real to me and all of you all celebrities in my eyes. What you all do is amazing, and I would not know what to do in some situations without others blogging! So thank you ALL. 

I was also super excited to witness Crystal Radke from Kreative in Kinder do her thing! She is amazing! Especially teaching in Texas I could have listened to her ideas ALL DAY LONG. 

So with that being said, missing all those days has killed me this week. I don't recommend that to anyone. I know it happens though, thank goodness next week is review week and I can cover things I have missed. We talked briefly about the moon and constellations this week! My kiddos had a blast! (no pun intended) But they all do want to be astronauts now! 

This was our quick graph and discussion over the moon and how it feels. Then I purchased real astronaut neopoliaton ice cream from Amazon and we used our 5 senses to figure out if we liked it or not. I had only 1 out of 19 who didn't like it. As for myself, not the best type of food. :) But the kiddos had a blast and felt like real astronauts. So, I was excited. 

Then we made our own constellations, 

My boys LOVED this quick mini unit. I have never seen some of my kids so intrigued with constellation forms and what the meaning behind them was. I was super excited about this. 

Next week I will try and get another big blog post up! I am poor at this! Thanks for reading!!!

Have a blessed night :) 

Mrs. Thomas 

Currently (Realllly late post)

I have been so terrible at blogging lately. Keeping up with TpT, creating, printing, laminating, reading blogs, instagramming, face booking, ON TOP of my own classroom, is beyond EXHAUSTING. I happen to forget I have a blog. I don't think many people see it, so I forget to even get on here :( It's the least of my priorities I guess you could say. 

We also just moved this weekend into a beautiful 3 bedroom home and I am so blessed. I can not wait to get it all together. :) So with that being said, I linked up with Farley for this months Currently.

So, listening: I was just listening to the end of the Super Bowl. Total blow out, can't believe it. My husband had said last week Seahawks would win based on their defense, but didn't want to ever bet against Peyton Manning. But boy, was that outcome not expected. 

2. loving - This new house!! Oh goodness, we just moved from a 596 sq ft apartment to a 3 bedroom home. Needless to say, we are loving it right now! :)

3. thinking - I need to get some rest for the Kinder SDE conference tomorrow and Tuesday! I am so excited to learn more about my passion! 

4. Wanting - Wouldn't that be nice to always have an extra day, that isn't a snow day! My poor friends back home in Oklahoma got hit with ANOTHER storm. I hope it clears out for you ladies soon! 

5. Needing - Sleep. This goes without explaining. I'm exhausted. I work work work ALL THE TIME. We also need groceries, we have milk and tea here. That's it. 

6. 2 truths and a fib. 

1 is actually true. I went to school year round. I had one semester where I took 24 hours! So crazy. I don't recommend that to anyone, ever!

2 is also true. I have no idea how everyone funds all of these products! I have learned to print the black and white at school, but this color ink and card stock work -- ANY TIPS?! 

3. I am most definitely fibbing, but boy do I wish this were true. I want so badly to be in love with going to the gym. I also love spending time with my husband and puppy. (and eating and sleeping and drinking wine, so I am not sure how to manage all my time;)) 

Have a great week y'all! Can't wait to share what all I have learned and am doing next week with my kiddos!

Mrs. Thomas