300 followers!

Hey y'all!

I am up to 300 followers on TPT so I am offering a super neat freebie! If you are already following me on TPT, head on over and check your inbox! If you are not following me yet, click here to visit my store and follow me, and then comment below and I will contact you to fill you in on all the amazing details!! Thanks to all for your support!

Liebster Award!!

Hey y'all!

Thank you to Emily at Ms. Makinson  for nominating me for a Liebster Award! I truly appreciate the time she took to include me in this opportunity! The Liebster Award is an award for new bloggers that have less than 200 followers but have great content and potential.

1.  Why and when did you start blogging?

I created my blog back in the summer of 2012, but, after one blog post, I went MIA for another year. I started blogging more "seriously" in the summer of 2013. I decided to start blogging as a means of sharing ideas and tips for both home and classroom projects.

2.  What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why?

“Work-in-progress” While I have had this blog for 2 years.. I sometimes struggle to find time to write posts. So... it's a work in progress :)

3.  Is there something you learned late in your blog journey you wished you knew before?

Less can be more. A post doesn’t have to be a 5 paragraph essay, which I think may have deterred me from posting as often in the beginning of my blogging journey. Also, something I am still working on doing, I wish I would remember to write ideas down! I often think, “Ohh! This would be a fabulous blog post!” Then later in the evening as I sit down at my laptop my mind goes blank!

4.  What is your favorite past time other than blogging?

I love being crafty and making things. Ever since I opened my TPT shop, I learned how much I enjoy graphic designing and would LOVE to take classes in the future!

5.  How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog?

Eek…. Definitely not as much as I should! I constantly think about it during the day, like, “Oh! I should write a blog post about this!” or “I have to take pictures of this to put on to my blog!”

6.  What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most?

I LOVE seeing classroom layouts and classroom schedules. I teach a self-contained Pre-K ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) class, so it is wonderful to see set-up ideas and lesson plans. I also enjoy reading about classroom organization tips and ideas.

7.  Where does your blog inspiration come from?

My blog inspiration comes from my successes (and sometimes my failures) in the classroom. When I find something that really works for me, I love being able to share it! When I try something and find that it doesn’t work, it’s always nice to share my experiences and ask for opinions or suggestions.

8.  Which post that you've written are you most proud of?

My favorite post was about my classroom theme from two years ago. I absolutely ADORED my classroom theme (Rock Stars) and the decorations I made for my 2-5^th grade VE classroom. If I went back to teaching the older kiddos I would absolutely do this theme again!

9.  Is there any post you've been planning to do but have been postponing it for awhile now?

I have been meaning to write a post including a classroom tour featuring the visuals I use to help students transition and remain on task throughout the school day.

10.  What is your favorite aspect of blogging?

My favorite aspect of blogging is being able to connect with people from around the world and gain ideas and insights!

11.  Which recipe, project, or idea on my blog would you be most likely to try yourself?

I adore your “What Else Can I ‘Glitter’?” Post. How FUN is this?! I definitely want to try it out! My husband hates glitter – so of course I love it and use it as much as possible J

Here are my 11 nominations of amazing blogs that I love! Make sure to check them out.

1. Autism Adventures 
2. Mrs. Burgen’s Sign Me Up 

3. Play To Learn Preschool 

4. Preschool Ponderings 

5. A Tender Teacher for Special Needs 

6. Astute Hoot

7. KinderMyWay 

8. Create Educate Inspire 

9. Anchored In Learning 

10. Cahill’s Kinder Creations 

11. Missing Tooth Grins 

Now that you've been nominated here are the official "rules" for accepting:
1. In your post link back to the blogger who nominated you as a thank you and "shout out".
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you (the ones I answered above).
3. Nominate 11 blogs that have less than 200 followers each.  Provide them with 11 questions or have them answer the questions above.
4. Let your nominees know they've been nominated and provide them with a link back to your post so that they can accept.

5. Send your nominator a link to your post so s/he can learn more about you as well.  (You can just put your post link in the comments below).

Autumn Themed Freebie!

Hey y'all!

Make sure to go grab my newest freebie! It's an Autumn/Fall themed color by sight word (Primer Words) activity set!

I also have another fun Pumpkin themed differentiated interactive story in my store. 

This interactive story focusing on prepositions contains 2 sets:

Each set includes a 7.5x11 teacher version meant to be used as a teacher as well as a 7.5x11 interactive teacher version. Also included are 5x7.5 booklet interactive versions meant to be for students to create on their own. The 2nd set includes pictures underneath each word to help with reading and comprehension. Check out the previews below and click on the image to find it in my TPT store.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to your school year!

Bye bye "blah blog", hello BEAUTIFUL!

Hey y'all!

Oh my goodness gracious, I am BACK!!  I have been pushing off blogging because of my dreadful "blah blog look", but THANK YOU to the fabulous Erika and the Honey Bunch Blog design team for putting in sooo many hours to create my perfect little blog!!!
http://honeybunchblogdesign.blogspot.com/2014/05/little-miss-edugator.html


Poor Erika... I am such a mess and incredibly indecisive and did not know what in the world I wanted. She ended up sending me dozens of links to clipart and designs for me to choose from based on my preferences and what I said I wanted... well after looking for a few days I sent her some other ideas and she said, "Hmm... that's very different from what you said you wanted in the beginning.."  Oh bless her heart!!!! I had her running in circles! Anyways, thanks to her amazing talent I have found my beautiful online home! :)
Since I have been away I have had a TON of news, requests, updates, and ideas for posts, but, obviously, I need to take it slooow!   A thought came to me earlier this morning as I was sipping my coffee and making a new "To-do" list since I lost the one I created yesterday...  For those of you who know me (personally or virtually), you probably know full well that I have ADD/ADHD. Yes, of course, all of us are a little ADD/ADHD here and there, but I am soo scatterbrained and disorganized that it drives me NUTS (and if it drives me crazy, I can't begin to think how it affects those around me *cringe*)!  I always find myself apologizing for things even if they're beyond my control. I'm also sure I've lost some friends along the way due to my inability to keep things together and focus...  which absolutely BREAKS my heart! Thank goodness for my incredible family and friends, and my oh so sweet and patient coworkers, students, and parents, who so willingly stick by my side and remind me of things I have promised them weeks before (I promise I have the best intentions)! Dragging myself back to the topic of today, my reason for writing to all of you is that as I know my ADD/ADHD has significant effects on myself, others around me, and my job as a teacher, I am wondering if you have any ailments, diagnoses, issues going on that you battle with daily (that you don't mind sharing). How do you deal with it inside and outside of the classroom? Or, if you don't work in the classroom, how does it effect your job performance? Do you have any strategies or "must have" tools that you use?  I truly look forward to hearing what you have to share! Thanks for being so great! Love y'all!

I'm SO Thankful Blog Hop!

We are celebrating all that we are thankful for and that includes teachers!  We want to show all of you how much we appreciate you.  Teachers do so much and this is our time to give back and say thank you!  Thank you for following!  Thank you for participating!  Thank you for collaborating!  Thank you for sharing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Join us by hopping through each blog and gathering lots of Thanksgiving and autumn freebies.  In each freebie you will find a picture of a pie with a word on it. That word will tell you something that teacher is thankful for.  Record all of the words on your recording sheet and follow each blog along the way so that you can enter the amazing giveaway at the end!

You may start anywhere along the hop, but if you would like to start at the beginning you may go here.  This is also where you will go in the end, for the giveaway!!

You have made it to blog stop number 19.

Hope you enjoy my freebie, Turkeys All-Around!

Now hop over to the next stop on your journey:  Kate's Classroom Cafe

100 TPT followers, classroom organization, and blog hop coming soon!

Hey  y'all!

   Happy belated Halloween! Did y'all do anything special?  I was kind of bummed because I had a training Wed-Fri so I wasn't at school for the Halloween festivities! I did, however, receive some adorable pictures of my kiddos' creations! They turned out super cute! :)   For most of my products I found ideas on Pinterest, combined different ideas together and added my own twists as well. Click on the pictures below to check out my Pinterest boards to see more similar crafts.

On Monday we made Spider Webs and Spider hats.  I don't have any pictures of those :(

On Tuesday we made bone snacks using pretzels, marshmallows, and vanilla candy
coating, and then we "took Xrays". Here is my "xray" the I used as an example for the students.

On Wednesday, the students made a Bat and completed a Bat painting. I'll try and upload better pictures later.

On Thursday, students made Ghost prints

On Friday, students did a Candy Corn activity where they cut, tore, and sorted orange, yellow, and white paper into appropriate sections to create a Candy Corn. I don't have any of the pictures but here is where I got the idea :)
                                        

  Be on the look out over the next couple of days for a freebie to celebrate my goal of reaching 100 TPT followers! Yippee! So thankful for all my followers and supporters :)

   This is my third year as an ESE teacher, and first year teaching Pre-K ASD.  Even before beginning to teach I knew that the first several years were going to be bumpy (okay, rather mountainous if you want to be honest), but I am coming to terms with the fact that I can't focus on perfecting every little part of my classroom routine/organization/layout etc.. The first two years I was always pulling my hair out because I couldn't seem to get ahead... EVER, but now, I have come to see that it takes time, practice, and even failure, to build myself as a teacher.  I am definitely not saying that I am ever going to stop learning or growing and I have always known this, but I guess I have just made peace with and realized that what I need to do is focus on one certain thing to improve on every year. Does that make any sense at all or am I just rambling on in circles?    Well, anyways, I guess I get so overwhelmed by all of these ideas and projects that I want to implement, but I need to learn to just focus on one idea at a time.  Now that I say this out loud, it sounds incredibly simple and y'all are probably thinking, "Uhhh... duh!" 
    Sorry for rambling on! One thing I have been going absolutely mad over is my classroom organization/layout.  I have seriously already changed my classroom layout more than 5 times this year... and I'm talking major shelf moving and rearranging! My poor paras! They're amazing though and always willing to help with my crazy indecisive self!  How do you organize your classroom?   It's so different with Pre-K AND, especially, with ASD.  If there are any Pre-K ASD or ESE teachers out there reading this, I would LOVE to know how you organize your room and any other advice or tips! :) 
   Last but most definitely not least is the I'm So Thankful Blog Hop that is coming up soon! It will be Nov 8th-10th and it includes over 20 blogs where you can snag fabulous freebies at every single stop! More information coming soon!

Anyways, hope y'all have an amazing start to your November! Thanks, again, for all of your support! :)  Much love,
   
     Mariah

Spooktakular Blog Giveaway!

Hey  y'all!

   Have you checked out the Amazing giveaway going on over at 2 Brainy Apples?! Well seriously, get on over there and check it! There are 4 bundles or products to win and you can earn multiple entries per day, so be sure to stop by her site every day to increase your chances of winning! The rafflecopter is set to run until Sunday, October 20th at midnight, EST, and a winner will be chosen the following Monday!   Ohh... and btw, if you win the k-1 bundle you get winner's choice from my TPT store! So get going, y'all! :)  You'll find some wonderful new blogs, stores, and resources, on the way, as well, which is always so helpful!   Click on the picture below to start your fabulous journey! 

Much love!

- Mariah