Monster Baby! Handwriting Freebie

What happens when Mr. and Mrs. Deer finally get the "baby" they've always wanted? They get more than they thought a baby was for! They want a baby to "read and cuddle and read stories to." This baby needs a lot of care and it turns out that the baby isn't a baby at all! Plenty of opportunity for predicting, wondering and laughing can be found in this book. There are plenty of opportunities to make inferences, too. I liked this book much better when I read it aloud to my class. I wasn't sure my first graders would get the subtle humor, but they did and begged for me to read it again. I checked this book out of my local library, but may need to add it to my permanent collection.

I had an epiphany today. It happened quite on accident. I was hooking my laptop up to my classroom computer and had a document open on word. As it was projected onto the whiteboard I saw handwriting lines. I could model good handwriting on the board to my students. I can make my lines super huge and super small.

 I love helping children with  handwriting because in second grade my teacher told my class that we were too dumb to teach cursive to. In third grade I got yelled at and told I was dumb because I didn't know how to write in cursive. I wasn't off to a very good start! I don't hold any hard feelings toward these teachers. I would maybe thank them for helping me to become a teacher that will NEVER put down a child or say something that would make them feel less than loved, respected and cherished. I tell my students regularly that I love them. Love is a commitment. It is a promise. I am committed to caring for, not just their brains, but also their hearts. I promise to build up and not tear down. I promise to find ways to reach them that teach them the way that they learn best.

This is a picture of my white board with handwriting lines!

Here is a copy of the file I created to use tomorrow with my owlets. I hope I can sleep tonight. Help yourself to this paper that will look just as nice printed out!

In Word I can zoom way in to make giant paper lines!

Join the Party...Have a Cookie!

I'm so excited that October is here! I LOVE fall and October has so much going for it! Who doesn't love Book Fairs, birthdays, crunching leaves, cool nights, Halloween and pumpkin cookies? I'm baking these delicous little morsels right now. I'm trying to become more well rounded, so I ate a whole sheet fresh from the oven with two glasses of milk to rinse them down!

Click the picture if you want the recipe! There won't be any left at my house by the time you read this post!

I found a fun Linky tonight and thought I would join the party. I'll even bring some of my cookies along! This Flashback Linky gives you a chance to look back over some of your favorite FREEBIES and share them again. I ran into an old FREEBIE of mine while wandering through the halls at TPT. I had made these Monster games this summer, but have never used them! In fact, I'd forgotten all about them! I'm using them tomorrow in my math work stations. I hope they work! 

Part of my FREEBIE is an I Have Who Has game. When playing with a small group, I deal the cards out to 3-4 players and the winner is the first person out. It is a lot of fun, once they get the hang of it. Then they can take the game home at the end of the week to share with their family. 

Click on the picture to get your Freebie! Go check out more great freebies at the party and don't forget your dish to pass!

No Quick Fix! Clip Chart Freebie!

My oldest daughter is home for the summer before finishing her final year in  college. She is studying chemistry and biology. She has an amazing brain and she has the ability to think things through in a way I have not been gifted with. She does tend to lose things like cell phones, keys, and wallets, but as long as she doesn't lose her mind, she's going places. Her goal is to go to planet Mars someday. Her name happens to be, Mars! Many people don't know this, but I'm letting you in on a family secret. Her real name is Margaret. She was named after my mom and sister. Since she discovered the planet Mars at the age of three, everyone has called her Mars.

Kpm Doodles!

Mars is working in childcare for the summer. The last two years she had been working at a place she lovingly nicknamed "Stinkins Adventure". She is really good at coming up with nicknames! At this job she threw food to people who complained loudly about its cost for the amount of food they were given. She really didn't have any control over this. She followed the rules and people got mad at her. She couldn't do it another year, so she stepped out in faith and quit before her first day of work. When a job came up for her in childcare she jumped at it.


I had never imagined her in childcare. I've seen how caring she is towards her brother and sister. I watched her frustration with me and her father when she's had to lovingly explain or teach us something. Sarcasm is dripping here! She'll be the first to admit that she doesn't have a lot of patience. Guess what! You guessed it! She is doing a wonderful job working with toddlers. She thinks they're funny. She is a case study in God giving us what we need at the right time. I've seen her in action. She is loving, kind, caring and warm with these wonderful little people.

So she came home from work one day this week and asked if she could read my Conscious Discipline book. She wants to help a couple of her charges learn to behave in a more appropriate way. She is trying to get inside their minds and figure out how they work. Uh-oh, she's invested in these little cuties. She has only a month before she heads back to school. I love Conscious Discipline and I would  have gladly handed her the book, BUT it isn't a quick fix guide. I would love for her to read it. I think it is a wonderful guide not only for teachers, but also for parents, bosses, mentors, anyone in leadership! The draw back for her right now is that  CD isn't quick. It is a life changing retrain of our brains. We have to "see" situations differently. Chapter 1 on composure is opening my eyes to see how I can create an environment in my home and classroom for my family and owlets. The first four principles are easy to remember:
1. Self control is necessary when disciplining children.
2. No one makes us angry unless we give them permission.
3. We must have a plan to reduce stress for ourselves and those around us.
4. Everyone in the classroom has the job of keeping the classroom safe.

These are wonderful principals for us all. I am so excited to start using CD language in my classroom in the fall. I haven't thought a whole lot about my physical classroom structure, but I have been praying for my students everyday and I have been thinking about how I can use Composure to make my classroom environment best for student learning.

Back to Mars. I wanted to give her a quick fix. I've never used a clip chart, but I thought it might help her little ones learn some composure! We talked about it and she got pretty excited. So, I've made her a clip chart for her little monsters little cuties. Even though owls are my theme in the fall, I'm thinking about trying this in my room. I would hate for my owlets to get tired of owls. I want them to remember O(only) W(with) the L(Lord's) S(strength) we can do all things.

Click on picture to go to Google Docs! Also available for sale at TPT!

 Let me know what you think!

Don't forget I'm looking for a home for this owl!

Monster Mania! Freebie!

I came so close to having Monsters as my theme this year. When I got a comment from Greg at Smedley's Smorgasboard I started to question my decision. (Thank you, Greg for your comment. We could be twins. I have another twin out there and we don't have the same mother, either!)  I'm not switching. I'm staying with owls. I once considered a job change to a different school and a wonderful person gave me this advice: "Make your choice. Love your choice." I'm pretty good now at sticking with the choices I make without saying, "I should have." This friend went on to say, "Never run away...Only run to." I stuck it out one more year at the school I was at and loved every moment of it. I then got a job offer back home in Michigan the next year and it was a definite run to situation for me! I love where I am. I love what I'm doing.

Owls will rule come fall, but we will have time for monsters, of course. I have a class that is comprised of mostly boys, so how could I NOT have some monsters show up? Have you ever read Mo Willems book Leonardo the Terrible Monster? 

It is one of my favorites! I love what a terrible monster Leonardo is. What makes a good monster, anyway? Do you have any students who ever act like "terrible monsters"? I didn't think so! If you did you might want to click on this link to get a FREE Monster Game and FREE Monster I have. Who has? game!!

Greg, I know you don't have any monsters for students, but you might enjoy some of these activities anyway!!

I've got to go to bed or I'll be a monster tomorrow!

Conscious Discipline : Composure

I should have known it was Friday the 13th!  I stayed up way too late working on my post for Chapter Nine of In Pictures and In Words last night. "I'll sleep in", I thought. First the crows woke me up. Just as I was drifting back to sleep the Garbage Guys came though with their monster trucks. I'm starting to get my float back on when someone reminds me to take my daughter to her babysitting job.  I go to make coffee and NO FILTERS!  I was really feeling like a monster at this point. Just before I posted my thoughts on Chapter 9, I find out it's been postponed until next week. Now I'm growling like a monster because I look forward to this event all week.

Self-control....Self control ...I'm studying Conscious Discipline right now. "Self control must be your first priority as a teacher"  I'm supposed to do something when I feel stressed ...STAR!
S Smile
T Take a deep breath
A And
R Relax
Wow! It's working.  I'm starting this day over the brain smart way and I'm going to implement stress reduction activities.
Chapter 1 is all about "Composure". Though I can't implement this in my classroom YET, I can in my home. I've been practicing these ideas at home and it's making a difference in how I relate to my own children. They are maybe getting a little tired of me saying, "No one can make you angry without your permission.

They are not as innocent as they look. Sometimes
they are monsters!

I'm so glad I got this book. There is only one draw back. I want to read the whole thing right away and start using all the powers. Conscious Discipline is a program that is reflective and in order to change I can only practice one skill at a time. I like the advice for using this book and I think it's good advice for life, "Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process. You cannot have an unhappy ending to a happy journey! It reminds me to not give up on myself and others...God isn't finished with me yet!


 Wait! I like monsters! They're cute and funny. Maybe I can turn this day around after all. And I did!  I made mini-posters for each of the Key Phrases used in Conscious Discipline. I'll be ready when I get to each power! If you are feeling like a monster, you can click on the picture and download a set for yourself, too!

Are You a Monster Freebie

I'm getting a new classroom neighbor.  The seventh and eighth grade class packed up and moved to make room for a new preschool classroom.  I'll be able to open my door and say, "help me" to  Ashley any time I want.  She'll be able to open the door and say, "help" anytime she wants!  I'm excited because this will be her first year teaching preschool.  She's been a leader in our childcare for sometime and loved by my daughter even longer.  She is going to make a wonderful teacher.  She is kind, loving, creative and a lot of fun.  I have written this book for her class called "Are You a Monster?" 

Click on the picture to see the whole book.  It is a great
book for preschool-first grade!

Here is what I'm most excited about...Ashley is about to have her first baby.  I'm calling dibs on getting to hold Ezra when he comes to school.  I love babies.  Can you keep a secret?  I've also made Ashley a matching bib for Ezra.  When I saw this fabric I made a connection to Digital Bakeshop's Cute Lil' Monsters Clipart. What do you think....

There are so many cute fabrics out there for babies!

I hope Ezra isn't a monster, and I hope he isn't a night owl, so I made him one of those too...

Click on the picture to get to the pattern!
It is Trey's Owl pattern from Toad's Treasures Blog

The bib is my own design!  I just traced
around one of my children's bibs and added
an elastic binding and Velcro.  The first
one took me about an hour and a half, but the second only
45 minutes!

Please don't mention this to Ashley.  I haven't actually given her these gifts, yet.  My daughter wants to be with me when I deliver them, but Ashley might be delivering any day now, so we better hurry!

Did you notice that I hit 100 followers today?  I didn't!  Someone had to point it out to me...It happened to be my 100th follower.  In the back of my mind I have been planning on giving my 100th follower a major award!  How does a gift card to Tim Horton's or The Coffee House sound?  Your choice number 100!!  She is a blogger who blogs about her life experiences.  This is my favorite post: My Sisters and the Awful Day.  Marsha is one of the most loving generous people I know!  It was pure joy having her girls as students, because they are following in their mama's footsteps!