Thinking in Primary

For the past couple of years I've been using sign language for the action in my alphabetic code.  It works great and I love the sign language cards that I purchased a few years ago from learning is expensive, except for the fact that they only show the uppercase letter.  So, today I finally made my own.  I plan to print them up and glue them onto blue card stock (consonants) and red card stock (vowels).  I hope somebody can use them!  Thanks for checking them out! Jody Sign Language Cards Pin It

Well, here it is!  It is a total work in progress, of course!  You would think that after nine years I'd have this down!  There are 26 little babies being squeezed into this little room!  So far, it's working! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my room!  Hopefully when I get into the swing of things I'll be back to posting a little more often! Pin It

It’s Teacher Talk Tuesday!  Today is all about advice for new teachers. There is so much great advice out there for new teachers!  Just remember to take it slow and use what works for you.  Always remember why you are doing this job in the first place.  Take the time to enjoy the kids!  The other day I walked into my classroom and found this note slipped under my door.  This kind of stuff makes me love my job every day!  Good luck in your career and I hope you get to feel this loved! Hop on over to Blog Hoppin' to add your own advice or to see all of the great advice from others who have linked up! Pin It

Tell us a little something about you ...I’m Jody and I’ve been teaching kindergarten going on nine years now!   I have (see pictures) a big outrageous blended family!   We live right around the corner from my mom and sisters family.   Nothing is more important to me then my family…even though they sometimes get put on the back burner while I do school work!  This meet the teacher page is part of my back to school activity I do with the kids.  Everybody makes a page to share! You might not know.. .I seem to do everything backwards!  I didn’t get my degree until I was 29 and I met my wonderful husband the same year I started teaching!  What a year that was! What are you looking most forward to this school year?  This was the first year in a long time that I actually had the summer off!   It has been so nice to be able to recuperate from last year.   Now I’m just so excited to meet my new class and try out all the ideas I’ve gathered from the blogging world over the summer! What do

Lately I've noticed that my blogroll isn't updating itself.  I see the same snippet every time I log on.  When I go in and edit, save, and view blog, it will update.  What is happening.  I even tried deleting my blogroll and then adding it back on.  Nothing has worked.  Is anybody else having this problem?  Does anyone know how to fix it?  Please help! Thank you! Jody Pin It

Well I've been working like crazy trying to get my room just right.  It seems that every project that I do needs to be re-done at least twice.  But, it's starting to come together.  I did get a chance to make new math journal labels and writing folder labels.  I hope that somebody can use them!  They fit avery 5163. Thanks for stopping by! Jody Math Journal Labels Writing Folder Labels Pin It

If you liked the Western Themed letters, check out the numbers I just made!  You can get them at my  Teachers Notebook Store! Pin It

It's the Wild, Wild West!  Maybe it's because I watched True Grit last night or maybe all of the Western Themed Classrooms I've seen, but I have a new product! Check out my western themed alphabet at  Teachers Notebook  or  Teachers Pay Teachers ! Thanks for checking it out! Jody Pin It

And the winner is... Amy said... Congratulations!  Let me know which three products you would like! Pin It

Time is running out to enter my giveaway!  A winner will be chosen tonight!  Click below to enter! Thank you! Jody Pin It

Part of me feels like I should be getting my classroom ready, but my 16 year old daughter just got her driver's licence.  All she wants to do is drive, ALONE!  I just can't seem to leave her side, this is so hard! Not only that but I've been working so hard to put together my blending pack.  And it's finally done!  (If you were interested in one of the smaller sets let me know, I had too many product on my Teachers Notebook account).  Anyway, I am hoping to survive my life...aka Crazy Town. Check out my blending pack  here  or  here ! And don't forget to enter my  GIVEAWAY! Thank You! Jody Pin It

Right after I started teaching I took this fabulous Grip K class here in Nevada.  During that Class I learned about creating my own ABC code with my class.  It works fabulously because it gives students ownership of the alphabet in their classroom.  I've made my own alphabet several times with my classes through the years (which is why I have no excuse for such lousy pictures)!  I give the alphabet away at the end of the year and I didn't plan on blogging about, but I think you'll get the idea. Last year I planned on just leaving up these laminated backgrounds and hanging up new pictures each year, but they faded so strike that idea! This is the half done version that my kids did last year!   Click  here  for the directions I'm following this year and for the letter templates that I'm using! This is what they look like when you download them.  Google docs does weird things sometimes! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget about my giveaway! ! Jody Pin I

I've been using WTW to teach blends for the past several years.  I'm not really sure what I'm more addicted to, sorts or pocket charts !  Luckily they work very well together!    Anyway, I felt like I needed more than just the sorts themselves.  I found a lot of great resources for teaching and practicing blends but most of them were too wordy or complicated for my kinders.  So, I made my own and they worked great! They work great for word work activities, daily 5, centers, classwork even homework. I've got three sets posted to my Teachers Notebook and Teachers Pay Teachers store.  You can get them by clicking  here ! What to win these or some of my other items for free?  Click below!

Sorry, the giveaway has ended! I am amazed that I have over 100 followers.  To say thank you I am giving away 3 products from my Teachers Notebook store.  Here is a sample what you could win! One winner will get to choose three of my products.  The winner will be able to choose these or any other products from my store! I will be working on more products through the duration of the giveaway! Here is how you can win: 1. Follow my blog and add Camp Kindergarten to your blogroll (leave a comment that you did)-1 entry 2. Visit my Teacher's Notebook store and add one of my items as your favorite (leave a comment that you did) -1 entry. 3. Download one of my Free items and leave feedback (leave 2 comments that you did)-2 entries. (TpT) 4. Blog about my giveaway (leave 2 comments that you did)-2 entries. 5. Like Camp Kindergarten on Facebook (leave 1 comment that you did)-1 entry. Giveaway Ends on Saturday, August 13th! Good luck  and  Pin It

We all love to shop at Target!  Kleinspiration is having a giveaway!   You can win a $25 Target gift card! Kleinspiration: A Gift for You: $25 Target Gift Card! Pin It

Thank You!  I couldn't believe when I signed on today and saw 102 followers!  Yay!  A giveaway is in the works, but its been a rough day.  So for now, my sale goes through FRIDAY! 20% of my TPT products pluse 10% off Coupon Code (B1T1S) Yay!  Happy Shopping! ; ?>   Pin It

Help support a new blog and win a very fancy necklace/lanyard!   Check out Colorful Teaching! Colorful Teaching: Giveaway :  Pin It

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom pocket chart! Sorry about the picture quality.  I have my beginning of the year stuff at home and there was not an easy way to hang the pocket chart (my classroom feels like 95 degrees right now)! Anyway, I got this idea a few years ago from a fabulous kindergarten teacher.  To make the pocket chart I just attached two white posters together and drew the boarder (If you look closely, it is not the same on both sides, but I'm not changing it now)!  Then I just looked at a picture of a coconut tree and drew one the best I could.  I painted mine with poster paint because I really like the bright colors.  I put the tree in a pocket chart center so kids can practice naming the letters as they climb the coconut tree! Thanks for checking it out! Jody Pin It

Some friends casually mentioned teaching blogs around the middle of this year.  I had no idea what I had been missing!  I was instantly hooked!  Then I started following TBA and I couldn't stop reading.  TBA introduced me to so many other awesome blogs.  Not to mention the name is just perfect...I am a Teaching Blog Addict!  I don't even know how I'm actually going to go back to school! If you haven't already become an addict, you should definitely check them out! Jody

I've been racking my brain about what to do with my tables.  I really wanted to keep it simple AND relate to camping!  I've always used table colors because most kindergarten students come in knowing their colors.  I went back in forth with cute camping trail names, but I didn't feel like it would work for me.  So..... when I went camping (real camping) I picked up these pine cones.  When I got back to town I painted them and attached them to coordinating ribbon.  I think spray paint might have worked better, but tempera paint was FREE at school. I think they will work perfectly! Thanks for checking them out! Jody Pin It