My Wish List for the TPT Cyber Monday Sale!

Hi everyone,

Of course I'm new to the primary world, so I don't have lots to offer by way of the TPT sale.  But I like to think what little I do have is quality!  I make items that I have not found elsewhere to purchase, and they work well in my classroom.  So with that I decided it's time to "get social" and link up with Jivey for the "What's on your wishlist?" linky.  So here are my top 2 wishlisted items (which is mildly amusing if you've been following along with how many items I currently have available for purchase).

The first item I have available, on sale for TPT's Cyber Monday (and Tuesday) sale is my fact families file folder centers.  Simply slide them into a sheet protector and staple into a file folder.  Cut out the cards and staple an envelope to hold them in the same file folder.  The children use the visuals on the page to help them write 4 related number sentences.  There is also an optional page that includes number bonds, since our school uses Math in Focus, but this is an add on to the activity; you don't have to be teaching number bonds for your students to access this skill.

The next item I have for sale is my file folder tabs.  This organizational system is one that I swear by.  Fifteen years ago I was using binders and lugged them home each night.  In the process I've damaged my shoulder and I've been putting off surgery to correct it (the pain is still manageable 90% of the time).  Having file folders is so much easier, but I wanted to keep them color coded and nicely labeled.  The result are these file folder tabs and monthly hanging file cover sheets.

I have SO many items on my wishlist.  I'm happy to share more than just one.

My strategy for this sale was to bring home my science and social studies files for January through the end of the year to sort them.  In August I did the same thing with my files from September through December, because I was confident there would be another TPT sale at some point.  I also focus on the content areas because our school/district has no "official" resources for us.  After looking at our curriculum map, I found there were several topics that were lacking in resources.  So here are a few that I plan on grabbing:


I might get both of these packets about matter!  I'll take a closer look tomorrow.

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/States-of-Matter-The-Creative-Classroom-334213

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/States-of-Matter-Science-Activities-325335

I have a few arctic animals packets on my list, but I think this one is the winner.  I like the variety of animals as well as the research format.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Arctic-Animals-Research-Reading-477273

 I found it shocking, but there didn't seem to be ANY materials for folk tales, so this one went on my list. 
 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Traditional-Literature-Fables-Fairy-Tales-Folk-Tales-Primary-Grades-1217913


We were a little lacking in the MLK department, and I thought a craftivity would be just the thing to supplement the biographies I already own:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-1047806




We didn't really have anything "scientific" when it came to spring.  Just because something has raindrops and flowers on it, doesn't mean it's teaching a scientific concept!  This product seems to be just what I need.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Create-a-Book-About-Spring-Holidays-Weather-Animals-Nature-1163493






Again, I have several day and night units on my list, but I like the sorting activity in this one.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Day-and-Night-948192

The flap book looks like a great "product" to show what the kids have learned, so I think I need this one too!  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Day-and-Night-Sky-Flip-Flap-Book-1522449

I also wanted sight words using QR codes because I found a FREE tablet on Black Friday!  I researched a lot of these codes, and in the end I think I'm going to go with this one:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Audio-QR-Codes-Task-Cards-for-First-100-Fry-Words-1034810

I might get a second one for another word list.  This one looked like it has more activities than I need, but maybe next year I'll feel ready to implement more:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Scan-Learn-Interactive-Sight-Word-Book-FIRST-GRADE-1448829
That should cover most of what I need for the rest of the year!  I found lots of great freebies in my search to supplement the rest of the gaps in the files I "inherited."  I'll blog about those in weeks to come.

What's on your wish list for the upcoming sale?

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New Blog Name! Say Hello to LMNOpond!

Hi everyone,

I hope you like the name change!  I've known for some time that I didn't want to go by "Casey Adam's Class" forever.  But I didn't know who I was as a first grade teacher yet.  As a former fourth grade teacher who was moved (unwillingly) to first, I knew that I needed to find my groove first, then come up with a name that felt right later.  Well, after a few months of figuring out what first graders are like and how I'm going to go about teaching them, I was also able to think of a name that feels right.

I knew I wanted a pond theme, but I needed it to stand out.  I didn't want "frogs" because I feel like:
1. There are a handful of other primary grades with frogs and ponds
2. They just aren't my favorite animal.  I like them and all, but I didn't want to JUST be associated with frogs.

I love the alliteration that goes with primary and pond, but someone else has that already too.

I was hesitant to use pond at all for a while because a very popular graphic artist (who specializes in classroom clip art) has "pond" in her name.  But after some time I decided that avoiding pond altogether is a little too extreme.  There had to be a way to make it work without sounding like someone else.

I tried alliterative names and I tried rhyming names, but nothing really jumped out at me.  I wanted to merge the word "pond" with something that said, "I teach primary students."

Then one day I was reading "The Seems."  Yes, I love juvenille fiction (as one would expect from a former fourth grade teacher).  In the book there was mention of a park that I just loved the sound of.  There was something about the cadence of it.  Was it LMNO park?  Was it something like that?  I can't exactly remember, but I thought that's what I needed for a catchy name.  A cadence would sound just as good, if not better than rhyme or alliteration.  And of course letters of the alphabet screams "I work with young children."  The "P" in park is a natural progression after LMNO.  This was the name I was waiting to pop into my head all these months.  It fits.  

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