My Biggest Giveaway Ever!

This is me saying Thank You over and over! Ha ha!

I am so excited that I was the Featured Teacher in the TpT 10 Free Downloads Newsletter today, that I want to share some of it with all of YOU!  Here is the deal:

I want to give one of my followers $100 to my store.  Yup, that's right, $100.  That would buy you a good portion of my products in my store.  I also want to give EVERYONE an opportunity to choose one FREE product of your choice ($5 or less) if you choose to do numbers 1-5 listed on my blog or if you already do!

To enter, you can do one, some, or all of the following for an entry.  Each entry needs to have your email address and what the entry is for.
Even if you don't have your own classroom, think about using this as a gift to the k/1 teachers in your building or your children's teachers.  I will be flexible how you use your $100 if you win (4 $25 for each team member, etc...) and work with you to make the best of your winnings.
If you are reading this before Thursday November 10th, click on my blog button below to find out how you can enter and if you qualify for a free product.

Come Get a FREE Halloween Activity that your Students Will Never Forget

I do this demonstration for my students every year.  They love the "magic" that is involved, but I honestly can't say whether it is me or them who have more fun with it.  Come and get it here.

Happy Halloween!

Ever Just Need a New Look?

Do you want to see my blog makeover?

 

Come on over and see my Blog Makeover.

Find out who designed it AND get a

promo code for a discount so you can

get a blog makeover at a great price!

Would You Like to Win Heidi Songs Newest Product?

Do you know Heidi and her songs?  Well, Heidi is my co-teacher...well, okay, not really.....I just feel like she is with me all of the time because I use her music non-stop throughout the entire indergarten year to teach my children concepts in ways that some of them would never get (at 5 years old!) if it weren't for Heidi.  So, essentially, I feel like Heidi is teaching my students right along with me!  She is a kindergarten teacher who knew what her students needed to learn and now, lucky for us, has decided to share her immense knowledge and efforts with the entire kindergarten world by selling the products she creates to use in her own classroom.  Heidi, in a sense, is willing to be anyones co-teacher! ;)
Heidi also has a line of digital products to print and use in the classroom.  I could go on and on about all of those that I use to teach with, but I will just introduce you to her newest ingenious product.  Heidi has mentioned on her blog a few times now that she needed a book about teaching rules and here it is in all its glory and (yup, you guessed it) it is written in her usual incredible style:

This is a simple book, written specifically with young children in mind, to assist in teaching children the rules by using a dog who has trouble following rules at first.  Heidi says,

"My students are just LOVING the book! I have a big, fuzzy Melissa and Doug dog puppet that I bought a few years ago, and I have been having the dog act out the story as I read it, and talking to the dog about the rules. The children love chiming in with the repetitive text, and laughing at the silly dog, who forgets the rules each and every day. Every single day so far we have read the book and enjoyed it to the fullest. The children don’t realize it, but this is how we have been learning the rules in our classroom. We actually haven’t done any other formal lessons as far as school rules are concerned, and the kids are generally doing very well so far in following them, so I think it must be working!"

And I believe it is because that is just how Heidi's products work.  If you still aren't convinced, check out this video

 

Watching this video encouraged me to instantly purchase this product.  I love ANY book that incorporates the children and instantly becomes interactive, especially one as cute as this.  Everyone will just love Wiggles, the naughty puppy turned good, once he gets introduced...

The book includes a Wiggles puppet pattern and a
 smaller take home version of the book for students.

So, wouldn't you love to have this packet to begin your year?  Heidi has donated one of her new Wiggles book sets to be given away to one of my lucky followers. 
Come on over to Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business to find out how you can win her newest set!

Who Loves a Little Pete the Cat?

I enjoy Pete the Cat  on so many levels.  I love the simplicity of the book for my kindergarten students learning colors and loving a blue cat singing a predictable song.  Yet, I also love the complexity of it from an adult's point of view:  If we could all be so calm and relaxed in our little worlds (like Pete the Cat) when life throws us curve balls, our entire society would benefit.  I am hoping that, as the year goes on, and I continuously refer back to our friend, Pete, during sticky situations, the children will begin to grasp the greater concept hidden in one of their all-time favorite books.

Here are our Deanna Jump inspired Petes!

I began the school year with this book during KinderKamp and, since the students loved it so much, I decided I would continue when the new year begins with them next week.  I created an activity kit for that purpose that is jam packed with differentiated activities that can be used in a variety of ways for students of all ages.

One of my favorite things to do with children is directed drawings, so what better activity to create than a directed drawing Step By Step Guide on how to draw Pete the Cat.  Once you start doing directed drawings with your students, you won't be able to stop.  There are so many benefits of doing it in a whole group lesson, even beyond the basic listening skills and the transfer of the "learning to draw" skills.  Of course, I couldn't stop there, I went on to make materials for a retelling center and a reading center. 

Click here to find out the details about all of the activities that are included in my 33 page kit.  If you click here, you will also find out about my Secret Sale for my followers ONLY!

1. 

What Is a M.O.N.K.E.Y. Book?

I just took for granted that everyone knew what a M.O.N.K.E.Y. Book (M.O.O.S.E. Book, S.T.A.R. Book, B.E.E. Book, etc..) was.  I had read about them for years online and didn't completely buy into them until my neighbor, Mrs. S, moved in and showed me the way with her M.O.O.S.E. Books and I was sold.  Since I started my blog and have mentioned this book, I have had several questions from bloggers, so I thought, now that I finally have my books together (thanks to my wonderful mom!), I thought I would share the answers and pictures with everyone.

What exactly is a M.O.N.K.E.Y. Book?
They are the best means of communication and organization I have ever utilized as a teacher.  It is a 1" binder that includes note paper for notes to and from home and a folder to hold work and items that need to be returned.  It also houses the specials schedule, contact information and a monthly calendar that includes special days and due dates.  The children learn responsibility to bring their book back and forth from school to home EVERY day.  It is a rare occasion that a child doesn't have their binder with them as they line up at the door in the morning and they never lose them.  I am not completely sure why, but my experience has proven that the families and children take better care and pay closer attention to the binder than they ever did when I had daily folders.

Come on over to Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business to find the answers to the following questions that readers have had:

 

• How are the books put together?
• Where do you store them?
• How do you make sure you see everything you need to see each day?
• When do you find the time to pack them for the children each day?

Are You the Best Teacher You Can Be?

I ran smack into the article 10 Questions to Ask Yourself over at What Ed Said's Blog and it reminded me of what I feel is the most important thing you can do as a teacher to be the best you can be and to constantly improve: 

self reflection.

What better time to start this process than the week I will meet my new students?

I started hosting student teachers from the local university several years ago.  I initially agreed to it because I wanted to give back the great experiences I had as a student teacher (thank you Kim O. and Clayton H.!), but I have since learned that it is so much more than that.  I have always been hard on myself which automatically produces (maybe even an unhealthy amount) of self reflection. 

 How could I have said that different? 

How will I get better responses from the students? 

Why is that happening? etc..

 This reflection would go on in my head and, from time to time, spark discussions with some of the best whom I have taught next to (TD, DK, APR, SS) and learned so much from.

However, when you have a trained professional in your classroom like a student teacher, it has the possibility of bringing your teaching to an entirely new level--if you dare to allow it to happen.

I always teach my student teachers (and thanks to Dr. MEL, I have always had the best--no bias, of course), that reflection on a daily basis is the key to becoming a better educator.  Oh, and I practice what I preach, so I am continuously demonstrating self reflection out loud with my student teachers to show them that, although I have been teaching for years and APPEAR to have it all under control, that I know there are improvements I can make on a daily basis to be the best teacher I can be. 

So, head over to What Ed Said's Blog and ask yourself these 10 questions.  Are there areas you could improve or maybe even just tweak a little?  It's a new year, which means new beginnings, to be the best  teacher you can be.  Let's reflect on that!

If you are a blogger or even a blog stalker, you are likely a reflective teacher because you are seeking ideas, better ways to do things and inspiration from other teachers in the blogosphere. Come on over to Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business for your daily dose of reflection (after you go see Ed and answer all of his questions for you, of course).

Easy Schmeasy Lemon Squeezy Back to School Giveaway

Come on over to my blog to enter my "easy, schmeasy, lemon squeezy" giveaway and get over $50 worth of TpT products from some great blog authors!

Click here.

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Click here to EASILY sign up for my NEW monthly newsletter and the freebie will come directly to your inbox at the end of most months!

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Introducing Myself and Sharing My Latest Secret

I feel honored to be participating as a participating author at Me and My Gang!  My name is Krissy Miner and I am a kindergarten teacher and a blog writer at Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business.  I just began my own blog this summer and it has been quite an experience. I've "met" so many colleagues and just love collaborating with some of the best in the business.  I teach kindergarten and, although many ideas and freebies relate directly to that level, I am also huge on differentiation.  As we all do, I always have a wide range of abilities in my classroom and feel very passionate about making sure that each child is taught at the appropriate level and being challenged on a regular basis.  You will clearly see that philosophy shine through in everything that I state, create, and share on my blog (I hope anyway!). 
Please come over and see my latest freebie Top Secret Gluing Methods.  Don't we always say children remember what they do more than what you say?  Well, I created a kit that will allows just that for the dreaded drip glue!  I know that I've been avoiding it and using glue sticks in the past few years, but, with the economy the way it is, it is so much more economical and practical to use white glue.  Hope you can use this kit and it helps you with those big, sticky messes!  Watch for more posts from me or come visit my blog and search for "freebies" and see what pops up!