December Currently

Been wanting to do this for a while...I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade! for December's Currently linky!

{Listening} Christmas music is my favorite!  I'm listening to the country Christmas music station now.

{Loving} I love everything about this time of year!  The sights, sounds, and smells...I love it all!

{Thinking} I really need to finish my lesson plans!  I've been working on my lesson plans off and on for most of the day, and here it is 5pm and as I look at my lesson plans, it looks like I did more work 'off' of them than 'on' them.  I also have a big observation coming up this week that I need to prepare for!  In NM, we have a new teacher evaluation system that is pretty intense, very rigorous, and in-depth.  I need to make sure I'm ready!

{Wanting} December 20th to get here quick!  That is our last day of school before the Christmas break, and I am so looking forward to it!  My boys don't know it yet, but we are going to Disneyland over the Christmas break!!

{Needing} I seriously need to get into a workout routine...and fast!  My hubby has recently lost 80 pounds, and I need to get my butt in gear!

{Favorite Tradition} I have so many favorite family traditions for this time of year, I had a hard time choosing just one.  Family traditions are so special to me, and now that I have my own family, it's even more special and important that these traditions are continued.  One of my very favorite traditions started in my childhood and still continues today.  Every year on Christmas Eve, our entire family on my mom's side (including grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins...) get together for a big dinner and gift exchange.  It has always been one of my favorite memories, and is now something that my own children look forward to each year.  Here are some of my other favorite traditions:  Black Friday Shopping - Every Friday after Thanksgiving, my mom, sister and I look forward to waking up at the crack of dawn to go shopping together!  Even if we don't have anything in particular that we are shopping for, it's fun just to be together.  After shopping, we meet the dads and kids for breakfast.  The Giving Tree - each year, each of our boys chooses a tag off of one of those giving trees and helps pick out a special gift for a child or elderly person.  Elf on the Shelf - our elf's name is Arthur and we love him and have so much fun with this new tradition!  Christmas Eve PJ's - each year on Christmas Eve, the boys get to open up one present, which is always a new pair of pajamas to wear for Christmas morning.  12 Books of Christmas - every year I wrap up 12 of our favorite Christmas books (along with a few new ones), and number them from 1 to 12.  For the 12 nights before Christmas, the boys open up one book each night, and we snuggle and read it together at bedtime.  Christmas Ornaments - Each year, we purchase an ornament for each of the boys that somehow symbolizes the past year.  We wrap the ornaments and both boys have their own box where the ornaments are collected.  They don't know about the ornaments yet -- the plan is to present them with their box of ornaments for their wedding or other significant occasion when they are older. 

Our Class Promise Poster and Book Set -- FREEBIE!

I have a new freebie for you all, just in time for the new school year!!  It's my "Our Class Promise" Poster and Book Set.  Building classroom community is REALLY important to me, and I feel in order for it to be most effective, it has to be implemented, reinforced, and nurtured right from the beginning.  So at the beginning of each school year, I like to create a class promise with my students, which helps remind us of what we need to do to be a successful community of learners.  We work together to create our promise, and then I post it for everyone to see and we read it together every day.

This set includes some blank posters for you to create your own promise with your students, as well as some pre-printed promises that you can use.  I like to have my students write their name or initials, or even print a thumb or fingerprint at the bottom of the promise.  Also included in this freebie is a "My Class Promise Book," which can be printed for each student.  They can fill in each page with one of the class promises and draw a picture of what it means to them.  Then their book can stay at school and can be read together, or pulled out when needed as a reminder.  They can also be sent home to share with parents. 

Here it is, I hope you enjoy!!

Wish I Had Gone to I Teach K!

I really really really wish I had gone to the National Kindergarten Teacher's Conference this year!  From reading all of the blog posts from other kinder teachers who went, it sounds like it was an amazing learning opportunity...not to mention, tons of fun!  I'm jealous.  Maybe next year...

Back to School Bundle

I just ordered this awesome Back to School Bundle from Educents and I'm so excited to check out all of the goodies inside!!

Welcome!

Hi, and welcome to my blog!!  My name is Jeanette and I'm the mom/teacher behind Little Learner's Playground.  I was introduced to the blogging world about four years ago, and quickly became obsessed and couldn't wait to start a blog of my own!  Since then, I have been sharing stories about my family and precious boys on my own little family blog.  And since then, the teacher in me has been stalking enjoying reading other blogs written by teachers and parents who share amazing stories, resources, ideas, freebies, and so much more!  A goal of mine has been to start my own blog specifically for educators and parents, with the hopes that I can give back and share with others, while continuing to learn and grow from this awesome community of educators and parents!  And here it is...Little Learner's Playground!
Welcome to my blog!  Thanks so much for being here!