My Word Wall Book {An Interactive Word Wall Writing Notebook}

Ok-so I am only a week and a half into summer AND I'm already creating things for next year! Can someone say HELP! lol :) But just so you know I did relax for a WHOLE week when my amazing hubby took me away last week to Myrtle Beach! I totally unplugged from all social media (I didn't even take my lap top-crazy right!?) and just relaxed with my hubby! 

Absolutely needed and wonderful!! :)

And I do have some wonderful things planned for this summer that involve non-school things (like getting our house decorated and organized!!) But I'm sure I'll be busy creating away for school in between!

My first summer creation is something that I've been wanting to do for a LONG time!! 

I LOVE my word wall! I LOVE using a word wall! My students LOVE using our word wall and learning new words!! There is just one problem....

There is only one space in my room big enough for a word wall and it's so hard to interact with once our words go up on the wall. (this picture was taken at the beginning of last year) Trust me 22 firsties huddled around the board makes for some major chaos in my room! And while *some* chaos is productive, the word wall huddle is not productive writing time. *Sigh* And I LOVE writing and my students LOVE writing! So something had to be done! Trust me I pinterested (is that even a word?) my heart out trying to come up with other places or ways to do a word wall and none seemed to fit my space or teaching style. 

So I plan on starting to use this next year and I am oh.so.excited to make these for each of my students and begin using them!

Here's how it will work:

1. I will pick one of these covers to use:

2. Then I will print the cover with the 26 alphabet pages:

3. I plan on stapling the books and having my kiddos keep them in their writing portfolio, but they could also be put in a 3 prong folder or bound if you have a binding machine:

Then once a book is made for each student it's easy to begin using:

Altogether this packet includes:

*3 cover options to choose from

*26 alphabet word recording pages (each alphabet page has 12 lines to write the words)

*instructions on how to use and assemble the Word Wall Books

The great thing too is that this book can be used with whatever sight word system that your district uses! (Please note that this packet does not come with sight words, but is a workbook to record the words you already use in your classroom.)

This packet will be on sale in my TPT store for the next 24 hours, so you can grab it for next year! And as always, the first 2 people to comment and leave their email address will get it for free!

Font/Clipart Giveaway WINNER and a FLASH FONT FREEBIE!!

June 7 can only mean two things!! Summer has officially started for me AND today is the day to announce the grand winner of my: 

Can I get a drumroll please.....

Theresa, I will be emailing you shortly! :)

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered!! While I wish that each and everyone of you could have won the incredible products from each of these AMAZING contributors, I just couldn't let you any of you walk away empty handed!!

SO I am offering a FLASH FONT FREEBIE of my all new original font set:

Oh my goodness I had so much fun making these!! I love font so much that I feel like I should go, "Hi my name is Becca Foxwell and I have a font addiction!" :) Anyone else with me? 

If you love font as much as I do, you better HURRY and go grab this font set FREE for today only! On Saturday it will go back on sale for $5.00! :) 

There's something else that I love as much as fonts-your sweet feedback! :) While you're over at my TPT store grabbing this Flash Font Freebie, I'd be ever so thankful for some feedback! :) 

Thank you again for a wonderful giveaway!! :)

Only 2 Days Left to Enter!! (Clipart and Font Giveaway!)

Well today was our last full day of students. Tomorrow we have an early dismissal and then Thursday is inservice, but then on Friday is SUMMER! Before that though I need to get my room all packed up! We aren't allowed to leave anything on the walls, cabinets, or floors, so (insert deep breath) I've got my work cut out for me because I'm a decorating queen! ha! I just LOVE making my room a cozy and warm place to learn and grow. The site of bare concrete walls just depresses me, so I do all I can to cover them up! Thankfully my sweet hubby is coming over after school to help me put some of the bigger and heavier things away! #besthusbandever

But really the reason I'm popping by right now is to remind you that if you haven't already entered the AMAZING clipart and font giveaway happening right NOW, then you need to! Because it's just that awesome! :) 

See all of the prizes and enter the giveaway HERE!

One lucky winner will win over $100 dollars from some of my favorite clipart and font designers! Woot woot! :) AND stay tuned for the big announcement of the winner, because I have a special surprise/flash freebie in the works for everyone!! #beexcited

Ok-I'm off to finish the year strong! See you in a few for the big reveal of the winner and the special surprise!! :)

Clipart and Font GIVEAWAY (over $100 in products!)

I can't wait to tell you my EXCITING NEWS!! Summer is only 6 days away for this girl! And to celebrate I'm throwing a Clipart and Font Giveaway that will end on my first day of summer!!

Some of my favorite and incredibly talented ladies have contributed over $100 worth of clipart, font, and border for one lucky winner for my: 

Do you all love clipart and font as much as me?! Seriously, just seeing this giveaway button with all of that talent in one place makes me go want to create! AH! I don't know about you but I'm already looking ahead to next year and thinking about what I want to keep, add, and change! That means that on my summer to do is LOTS of CREATING for my classroom and TPT! How about you?! Will you be making some wonderful Summer Creations? If you are, the amazing prizes from these talented gals will get you started!

 Michelle's Blog

Michelle's TPT Store

Mel's Blog

Mel's TPT Store

Tina's Blog

Tina's Store

Krista's Blog

Krista's TPT Store

Teri's Blog

Teri's TPT Store

Jessica's Blog

Jessica's TPT Store

Sarah's Blog

Sarah's TPT Store

Jen's Blog

Jen's TPT Store 

Alisha's Blog

Alisha's TPT Store

So, am I allowed to enter my own giveaway!? :) Because wowzers-the prizes from this giveaway are AMAZING!! To celebrate the beginning of summer creations, the giveaway will end on my FIRST DAY OF SUMMER-June 7! 

Lots of chances to enter, so go enter NOW! (Can you tell I'm so stinkin excited for this giveaway!) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Giveaway Buttons Were Made with Font and Clipart from: Miss Tiina, The Hazel Owl, Ashley Hughes, and Kevin and Amanda Fonts

We LOVE our Volunteers!!

After this long weekend, we only have 7 days of school left! But if you are anything like me your Summer Bucket List is not the only thing spinning through your head! As I reflect on this past year, I'm already looking ahead to next year. #teacherbrain :) I'm thinking about what worked, what needs to be tweaked or changed, and what did I absolutely LOVE and can't wait to use again next year!

Well, one of the things that I absolutely LOVED from this past year was my Helping Hands Take Home Volunteer System!

I created this last year and it was by far the most POPULAR option for parents/guardians to choose to volunteer! My parents and guardians that have done the take home volunteer bags have commented how much they love being able to be a part of our classroom. especially since many of them work during the day and can’t come into the classroom to help! Parent/guardian partnership is so valuable!!

What I also love about it, is that the organization of this system (#iloveorganization) makes it so easy to implement and use once you have it set up! Plus it will save you so much time!! My grade level partner also used this system this year and loved it as well!

This packet has everything you need to begin utilizing your Helping Hands take home volunteers system!

I can't wait to give these helping hands gifts to my take home volunteers!

You can get a jump start on next year by grabbing this Volunteer take Home System on TPT! 

Another thing I have loved using for my volunteers during the year are these sweet candy themed thank you notes:

I used these throughout the year for both the volunteers in my classroom and I would also send them home with my take home volunteers when they completed and sent back the take home bag with their child!

I am so blessed by my volunteers that I wanted to throw a little giveaway for you all! :) 

You can win both of my volunteer packets mentioned above in this giveaway AND there will be 2 lucky winners that will win both products! There are lots of ways to win entries in the rafflecopter below! I will announce both of the winners next weekend! Congratulations to both Sarah and Carol: the two winners of my volunteers giveaway!! :) You both have mail! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 for Friday!!

It's FRIDAY!!! And I am excited to be linking up again with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her:

So here are 5 random facts from my week!

1. Loving no alarm Friday!

Don't worry, for those of you still teaching, I'm not on summer break YET! But since we have off today for Memorial Day weekend, I did enjoy not having an alarm clock and my hubby probably enjoyed not having to hear my snoozing event that occurs every single morning. #confessionsofasnoozer 

2. A Field Trip First: Becoming a Human Barf Bag

One of the reasons that I really loved not having an alarm this morning was due to the fact that yesterday was our class field trip. I L.O.V.E. field trips, but oh my-they make for one tired teacher! All of first grade went to the Whitaker Center this year!

If you are near the Harrisburg area and need a hands-on, educational, and fun place to go for a field trip, check these guys out! They are fabulous!!

This year, I had a field trip first. One that I hope will also be a field trip last...I became a human barf bag. Yikes! Yes-its true. After lunch I looked at one of my sweet students, and she had her cheeks full and a finger over her mouth. I quickly dove down to my backpack to get out the bags I had put into my backpack incase anyone got sick on the bus #tryingtobeprepared, and before I could get the bag out I was COVERED from hair to pants in throw up. I did what any teacher would do--I took a quick, deep breath, held up the bag to her mouth for the next round, and rubbed her back while saying, "You probably feel a lot better now!" :) Meanwhile, inside I'm telling MY gag reflexes that now is NOT the time to engage! HA! Thankfully they listened! :)

I felt so bad for my sweet student. Poor girl-being sick is never fun, but being sick on a field trip just stinks! Thankfully we were both able to get cleaned up and the Gift Shop graciously gave me a new tshirt to wear for the remainder of our day at the Whitaker Center! I tell you-the staff there went above and beyond for us and I was SO SO thankful to have some amazing parents on my trip that stepped in and took over the rest of the kiddos in my group while this whole incident went down. Let's just say I'll be adding an extra shirt next to the bus sick bags I put into my field trip bookbag next year! :) #lifelessons

3. Helping Hands

Speaking of amazing parents, I have been blessed with SO many parent volunteers this year that have come along side of our class and lent a helping hand! I have Volunteer candy thank you cards that I have used in the past (here) but I decided that since I had been using those all year long, I wanted to do something extra special for the many helping hands I had this year! So I went to Bath and Body Works and made up these:

One of things that I have loved in my classroom this year is my Helping Hands Take Home Volunteer system. I loved it so much, that I put it all in a TPT packet! The thank you card above (and MORE) is included in this packet on TPT:

4. Thrift Shop Find of the Year

I am a thrift store junkie! Seriously, I am all about the bargain and can't stand paying retail for something, when I can find it cheaper elsewhere! Since we moved into our new place a couple of months ago, I have been on the lookout for a new bookcase for our study and when I was in Goodwill this past week, I found this bookcase!

This bookcase is new from Target and retails for $99 and I scored it for $10! Made my week! Now I can't wait to get it settled! :) Maybe a project for today...hmmm. ;)

5. Summer Bucket List

With only 7 days of school until summer break, I am already making my summer to do list! One of the things on my summer bucket list is to get my house settled and decorated!! Last weekend my hubby and I painted our study "Lime Kiss." I was inspired by the fabric I found from Hobby Lobby. The fabric for the pillow was on clearance! And the fabric on the back of the chair is going to become a curtain!

Alright, I think I'm going to get a jump start on that summer bucket list! All of this speaking about it is making me feel inspired to do it! :)

Happy Long Weekend! :)

Fancy isn't just for Nancy!

What's the only job where you can wear a princess tiara and pink feather boa to work and totally pull it off?

A First Grade Teacher! :)

And trust me not only do you pull it off, but your students also think that you are the coolest teacher EVER!

Today was our Fancy Day in honor of Fancy Y! 

This is possibly one of my f.a.v.o.r.i.t.e. days in first grade! Yet when I say that I feel like a first grader, that sings "Best. day. EVER." after every special day we have! But, how could I not love this day? Engaged students. Hands-on learning fun. And fantastic fancy outfits adorned by both the girls and boys. Seriously-it is taking every bit of self control to not post pictures of my adorable fancy students decked out in their fancy attire. They were adorable!

This day is also perfect for the end of the year because the students love every second of it (natural motivation and focus then occurs!) and are learning and making great connections! In our Houghton Mifflin curriculum for Theme 9 Week 1 we learn about y as long e and y as long i. I tell the students that Y disguises itself at the end of words. One of the ways it disguises itself is that at the end of 2 syllable words it becomes a Fancy Y! So I send home an invitation inviting them to a Fancy Party in honor of Fancy Y! 

The invitation explains for students to dress up in for a fun and tasty party! I was afraid that this would appeal only to the girls, but this is my second year throwing it and I have to tell you ALL of my students-both the boys and girls totally get into it. Like boys in ties and bowties. Girls in frilly dresses and flowing skirts. So much fun!

On the day of the Fancy Party we meet Fancy Y, read Fancy Y's favorite book (Fancy Nancy, naturally!), do a tasty word hunt around the room, make a class book of fancy y words, and have tasty treats (because what's a party without food!) 

I use everything out of my Fancy Y unit. The Starry Game and Word Sort are great for review later in the week! This has become my best-selling product on TPT! If you need a fun activity for the end of the year or need a creative way to teach the Y as long /e/ sound, you can grab this unit by clicking on the button below!

Want to win a copy of this unit? All you need to do is:

1.) Pin one of the pictures from this post.

2.) Post the pin link in a comment with your email address.

I'll pick one random winner this weekend!

Happy Fancy Pinning!