Curls and a Smile

Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-28T20:58:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I am joining a HUGE group of teachers that are having a Cyber Monday Sale! I posted a couple of new things yesterday to my TpT and Teachers Notebook shops that I thought you might enjoy!

Here is a sneak peak at what you can find:

My updated Gingerbread Poetry Activities...

A Thanksgiving Writing Activity....

and a little something to use this week :)

Let me know what you think and please feel free to leave feedback! I love to read your comments and am always willing to add a little extra when needed!

Don't forget to use promo code CMS28 at TeachersPayTeachers.com to recieive an additional 10% off!

Happy shopping!

I am now on Teachers Notebook...with a little help :)

2011-11-20T20:07:00.001-06:00

I finally did it!

I have opened my Teachers Notebook shop and I am so excited!

Right now there is only one item in the shop but I plan to add more soon!

Thanks to all my sweet bloggy friends that helped me out...you guys rock!!

I need a little help from my friends....

2011-11-20T11:40:00.001-06:00

Can you give me a hand?

I am hoping that one of my wonderful blogging friends could help me out...I am setting up my Teacher Notebook Store and am wondering what is the best way to make images of the pages of my products. I know how to create a screen shot but I am sure there has to be an easier way to go about it. Please leave a comment if you have a suggestion!

As a thank you, I plan to have a new product and a sale at Teachers Notebook!

And the winner is....

2011-11-17T21:44:00.001-06:00

Thank you so much to all of you that participated! Your support made a tough day much, much better! As a thank you, I will be placing my Turkey Time Rhymes Activity on a flash sale for $2.00 until tomorrow
at 3 pm!! Please leave a comment and rate this product if you choose to buy it. Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance!!

The winner is comment number 4....Sandra Maddox!! Congratulations!

I will be emailing you in the next 24 hours!!

Giveway Ends Tonight!!!

2011-11-17T06:35:00.000-06:00

It almost Thanksgiving and with just a few more days til the big day, I am having a giveaway!

Make sure to click on the sweet little turkey to join in!! Good Luck!!!

Turkey Time Rhymes is back....Giveaway time!!!

2011-11-15T21:05:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite activities that I do with my kiddos during the fall is Turkey Time Rhymes!

It is a collection of 6 Thanksgiving poems that we use as our shared reading each day for the week before Thanksgiving Break. We read each poem and discuss each one. The students become the illustrators and create a picture that matches the text of each poem and then create a table of contents for their book. It makes for a wonderful and fun way to review many of the skills that we have discussed throughout the school year and the kiddos LOVE to take them home and read them to their families during their break!

It is available at my TpT Store for only $4.00!

I haven't done a giveaway in a little while so.....

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

All you have to do is go check it out and leave a comment about what you think!

For an extra chance to win, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share about this giveaway through your blog, facebook, twitter, etc.

Thanks so much and good luck!!

A winner will be chosen on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 9pm!!

Helloooooo out therrrreeeee!

2011-10-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

Oh my word! Things have been super,super, super busy at school and I am missing all my bloggy friends! I am loving second grade but it has been an interesting nine weeks! I wanted to take a minute to share a little Halloween goody that I created and hope that you will enjoy!

I also want to thank First Grade Owls

and

The Teeny Tiny Teacher

for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award!

I L.O.V.E your blogs and am so honored that you thought of me!!

It's get a little late tonight but check back tomorrow to see who I will share this special award with amongst my bloggy friends (because I totally love, love, love so many of your blogs) and some fun facts about yours truly!

Last, but not least, this little blog has not only been honored by other amazing bloggers but I was also nominated for the Circle of Moms Top Blog Award. Please take just a minute to cast and vote and support Curls and a Smile!

Wow oh WOW I am Wiped...but you are going to love this freebie!

2011-09-30T23:26:00.007-05:00

I am absolutely love, love, love teaching second grade! The students are so much more independent and the days seem to go so much more smoothly. We have wonderful classroom discussions and they are really applying what they are learning in my ELAR class. It is FAB.U.LOUS!!!

Next week will be our Fall Open House. My teammate and I were thinking of a fun way to have the students share the second grade experiences so far this year. We created this super cute brochure for them to complete for their parents. I can't wait to make the connection to informational text!! Woohoo!!

I have created a first and second grade brochure for you all! If you need another grade, please feel free to let me know and I will be happy to create it for you.

First Grade Open House Brochure

Second Grade Open House Brochure

Pin It

Oh! I also have not forgotten about the clipboard labels....stay tuned (I promise to post soon those as soon as they are done!)

Education Nation on MSNBC

2011-09-25T11:42:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone to tune in to MSNBC and the Education Nation Town Hall meeting that they are having today in New York City, New York!

Check it out :

Here is a new site where you can discuss and share your thoughts as well. It is sponsored by Donorschoose.org, Scholastic and the Bill Gates Foundation....I just signed up!

We can advocate for our students.
It starts by getting others to hear our message.

My Cup Runneth Over!

2011-09-05T22:53:00.001-05:00

There are so many wonderful bloggers and I am so very grateful to all of you for your support.

I am so humbled and want to send my most sincere thanks to the following bloggers for inspiring me to continue to work diligently on my blog for all of you:

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

These are AMAZING blogs and to be nominated by them is such an honor! Please check out their blogs, become followers and show them some bloggie love!

I wear my button with great pride!!

Labor Day Weekend and a VERY Special Request

2011-09-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that this is a long weekend!!

I really needed the extra day and the 4 day week ahead.

It has been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks!

I wanted to take a moment to ask a very special favor from all my wonderful blogging friends. With the Labor Day weekend, a very serious disease is brought to our attention. As you know, the Muscular Dystrophy Association has a marathon that is shown each year on this weekend.

A few years ago, I had the honor of meeting one of the sweetest young men I know. Austin was in my daughter's kindergarten class and I was so excited to know that he would be in my first grade. Austin was a wonderful student with a great sense of humor. I adored his stories and his zest for learning about subjects outside of the four walls of my classroom. Austin and I became great friends and he opened my eyes to the everyday struggles of a child with Muscular Dystrophy.

It has broken my heart to see what this disease can do to such a young and vibrant little boy. He has made the simple everyday activities so difficult for him in just a couple of short years but it has never broken his spirit. I am so blessed and honored to have been his teacher and to be able to learn from Austin's amaing strength everyday.

So, because my daughter, my family, my school and my community love Austin so dearly....I need your help. Austin has set a goal to raise $6,600 for 90 minutes of research.

If we all give just one dollar, just one dollar, we can come together to raise over $700.

Another great way to help is to share this post through your blog, facebook and twitter. Help me bring attention to the chance to help find a cure for kids like Austin.

Here is a video of Austin from last year, when he was chosen as a MDA Ambassador. Are they not the most amazing family?

Just click

to link directly to Austin's fundraising page!

A most sincere thank you to those of you that have taken the time to share this post and donate. It means more than you could ever know.

A little something that I think that you will LOVE!

2011-08-28T20:47:00.002-05:00

Happy Sunday!! I am so glad to have the had a very successful first week of school!! I would love to have just one more day to stretch the weekend out but I am ready for another great week with my new second graders!

I wanted to share something that makes organizing all the folders and spirals that can be found in my ELAR classroom. Using the adorable graphics from Thistle Girl Designs, I created labels for each of the folders and spirals that my second graders use during our ELAR block.

These are the folders that we use:

Work Folder

Writing Folder

and we use the following spirals:

Treasure Book (personal journal)

Writer's Notebook

Reader's Response

Now, I went around and around thinking about how to organize their supplies and decided that I would use a numbering system. This way they know their numbers, it corresponds with my gradebook, and I know when I have everyone's supplies (or if someone's is missing).

So I made generic name labels to use with my kiddos that I can but on anything I pass out.

When I created the files, I used the Avery label number in the file name and I hope that all the labels print out beautifully for you. Please feel free to let me know if anything needs to be tweaked :)

Three for Thursday at Blog Hoppin'

2011-08-25T22:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday!! The first week of school is going well and I am LOVING second grade!!

For this post, I get to mention some of my favorite ~~addictions~~ things...FONTS, BLOGS and RESOURCES!!

I love fonts. Adore them. Can't live with out them....ok, maybe I could but things just wouldn't be as cute!!

Here is a link to some of my favorite fonts:

I also have a sqwrol with lots of fabulous font websites:

One of my favorite blogs (which is hard to say because there are so many wonderful blogs that I follow and I am sure have yet to discover) is Lesson Plans SoS. I was lucky enough to win a $25 gift card to their shop and WOW are their products are A.MAZ.ING.

And last, resources! What would a teacher do without all the great resources that are out there created by other teachers! I love blogging and think it is one of the best kept secrets ever! I tell all the teachers that I come across to check out the blogging world to find a whole new group of sensational teachers to collaborate with and to share ideas....and definitely borrow a few.

Another great resource that I have come to love this summmer is Pinterest. If you haven't checked this out....oh.my.word... you are going to love it! It is like a visual file cabinet of all the great ideas that you find on the internet. Come and check mine out and become a follower. I am pinning all the time and love to share new ideas through this website.

Enjoy!!!

Teacher Talk Tuesday- Advice to New Teachers

2011-08-23T20:37:00.001-05:00

Tonight, I am giving advice. The funny thing is that I am having some of those new teacher feelings! I taught first grade for 11 years and am now teaching second grade (which I am LOVING!!). The last few days have been a whirlwind and I am definitely on a learning curve!

My advice to new teachers would be:

Study your lessons and know what you are teaching BEFORE you teach the lesson. There is a lot of studying that needs to happen so that you feel prepared.

Ask questions....lots and lots of questions.

Find a friend on campus that will make you laugh, wants to hear about your day and can give sound advice.

Beg, borrow and steal (fabulous ideas)!

Be willing to learn from the wonderful and experienced teachers around you. The best teachers always learn something new everyday.

Breathe.

To all the new teachers, welcome to one of the most amazing professions that exists. Teaching is a calling. Listen to your heart and remember that everyday is an opportunity to touch the life of a child. You DO make a difference.

Are you Blog Hoppin'?
Check it out for more fabulous words of wisdom!

Meet the Teacher: Ms. Morgart

2011-08-22T21:53:00.001-05:00

Welcome!

I'm Ms. Morgart and this is my little blog, Curls and a Smile! Today was the first day of school and although I am exhausted, I just had to participate in Teacher Week 2011 at Blog Hoppin'!

Here's a little about me...

Today began my 12th of teaching! I taught first grade for 11 years and this year started my new adventure in second grade. My class is so sweet and I am amazed at how mature they become over one summer!! When I was going over procedures (such as how to put your backpack away) they didn't ven skip a beat! They were pros! This first day has to be the easiest that I have had in a long time....I think I am going to love second grade!

Something that you might not know about me....

I am a proud penguin! When I was in college, I pledged Kappa Delta Chi (a service soroity) that allowed me to provide community service to the Bryan/ College Station area , gave me opportunities to develop as a leader and where I created lifelong friends. As an alumnae, I hope to become more involved with the soroity on a national level and continue to find new ways to serve my community.

What I have Learned From Teaching...

Teaching students has taught me patience, compassion and faith in each one of the children that I am blessed to have in my class. One of the most amazing feelings in the world is watching a young child develop the ability to master skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. Watching a child read for the first time is inspiring and reminds me of why I became a teacher.

A few other things I have learned...

Always be prepared (great tool in classroom management)

Always be willing to grow and learn as a teacher. The day you feel you know it all, it is time to retire.

Practice what you preach.

Don't be afraid to tell your students that you love them.

You may the only adult that they hear that from each day.

Enjoy what you do. Your joy will radiate through everything you do in your classroom.

I am so tired but extremly happy to have had a successful first day and I am looking forward to a wonderful year full of amazing memories, new ideas and great new bloggie friends!

A new adventure with Me and My Gang!

2011-08-13T19:48:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to announce that I will have the complete honor of being an author for a new and fabulous blog! This is a wonderful group of teachers that are working on great ideas to share with our readers!

Mrs. McCumbee of

and

Mrs. Schroeder of

are the wonderful teachers behind this new blog and are also looking for additional teachers to author creative and unique ideas for Me and My Gang. If you are a k-3 teacher and are interested in participating check out their blogs and join in on the awesome blogging!!

Come by and check it out!!

Color Chart Clip Board

2011-08-13T14:19:00.002-05:00

Earlier this summer, my wonderful former teammate Alyce, create a super cute clip board version of my behavior color chart. It is a great way to have a portable version of a color chart that can be shared with your partner teacher, teammates or specials teachers. Here is a set-by-step of how it was created:

1. You will need a clipboard, scrap booking paper (in the colors that you need for your color chart), Modge Podge, sponge brush, and a title/picture to name your chart. Pictures from google images.

2. First glue your scrap booking paper the way that you would like for it to look on the clipboard and allow that to dry so that the paper doesn't move when you are covering the entire project. Glue from underneath the paper...don't try to cover the whole clipboard at one time (the paper tends to shift and bubble).

3. Add the title/picture label on top of your scrap booking paper. Let dry.

4. Once everything is thoroughly dry, it is time to cover the entire project with Modge Podge. Use even strokes. from left to right, until the whole clipboard is covered. Feel free to use the Modge Podge as needed because if your sponge is not wet enough, it tends to pull and give the clipboard a "streaky" look.

5. Allow it to dry completely.

6. Now you are ready to make your clips! These numbers were purchased at Hobby Lobby and are used for calendars. All you need to do is peel and stick!

Here is the final product:

This one is a little different than the original post. The stripes really give it a a nice touch!!

I am currently working on some cute titles for you....so tell me, what are your themes?

Linky Party Fun!

2011-08-11T17:37:00.003-05:00

Are you decorating up a storm in your room? Have you created a new space or implemented super cute ideas from other bloggers? Does your room look FABULOUS!! Join my linky party and show us all the hard work that you have done to transform a plain old room to an amazing place to learn!!

Make sure to grab my button and tell others about the linky!!

Click here to join in the linky party!

Before and After Classroom Linky Party

2011-08-10T09:39:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! I will be back on contract and getting ready for my new class on Monday but before then I want to see all your classroom makeovers and fabulous ideas for making your room an inviting learning enviroment!

As I work on my room, I will post pictures and share how I oranize and decorate my room. Here are a few pictures from my first grade classroom last year.

This was my calendar and carpet area ....

This is a picture of part of my reading station...I took this pic as I was packing up so the pillows and books had already been put away. The pictures that are on the wall are from a children's literature calendar. They worked out PERFECTLY!

As I start to get my room ready, I will post pics of my new monster themed classroom...but for now, it is your turn!!

Link up, grab my button and tell others!

Need some inspiration? Check out the TBA Ultimate Linky Party!

A little help from her friends....

2011-08-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

Brenda, over at Primary Inspired, has a wonderful project that she is trying to get funded through

Let's help Brenda and her sweet little kiddos get a FABULOUS easel to use during instruction!

Here is how you can help....Brenda is offering everything in her TpT Store for a $6 donation to her project (just leave a comment on her blog when you make a donation and don't forget to leave an email address).

Her products are amazing! Here is a sneak peak at what you can receive:

You get great products and most importantly you are helping out a fellow teacher and her class. What could be better than that!

Top Ten Reasons That I Know I am Heading Back to School

2011-08-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how quickly the summer seemed to pass me by!! It really doesn't feel like school should be starting in two weeks (and I report back to school in a week)!

Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits is having a linky party... and here are my tops ten ways I know it's time to go back to school!!

10. I have bought an entire wardrobe of clothing for my daughter in sizes that are mostly too big...

9. My living room looks like a small school supply store full of new shipments of every kind of school supply possible.

8. The "lists" of things to do before Aug. 19 have begun and are getting longer each day.

7. The number of emails I receive each day is growing exponentially.

6. My printer is running about 23 hours a day with amazing ideas from fabulous bloggers!

5. My night stand looks like a college students desk....stacks of professional books, highlighters, notebooks, pens and about a 12 million post its with notes about ways to improve instruction, classroom behavior, decorating the classroom, etc.

4. I am on the pursuit to recruit anyone I can to come by and help set up my room (I barely 5'1, so the taller the better...lol)

3. I am staying up later and later every night, blog hopping and stretching each day out just a little bit longer (I am such a night owl....)

2. Next week is full of appointments that have to be done before school because I won't have a free moment until November.

1. As overwhelmed as I get sometimes, I get excited to think about seeing my school babies and sharing with them all the things that I have been preparing all Summer and knowing that this year will be the best school year yet!

So, what about you? How do you know that the school year is fast approaching?

Join in on the fun at

Currently I am....

2011-08-02T22:25:00.006-05:00

I couldn't help myself! This linky party looked like fun!

It was inspired from an idea found on a blog which was called

Inspiration Everywhere

So...what are you doing? Linky up with Farley at

and have a little fun!

Sending my love to TBA !!

2011-08-01T16:58:00.001-05:00

I am so grateful to be able to share and collaborate with such wonderful teachers in the blogging world. It has become an indispensable resource to share ideas, find fabulous ways to teach fundamental skills to my students and and venue to continue to grow as a teacher. I am lucky...not only am I able to do this through Curls, but also through Teaching Blog Addict.

It has been an amazing opportunity to be an author of this extraordinary blog and is an experience that has allowed me to continue to grow an educator and as a collaborative teacher using blogging to strengthen my students' learning experiences.

Teaching Blog Addict is an amazing blog that has over 70 authors, 1539 followers/members, 2456 readers, 1530 Facebook followers and 237 Twitter followers!! I want to encourage all of you to check it out......you will be amazed at the wealth of materials that we share. Just click below and make sure to become a follower! Already a follower? Share this blog with your followers and join the linky party at TBA!

WOOHOO!! I got it!!!

2011-08-01T13:03:00.002-05:00

So I was playing with Microsoft and tried about a thousand combinations of text boxes and page borders and pictures and....well, anything that I could think of ..and it turns out it was much more simple than I thought!! If it had been a snake it would have bitten me!! I was able to recreate the border that I had seen and now I want to share this with you!!

Here are the steps that I took to make the super cute polka dot border:

1. First, open a new document.

2. Click on page layout and click page borders.

3. Choose the first style. From there you can choose the width and color that you would like.

4. Once you have done that, click on art. You will see many different designs and the polka dot one is toward the bottom of the list.

5. Click ok and TA-DAH!! You now have a adorable polka dot border!!

You can also change options on which pages have borders (so that you can choose to use it on the first page, whole document, etc.)

It really was easy and pretty much right in front of me the whole time.....but YAY!!!

A little help from my friends....

2011-08-01T10:41:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that it is already AUGUST 1st!! Time is flying by and as school draws closer, I am slowly beginning to plan what the up coming year will bring (I say that but my teammate and I already have the first nine weeks planned...woohoo!)

I am in the process of making a new product for TpT and Teacher's Notebook but need a little help.

I have been looking for a specific border and I was hoping that you guys might know where I can find it! The border is rather simple- solid colored rectangle border with a polka dot strip running down it. I have seen it in several colors on other products but I haven't been able to find it for purchase.

I would LOVE to purchase them if anyone might know where I can find it....if so, please leave a comment :)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I promise that you will love it!

I'm back!! :)

2011-07-24T21:45:00.001-05:00

Wow! It has been a LONG time since I last posted and I am so glad to be back! I was blessed to take a BEAUTIFUL trip to Puerto Rico....mi isla bonita!! I love everything about Puerto Rico- the beaches, the rainforest, Old San Juan, the food, the music and the people that make my beautiful island a tropical paradise!

We had a wonderful week! I am so glad to have had the opportunity to take this vacation with my daughter, mom and baby sister. I hope to go back very, very soon....until then, the memories are going to carry me through many long Fall and Winter school days in Texas.

I have lots and lots to blog about....including my new blog design!! I {LOVE} it so much and have to give a HUGE

thanks to

Tammy Lee at

for an amazingly generous giveaway and the chance to give Curls and a Smile a FABULOUS makeover!!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

She has a wonderful kindergarten blog and I think you are going to love it...make sure to check it out

(just click on her button)!

This adorable design is from the super talented

who allowed me to pick my design and even installed it for me! Thank you so much Alicia! You did an awesome job and have beautiful designs! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it!!

So, I also have somethinng else to add to my list of harmless addictions:

Office supplies

Pens

Clipart

Fonts

Blogging

and...drum roll please.....PINTEREST!!

I never realized just how much of a visual learner I am until I began blogging. Pinterest is fabulous because I can see everything that I have pinned very quickly and I don't forget all the ideas that I fall in love with as I surf blog posts and websites. The coolest thing about it is that when you log in, it gives you all sorts of suggestions from the friends that I follow. So, I end up with a TON of amazing new resources to check out!

Come follow me

IT IS SO MUCH FUN!!

Check out Michelle's Math in the Middle Linky Party! It is a FAB way to get lots and lots of great suggestions of people to follow and get your started.....happy pinning!!

The Book Whisperer Book Study Chapter 4

2011-07-12T10:15:00.103-05:00

Reading Freedom

"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him."

Richard McKenna

IChapter 4 of The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller is enlightening. It so clearly states truths about what all readers do and how to foster a classroom environment that will develop life long readers. Here are some of the most important points that you will want to take away with you:

Have an honest discussion about the behaviors of a real reader. Have an open conversation about how readers choose books, steal time to read whenever they can to read and know when to abandon a book when it just isn't a good fit.
Create, through open classroom discussion, a reader's bill of rights to validate their habits as readers. Openly share your experiences with abandoning books, skipping pages, rereading and other valuable and key choices as a reader. Ownership of their reading behaviors will validate their choices and open them to a world full of amazing literary opportunity.
Getting students to read must include student choice. Even if we think that the books the students are reading simply, well, are not the best choices. We must let them take ownership of their reading choices and know that some reading is ALWAYS better than no reading at all. Validate their choices and encourage diversity in genres by finding connections to their interests.
Encourage students to have reading plans but remember to meet students where they are. Encouragement and many, many recommendation with help your readers make plans for their future reading by following favorite authors, reading a series or setting goals to read from a list of awarded books. Good readers have an insatiable need to read, and finishing one book generally feeds the need to start a new one. Most students are use to being told what to read but to truly foster the love of reading, the responsibility must shift to the reader.
Set the bar high. Mrs. Miller set the requirement of 40 books per school year with a variety of genres. She wanted to make sure that they read enough to catch the reading bug and by setting the goal a little higher than expected, students knew that they had to read everyday to stay on top of their requirements. Unanticipated challenges fuel the fire to want to expand their knowledge text but there is also added benefits to adapting to certain genres.
Use read alouds to encourage students to branch out into new fields of reading. Exposure is key to growing readers.
Build background for different genres of books and encourage the appropriate common language that reader use when discussing books in depth. Use what students already know about the elements of characterization, plot development and setting to classify books and provide a wide selection of books to meet students interests and needs in each genre.
Encourage and validate any and all reading that your students and your children do independently.
Introduce and use a reader's notebook as a way to facilitate conversation about the reading habits of your students and to monitor growth and progress as a reader. This, paired with individual conferences, will give you insight to their ability to comprehend their reading and where their interests and success lie as they grow into self motivated readers.

I have truly enjoyed reading The Book Whisperer and know that it has added value to my instruction as a reading teacher. I highly recommend and encourage all of you to add this amazing book to your reading plans.

Target Update!!

2011-07-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, I have to say thank you to Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics

for the very generous giveaway!!

I had so much fun in the Dollar Spot with my $15 at Target!!

Here are some of my WONDERFUL finds...

then I went to our local Dollar General and picked up these super cute canisters....

which will be the home of two summer projects!

One of canisters, I will be filling with the craft puffs that I bought at Target and use them as a behavior incentive. I am planning a monster theme, so I was thinking maybe something along the lines of Monster Magic for the label.

The other one will be for the awesome Sight Word Chants from Growing Kinders!

I can't wait to see what I can find on my next Target trip!!

I {heart} Books!

2011-07-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

A linky party ALL ABOUT BOOKS!!

I have always loved reading and adore everything that there is about books! I the thrill of finding a new fabulous books to read is phenomenal and I am driving to let my love of reading rub off on my daughter and my kids at school!

So here are some of my favorites! I can't wait to read the other linkies and add to the long list of books I want to read!!

Childhood Books

Some of my favorite childhood books were Amelia Bedelia, Berenstain Bears and Choose Your Own Adventures books. The best part is to see my child or the kiddos in my class and be able to share with them my own memories of reading those beloved books.

Classroom Favorites

There are too many to count!! I love to read as many books as possible and we are so lucky to have so many talented children's book authors. I love to start the year with some of my favorites such as Officer Buckle and Gloria, Hooway for Wodney Wat and The Monsters from Class 7. There are also several holiday books which are favorites every year, my favorite being Martin's Big Words about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (which I love to pair with The Crayon Box That Could Talk for amazing classroom discussions!)

Read to My Own Beautiful Child

I will read any book that she asks. There is the understanding that reading is important and valued and I made sure that this was instilled in her from a very early age. I read to her from the first day she was born (in the hospital) and playtime always included book time. She also knows that I will probably say no to a new toy but I will ALWAYS say yes to a new book :)

Professional Favorites

These are books that you will most definitely find on my bookshelf for quick reference:

Anything by Debbie Diller

Strategies That Work

Daily 5

Cafe Book

Continum of Literacy Learning by Fountas and Pinnell

501 Spanish Words for Teachers

Guilty Pleasures

Anything that I can get my hand on! I am huge about reading a book before watching the movie. Right now, I am reading Water for Elephants and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. But I must say, getting a chance to read a good professional book is on this list too!

Check out

and join in on the linky party!

I know that my list of books is about to get very, very long!

Classroom Helpers and Jobs for Everyone

2011-07-07T11:04:00.002-05:00

Classroom jobs are essential to fostering a cooperative classroom environment. The students take ownership of their classroom and it become accountable to each other for their contribution to the class. In my classroom there are several ways to participate and lend a helping hand.

At the beginning of the year, I go to the teacher supply store and purchase several sets of small note cards. I place them on binder rings and then place those on a hook with the heading of the job. Each ring has a note card with each students name on a label (much easier than writing out each set of cards). At calendar time, I flip the note cards and assign the jobs accordingly. This system has worked out well because the children generally have a job everyday and the kiddos feel that it is fair.

Our Classroom Jobs

Line leader-first person in line

Door holder-second person in line

Caboose-last in line

Lunch Kit Monitor- carries the lunch kits to lunch and recess)

Station Manager -help students that aren't sure what to do during literacy stations/change the station chart at rotation time

Hand Sanitizer Monitor- Gives everyone a squirt before snack and lunch

Teacher Helper (2 students)- helps pass out papers/pick up papers

Calendar Manager- Makes sure that calendar is ready for the day

Pencil Sharpener- Makes sure that their are several sharp pencils for our class

Homework Helper- Checks to see if everyone has their homework and books

Hoovers- Help keep the classroom clean and tidy

Chair Checker- Stacks and unstacks chairs for their classmates

I am also planning to add Zoo Keeper to my long list of jobs so that all my reading buddies can make their way back to their home in our classroom library (Thanks Mel!)

As I have been getting ready for next year, I have come across some really great ideas! This classroom jobs chart was too cute not to share!

{Source http://learningenglish-esl.blogspot.com}

Drop by

to joi in on the linky fun!! Thanks Mel!

Top 10 Things About Me

2011-07-06T12:56:00.000-05:00

I love a good linky party and had to join in on the Top Ten List at Go Fourth! With Mrs. Owens . So, here is a little about me:

Top Ten Things to Know About Ms. Morgart

1. I experienced love at first sight when I saw my beautiful daughter for the first time.

My greatest reward in life is being her mother.

2.I have the most wonderful, supportive, amazing family ever!!

3. I have the sweetest 10 year old puppy in the world!

4. I have been working with children for 16 years. I am 34 and began teaching pre-k in college.

5. I love cooking homemade Puerto Rican food.

6. I am an avid reader.

7. I have natural curly hair (which I have learned to love the older that I get)

8. I love coffee and diet coke....I will have one or the other at all times ;)

9. I love my ipod, kindle, laptop....anything that has to do with technology.

10. I am addicted to fonts, clip art and blogging!

So much fun! Make sure to stop by and/ or become a follower! I will be posting a couple of updates that I think that you will enjoy! :)

A Special Request....New Behavior Chart

2011-07-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

I received a special request to add an orange level to the behavior chart that I posted about a few months ago....and I am happy to help! The original is still posted here but if you would like the new and improved behavior chart, just click on the picture below.

My sweet friend, and AMAZING first year teacher, Alyce will be sharing some pictures with me of a wonderful adaptation of this color chart. It is a portable version that can be shared amongst several people on a team. We are departmentalizing in the primary grades and so need to be able to share how are kiddos are doing in class and I think she did an awesome job! Here is a sneak peek......

She is fabulous and will be sharing pictures with us of how she made this ADORABLE clip board!

Happy Fourth of July...(and a freebie for spelling)

2011-07-04T15:31:00.004-05:00

Happy 4th of July to everyone of my sweet friends out in the blogging word! I hope that you are having a fabulous time celebrating with food, friends and family!

As a true bloggie, I just couldn't help myself to want to join in on the linky party at Teaching Blog Addict! There are some fabulous ideas and I wanted to share my version of rainbow words. Now, I have been using this for the last couple years but now that I am going to second grade, I will have to tweak these a little (our second graders start with 15 words and develop to twenty words towards the end of the year). This is meant to be copied front to back and can be used on any spelling list you may have :)

If you haven't heard of rainbow words, the kiddos just love them! I have come to learn that crayons or colored pencils work best. The kiddos write each word (with a color of their choice) and then continue to trace over it with the other colors chosen. So when they are done, their words kinda do like a rainbow! It makes spelling practice fun, colorful and independent......gotta love it!

Rainbow Spelling Words

Some of my favorite books for the Fall

2011-07-02T22:33:00.008-05:00

I absolutely love a good read aloud! I have some books that I love to read every year, the tried-and-true read alouds that the kiddos just love! Here are a few of my favorites for the beginning of the year:

Great for teaching about rules and laws

Because don't we all feel this way on the first day of school?

The cutest little mouse with the most beautiful and unique name.

You will absolutely fall in love with this little guy!

A sweet book about compassion and kindeness.
(Click here to read more about how I use this with my students)

Wonderful book for teaching about following directions (this is also part of a series that is too cute for words!)

And this year, this little book will be even more special because it will fit right in with our classroom theme (not to mention one of my all time fave books! I read this one often because sometimes little ones need reminders.)

I am also planning to bring in the use of the Not-So-Scary Monster Series in a variety of lessons throughout the first few weeks of school.

Are they not the cutest little monsters EVER?!? These are just a few....

So, what are you reading? I would love to add to my never-long-enough list of books! :)

Organizing First Day of School Supplies

2011-07-01T15:50:00.005-05:00

The first day of school can be quite the whirlwind! The best way to survive to tell about that first day each year is to follow the Girl Scout motto and "always be prepared."

A system that as always worked really well for me is the use of clear containers that have lids.

I have one container for each type of supply that I plan to collect and each container is labeled. I line these containers along the front wall of my room. I encourage the students to beginning bringing their supplies to Meet the Teacher (before school begins) so as to try to control some of the craziness that comes with the first day of school. When they arrive, the students and parents are greeted with directions for helping me with supplies. As they eagerly go through their backpacks and shopping bags, they mark what they have brought to school on their check- in list and then begin sorting the supplies in the bins that I have placed at the front of the room.

It really is that easy :)

When I am ready to leave that afternoon, I put the lids on the containers and place them in the closet with the labels facing out so that I can see them and file their check- in lists. Now, my closet and their supplies are organized and ready. I also know who has brought their supplies, still have supplies missing, and who might need a little help getting all their supplies before school beginnings.

On the first day of school, I take the containers and repeat the same procedure, except now the kiddos help me out. It has helped me every year and not only does it allow parents and students interact and become more comfortable in the classroom, but when the day is done, my supplies and my closets are organized. We are ready to start the year!!

Here are the updated and cute-i-fied labels and check list just for you! If you would like for me to send you a word document of the checklist, just let me know and I will send it to you ....just in case you need to tweak it a bit :)

Really Good Stuff....

2011-07-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello!

I just wanted to let you know that voting has opened and you can now vote for your favorite teaching blog!! All you need to do is click on the badge below. You will need to vote for a blog in each one of the categories and include an email before your vote will register with the site.

Curls and a Smile is listed (along with soooooo many other wonderful blogs) and so is Teaching Blog Addict (under specialty blogs). I would really, really appreciate your vote as your favorite k-2 blog!

Building a Caring Classroom

2011-06-30T19:27:00.001-05:00

I {heart} bucket fillers!

Teaching compassion and caring to little ones is so much fun (and very effective) when using this sweet and very clever book. If you haven't read the book, it tells all about how everyone has an invisible bucket that needs to be filled. When we do kind and compassionate things for others, we fill their "bucket" and share happiness with those who's lives we have touched. But, if we are uncaring, mean or inconsiderate of others and their feelings, we become bucket dippers. Bucket dippers take the happiness and joy from other people, and in turn, also take from their own buckets as well.

In my classroom, my firsties did a great job using our buckets to remind each other to be thoughtful and kind to one another. I used a bulletin board and library pockets for each one of my kiddos. Each library pocket had a label with the students name and a picture of that super cute little bucket with the rainbow- colored hearts and stars pouring into it. I had an envelope with notes for them to write special words to their friends. Those notes were used to "fill" their classmates buckets (and mine too)!

We checked our notes on Fridays (while I was passing out our take home folders). It was a great way to end a week!

I plan to do this again but haven't quite decided how I want to display them. The buckets are so darling and the kids would just love their buckets. I was also thinking it might be kinda nice to have them in different places in the room as visual reminders to all the students.

Here are some great links that will help you on your way to a fabulous bucket filling classroom:

Bucket Fillers 101

My Fun Teacher

Mrs. Dillard

Kleinspiration

What the Teacher Wants

First Grade Parade

Check out the First Grade Brain and her linky party for more fabulous ideas!

Helping Struggling Readers Through Intensive Reading Groups

2011-06-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

^{- Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"}

I couldn't agree more and is a thought behind much of what I do in my classroom and reading instruction. My guided reading groups are fluid and flexible. Most of the time, I organize my groups using reading levels but also meet with groups based on their need to work on a specific strategy, technique, concept or genre of text. I also find opportunities throughout the day (early morning, during independent practice) to meet with students and address individual needs.

While I am meeting with reading groups, my students go to literacy stations. My work stations are modeled using the Debbie Diller literacy workstations. I tweaked it just a bit to include the 5 components of Daily 5. My students enjoy their stations and each has educational value and the Daily 5 added a little more structure, organization and purpose to stations that I had in place already. I began reading about the Daily 5 last summer and wanted to see how it might fit in my classroom. It is a work in progress, so to speak.

As students are working through their station rotation, I am calling my groups and working with each of them. During this time, I worked with my team to structure the time that aides have with our struggling students. This is what we called IRG or intensive reading groups. The aides completed specific and data driven tasks with a group of students as part of a rotation. The students that are struggling were grouped and put into a separate rotation which was an hour long (the duration of my reading group time).

The groups meet with 2 aides, the reading facilitator and their teacher each day for 20 minutes.
This replaced their time in stations allowing for additional direct instruction in a much smaller group.

The students made huge gains. I mean HUGE and many students had two and three level jumps in a 9 week period. I was so excited that all the work that I had done with my team and my administrators to schedule the rotations and work out the kinks had lead us to a very successful intervention!

So much so that we are planning on using this strategy again this year. First and second grade will begin within the first few weeks of school and kinder will follow the second nine weeks. I am so very excited about this success and am just thrilled to see the progress that are students will make with this intervention placed earlier in the year and not just in my grade but in all primary grades.

My goal each day is to give students as many opportunities as possible to interact with text and reading. I utilize every minute that I can during the day. The intensive reading groups definitely speak to that. Reading is a reward in my room, whether it is giving them time to read independently or reading a story of their choice to them. Reading is part of my procedures as well. My students practice sight words and read books when waiting in line for the restroom and are allowed to take books to lunch and recess (as long as they are responsible with their book). I even have the students read when their might be an interruption by someone that needs me at the moment (an aide, admin, another teacher, nurse, etc.)

I am always reading new books and looking for new ways to add to and improve what I do in my classroom (you should see all the books that I am reading right now....a one woman library...ha!).

So.....what do you do? Time to share :)

Target and Their Wonderful Dollar Bins!!

2011-06-30T12:08:00.000-05:00

I have had a great time reading all about the great finds that all the fabulous bloggers that I follow have been posting! There are some seriously hot deals out there and I am planning to go and check it out today!! So, Target here I come!!

What am I hoping to find? Containers, containers, containers! Last year, I went all over town trying to get primary colored bins like the ones at Really Good Stuff. I am hoping to score a few more before school gets started.

I am also hoping to start pulling together my theme for the year. I have been wanting to do a monster theme but am still a little unsure. Our school theme this year will be Training Camp and will have a sports theme. So, I was also possibly considering a sports theme.....or a space theme could be cute too....hmmm...decisions,decisions!!

I'll be updating this post very soon....hopefully I will have tons to share! ;)

Transitions Linky Party at Little Miss Kindergarten

2011-06-29T22:43:00.002-05:00

Transitions can be the trickiest of the day and a clever teacher can definitely use this time to squeeze every last educational moment of the day.

Transitions, especially with the little ones, has to be modeled and practiced. Teaching them exactly what you want for them to do and showing them what it looks like (whether in pictures, acting it out or watching examples and non-examples) are essential to having successful and meaningful transitions. Once students have had several opportunities to practice the procedure is when the real fun begins!

Fun and educational ways to use transitions:

"I am thinking of"....This is a game that I play with my students where I make the statement I am thinking of and give clues to a concept that I am targeting for review. For example, I might say "I am thinking of a word that ends with a ch sound. This is where we go before recess." or " I am thinking of a way to make 6"
Music Wand: When I went to the Debbie Diller Summer Institute last Summer, I was introduced to this little beauty. It is one of my favorite ways to transition and I use it as a subtle reminder to clean up and change station. When it is time for the students to clean up, I chime the wand (slowly) 4 times. When it is time to switch, I chime the wand twice and the students begin their next rotation.
1,2,3 Still Statue: The kiddos really like this one! As we are transition from one activity to another, I call out in a quiet voice..1,2,3 Still Statue! Students pretend to be the most interesting statue in the room (posing in all sorts of silly positions). I give my directions while they are frozen and when I have finished giving my directions, the kiddos unfreeze and make their way to where they need to be for the next lesson.
Word Wall Reading: As students are quietly moving to their destination or waiting for supplies, I start by saying a letter of the alphabet that is found on our word wall and begin reading the word wall words with the students from that point. Sometimes we read to the end of the alphabet and sometimes we find our way back to our starting point.
Power Points and Flip Charts: I have also done this with a PowerPoint and had sight words, our pictures for phonetic patterns, math facts and several reviews of concepts that we have been studying.
Music: My kiddos love to dance! They would move at record pace between lessons whenever the CD or IPod was turned on.They want to make sure to finish up quickly to have lots of time to dance, dance, dance!

I am also bringing in a few new strategies that I think are going to be so much fun for the kiddos.....( and some must sees as well)

Sight Word Chants from Growing Kinders

(Oh my word !! This is soooooo cute and super fun!!)

Line Up Chants from What the Teacher Wants

It's official...I'm a Thistle Girl!!!

2011-06-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

I finally did it!! I have a membership to Thistle Girl Designs and am on my way to getting a reseller's license!! I can't wait to start making super cute projects for you all!!

I have been lacking a little inspiration and I think that I may have just found it!!

I was a little hesitant at first but now I am so excited!!

YAY!!

The Book Whisperer Book Study Chapter One

2011-06-27T10:15:00.001-05:00

"Reading changes your life. Reading unlocks worlds unknown, or forgotten, taking travelers around the world and through time. Reading helps you escape the confines of school and pursue your own education. Through characters- the saints and sinners, real or imagined- reading shows you how to be a better human being"

~Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer (p. 18)

Is this not the most wonderful quote?

I began reading before I began kindergarten. I can't remember a time in m life that books weren't around me or a day that I didn't have a book in my hand. My childhood was full of bedtime stories with my mom and dad, books as rewards for good grades and many, many stops to the library and bookstores. Reading was always very important in my family and my mother was an adult role model that instilled in me the importance and beauty of reading. My mom has always been a ravenous reader and as a child I was in awe of watching her with her huge, 500 page book in her lap and her fascination with what she was reading. I wanted to be like her. She is smart and chooses books that interest her immensely. She taught me that books can take you to other places, help you to understand other points of views, open your mind and educate you. I owe my love of books to her.

My love fair of books continued through my childhood and into my teens. I was very active in band, choir, academic decathlon, National Honor Society and I was captain of the color guard....not to mention, I worked two jobs as well! But no matter how busy I was, I always had a book with me and became gitty when someone asked me about my latest book. I always found time to read.

So, when I became a teacher, I wanted to pass this along to my students. My educational specialty is reading instruction with a minor in English (I am sure that did not surprise you....lol). I had the ambition and the education but even with all of this, it was definitely more difficult than I thought it would be.

I knew how important my mom had been to fostering my love of reading. I remember looking at each of the students that I worked with (I started teaching as a Title 1 reading specialist teacher) and asked myself, who was their reading role model? What was their experience with reading? Is reading something that was treasured in their family? Did they understand the importance and purpose of reading?

The answer: no.

As I read this chapter, it reminded me of something that I use to do with my students. Something that I stopped doing due to the pressure to teach a large amount of content and testing requirements. Something that is crucial to developing readers. I used to read with my students during independent reading time.I didn't read to them or listen to them read like in guided reading groups. I used to read my own personal book. They saw me as a reader of my own not just their teacher that reads to them.

As I began reading The Book Whisperer, I instantly connected to Donalyn and before I had finished chapter one, my view of reading instruction for this new school year changed. I was reminded of something that I have always known worked! As teachers, we always model everything that we want the students to be able to do independently to foster their educational experience....why would reading be any different?

Stay tuned for chapter 2.....

I loved the idea of Beth's wordle so I made one too! It is such a WONDERFUL way to explore main idea/details, elaboration, description, summarizing and a host of other creative ideas....so here is my own wordle for chapter one...

Want to follow this book study? YAY! You can become a follower of my little blog and click on over to Thinking about Teaching to get the schedule, read her fabulous post, and join in the conversation! Feel free to leave comments and insights....I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

The Book Whisperer Linky Party

2011-06-24T19:30:00.001-05:00

I am having a great time reading the book The Book Whisperer! If you haven't had a chance to read it.....you will love it!! You also have plenty of time to start before the book study begins next week :)

Thinking of Teaching was able to score a great interview with Donalyn Miller and is having a linky party to share some of our answers to the same questions that Donalyne answered. It makes for a fun read....

So here are my answers to the questions that were asked ....wait for it......wait for it......ok, here I go!!!

1) What is your favourite book (or series) from childhood?
I loved anything that I could get my hands on! I have always been a huge reader. When I was younger I liked The Bearstien Bears and Amelia Bedelia. As I got older, I enjoyed reading The Babysitters Club and the Choose Your Own Mystery books (I must have tried every combination possible!)

2) What is your favourite book (or series) now?
Now a days, I read just about anything that interests me. Right now, I am reading Water for Elephants for entertainment and several professional books to get ready for the new school year. I have a great big stack of books that are sitting onmy nightstand at all times!

3) What is your opinion of e-readers?
I have a kindle and would REALLY like a Nook Color. I have mixed feelings about the e-readers because although that are super convient, I LOVE BOOKS! I love everything about books- the feel of the book in my hands, dog ears, cute book marks, the feeling of accomplishment when you turn the last page....it adds to the experience of reading!

4) Finish this sentence: "On Sundays I like to..."
Spend time with my family....it is the one day of the week that everyone is home :)

5) Describe yourself in 5 words!

Dedicated, compassionate, Mommy, sister, daughter

6) Hardcover or paperback? Why?

If it is a book that I am dying to read....I'll get it in hardback. Most of the time, I enjoy paperback books because they are easier to hold and are easier to carry in my purse.

7) Coffee or Tea?

If you know me than you know I {heart- a million times} coffee! I can't think of a better pair- coffee and books!

Now, it's your turn! Click on over to Thinking about Teaching to join in and read Donalyn Miller's answers as well!

Wish List Linky Party with Really Roper

2011-06-21T22:49:00.000-05:00

Wish list! I love wish lists! Especially now that I am going to a new grade and a new room. My wishlist is mighty long right now....

This awesome writing station from Really Good Stuff. My kiddos would love this (and so would I)!

and I love these desk plates.....build-your-own! Seriously! You can personalize it to your students needs. So cool!

I am so sad that I had to leave this little beauty behind when I moved to second grade and would LOVE to get another one.....

I am also going to be departmentalized and teaching ELAR (Reading/English Language Arts) so some new stations would be great too....

Word Study Classification Sight Word Puzzles

Reading Response Station

And this would make an AWESOME word wall....

(maybe I can make something like it in my room this year)

I would love to have a great big gift card to Teachers Pay Teachers...my word, there are some amazing products out there!

and while I am wishing......

and maybe some IPods too....

I could go on and on.....and on! Hey a girl can dream, can't she? ;)

Thanks to Really Roper for giving me a chance to have some fun "shopping"!!

Blog Stalking Linky Party

2011-06-21T21:08:00.003-05:00

I started blogging in January and started my blog shortly after. It has changed the way that I teach forever!
There are so many amazing blogs out there and every single blog that I come across has taught me something new. I love them all for so many different reasons!!

If I have a technology question, I go to:

I am loooking at changing the theme in my room so I love to check out:

As for all other things bloggie.....hmmm..... WOW...this is harder than I thought!!

There are so many talented grade level teachers that I just can't pick only a few! But I can give you a few places to look to check out some amazing teachers....

1. Check out my blog roll to see all the fabulous teachers that I am currently following.

2. Go to Teacher Blog Addict and search the amazing list of blogs by grade level!

Happy blog hopping....and make sure to stop by and follow me too! :)

The Book Whisperer Book Study and Giveaway

2011-06-21T10:52:00.000-05:00

I just recieved my copy of The Book Whisperer and have already read through the first two chapters! If you haven't read this book, you will LOVE it! It is a very easy read and if you are a life long reader (like yours truly), you will relate to Donalyn and her search of finding ways to foster the love of reading in her students.

Thinking of Teaching is hosting a book study on The Book Whisperer and is having a kick off giveaway for our book study! Go check it out and enter win a book bag with tons of goodies inside!

Want to join along in the book study? Grab the TBA Book Study button and check out the full schedule of chapters and events for the book study!

I will be hosting chapter 4: Reading Freedom and I can't wait!

Happy Reading!!