2014 has really been something

Well 2014 has come and gone so quickly I have hardly had time to reflect. It has been a year of ups and downs. I would say that the best way to describe this year would be that it has been a learning year. I have learned a lot about teaching, a lot about others, a lot about the world and a lot about myself! 

I would say my lowest point this year has been a heart break. Sometimes my love life is not the best and this year happened to be a year where I felt it was great, but sadly it was a bit of a bust. I am really hoping that this year will be a better year and maybe I will be able to find real love.

This year has been filled with so many highs I am not sure I can even mention them all! But I will try!

• I went to Florida- This year I was able to go Florida with my babysitting family. They are such a blessing and I honestly couldn't have had a better trip. There is nothing better than spending time with the people you love on a beautiful beach.

• I went to Chicago- This is something that I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember! It was such a great trip with my Mom, Dad and little sister! While I was sick the whole time, this is one of my favorite family trips ever and I really just can not wait to go back!!
• I Graduated!! -  Now this is HUGE!! After 4 and a half long years in college I have finally graduated and hopefully I will have my very own classroom come this fall! The thought of it gives me goose bumps! I am so lucky that I will be doing my favorite thing in the world. I am so glad that I can say that I am a teacher!

• I passed two of my five licensing test
• I read some amazing books- This year I read some books that I absolutely loved. I think my favorites have been…

• Gone Girl: I know that this has been out for a while but I just read it this year and I loved it. I think that this is a book that will really stick with me for awhile.

• Not That Kind Of Girl: I love Lena and this book really had some great words of wisdom. I would say that this is just one of the books that I really needed this year!

• We Were Liars: I had absolutely no idea that I would love this book as much as I did! I am so glad I read this. I think that this I by far the book that I have recommended the most!

• Eleanor and Park- I will tell you that I am wild about this book. I blogged about it early in year and I am just love love love the love story.

• The Princess in Black: I think that this is possibly my favorite kids book of the year! I love a princess and some girl power!!

• I spent time with my family and that is the greatest gift of all. I am so lucky to have these amazing people and I could not be more thankful to have them in my life.

I am looking so forward to what 2015 has to offer I have some major goals set and I am so pumped to start this year. Its going to be an adventure and a dream come true! Thanks for reading my blog and I can not wait to share my 2015 adventure with you!

Happy 2015!!

Ms. Cara

Mini Book Haul

      Four books does not really count as a haul, but it seems pretty fun to me. Today after a very very long day my friends and I went to Barns and Nobel. Now I don’t know if I have said this much, but I love that stinking place. I also love that the receipt gives you suggestions on what to read next! What a great thing for a book store to do! 

Today I got four new fun books.  I got…

The I Love You Book

by Todd Parr

I am slowly, but surely falling in love with this guy. A few months ago you may remember I read The Thankful Book and adored every word. This is very similar I think it is perfect for all new moms out there. It is the perfect story to let someone know you will love them no matter what. I have recently been a little on the down side and today I just needed to be told I am loved and this book was able to really give that to me.

The Valentine Surprise

by Connie Demas

I just bought this because the cover is cute and I love Valentine books, but once I sat and read it I really loved it. The little girl wants so much to make he mom the perfect Valentine. She cuts and tries every day and winds up with seven very different hearts. She is so sad because she cant make a perfect heart. Her mother loves it just the way it is. Such a sweet sweet story.

Mini Myths

Be Patient Pandora and Play Nice Hercules

By Joan Holub and Leslie Patricelli

I just wrote the other day about my love for babyLit books. Today I found these Mini Myth board books. They tell silly little stories that have elements of the greek myth and then in the back they sharethe real Greek myth in kid terms! How awesome is that?

Do you ever have book hauls? I would love to know what you have been excited about reading lately!

Keep Learning, 

Ms. Cara

Exciting Stuff

Well I didn’t do all 25 days of bookmas, but I am still proud of all I did. I do hope that I was able to share some new classics with you. I love a good holiday book and i have already orders some new Valentines Day books for the fun heart filled Holiday!

On Monday I start teaching a kids college program for a local college. I am teaching a readers theater class. for grades K-2nd we are going to do simple Piggie and Elephant plays. For 3rd- 5th we will be looking at fairy tale fun.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elephant-and-Piggie-Pack-Supports-the-Common-Core-257468

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Fairy-Tale-Fun-514649

        In both classes we are gong to learn what a play is made of looking at setting, character, and subjects. The students will learn about character traits and how to make props for their plays. I drew these fun posters to work on Character Traits. 

I am so excited for this! Check out my instagram (mscarafarmer) for pictures of the fun day!

Keep Learning,

Ms. Cara

I love Babylit

I will be honest I love a good board book.  I have several in  my fun little collection. I have all of the Llama Llama board books, as well as, that silly Pigeon. I also recently bought all of the Cat the Cat board books for a friend that started teaching preschool. I think that these are just a fun way to introduce a love of reading to kids and show them how to love books. I have recently fallen in love with the baby lit series. This series looks at classic literature and turns it into short simple books that intoduce the characters through color, numbers or words. 

In honor of it being Christmas time I want to talk about A Christmas Carol. This particular book is a color Primer. This book introduces different characters such as the ghost of christmas past and tiny Tim. The introductions are done buy picking one thing on the character and labeling it through color. For example, they say one red scarf for tiny Tim. 

Also though out the book there are quotes from the actual book! I love these books and can not wait to add more to my collection. Have your read any of these stories? What do you think of them?

Happy Holidays!

Ms. Farmer

PS. Here is the web site for BabyLit .

 It is fun and has a lot of information on it

 if you are interested in looking.

     I know that I am doing the 25 days of Bookmas, but I have taken a weekend off and I will share three books Monday! I am enjoying finally having a few moments to relax and it is truly wonderful!

Silly old Bear!

I love the Bear series by Karma Wilson. They are so simple but they have such great little morals and lessons. In Bear Stays Up for Christmas, Bears friend want to help him stay up so he can enjoy Christmas. This not easy for a bear during hibernation. I love the whole idea of this. Little kids are always wanting to stay up for christmas. I love that it shows all of the traditions that the animals have to get ready for christmas.

This would be something that would be fun for introducing the idea of family tradition. I have talked about this a lot and I would love to see how this sparks their ideas.

Happy Holidays,

Ms. Cara

I love a good Arctic book!

      I know that many grades have an arctic animals unit. I think that this is such a fun thing. I love when we do animal units with my students. I didn’t remember how much I loved learning about animals until I started teaching nonfiction to my firsties and we read so many animal books. 

Today I want to talk about a new National Geographic nonfiction that I read. Nat Geo has a small series called “Exploring my big world” There are only four books in the series. I have three of them and so far I love them. This time I read Snow Leopards. This is so fun. it is in  nonfiction told through a small story. it gives all the facts and details, but in a fun narrative that makes the facts a little more exciting. I really hope that more books come out soon.

Yesterday I went to the Scholastic warehouse sale. I got so many great nonfiction books. I will be sharing them with you all after christmas but heres a sneak peak!

Happy Holidays!

Ms. Cara

Oh Harold

     Something that I really love about your students is their imagination and how they use it to grow. I look at them and I am truly amazed at the things that they are thinking up in their heads. Few Characters have done this as well as Harold who uses his purple crayon to illustrate his dreams. 

In Harold at the North Pole, his imagination couldn't be bigger. This is a great companion to all of the other classic Harold books. He visits the north pole and beings as many of a child’s christmas fantasies to life as possible.  

I believe that this would be a wonderful story to read on christmas eve. Nothing is more powerful than a child’s imagination. 

Happy Holidays,

Ms. Cara

tutoring fun

      I love all my tutoring girls and I love making fun activities for us to do. Right now I have really loved making the kids little laminated books that they answer questions in after reading short “I can read” books.

This week made to booklets for The Snowman and Snow. The Snowman is about a boy that builds a snow man and he comes to life at night. When I worked preschool I was able to see a movie of this and I always thought it was so mesmerizing. The pictures are gorgeous and I just really loved that. This is a simple fun story that really shows the power of imagination. It is also good for looking at the steps that lead to making a snowman. It would be good for writing a piece that uses the words first, then, next, and last. 

Snow is a simple nonfiction story. It looks at what snow in and how it changes from the beginning of winter to the beginning of spring. 

How do you look at your students comprehension? Would you be willing to try these fun little books?

Happy Holidays,

Ms. Cara

Jan Brett The mistress of Christmas

     I missed yesterday because my family was busy celebrating my graduation from college! I am so close to having my classroom and my very own group of kiddos. I am so lucky to have a wonderful family that is so so beyond supportive. My mom knows that I am crazy in love with apples and got me the most perfect necklace for my graduation!

I like to think I have a tradition of always getting Tiffany's for graduation. 

I never post pictures of myself but my sister did my make up and she did a great job of making me feel so confident and beautiful!

This is what was in my Tiffany's box! It is a gorgeous apple. I am so in love with it!

My little tutor  girl got this for me and I love so much! I have always wanted a teacher ornament for myself!

Since I missed yesterday I am going to do a Jan Brett double feature. It seems to me that Christmas is a little less whimsical when she is not around. I recently read The Animal’s Santa and Home for Christmas. To begin I just want to say that I love love love how she draws. The pictures tell a story of their own.. I love how the little elf's look mischievous and the animals faces show all of their emotion.

In Home for Christmas ,Jan writes of a little elf’s adventures and all of the trouble that he gets in. I read this past year to one of the boys that I babysit and he loved it. Elf's seem like such magical creature especially at the this time of year.

In The Animal’s Santa, a group of animals learn that you don't have to see to believe. It follows two rabbits, the older brother wants his little brother to know the magic of Christmas. In the end the little bunny learns who the Animals Santa is and everyone is so happy. 

I love using all of Jan Brett’s books to work on making predictions. The picture help with those students who struggle with read and the books are written beautifully so that both children and adults can join it.

What do you love about Jan Brett? Are you all ready for the last week before Christmas break?

Happy Holidays,

Ms. Cara

WINTER IS FOR SNOW!!

I know that this isn’t your normal little christmas book in fact I would say it is more of a winter book if we are being honest. Lately, I have been a little sad because it hasn’t snowed for quit some time. I absolutely love love love the snow.  I am always dreaming of a white Christmas.

Yesterday in my big scholastic box I got a book called Winter is for Snow by Robert Neubecker. This isn’t your normal book about how loving snow. It actually give a bit of a debate on why winter is great. The boy loves winter and his sister hates it. He actually spends the whole book convincing her that winter is perfect and that it is of course perfect for snow!

I love this story and I think it would be fun to have this debate in your classroom as well. You can talk about why winter is fun or not. What are fun things to do? This would be a fun activity today the last week before christmas break.

I only have one week left and then its break! I think that the kiddos are for sure ready for a good break!

Happy Holidays!

Ms.Cara 

Santa Cat!

       Today I received a huge red box of Christmas books from scholastic. I love getting that big red box! 

       One of my favorite books that I got was Here Come Christmas Cat! I love this book. I love that the reader is interacting with Cat. I also love that cat is not afraid to admit that he is naughty but he is willing to try and be better. 

I think that this would be a great book to show students that there is always a chance to be better. My little firsties friends have been on the wild side this week. They have seem to think it is already break. We are working on telling them that one bad day doesn't make them all bad and that they can always do better! Cat is the same way. He may have made some mistakes but he also knows how to make it better!

Are you kids being wild? How do you keep them under control during the holidays? 

                             Happy Holidays,

                                         Ms. Cara

Boom biddy Boom Biddy BOOM BOOM BOOM

I must begin by saying I have readers Theater on my mind tonight and I am feeling kind of one the creative side. I also must also say that I have been a fan of Sandra Boynton for years like since I was three. 

     I love the Christmas Parade by Sandra Boynton. To start I love that there is such a rhythm to the book. It feels like you are marching in the parade as you read it! I also love that there is no one main character. The story purely focuses on the joy of christmas and what a fun fun time it is. 

Lately, I have been thinking that putting on a class play would be a very fun thing to do. I think this would be fun because the students could make their own fun props as well as each having a small speaking part. It would be a good way to introduce the idea of plays to children and also  get them to preform in front of the class. I think I am going to work on this idea and start building it in to something special.

Do your students perform plays at any time during the school year? Do you use readers theater in the classroom? After Christmas I will be teaching a class to gifted and talented students on readers theater. I think this will be so much fun and I can not wait to have this great experience!

Happy Holidays!

Ms. Cara

Holiday Drama

      Every Christmas is different in our house and I know it is the same for kids as well. Some years are so magical and flawless and then some years there are times when the holiday drama sets in and things get to just be way way to much!! I know for me things have been crazy this year. In the past month I have graduated college, gotten a new job, and bought countless gifts. Sometimes the whole things just stresses me out, but then I think about what christmas is really about and I think of Llama Llama Holiday Drama. 

Sometimes it takes a kids book to remember that Christmas is not about the presents and its not about  getting the best deals! It is about spending time with all the people that you love. It is about slowing down and being thankful for all that you have. 

Reading with children is a great time to reflect on how lucky you are. I don’t have kids of my own, but I have a lot of children that are very very important in my life. One of my very favorite things is setting with them, no tv, no music, Just us and a book and taking time to read with them. I think that this is the best way to bond. Sometimes when I a reading with the kids I babysit for I find myself being so swept up in the magic of the moment. These small moments are what great memories are made of and what make the holidays so special.

Happy Holidays, 

Ms. Cara

The quiet blessings of Christmas!

       I bought this book as a random gift to myself. I love The Quiet Book. I could not pass a chance to have the Christmas version! This book is called The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood ( She will be appearing again in a couple days. I kinda love her). it looks at some of the sweet things that are so special during the holidays. 

I love the idea of reading this book to preschoolers and having them talk about their favorite quiet Christmas moments. I clearly am really missing my preschool friends today. Today I went and visited my old job and saw so many of my little loves. They will always have such a special spot in my heart!

What are your favorite Christmas moments?

Happy Holidays,

Ms.Cara

The beginning of the year seems to be pretty magical for books!!

       Every few months I go to amazon and look up books for the next few months. I love finding all the exciting new books from all of my favorite writers! I am so in love with some of these new books.

Danger in the Darkest Hour  

Mary Pope Osborn 

January 6

This is a new Magic Tree house series with Jack and Annie! This books will have new more dangerous adventures. The stories will be longer and have more facts! 

Nancy Clancy: Star of Stage and Screen 

Jane O’Conner

February 3

This is the fifth book in the Fancy Nancy chapter book series!

Aqualicious 

Victoria Cann

March 3

I am not a massive fan of this series but I can not resist the mermaid of the cover!

Write Write 

Gail Carson Lavin

December 24

I don’t know a lot about this! I love Gail! I can’t wait to read up on her insight to writing

SPECIAL NOTE: I also want to read Writing Magic! I just ordered it!

The Five of Us 

Quentin Blake

March 3

I have always love his illustrations so I am excited to see his writing style!

Winnie: The Story of the Bear that Inspired Winnie- the -Pooh 

Sally M. Walker

January 20

I love Winnie- the- Pooh so this will be fun to read and learn a little about such a beloved character!

First Snow

Peter McCarty

January 6th

This is written by the man who wrote Henry in love and I just love that book! There characters are just too cute to miss out on!

Echo

Pam Munoz Ryan

February 24

I love Ryan. She writes with such great beauty and her words are truly art!

Hoot Owl Master of Disguise 

Sean Taylor

February 10

I don't know why, but this owl sucks me in I want to see all of the other illustrations.

You and Me

Susan Verde

January 6

I am just in love with the cover!

The Fruits We Eat

Gail Gibbons

January 1

Gail is just a master mind when it comes to to writing nonfiction for children.

It’s Raining!

Gail Gibbons

January 1

Listen, Slowly

Thanhha Lai

February 17

I love her book Inside Out and Back Again. She has such a beautiful way of writing. I can’t wait to read this!

     What books and authors do you love to read? Do your students have books that they love love love to read! I can't wait to share my review of these books with you!

Happy Holidays,

Ms. Cara