These are a few of my favorite things....

Today was a day. We all have them. I've been out for a lot of meetings and we are struggling to keep our head above water with our current workload (the teachers, not the kids).  I love my class though so days when I'm drained before they even walk in the door is tough because it's not their fault.  If you are feeling this way too, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things this year if you need a little retail therapy as a pick me up!

(These are affiliate links through Amazon's affiliate program, FYI)


THESE PENS
These pens are literally the best thing since sliced bread. I think half the teachers in my building are obsessed with them. They've been chatted about at countless meetings.  I will convert anyone else I see using something else.

Paper Mate Inkjoy Gel Pens 

THIS BOOK

This book was my favorite before Nick Bruel mde it big with Bad Kitty. This is the only project, I can say I have used (on purpose) with every class I have ever taught. We read the book, the kids love it, and then we do a writing project (whole class book on it).  It's an awesome keepsake from every year! 

Who Is Melvin Bubble?

THESE POST-ITS

I'm piloting the workshop model so I should own stock in sticky notes this year.  These are an absolute lifesaver for my countless anchor charts!

There you have just a few of my favorite things from this school year so far! Enjoy! 

Star Jar

Today we launched our Star Jar! Anytime we get a class compliment, we get a star to add to our jar. I made the jar on my Cricut with vinyl and cut stars out of cardstock, laminated them and put magnets on the back. It sits in the corner of the whiteboard.

I wanted to do something like this for awhile because some kids think they have different expectations when they leave our room. So this way, we are celebrating when the standards stay the same.

Ready, Set, YEAR 12 is here!

Welcome back to school to all my teacher friends! It's hard to believe another summer has come and gone and we have another year in front of us!


I am vowing to put myself first this year which sounds a little funny because as moms and teachers, we typically put ourselves last. But you can't pour from an empty cup and I'm finally listening to that advice.

So this year, here are my resolutions for the school year!  New year (just school, not calendar) = New resolutions!

1. Walk more. Even after being on my feet all day.
2. Drink more.  Not alcohol, but water!
3.  Sleep more - we'll see if this one actually happens!
4.  Get more time for my hobbies - playing on my cricut, cooking, making TPT items, whatever it might be.
5. Read for pleasure (not just the UoS for school!)

Do you have any new school year resolutions???

When You're Cheap Like Me...

One of my all-time FAVORITE things to do this time of year is to see pictures of other classrooms!  There are so many awesome teachers I follow on blogs or on Instagram who share AMAZING rooms.  I want to be in them!

When scouring these pictures, I'm always looking for cheap ways to do practical things.  We all know we don't have an endless budget.  This year I needed storage for my iPad minis - and they have a large enough case on them.

I know some people use dish racks and some people use drawers (I have drawers for my Chromebooks) but I wanted something else.  While walking around the Dollar Tree the other night, I grabbed some napkin holders.   A $3 board and a handy husband and VOILA!

I do know my husband used screws with a washers and did something while drilling so it didn't crack the plastic.   This has room to add more and I know, for sure, it will fit my bigger cases (unlike the charging docks I've seen online)  

Back to School - Here We Go!

Welcome Back to School from Titletown!

What a wonderful blur it has been.  I really, really, really like my class this year!  I'm so spoiled every year with awesome kids!

As you all know, the back to school blur means falling asleep at 7:30, working through lunch, adjusting to standing again all day and in our case, back to the grind with the kids.

I am making it my goal this year to BLOG on a regular basis. I find SO much value in what others share on theirs, that if even a few people can find value in my rambling and sharing, then it's worth it!

So! Welcome Back!

How Can I Help My Child this Summer?

As a teacher, I get asked this question on a very regular basis!  I am also a mom who knows that summer is a much more relaxed time of year.  Bedtimes and routines might sail right out the window!   Although the normal school routine and schedule might have changed, there are still some things that can be incorporated daily!

READ!!!

The #1 thing you can do this summer is READ!  Read under a tree, read in a tent, read to a sibling, read a chapter book as a family, read maps, read signs, read, read, READ!  

Parents many time require minutes a day during the year but don't in the summer. Kids many times have MORE time to read for fun in the summer though!  

Visit your library and sign up for the summer reading program!  They have great incentives and fun reading for that. 

Math

Math is the next area I get asked about.  You don't have to go to the store and purchase workbooks (please don't).  Practice telling time with what your activities are.  Look for patterns in what you are doing.  Spending money on vacation?  Have the kids help count the change.    Practice math favts while driving in the car, or throwing the baseball around.   Those little snipbits of 5-10 minutes of getting math in are the best ways to do it!

Other Ideas

Summer just lends itself to science explorations.  Catch things - observe them- write about them! 

There are so many great nature centers and parks to open your child's world to a wealth of information.   

Keep a journal and practice just writing anything this summer!  One area that is not practiced a ton in any house is writing, and yet the skill is so valuable. 

Most of all PLAY, INTERACT, and EXPLORE with your child!  A child learns best while observing the world around them so embrace it! 

Happy Summer!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer vacation.  Our first week was spent with a little mini vacation to Madison.  We enjoyed the zoo, beach, terrace and just time as our little family.

I've also spent a lot of time just enjoying the little things at home - hanging clothes on the line, mowing the grass, building sandcastles in the sandbox and catching bugs on walks!  These moments I miss so dearly during the year.

Professionally, I haven't thought about next year yet.  I have spent A LOT of time with my Usborne book business. They announced DisneyWorld as the next trip to earn, so I have my sites set on that. The stakes are super high, so we'll see!

I also have a plan in place to blog on a consistent basis next school year as well as make, update, and enjoy making more TPT items as well.

As it stands, this will be my schedule for blogging next fall. I'm posting it now to stay accountable:

Must Have Monday ( a variety of tips for things you have to have in your classroom)
Tech on Tuesday (apps, projects, websites, failures, you name it)
Writing Wednesday (I love literacy and specifically teaching writing, which I didn't enjoy doing as a kid ironically! This day will showcase tips, mentor texts, projects and more)
Touchdown Thursdays (I am in Titletown anymore! These are touchdown moments that happened in our room that week)

Fridays and the weekends will be dependent!  Enjoy!

Blog is UPDATED

SO super excited tonight!  The long awaited update is complete!  I have been wanting a new blog look for so long but just haven't had the time or expertise to do it myself!  I am SO glad that Kristen Chalk & Apples Designs did it.  She did a wonderful job!

Now that I have a face-lift, I'll be blogging on a more regular basis!

And... in celebration... my TPT store will be 20% off this week!

Bloomz

I know I already posted once, but I would highly recommend signing up for Bloomz and trying it in your classroom this year!  I'm about to launch it with my parents and am very excited!  Even easier than trying to maintain a blog!

Click HERE to sign up!

Back to School

I'm amazed I'm still awake, seeing that it's after 10pm and it's the Friday of the first week back. I think I could have fallen asleep standing most days this week!

One of my favorite back to school activities that we've only done for 2 years is a "Get to Know  You Activity" for our entire grade.  We use chart paper and stickers.  Students have to walk about and put the choice for each question with a sticker.

Then we show them and hang them in the hall for a few weeks.  So easy and so fun!

Bloomz

I'm so excited to try this in my classroom this year!  A new parent communication app. It is available for free to parents on iTunes and Google Play Store.

  Private to just your parents.  Share pics, make appts, set conference times, send a reminder!   I will update you as the year goes on to how it's going.

Sign up here! 

Ziggedy

Teacher friends:
I got the ok to try this for my classroom this year. So far I have I already have $7 from my own purchases. 

Through Ziggedy, your classroom parents, friends, and family, can support your class through their online shopping at thousands of popular retailers. There is absolutely NO COST to you or your supporters.

I also am an ebates user. The other day when I shopped at Kohl's I was able to use both. I went to ebates first, clicked on Kohl's. Then because I had installed the Ziggedy reminder on Chrome browser (Free, gets my class $5 and lets you know if a site has a donation) I was able to click on that too! For my small purchase at Kohl's, I made over $3 on ebates and over $2 for my classroom! Double win!

Like I said, I would highly recommend putting the remind install on your browser. It's not up all the time, but if a site has a donation attached, it pops up in the top and lets you know so you don't miss one!

Click here to sign up! 

Classroom Library Check-Out System!

Classroom Organizer

Need a great classroom library check-out system? Check out the site that I've been using for the past 3 years!

Put your books into this website and have the kids checkout their books on the computer. You'll know who is picking what and who had a book if it goes missing or damaged.

I love the reports options so I can better track what my kids are reading. We all know it's tough to get track of 20+ kids at the same time!

I was fortunate enough to already have my books inventoried in an excel spreadsheet. However, if you don't it would be an easy job for a parent volunteer to tackle!

I incorporate "Book Selection" into a Daily 5 choice (they can go once a week). This way students are rushed and have time to choose books correctly! Feel free to ask any questions you might have!

Storylords

 Let me tell you about a hidden gem of a resource.  Something that I use every year and the kids love!  Something that any kid who was taught in WI in the 80's and 90's probably saw!

STORYLORDS!

Produced by the Educational Communications Board (ECB) and UW-Stout in the 80's, Storylords has a hero Norbert who works to fight against the bad guy Thorzuul.  He needs to use the skills he learned in his class as well as help from his sister.

Reading strategies covered include:
Activating Prior Knowledge Before Reading
Connecting What You Know With What's On The Page
Knowing When You Don't Know (In Your Head)
Knowing When You Don't Know (On The Page)
Directed Reading-Thinking Activity
Question-Answer Relationships
Decoding Words in Context
Inferring Word Meaning in Context
Story Mapping
Pronoun Anaphora
Identifying Main Idea and Details
Integrating Comprehension Strategies

These quick 15 minute videos are the perfect addition to your reading comprehension skills lessons.  And because they are from the 80's, plenty of laughs are sure to come too!


I included links to the videos as well as FREE posters in my TPT store.

VIDEOS: Click Here

TPT Store FREE Posters:  Click Here

Packers 5K - COMPLETE!

You can't have a name like "Teaching in Titletown" without showing a bit of Titletown!  Yesterday, some of my teacher friends and I ran the Packers 5K.  I am NOT a runner but did Couch to 5K this summer with some of the girls to "train" for the 3 miles.  We had so much fun!  We got to run through Lambeau field before the finish line.

Below are pics from before, during and after the race!

Time for the BIG Back to School Sale!

Get your wishlists ready!  It's time for the annual TPT Back to School Sale!  Sale runs August 3 & 4 so get all the essentials for your classroom needs!

Here We Go!

I started selling on TPT 3 years ago on a random whim while shopping on the site. I only made a few things and it's amazing how much fun I had doing it.

I was blessed that a few things sold really well and the extra income has really helped our family have "fun" money. It's amazing that an item I made (out of school hours of course) for my classroom is now used around the country and makes me extra money every month! For only being uploaded once to my store by me!

Well, two young children later.... I didn't have enough time to teach, manage the house and enjoy watching them grow to make my products up to my standards for TPT.

Now that my kids are getting a bit older, and naptimes are starting to overlap, I'm ready to start making more, sharing more, and helping others do the same.

If you are interested in starting to sell as well, please email me. I'd be happy to help you get started.