Blog Hoppin' Teacher Week: Where is my classroom?

Today is Tuesday! You know what that means...DAY 2 of Blog Hoppin's Teacher Week!  There are some days where I think I spend more time at school than my own apartment!  Living in China has it ups and downs...The expat community is A LOT smaller than the ones I came from back in the States.  Not only do we work together, but we also hang out, go to church, and travel together.  Sometimes I definitely feel like I'm living in a BUBBLE!  But I love it and wouldn't trade my experience for the world.

This year, I kept my theme the same from last year: bright, rainbow colors, and a slight hint of owls and chevron.  I feel so lucky to work with such a SPACIOUS classroom!!!  I think it's every teacher's dream to have a HUGE class with a small student:teacher ratio.  :)

Here's a closer classroom tour...Scroll below!

A Panorama of my room.

Calendar wall

Guided Reading table area and our prayer and praise tree

Blocks center

Writing Center

I'm still working on my Tech center but each ECC classroom has 4 shared iPads and one teacher iPad!!

Dramatic center

Library center

Near the classroom entrance

This is where we do our classroom jobs, behavior chart, how we go to school chart, goodbye chants, and keep our mailboxes at.  Thanks for checking out my classroom!  I just love working in it! 

Don't forget to click below to check out other classrooms around the world! :)

Meet The Teacher: Who am I? Blog Hoppin' Linky Party

I've been waiting for this Blog Hoppin' Linky all month!  So I'm happy to participate on the first link up for Monday:

WHO am I?  Let me tell you 10 facts about me! :)

1.  My name is Andrea Ho.  This will be my 3rd year teaching Kindergarten.  I teach Kindergarten in a big city in CHINA!  Yes, you heard me right, I said China!  This will be my second year teaching overseas and I LOVE it!  I teach in an international school.  I am one of two Kindergarten teachers and this year I have a total of 9 students (lucky me!).

Below is a picture of my school!  I believe the sky background is fake since I've NEVER seen a clear blue sky like that before...

2. I am from the Midwest growing up in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois.  What I miss most about the US?  Other than the greenery and blue skies, I miss all the fast food and chain restaurants.  Chic-fil-a, Chipotle, Panera Bread...The list can go on FOREVER!

    

3.  Other than teaching, I love to dance, listen to music, do yoga, doodle and create art.  Teaching was actually my "fall back" career.  When I was in high school, I wanted to go into interior design or fashion merchandising, plus be a ballerina.

4.  I have been dating my BF, Kevin, for almost 7 years!  Our families call us the "William and Kate of the Midwest".  We met and fell in love in college!

FaceTiming has been the core of our relationship this past year!  Praise The Lord for awesome technology!

5.  I am also one of the eCoaches at my school.  I focus on working with teachers who have shared iPads in their rooms (age 3 year olds to 2nd grade students).  I love collaborating and sharing ideas with fellow teachers on technology integration in the classroom!  I'm still working on my post about my shared iPads in kindergarten, but can't wait to share with you my journey on them!

6.  Family:  My core family lives in the US.  But I have extended family in Hong Kong and Australia.  I love how close I am to my extended family on this side of the pond.  I'm ever so grateful to get to spend more time with them!  It makes up all the important family holidays I missed growing up in the States!

7.  Shoes- I love shopping for shoes!  I was actually kind of depressed when I made the decided to only bring 15 pairs of shoes to China last year.  However, I am so thankful to be a size 6 and can fit in many of the shoes made here!  Anything past size 8 people have a real hard time finding a good pair of shoes.

8.  My favorite kind of work to do at school is decorating bulletin boards and my classroom and hallway!  Here's one of my favorites from last year.

9.  I love traveling!  Just within one year, I've been to 7 new cities within China and 2 countries, plus going back to the US for Christmas! 

10.  Things I love: Coffee, Chai tea, fancy pens esp. Papermate pens, all genres of music, smiles, shopping, summertime, the beach and sun, and creating products for my classroom. :)

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow to check out my classroom!  I CANNOT wait to show you my kindergarten classroom!

 

Click below to see check out the linky party and link up to share WHO you are at Blog Hoppin'!

Currently May

Just 3 days behind on the Farley's monthly Currently fun!
It's finally May!! Only 24 more school days for the kids and 26 work days for me until SUMMER!!!

Listening...Mat Kearney!  (Just realized I wrote his name with 2 T's up above)  I just love the sound of his voice!  Listening to his tunes while planning.

Loving...Did you know this month is my birthday Month?!  This year, it will be my golden birthday--meaning I'm turning 25 on May 25!  :)  I'm just loving the great, spring weather as my birthday is nearing.

Thinking...I've been doing a lot of thinking as my first year in China is coming to an end.  The end of the year is busy, with prepping lessons, and discussing details on Kindergarten Graduation, Sports Day, and other End of the Year stuff.

Wanting...So I've always been a doodler.  I doodle around my notes, my hands, napkins, and now my iPad.  I've been playing around in creating my own clip art since sometimes what I envision in my mind, I can't find anywhere online.  I've always used my fingers to draw and doodle but now I realized my finger cannot replace a steady pencil!!  Will let you know which stylus I end up choosing!

Needing...My school has been doing a soccer league this month.  I love it as it brings our community together but boy are my legs sore!!  I definitely need to do more stretching pre and post our soccer games! Haha

Surprise...Who is in love with Charlotte's Clips clipart?!!  I love how many of her Christian clip art are for free too!!  I love her work! You must check her out on her TpT store and blog!

 

Glad you stopped by to check out my currently! :)  Don't forget to go back to Farley's linky party to check out more bloggers out there!

Bloggers by Country (China)

I just arrived back from my spring break trip from Guilin, China.  As I am checking out my emails, catching up on TONS of blogs, and looking at my own blog, I realized I never added a China blog button letting my readers know of my current status of where I live and teach at.

 

So here is a new blog button I created to start searching for other fellow expats working and living in China, whether they are teaching English, homeschooling, working at an international school, or stay home parent.  I wanted to see if there are many other expats working and living in this great, big country! I also created a new page for easy access for future reference. I would create a linky party but I don't know how to extend it for more than 30 days...anyone know how to do this?

If you are a blogger, living and working in China, I would love to connect with you!  Add this button onto your blog and comment below so I can check you out too!

Global Teacher Connect Contributor

Within a week or two I will be jet setting to China to start my new adventure and I cannot wait to share all of my stories with you.  If you look at the top of my blog, you can see I added a Page called Life In China.  This is where I will link all of my China stories not related to teaching in one spot.

My great news is I am now contributor for Global Teacher Connect.  This is a collaborative blog of teachers around the world that share their stories on how to educate global learners.  Hopefully in the near future I can start posting my thoughts and ideas as I become a global teacher in China. 

One of the best things I found as I blog is meeting so many teachers from the US and across the globe.  It is exciting how everyone can communicate through the web and share stories and ideas with one another.  I am excited to join this particular group because it features teachers who teach outside of the United States.  I am thrilled to join this special group because even though I call the US (particularly Illinois) my home, this year I will be starting my teaching career in CHINA!

This will be an unique experience for me since I will be teaching Kindergarten at an International school.  I can't wait to meet all of my kiddos who come from all walks of life.  Many of my students include Americans, Koreans, Japanese, French, and Canadian.

If you're a blogger from outside the US, I would love to hear from you so I can start following your blog!  I figured I needed to follow more global teachers to learn from you all!

Don't forget to stop by the blog to check out the other global teachers!

PS- I also added a Kindergarten Blogger button on my right sidebar. (It's above the I'm an Illinois Blogger button) Click on it to join other Kindergarten bloggers!  If you don't teach kindergarten you can still click on the button to find your grade level button! :)

Need 3 proofreaders And Showered With Love

I've been asked by a couple first grade teachers to create a First Grade CCSS file folder labels unit.  I finally completed it (it's been on my to-do list for months!) and I need 3 awesome proofreaders that can look for any mistakes in my LA and Math file folder labels for first grade.  I will only choose the first 3 people who comment and leave their emails below!

If you are a Kindergarten teacher, check out my Kindergarten labels that are FREE {here}!

In the past couple of days, I've been showered by love from new blogging teacher friends!  I was nominated for the Liebster Award by 3 ladies-- Meghan @ First Grade Hugs and High Fives, Brittany @ Excelling in Second, and Breanne @ Ms. Third Grade.  All three of these lovely ladies have great ideas, freebies, and products! So I encourage you to check  them out and follow them if you don't already!

I was actually nominated by the same award when I first started my blog in Fall 2011.  On my right sidebar under "Awards" you can find a different Liebster Award button.  You can read my original post and learn even MORE about me {here}.  I feel really blessed other teachers are thinking of me when passing this award!  Even though I'm a "newish" blogger, I feel like I have a lot to learn!  This reward also reminded me to strive to get more followers!  I'm hoping since this is my first year having my own classroom as a Kindergarten teacher, I will be able to blog more about teaching Kinders at an International School in China!

The Liebster Award is for new bloggers with 200 followers or less.
Here are the Rules for the Liebster Award:
1. Link back to the blog that nominated me.
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator.
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them.

Meghan's questions:

1. Why did you become a teacher?

I love working with kids! When I was younger, I always made my little sister and stuffed animals be the students while I was the teacher.  

2. What is your favorite children's book?

Laura Numeroff''s If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

3. Who designed your blog?

The awesome ladies of The Honey Bunch Blog Design.

4. Where is the coolest place you've ever visited?

Hmm, I will have to say Venice, Italy.  I went last summer with my BF and it was just amazing!

5. What is your favorite TV show(s)?

The Bachelor/The Bachelorette (Haha, I'm watching it right now!)

I also like So You Think You Can Dance and Once Upon A Time.

6. Did you have a favorite toy or stuffed animal as a kid?

Yes, a stuffed bear named Mr. Pinky.

7.  Do you have a favorite exercise you do regularly (or not so regularly)?

Zumba and yoga!

8.  What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Mint Chocolate Chip!

9. What is your favorite way to incorporate technology into your teaching?

SmartBoard and Document camera

10. Are you a Mac or PC person?

Mac!
11. What is your favorite sport to play or watch?

Love to watch baseball, soccer, and ice hockey.  I love to play lacrosse and kickball!

Brittany's Questions:

1. What is your favorite way to relax after a long day of teaching?

Watching Netflix or taking a short nap.

2. What is your favorite children's book?

Laura Numeroff's If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
3. What is your favorite time of the year?

Spring!
4. What is your dream vacation? Why?

Going to Africa because I've heard many amazing stories from friends that visited, lived and worked there.  I want to see South Africa, the pyramids, The Nile river, the safari, and teacher friends that work in schools in Africa!
5. Do you have any animals? If so, how many and what kind?

No, I wish I did. I wish I had a cat or dog.
6. What is your favorite t.v. show or movie?

I like The Bachelor/ Bachelorette, So You Think You Can Dance, and Once Upon A Time.
7. Favorite food?

My favorite comfort food is Mac n Cheese!
8. Why did you become a teacher?

I love working with kids! When I was younger, I always made my little sister and stuffed animals be the students while I was the teacher.  9. What is your favorite piece of technology?

Just bought a new iPad and I'm obsessed!10. Do watch/play any sports?

I like to watch baseball, soccer, and ice hockey. I like to play lacrosse, kickball, and swimming.11. Any hobbies?

Blogging, scrapbooking, DANCE (ballet), and playing the ukulele.

Breanne's Questions:

1. When did you decide you wanted to be a teacher?
   I wanted to be a teacher in high school.
2. How long have you been teaching?
   2 years subbing and this is my first year as a kindergarten teacher!
3. What is your favorite lesson to teach every year?
   Writing. I really like to teach the non-fiction text features.
4. If you didn't teach your current grade, what grade would you teach?
   First Grade
5. What is your favorite read aloud?
   The The Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a .... books!
6. What is one of your favorite projects that your students do?
   Making poetry posters.
7. What is one item you couldn't live without?
   Dry shampoo.  It is a lifesaver on oily hair days or when you wake up late!
8. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
   Africa! 
9. What are your other hobbies other than teaching?
   Scrapbooks, blogging, painting, dancing, playing the ukulele (I'm not very good though).
10. Have you read anything lately? If so, what? 
    The Dream Giver by Bruce Willinson
11. What are your plans for the rest of summer?
    Pack, pack, pack!! And visiting as much family and friends in the US before I fly and move to China to teach Kindergarten at an International School. 

11 Fun Facts about ME!!!
1. I have a shoe obsession! I love all kinds too.  So it is going to be hard for me to decide what to bring to China.
2. I am a night owl.
3. I collect snow globes and magnets of all the places I travel.
4. My childhood dream profession was that I wanted to be a ballerina.
5. I broke my left wrist when I was two.
6. I hate thunderstorms.  Don't know why, but they make me anxious!
7. I enjoy driving.  Not going to lie but I have a lead foot!
8. I love trying new hairdos with my hair.
9. I hate doing laundry, especially folding it and putting it away.
10. I am a daddy's girl.
11. I went to Miami University of Ohio (NOT the college in Miami, FL...)

My nominees!
1. Melissa @ Kindergarten Celebration
2. Stacey @ Teaching Ever After
3. Christin @ Shifting Teacher K-2
4. Maggie @ Mrs. Rodriguez's Class
Ok...so I didn't find 5-11 bloggers, it was hard!  So if you don't haven't been nominated for a Liebster award yet, just consider yourself nominated by me!! Please link up and join in the fun! :)

My questions:
1. What's your favorite grade to teach?
2. Sweet or Salty foods?
3. Any advice to give to a new teacher like myself?
4. What was your childhood dream profession?
5. What college did you attend?
6. Favorite place to buy teaching supplies?
7. Favorite holiday?
8. What is your strength as a teacher?
9. What color is your car?
10. Coffee, soda, or tea?
11. What is your guilty pleasure?

Don't forget to link back to me when you post!

Can I Have 3 Cheers For My Blog Makeover?!

Hip Hip Hooray!  Hip Hip Hooray!  Hip Hip Hooray!

Do you like my new look?  I have been smiling non-stop since I got my brand new blog design installed from Honey Bunch Blog Designs.  I seriously feel like I just got a haircut and I can't stop looking in the mirror!  I'm so glad I made the executive decision to choose them in updating my blog look (they are worth the time and money!).  BTW, I almost researched for a year to decide who I wanted for my blog makeover.  My favorite element is my Melonheadz avatar with my signature.  She is so stinkin' cute to look at-- I used to be a ballerina/dancer before I decided to be a teacher.  Also, I love how all of the poms are incorporated in the design! Did you noticed the cute little Instagram button on the right?

I love love LOVE how HBBD can take your ideas and whip it into something great!  If you are looking for a blog makeover, big or small, go to the gals of HBBD.  They are fantastic! Right now they are having a 50% off sale of premade templates (what a steal)!  Go check it out before they are gone!

Kindergarten Common Core File Folder Organization Freebie

Do you teach Kindergarten? Looking for new ways to organize your Common Core materials?  Ashley from Thats So Second Grade wrote a great post on organizing the Common Core standards for her second grade class.  Click here to read her post.

So over spring break I created my own version but for Kindergarten.  Since I know I am still trying to memorize all of the "codes" for the Common Core standards, I thought this was a great idea to organize all of my CCSS material.  You can put in your specific activities and worksheets for each standard so you know EXACTLY what you are teaching when accessing student understanding.  On each folder I have the whole standard printed out as a guide.  Also I color coordinated each subsection for Math and English Language Arts.

These labels are only for Kindergarten.  In the file are labels for file folders, labels for folders, and tabs for each Common Core sub section. Directions on how to do this is attached in the file.  Click the pictures or the respective teacher stores below to get the freebies:

   

Math: TpT   TN

ELA: TpT   TN

This is a great weekend project or after school project! It just takes about 1.5 hours to print, stick, and stack the labels!  Grab this freebie and impress your colleagues on your new super fabulous organized Common Core materials!

Easter Crafts

I know this is very last minute but I wanted to share with you the crafts I will be working on with my Sunday School Preschoolers tomorrow.  The story I am going to go over is when Jesus came to Jerusalem and people praised him and laid palm branches and coats on the ground in front of him.  (Matthew 21:1-11, 15-16; Mark 11:1-10)

Tomorrow on Easter Sunday, I was told I had to teach my class for a whole 2 hours because of the Easter service! I was sadden by this news since I was going to miss Easter service and the baptism.  So because of the extra hour, I needed to come up with more fun activities!

Since my lesson was focusing on Jesus entering Jerusalem, I was going to let the students role play the scene of laying down the palm branches and coats as he rode down the street on a donkey.
Here is the palm branch craft I came up with:

 Very cute right?

Palm Branch Craft:

What you need: green construction paper, scissors, green puffy paint, green glitter, flower tape, pipe cleaners, tape.

Here is a Palm Branch Template for those who want it.  I drew mine by hand.

Steps:

1. Cut the template and add a piper cleaner in the middle of the palm branch.  I used tape because I ran out of elmer's glue at home.  You can use either since this is on the back for a sturdy support.
2. Then use the flower tape to wrap the handle.
3. Cut the diagonal lines.
4. Use the green puffy paint to add lines on the palm branch. (Adults may need to help the younger ones)
5. Put green glitter on the palm branches and shake onto paper plate.
6. Then let it dry!

Jelly Bean Easter Craft

I used Kim Mitzo Thompson's Easter Jelly Bean Craft patterns and revised it for a different project for my preschoolers.  Check out her freebie above to download at the original craft.  Thanks Kim for the inspiration!

What you need: Jelly Bean pattern, crayons/markers, paper plates, scissors, yarn, glue, single hole puncher

Steps:

1. Color the jelly beans and cut them out.
2. Write a bible verse, poem, or whatever you like in the middle of the paper plate. 
3. Glue on each of the jelly beans around the plate.  
4. Punch a hole at the top and add string.
5. Then hang it up!

Have a happy and blessed Easter everyone!

Bloggers by State (Midwest)

While I was blog stalking I stumbled a fun way for teacher bloggers to connect thanks to All That Glitters in First Grade's earlier post this week.  Diane from Fifth in the Middle has an awesome way to network with other bloggers by state! I can't wait to meet new bloggers in my NEW state!!  (I just moved to Illinois from Ohio this past summer)

So if you haven't done it already, link up and find other bloggers from your state!

First Year Bliss Linky

I'm linking up with Michelle from The 3AM Teacher!  She is so awesome and sweet to her followers.  I love her work, especially her clip art.  Michelee's blog is a definite must-see!

My first year blog memory?  I have so many to choose from since this is my very first year of blogging! My blogversary (is this the correct blogging term?) was on October 11, 2011.  I didn't even know that I past the date until today!  Time flies so fast and I can't believe how much I have learned and grown this past year from the blogging and teaching world.

So here are my top memories of my first blogging year:

My first comment ever! I couldn't believe other bloggers were clicking onto MY BLOG to read MY POSTS.  I definitely felt the blogging rush after that moment.  The more comments you leave, the more and more I want to blog and talk with you!

My first freebie.  I was such a newbie, I didn't know what to expect after posting it.  But I received a lot  of sweet comments that made me keep making more.

Winning my first giveaway and starting my own giveaways.  I seriously didn't think I would ever get a shot in winning any giveaway but receiving an email on the prizes I have won instantly puts a smile on my face.

Monthly Currently's!  :)

Deciding to create my own TpT and TN stores!  Best decision ever.  Selling my products to teachers that care and respect my products is an amazing feeling.  Being thanked for the products I make motivates me to create more!!  Who else is addicted to these two wonderful sites?!

Since I'm still looking for my "forever home", I've met many wonderful bloggers who tell me their district or area in their state are looking for teachers  This has helped me with my job search and I am grateful to have blogging friends who think of me since the job market is tough out there!

There are so much more memories of my first blogging year but I tried to sum it up to five BIG ones!  This has be a very blissful year for me and I hope for another blissful year!

Link with The 3AM Teacher to read about more blissful memories!

Tagged and a Freebie!

It's been awhile since I've posted something (things were hectic in the house!).  I've been away from the blogging world and I miss it terribly!!  This week my family and I were putting the house on sale AKA a lot of cleaning and prepping the house.  Anyways, I'm hoping to catch up on all the fun giveaways and blog posts in the next couple of days.  So while, I was cleaning my house non-stop, I was tagged twice.

First blogger was Judy from Teaching Little Apples.
1. Soup or Salad? Soup! I love a good hot soup.  Clam chowder are one of my many favorites.
2. Designer Purse or Designer Shoes? Designer shoes!! I love shoe shopping and dressing up my little size 6s whenever I can.
3. Favorite Music Genre? This is tough because I love all kinds!  RIght now, I'm listening to a lot of Rock and Alternative.
4.Pepsi or Coke..or Neither (explain)? Coke!!!
5.What is the name of the board that you post the most pins on Pinterest? Teaching Tips and Ideas. I'm currently and slowly trying to organize that board into smaller subjects.
6.Righty or Lefty? Righty!
7. Favorite Season? Spring
8. The glass is always...? (half full or half empty) Half full
9. When is your birthday? Don't worry about putting the year! May 25. This is why I love spring because of my b-day!
10. Do you have siblings, if so how many? 1 younger sister named Tiffany.

Second blogger was Jenny from LuckeyFrog's Lilypad.

1. Did you take lessons in anything as a kid? I was fortunate to take a lot of things as a kid. My parents wanted my sister and I to have a well-rounded childhood and learn many skills.  I took piano, swimming, singing lessons (children's choir), dance (all types), flute, golf, art, and horse riding.

2. What is the one book you would recommend to a new teacher? I'm technically a "new teacher" myself but the picture book my 1st graders loved during my student teaching was "The End" by David LaRochelle.

3. Who is your very favorite children's book author or illustrator? This is a hard one but I adore Laura Numeroff's books.

4. If you could only listen to one musical artist/group for the rest of your life, who would it be?  Another toughy!  Today I would choose Jack Johnson.

5. What is your favorite dessert? Ice cream

6. What is your biggest strength as a teacher? I am very flexible and adaptable to change.  I think it's because I'm a big organizing freak and over prepare myself.

7. What is your favorite piece of clothing? Do shoes count?  haha, if not then cardigans. I always layer!

8. What is the last thing you bought? carnations! haha for a science experiment. Check below for the freebie lesson!

9.  If someone gave you $500 for your classroom right now, what would you buy? Well I wish I could buy any classroom with $500. LOL But since I don't have one, I would imagine I would buy BOOKS, lots of picture books for my future classroom library!

10. What is your favorite vacation spot? In the US, it would be Washington, D.C. ( I love museums). Out of the country, it would be Paris (it is beautiful any time and day of the year).

So I am going to be a party pooper and not tag anyone in particular.  If you haven't been tagged yet, considered yourself being tagged by me!  If you don't really like any of the "tagging" blogging games, you can join Traci at Dragonflies in First in her "anti-tagging" Linky Party.  Basically it's for bloggers who have been tagged and don't want to keep up with the tag game.  You can even answer the cute graphic she created.

On another note, if You have stayed with me this far I'm going to share my freebie with you!! HOORAY!

These are the flowers that are slowly turning colors!  It looks the best after 24 hours.  This is what it looks like after 1 hour.

Today, I did a fun science experiment with carnations.  We were learning about plants the last two weeks.    The science experiment shows how plants drink water from the ground through their stems and up.  There are actually two experiments in this unit.  And did I mention it is all free?!  Check it out at my TpT or TN store!!  OR click on the pictures below!

Enjoy my freebie and leave a comment if you downloaded it! I love getting feedback on products I make! :)