Giving thanks...for you...with my first ever GIVEAWAY...

During the beginning of the holiday season, we often reflect what we're thankful for. Truthfully, along with being very grateful to God for good health, my wonderful family, for having a home and a job, I'm also incredibly thankful for all my followers on Teachers Pay Teachers. Your lovely comments are truly humbling.  To be part of this community of wonderful educators and to have the opportunity to create and share teaching materials that hopefully have a positive impact on children (and make teachers' lives a little easier!) is inspiring.  So to you,

So, what's the best way to thank you?

I'm ECSTATIC...better yet, ELATED, to be giving away a $10 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card.  My first ever giveaway!  Yay!

There are a couple of different ways to enter:

1.  Please comment on this blog post with a product (or products!) that you would like to buy from Teachers Pay Teachers.  It could be any product, not necessarily any from my store.

2.  Follow me on Facebook and comment under the TpT Gift Card post with the product(s) that are on your TpT Wish List!

I'll be talking submissions until Monday, November 28th, 2016, at 8 PM.  I will randomly select a winner and post it on the blog and on my Facebook page by 9 PM. 

After you win the gift card, you can go do some shopping...

Please be sure to share!  Thank you again!!!


***GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!  THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED ON THE BLOG AND ON FACEBOOK!  I CAN'T WAIT TO DO THIS AGAIN!!***

The best part of summer...

The best part of summer for teachers is the opportunity to show the multiple facets of their personalities and lives without worrying about lesson plans, professional development, observations, classroom libraries, report cards, assessments, PARCC, parent conferences, back-to-school, grading, staff meetings, classroom management, technology integration, interventions, contacting parents...etc.  For me, it's family time, traveling, and the ocean...

Family wedding!

Washington, DC

Cleaning up and simplifying

I'm trying.

I'm trying so hard.

I'm trying so hard to make this blog prettier, more modern-looking, with a cleaner edge.  Just trying to clean up and simplify...

But, man, Blogger is just not fun to maneuver, and looking up HTML codes is no walk in the park either.

I can report with some satisfaction that I've changed some of the fonts and the colors a little bit and removed some extraneous stuff.  My TPT logo is much better, thanks to the LogoMaker app, and of course I used it on my Pinterest page.

I need some "Eye of the Tiger" music...I need to keep on going...

Courtesy of www.wpclipart.com

P.S. My Facebook page and I are also in a fight...the link does not consistently work...

More funnies...

Yay for teachers!

So, I've forgotten what it's like to be a blogger.  One day, I'll get my act together.  Sigh.  In the meantime, I have to make sure that I mark this story for posterity.

 

I am so thrilled for Deanna Jump!  She is truly an inspiration, and I wish her so much more success in the future.  There is an awesome article here with tips for success.  And of course, Teachers Pay Teachers is the venue that made this all possible.  Please, please, share this wonderful story with others!

Fun back-to-school commercials

One of my fabulous colleagues sent me the link to one of Target's back-to-school commercials.  Of course I found a couple more that are just as funny.  I hope these clips provide you with some laughter amongst all the stress this month!!

Where in the world...

After traveling for over a month with limited technology access, I'm finally home!!  I probably should have written a quick blog post in the beginning of July that I had to take a short hiatus to do some traveling and catching up with family, so I apologize for the lack of posts.  I have to say what a crazy summer, but I'm happy to get back to some sort of routine.  I've been trying to catch up with all my favorite blogs (and trust me, the list is long and there are a bazillion posts), and I see that some teachers are already back to school or in their classrooms setting up!!  I have a couple more weeks till I can actually get into my room.  I want to send a little shout out to the teachers that are already hard at work teaching, getting their students acclimated to the routines and procedures (holla Harry Wong), getting their paperwork done (student questionnaires and such), getting ready for Back to School Night, and all that other stressful stuff that is called "the beginning of the year."  I wish you much strength and patience!  To the teachers that are setting up classrooms, I am in definite awe of your creativity.  I'm going through my blog roll, and I am AMAZED by the pictures.  Debbie Diller would be proud!!  All your hard work is motivating and inspiring, and I'm getting a little itch to go back in...

Anyways, I hope to be more consistent with my posts since I'm actually back in the country.  Some thoughts floating in my head:

• TpT sale for ALL of August
• updating my blog roll
• reflecting on the summer vacation
• maybe a giveway?
• being part of a great group of bloggers and educators

So many articles, so little time...

Thanks for reading!!  I'm so glad to be back!

TpT sale extended

Due to technical difficulties, Teachers Pay Teachers is extending its coupon sale for today as well.  Use  the TAD11 coupon code during checkout.  My products also be on sale until Friday.  Thanks so much for your support!!Here's the link to my store:

More Teacher Appreciation...UPDATED!!!

UPDATE (5-2-11)

So many other bloggers and website are showing their appreciation for teachers that I felt like I needed to update this post to include their freebies and/or goodies.  First and foremost, Teachers Pay Teachers is offering 20% off all purchases Tuesday May 3rd on top of the sales that are already occurring.  So I decided to join in the fun and offer 20% off my products as well.


Here's the link to my store:

Please check out my favorite product:  Writing Workshop Resource K-2 classroom
 
There are so many other blogger-sellers who are in on this deal; check them out at






Just scroll down and you'll find a whole list of teachers who just want to express their appreciation!!

A couple of other great sellers, too:




http://rundesroom.blogspot.com/ http://www.minds-in-bloom.com/ Science Stuff by Amy Life in Special Education

Teacher Appreciation Week..freebies and goodies for you!

It's like where's Waldo...where have I been???  I could rely on my favorite excuse that "school's been crazy lately," but I know you've heard or used that one already.  Well, I'm going to make a solid effort to be more on top of my blogging game...

So, apparently it's Teacher Appreciation Week next week.  Normally I don't really pay attention to that stuff because...well I usually forget about it.  However, since I received an email about a freebie, I will definitely remember that it's Teacher Appreciation Week.  I love me some free stuff and contests, and I feel the need to share the wealth with all of you:

**UPDATES ON GOODIES AND FREEBIES**

Button!

I know, I know, I haven't posted in FOREVER!!  But you know how insane this teaching thing is!  I have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm very excited that I've finally created and adjusted my button!  Please let me know what you think!  I know it's a little wider than most buttons, but it makes me happy!

More funnies...

Student says something sweet and considerate.  I respond with:  "Aw, you guys just have a special place in my heart."  One little girl asks, "Where?"  I just crack up laughing...good times...

Courtesey of http://www.wpclipart.com

Contest :)

So, I'm posting about this very cool contest, hoping that you'll be a lucky winner (or I'll be a lucky winner...hehe).  I love well-made, purposeful graphic organizers, and here is a book full of them!  Definitely check out Erica Bohrer's blog to see what it's all about.  And while you're there, peruse her   posts about wonderful classroom activities and cool TpT products.

Erica Bohrer's Book Give Away Contest

Some funnies...

One of the best parts of teaching is the things that kids say.  I think that's what keeps me teaching some days:  those quotables that you could not make up even if you tried.  Nope...only children manage to create such gems as this one:

Scenario:  Boy is wandering the hallway.  Could be taking the long way to the bathroom or could actually be looking for something.

Me to the lost boy in the hallway:  Lost boy, where are you going?

Lost boy:  I'm looking for the LDTV teacher (side note:  the correct acronym is LDTC {Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant}.

Me (trying to keep serious...after all, he was on a mission):  Well, I haven't seen the LDTV teacher (I couldn't help but repeat what he said), but let me help you.

I really do think that LDTV does sound so much better than LDTC.

So now a word from our sponsors...

Setting:  Back table, strategy group, giving directions, getting the natives students to settle down.
Me:  Sometimes we have to do things we don't like.
Boy:  Yeah, like take a bath...last night.
Me:  Yeah....(turned a little bit so he wouldn't see me chuckle)

...........................................................................................................

Setting:  Classroom, teacher giving directions for a project

Teacher:  So, if you lose any of these pieces, c'est la vie (say la vee)

Students, in a chorus:  La vee

Me, laughing hysterically, and the students confused as to what the joke was...

...........................................................................................................

Setting:  Classroom, wanting to get started on small group lesson

Boy:  Can I get a drink?

Me:  Very quickly.

Boy:  Yeah, my throat is feeling a little rusty.

We now return for your regularly scheduled programming....