Crusade For Safety 2014

I can't believe it's that time of the year again. This my third annual Crusade For Safety. Tomorrow is the 15 year anniversary since my life changed forever. I can't even believe it. 

Share this image and use the hashtag #crusadeforsafety

Driving safely is something so close to my heart and yet I've slipped up as a driver before. I've taken my eye off the road, looked at my phone, changed the radio, or talked to a passenger. I do this virtual "Crusade For Safety" to remind us ALL {even myself} to drive safely. I know better. I've lived it. I see it every day when I look in the mirror. My story is one that seems like it happened to someone else. For years, 14 in fact, I never remembered a single part of my accident. Only bits and pieces. It wasn't until last fall that I started to remember parts of it. I always *wanted* to remember, but now that I do, I wish I hadn't. Funny how life works that way. 

This is a very special time of the year for me, especially this year.   Two years ago I shared with you all a piece of my heart. A story that is so close to me that it's pretty much the reason I am the way I am today.

I became a teacher because of a few teachers who went above and beyond after my wreck. I became a saved christian because one in particular brought a bible to my hospital bedside. She told me that the scars that I was so upset over, didn't matter. That Jesus loved me unconditionally and would always be there for me. These wonderful people helped shape and mold me into the person I am today. During such a difficult time, these teachers helped me out when they didn't have to. I was out of school so much, they could have easily turned the other cheek. 

I wanted to share a few stats with you to encourage you to analyze how distracted you are when driving. If you have teenage drivers, please read my story. I encourage you to think about the ground rules for your teenagers. Consider having a rule about limiting so many passengers in the car. 

{Image Credit: distractu}

Please, friends, remember.....

Jimmy, I miss you every single day. It saddens me that you missed the opportunity to grow old, get married and have children. I know if you were here today, you would be one amazing man!Rest easy my sweet friend, I will share this message until the day I die <3 p="">

More Back To School

Hey friends! I'm in full classroom setup swing! I  have only had three days in my room and feel progress and overwhelmed at the same time. My sweet colleague sent me a ton of books that were labeled and ready to go! So I've spent some time merging my existing library books into the system she created. It's a sticker system where each book has a sticker that matches the book basket. I am so excited about it and will post pictures and more about it once I'm all finished.

I haven't even glued the labels yet. You can check out the labels right here.

Classroom Library Labels

Something else I'm super excited about is the implementation of interactive notebooks. Here's a look at how we've implemented them in the past. 

I have two interactive notebooks I use.  I typically cut out the header pieces for the students at the beginning of the year, but I want them to cut and sort the words on their own. 

The first notebook includes skills over 20 activities working on sight words, blends, rhyming words, long and short vowel words and much more :)


Interactive notebooks give students a chance to practice on those important reading strategies while being engaged at the same time. Student engagement is the key to students successfully learning a concept.

Interactive Notebook

The kiddos LOVED the blend activity. You can differentiate it so easily by having the students write sentences under the flap or they could draw another picture. 

This is the story element activity. 

This is a noun and verb word sort. 

This is my mess I need to get finished up :) Still so much to do and so little time!!! This is me pretending not to freak out :) 

Who Monday

Hey friends! I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin for a little post about ME :) 

My name is Ashley Benoit and I'm heading into my 6th year of teaching! I've been married to the love of my life for 9 1/2 years! He's in the Navy! IYAOYAS!  I'm a Jesus lovin'  country gal who enjoys just about anything that's outside!!! 

I met my  husband when I was at the old, old age of 19!! We got married when I was 20, and have been married for 9 1/2 years! 

Mike and I have a lot in common but we have a lot of opposites, too. For example, I'm in *love* with anything that comes from APPLE. iMac, iPhone, iPad, iPod..so we had to visit the Apple store the other day. I was just browsing waiting for my MacBook Pro to get fixed...five minutes later, Mike takes the kiddos and is like "we are just going to go walk around"....I'm like okay, have fun!  He comes back with a Brighton box and a Pandora box! I was like "Ohhh I love how you walk around the mall". Haha. Seriously, I'm a super lucky lady. This man is simply ahhh mmmaaazing.  

My little sister is my very best friend! I love her so much! She's complete opposite of me in a lot of ways. She's super quiet and witty. I'm not witty--at all--like you tell me a joke, and *maybe* three days later, I'll understand it!  She's super smart and so talented! 

My older brother! He's in the ahem... "CHAIR" Force..AKA Air Force :) Love you, Chaddy! 

My "little" brother :) He's a fireman, just like Daddy was!

I just recently did my first 5K! It was SO MUCH FUN! If you haven't tried a Color Run, I encourage you to do so! I was super happy with my time, because I run on flat land. This race was in Asheville, NC...in the middle of the MOUNTAINS!

My Aunt, Cousin and I--AFTER the race!

Q: What’s your favorite resource that you’ve created in your TPT shop?

I would have to say my Printable Books! 
i'm addicted my classroom library! These little books make a great way to introduce new skills

 Money Printable Book

I'm kinda of that girl that ALWAYS has something going on..let's see..Mom, Wife, Teacher, Blogger, Gym, Little League, andI also sell skinny wraps and my life saver supplement of greens! Check it out here:)

Bright Ideas Printing Tips

Hey friends! I'm linking up with the Bright Ideas Blog Hop!

One thing I *love* about blogging is that we all have different ideas and ways to do things, blogs make it so easy to use collaboration! Some of my best friends exist in the virtual world! I can find an idea about how to do just about anything in blog land! Right now, I'm on this economic kick. I realize HOW much money I spend on school and I'm trying to cut back a tad. 

I don't know about your school, but at my new school, colored ink is like liquid gold! I was 

so blessed in TX to pretty much have all the ink I wanted! Now, I do not get it at all~~!!! 

So I tried a few things today to help out with my ink issue. I guess I didn't realize how lucky I was and became kinda of *ink spoiled*!!! 

So here are a few things I tried...

First..I am scaling down my cover pages. I am printing them at 60% instead of 100%. To do this, just go to settings, and print options, click on "Scale"...change it from 100% to whatever percent you wish.

 The page is printed at a smaller scale. Since it's just the cover page that's mainly used for storing the game, it's not that big of a difference. I do this with ALL of my cover pages!

Pretty easy right? 

Another option is I print in black and white on bright, colored paper!  This still makes the activity colorful without using tons of ink. In my classroom, I do not do one more than the other. Meaning I have a balance of B & W on colored paper  and colored games and activities. It helps keep the kids from getting bored with one format :) 

Thanks for stopping by on this Bright Idea Blog Hop! I'd love it if you joined me over at TpT and Facebook!!

For more  Bright Ideas, browse through over 100 different bloggers!!! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Meet The Teacher

Hey friends! I'm linking up with my sweet friend Stephanie from Falling into First for a Meet the Teacher Blogger bit :)

My name is Ashley Benoit and I'm heading into my 6th year of teaching! I've been married to the love of my life for 9 1/2 years! He's in the Navy! IYAOYAS!  I'm a Jesus lovin'  country gal who enjoys just about anything that's outside!!! 

I met my  husband when I was at the old, old age of 19!!

My little sister is my very best friend! I love her so much! She's complete opposite of me in a lot of ways. She's super quiet and witty. I'm not witty--at all--like you tell me a joke, and *maybe* three days later, I'll understand it! 

*Question and Answer Time*

Q: These are a few of my favorite things…

Sonic Unsweet Tea, Sonic Cherry Limeades, Starbucks Green Tea Lemonade---see a pattern here ;) 

Q: If you weren’t a teacher, what would you want to be?

I would want to be some sort of advocate for safe driving or doing something that promotes safe driving. You can read about that here

Q: Three little words that describe you.

Talkative, Joyful, Caring

Q: Finish this sentence, “___________________, said no teacher EVER!!”

I HATE SUMMER  (haha)

Q: It’s your birthday and you can invite anyone {dead or alive} to the party. Who are you inviting?

Dude, that's deep! I have to say all of my loved ones that have went to be with sweet Jesus, Jase Robertson (So he can realize that he is really my husband's twin), George Strait so he can sing to me, Walt Disney, just because, he's Walt Disney---oh AND MY FAMILY OF COURSE :) 

Q: If someone wrote a book about your life, what would be the title?

I have no idea

Q: You get to pick one superpower. What is it?

Time travel! Duh!

Q: What’s your favorite quote or saying?

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15

Q: If you HAD to sing one song on American Idol, what would it be?

Anyone that knows me understands that I can never just pick *one* favorite song..but I'd have to go with "Carrying Your Love With Me" By GEORGE STRAIT

Q: Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Just depends on my mood!


Q: What’s your favorite resource that you’ve created in your TPT shop?

I would have to say my Printable Books! 
i'm addicted my classroom library! These little books make a great way to introduce new skills

 Money Printable Book

Q: Share something we might not know about you!  

I also sell skinny wraps and my life saver supplement of greens! Check it out here:)

Head over to Falling Into First for the rest of the fun!