Online Audio Books

I went to school today to talk with my *FABULOUS* principal about classroom furniture and the Daily 5.  She's letting me get rid of ALL my student desks (trading them for group tables), and she's given me the go-ahead to implement the Daily 5!  YAY!!

I've used certain aspects of the Daily 5 in my 4th and 5th grade classrooms, but I really want to go all-out in my first grade classroom.  Something I never got to implement before is the "listen to reading."  I've done some light online digging, and I've found some good websites with free audio books.  Some of them are streaming, others are downloadable.  Some are just audio, while others are illustrated as well.  Some are trade books we all know and love, and other sites have created their own.  Ultimately, I'd like to covert the ones I use to just audio clips, as few show the words on the page, but we'll see.

Here's the list:

1. http://www.rif.org/assets/Documents/readingplanet/ReadAloud_Stories
2. http://www.freeaudiobooks.ws/
3. http://homeschoolradioshows.com/
4. http://www.freeaudiobooks.ws/2012/06/best-audio-books-for-kids.html
5. http://www.kindersite.org/Directory/DirectoryFrame.htm
6. http://lightupyourbrain.com/stories/
7. http://www.speakaboos.com/stories/favorites
8. http://www.storylineonline.net/
9. http://storynory.com/

Momma doesn't know it yet, but she will be recording some stories for me, too.  (She's retired, and was an elementary teacher for 34+ years, so she's REALLY good at reading stories!)

Hope this list is helpful to you, and I might post some readings by my mom when I get that project rolling.  Check back later!

Donors Choose... us, I hope!

I was recently hired at an elementary school here in town to work in a first grade classroom.  I just came out of a pre-k classroom, and I am eager to use some of the arrangement and management strategies I learned there at my new placement.  Something I now covet is a large area rug.  I just created an account on donorschoose.org and requested a large gray rug for my meeting place.  The meeting place is where we'll gather in the morning to do calendar time, gather in the afternoon for closing time, gather at the beginning of each "period" for a mini-lesson, and gather at the end of most sessions to share successes and challenges.  I hope I'm able to get it.  If you've got a few extra dollars lying around, click here to see my projects!

Remind 101

Remind 101 is a website that allows teachers to text students and/or parents with updates and reminders without anyone having to know anyone's cell phone number!  It even lets you set up messages to be sent at a later date & time.  They subscribe by texting your "code" (provided by the site) to a phone number (also provided by the site).  Their name will show up on the subscriber list.  It even lets you edit the names.  So they might text in that their name is John Smith, and you can edit to say John Smith - Sara's Uncle.  Way cool.  The only thing I can't figure out is how a subscriber can stop subscribing, except to contact the teacher and ask her to take their name off the list (managed on the site).

Tote It!!

At the school where I taught last year, several teachers carried around these super cute totes... They were sturdy and really versatile.  I served as a para last year, so I didn't need it at the time, but you can bet I bought one as soon as I got a teaching position this year!!  It's from Wal-Mart (craft section), and around $18.  Check out the pics below:

THE TOTE

The space in the middle can hold file folders.
See the reflecty thingies?  They're clear detachable storage pockets that velcro to the side.

Two smaller pockets would be perfect for sight word or math fact cards.

Lots of room for pens, pencils, markers, etc.
The little zippered pouch can hold small things such as paperclips.

New Room = New Colors!

I was just hired to teach 1st grade, a brand new experience for me, and I'm pumped.  The overly responsible teacher would be pouring over her new grade's curriculum, especially since the state just updated all grades' curricula.  But I'm not an overly responsible teacher.  Just medium-responsible.  So what do I do first??  Pick out COLORS!!  My blog is the color scheme... gray, turquoise, coral, and white.  Simple, clean, and packs a punch.  Assuming most office and/or school supplies will be either brights or bolds, I will be using a lot of paint, paper, and fabrics.  So let's roll up our DIY sleeves!!

These are Valspar paint colors (Lowe's).

Update: Oh my, oh my... Martha Stewart has read my mind!!  Her line of office supplies at Staples is a near match of these colors!  Maybe I won't be needed as much paint as I thought... :)