Have you heard the news?! TpT is having a Cyber Monday Sale! My entire store is 20% off  TODAY through Tuesday!  Use the code TPTCYBER on Monday and Tuesday for an EXTRA 10% OFF! 

Ok, so let's talk about some of the things you HAVE to HAVE to HAVE this holiday season!

I am JUMPING into the word of Math Centers TOMORROW!  I have tried before, but we only have an hour for Math and our Go Math lessons take up most of the hour.  I have decided to reduce the Go Math lesson and start this week with ONE center rotation a day.  By Friday, my students will complete all 5 lessons! 

 

I worked over Thanksgiving break on December Centers {Math for Firsties}.  My firsties LOVE hands on centers and adding a Christmas theme to them makes then a win-win!!

 

 

I would describe myself as a joyful person.  I try to see the good in people and things.  I tend to see the glass as half FULL! 

 

So while my preacher was preaching on Sunday about finding joy, I started to tune him out.  After all, I have a good life... I simply adore my husband, I have 2 healthy boys, and we really have everything we NEED.  So when life hands you lemons, you make LEMONADE!



BUT then God whispered in my ear.  "How about school Tammy?"

I have to say this has been the most challenging year in my eighteen years of teaching.  I have questioned so many things this year.  This doubt I have has come as a result of school, county and state mandates.  I have been saddened, angered and have probably felt every gamut of emotion in between this year.

Many days, I wonder if I will make it through the year.  Then I think, if I do, what can I do next year? What can I do for the same salary that I would like to do?  I use to think I would teach until I retire.  I LOVE TEACHING!  I truly feel I was called to teach.  It is WHO I AM! 

While walking in the office last week, someone said something that made me laugh.  My book keeper called from around the corner, "Is that Tammy laughing?" and I answered "Yes." and apologized if I was being too loud.  She replied, "It is the FIRST time this year I have heard you laugh."

REALLY??  I know it has been a hard year, but have I become that "glass is empty" person? 

So when my pastor said, "Are you joyful?", was that God whispering in my ear again?  What to do now?   Pastor John had a list of practical steps to take in finding JOY. These are going to be printed, front and center in my life!

I do not know what the future holds.  What I do know is teaching is a HUGE part of who I am.  JOY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY!!  I am working on being joyful DAILY!

I don't usually share my faith on my blog, but I know I am not alone in this.  I have heard so many teachers share they been broken and worn this year.  We have felt the joy being sucked out of our classrooms.  However, JOY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY!  If you would like to hear the sermon in its entirety, go HERE to Journey Christian Church.  The actual sermon is called The Promise that Calls for Celebrating. 

Children are so good at finding joy in the little things.  Let's take back out classrooms and find joy in the little things!

 

 Wishing you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Halloween decorations are put away and Thanksgiving and fall decorations are all the craze at my house at the moment.  With that being said, BAM!

If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you I LOVE the Christmas season! I try not to rush through the Thanksgiving season, but truth be told my Christmas tree is up before Thanksgiving begins!  So, you know I was excited to be joining in my fellow Florida bloggers with Holidays Around the Blog Linky. Thank to Amy at Learning Lessons with Mrs, Labrasciano for organizing this linky! I have to say I am a bit late to the party, but better late than never!

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is crafting homemade gifts with my students! Students love to create homemade ornaments for their tree! The hardest part is keeping them in the packages and not telling their parents what they made!

Fingerprint snowman ornaments are another tried and true favorite.  After I use their thumbprint to make 3-4 snowmen around the ornament, we let them dry for a day or two.  Students are then able to add snowmen details like eyes, a carrot nose, mouth, stick arms and a scarf to their snowmen with different colored Sharpie markers.  They turn out adorable:)


And what kind of teacher would I be if I didn't pull out a little sequins and glitter during the holiday season?  That in itself make this the top pick for my students! 

So what do we do with all this cuteness? Why we take a walking field trip to our local Christmas tree farm of course!  We walk about a mile up the road (which feels like about five miles to my firsties on the way back!) and enjoy a hayride, a petting zoo, a maze and we cut down our own classroom tree!  There is nothing like the smell of a fresh tree in the classroom in December!

Our final project is a teacher directed painting that my firsties draw, outline with a black Sharpie to make it pop and then water color. I found Dollar Store frames to complete the gift before we wrap them.  I know this came from another fabulous blogger, but I can't find the post.  If you know where it came from, please let me know so I can give credit:)

In the spirit of giving, I have teamed up with some blogging buddies for a super fun giveaway including a HUGE Amazon gift card!! Remember I said I am late to the party??  Well, hurry up and enter the rafflecoptor! It ends at midnight on Sunday. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can check out other holiday ideas in the linkup below!