All About...INSECTS!!!

It's research time in first grade and we are going buggy! Yep---the kids and I will be learning all about the wonderful world of BUGS! With the start of a new writing unit brings out new paper choices. I like to provide the kids with different choices so they can apply what they learned about nonfiction conventions in reading when writing. Click here to get a copy of close up paper.

Ruled paper with space for illustrating...



Smooth Transitions

Some wonderful colleagues of mine created these wonderful little transition word posters to help with sentence fluency when retelling and informational writing. You can click here to grab those. If you want them poster size, click the settings key before printing and select the output type that you want.

It's Dr. Seuss Week!

We are all about Dr. Seuss this week! Today we got into the spirit with wearing our crazy socks! Everyday this week we will be all decked out to get ready for Dr. Seuss' big day! I am really lovin' some of the footwear my kids wore today :)


Think I might need those green and blue knee highs!



A little argyle anyone????

Hello Kitty- not too crazy but they sure are cute!

Check out Seussville for some fun activities.





To new beginnings...

     Now that life is settled down a bit and I am getting into a groove as a freshman first grade teacher, I decided starting this little blog would be a great way to reflect on my practice, share ideas, and be inspired by others! And let me tell you since discovering the world of teacher blogs I AM INSPIRED! I cannot believe what I was missing out on all of these years!

I have been in education for 13 years and got my start in the wonderful world of kindergarten and have to give a shout out to all of those extra special people! Kindergarten teachers are born with a little extra sweetness and a whole lot of patience. The last 11 years I taught second grade. I LOVED LOVED LOVED second grade and I am starting to really LOVE LOVE LOVE first. It has been a bit of a learning curve but I am absolutely fascinated at the way the little people are so eager to have access to their world. I am so intrigued about how the beginnings of reading take shape in their brains. Just jaw dropping for me...

So anyway, this blogging thing. My-oh-my has it taken up my evenings! I used to search teacher websites but it never even dawned on me to look at teaching blogs. Now Mr. Topper can't know of my new addiction hobby that is keeping me up late at nights and consuming my evenings while he is fast asleep ;) It's not that bad...not yet anyway :)

So there it is-my first official blog post. To new beginnings!

Mrs. Nietopski