Saturday, December 31, 2011

My question for you is, "How Did You Spend Your Winter Vacation?"

Joining in on a Link Up at "A Clutter-Free Classroom" --here is my list of Christmas Vacation adventures:

*Slept Late Some Days (but still remained in my PJ's til after lunch on many!)
*Visited my family (husband's and mine) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
*Made my traditional outlet shopping trip with my sister!!
*Worked on my blog & TpT Store
*Painted several pictures for gifts! I love to paint! and....talked my hubbie into building me an art table/storage unit!!!
*Watched my MSU Bulldogs win the MUSIC CITY BOWL! --no, didn't get to in person :(
*Will be spending New Year's Eve in Oxford with family...
*Plan to create products next week before returning to school on Thursday....I hope!
*Lots of housework and decorating with a few new things I received...thanks to my mother! :)

Be sure to visit Clutter-Free Classroom (use the linked image above) and participate in the fun!

Lots accomplished and lots left to accomplish!! Here is one item I want to share while it is FREE: 
                           Enjoy & Happy New Year!!

Regards,
  Ann Marie

Friday, December 30, 2011

Since it's Been a Day of for Middle & High School Bloggers to Connect...

Here's a book for the new high school teacher!! I've put it in my TpT Store! It's a great resource and feel the need to pass it on now. If you are interested click the picture!! 
by L. Rominger, S. P. Laughrea, & N. Elkin

Regards,

Opportunity to Link Up to Middle School and High School Blogs!

Head over to Kristen Bower's Blog at Secondary Solutions to Link up Your Middle/High School Blog and access many other fabulous blogs! (Just click the link above.)
I'm so excited that Kristen is doing this! 
We all love blog stalking! Add Yours Now!
You will find that it is quick and easy to do!
After you are done, your blog will be among many other middle school and high school blogs...all in one spot!

Thanks to Secondary Solutions for a great opportunity!


p.s. When I accessed The Hunger Games Lessons Blog, I was able to sign up for the "Alert Me" email when movie tickets are available for The Hunger Games!! Yippee~

Happy New Year to All!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Get Your Free Read Alouds eBook Right Here! - The Organized Classroom Blog

     This awesome product is from Charity Preston at The Organized Classroom Blog! She's offering it for free; All you do is "Pay with a Tweet," and you can download it!!
     Charity is Awesome!! If I haven't mentioned before, she has the greatest video course "Teaching Blog Traffic School" ---which I highly recommend as well! Find out more at Teaching Blog Traffic School ---You will be glad you did it!
     I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful break and has had a beautiful holiday!! The sun is FINALLY out (no more rain) so I'm headed outdoors!!

Regards,
Ann Marie Smith

Monday, December 26, 2011

Get to Know This TpT Teacher Author...

Arlene Manemann 
What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?  7 - 12, but now retired...

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? 
If not, how long did you teach?        35 Years

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?    2009

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:   
     I've supervised student teachers, and the biggest problem initially is usually classroom management. Start the school year with your classroom arranged in rows and your curriculum arranged in a regular weekly schedule. Once the students associate your room with order, you can (and should) have all sorts of innovative seating arrangements and approaches to the curriculum. But, get them working as a unified team first.
     For veteran teachers, I learned the hard way that "my way" and "new ways" are not counterproductive. My approach to a lesson might benefit from the new way and sometimes be replaced entirely. That was hard for me to cope with, but after the first few "adjustments", it became easier.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:
     I am a puzzle freak. There's hardly a lesson that I make that doesn't have some kind of a puzzle with it; mostly they do teach something, but are intended for fun. At home, I love working the New York Times crossword puzzles, especially on Friday and Saturday, and see if I can beat my own best times.


One of your best selling product links:

What other bio information would you like to share?
     My daughter is a high school chemistry teacher and I've created or typed up so many of her assignments, I think I might actually be able to get a good grade in chemistry now! Well, maybe not in the stoichiometry part.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Edublog Awards!

Just a taste of the winners...
Best New Blogs:

  • Tech With Intention
  • Speech Room News by Jenna Rayburn
  • Kleinspiration by Erin Klein
  • All 4 My Child
  • Drydent Art by Tricia Fuglestad
See all of the winners at the link above! Congratulations to you all! I hope you spend some time visiting these blogs; I surely will!  
Regards,


Sharing a few Quotes I Read This Morning...

Funny Teacher Quotes & Sayings
I like a teacher that gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.
~ Lily Tomlin

A gifted teacher is as rare as a gifted doctor and makes far less money.
~ Unknown

By choosing to be a teacher, you have entered an emotionally dangerous profession.
~ Unknown

Teachers are the only professionals who have to respond to bells every forty-five minutes and come out fighting.
~ Frank McCourt

As long as teachers give tests, there will always be prayer in schools.
~ Unknown

Children are like cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.
~ Dr. Haim Ginott

Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.
~ Minna Thomas Antrim
Happy Holidays!
Regards,
 

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Sale Going On!!

I reached a goal of 60 Fans on my Facebook Page! So, time for a 2 day sale! Thanks guys! Now, I need to set a new goal....
Click here to quickly access my store!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Get to Know this TpT Teacher-Author...

Kathy Ellison at Info & Lit!

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?  
Grades 5-6 but have taught ALL grades nursery through 12

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?           
                                       Twenty Years!

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?    
I'm a school librarian and technology teacher at a 5th and 6th grade intermediate school.  I partner with the classroom teacher and have to present things to them that work for their teaching style.  Some of my teachers are very project oriented and are focused on helping their kids create a finished product that they can be proud of.  Along the way, their kids are learning great life skills like how to follow an idea to completion.  Other teachers are more focused on the process.  They like to watch their students collaborate, have fun, and work an idea through until they stop feeling engaged in the learning process.  Both points of view are valid. 
I love creating ideas that work for my colleagues!  I really enjoy making the resources that we use look fresh and appealing and have certainly been tested out in lots of different classrooms.
And, realistically, librarians are on the chopping block in a lot of schools. I was on the chopping block last year.  I may be again this year.  But this the time when librarians are so important in helping kids learn the skills that they need to filter information.  I'd like to think that what I'm sharing is helping kids in other schools learn these valuable life skills. 

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:     
            Believe in yourself.  Teaching is a really hard job where many people will criticize the work that you do, even when you're doing a great job! 
            Make yourself a "COMPLIMENTS" folder in your e-mail account or another file and throw the compliments and thank you notes in there so that they will be a place that you can turn to when you're having a bad day.

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:
            Every year I get to run a school-wide SALMON RAISING and RELEASE program.  From January to March I'm responsible for 1,000 little baby salmon that incubate in a tank right outside our library.  Then all of the students go down to the stream right behind our school and release their salmon fry. 
            I love living in the Pacific Northwest!!!




What other bio information would you like to share?
Four-year-old son named Andrew!
Ball State University grad!

Thank you for Kathy for participating!
Regards,

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Link Up Posting for a Crafty Product of Your Choice...

Creative Teaching Ideas, Activities, & Lessons...!

Link up any creative activity in any area--Just choose one that has a supplemental Art or Craft Activity. It can be Free or Priced! 
If you don't want to link a product, just download the ones from others! 




TBA's Ultimate Linky Party

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Get to Know This TpT Teacher Author...


Krystal Mills

What grade level(s) and/or subject(s) are you currently teaching? What grade levels have you taught prior to this year?   I have taught grades 6-9, and I currently teach grade 7.

If currently in the classroom, how long have you been teaching? If not still in classroom, how long did you teach?            I have been teaching for 5 years.

When did you join Teachers Pay Teachers as a Seller? What made you decide to become a seller?    
I joined TpT in February, 2011 as a "premium" seller when I was on maternity leave with my second child. I had bought from the site before and I loved the idea of being able to make a little extra income by selling the resources that I was already making for my own students. I appreciated the time that I was able to save by having other teachers create and sell their resources and I wanted to be a part of the action too!

There were two sides to the whole thing - the potential income side (Deanna's story was very inspiring) and the sharing with colleagues side which I was equally excited about. I knew Deanna's story wasn't typical, but it was possible - you just never know!

One piece of advice you can give to a beginning teacher & one piece for a veteran teacher:     
Here are 3 things:
1) Get to know your students. Period. If you don't have the time - make it. This one is non-negotiable.
2) Don't under-estimate the power of a well thought-out seating arrangement.
3) Never let fear stop you from trying something new. 

Something unique about you both as a teacher and outside of the classroom:
            I don't know if this is unique or typical of teachers, but I always feel as though I'm not doing enough for some of my students. There's always someone else who needs something adapted, or modified. I have students - as we all do, who are on special educational plans. Keeping those students feeling good about what they are able to do, feeling as though they belong, and trying to have them see some success can be a huge challenge. I know that I do all that I can, but sometimes I do get down on myself that I'm just not doing enough to help certain students.         
            How do I deal with stresses like these? Kettlebell, running, kickboxing, Zumba - I try to do something physical when I can. Again, a challenge when trying to balance the whole school/family life - but important!



What other bio information would you like to share?
            I'm one of those sellers from north of the border. I live in Prince Edward Island - smallest province in Canada and I love it. I have 2 boys - 1 and 4years old and am married to a wonderful man who thinks that I have a terrible addiction to TpT (toiletpaper - as he calls it;). He's not wrong, though.
            Some random facts about me: I watch too much tv, I think I'm made up of about 75% coffee most days, and the "middle years" were the one grade level I swore I'd never teach. I trained to teach grades 1-6. The first job that popped up in my area was in grade 9 and I went for it. I got the job and have been teaching at the grade 6-9 level ever since. It turns out that my sarcastic nature, sense of humor and ability to ignore eye rolls, serve me well at this age level and I couldn't be happier. The moral fo the story - I know of what I speak...don't let your fear of something stop you from doing it, because you just NEVER know.

Are there any other sites you’d like posted for others to access?
            The resource that I linked you to is one of my best selling. It states that it's for "Back to School" however, it can be used at other times during the year. Especially if you're feeling like you don't really know your kids yet OR you'd like to build some community in your room - you may be interested in having a look. Also, new teachers who begin contracts mid-year may particularly find it useful.            
            Thanks so much and happy teaching!


Tuesday, December 06, 2011

FREE "PRESENTing...ME!" from Connie Casserly! Share, Share, Share!

Download this Free Product from Connie's TpT Store or by Clicking Thumbnail!
Or, find it on her site www.teachitwrite.com in the Lesson Plans: English Tab!
Thanks to Connie for Sharing this With All of Us!

**P.S. I will be posting the next "Get to Know This TpT Teacher-Author" tomorrow...be sure to tune in!!
                                                          Regards,


Saturday, December 03, 2011

I Received the Sunshine Award from Vicky at Scipi!!!


A very big THANK YOU to Vicky at Scipi for nominating me for the Sunshine Award!! 

She has truly been great in advising me and encouraging me as a TpT seller. Thank you, Vicky!   Vicky, aka Scipi, has a super teaching blog! Check it out! 

For the Sunshine Award, I was to post my answers to the following questions:

            What is your favorite color?
              Hard to answer: Purple, Cobalt Blue, Red
            What is your favorite animal?
              Again more than 1 answer: 
               I Have 5 Dogs & a Kitten, so...Dogs & Cats
            What is your favorite number?
              I guess 4; 4 quarters makes $1, 4.0 is a perfect rating  on TpT and a perfect score on the state writing test; 4 seasons in a year, and I could keep going...
           Facebook or Twitter?   
              Facebook
            Your Passion?
              Besides teaching, I find peace and "stress therapy" (lol) in painting, and gardening! 
            Giving or Getting Presents?
              Giving....but it's fun to unwrap too! I am a kid at heart!
            Favorite Day?
                  Saturday is my favorite weekDAY; Christmas is my favorite holiDAY; that first warm weather day at the end of Winter/beginning of Spring is another favorite DAY of the year! I always catch that Spring Fever!!! 
      I get to pass this award along to other fabulous blogs. Two blogs and people I think "Shine" and so receive the Sunshine Award from me are:
       *Teacher Park by Ruth Spears
       *Wise Owl Factory by Carolyn Wilhelm
      Both of these ladies are gracious in sharing ideas, supporting fellow TpT Sellers, providing advice and/or comments via TpT forums, Facebook, etc. I have gained invaluable knowledge and inspiration from visiting their blogs, observing their techniques, and seeing their wonderful ideas! They have lots to share on their blogs, inspiring teachers everywhere! 

Thursday, December 01, 2011

A FREE E-Book by Rachel Lynette! For You to Use This Holiday Season!! Enjoy!

 A Gift to our TpT Customers!    
Happy Holidays from TpT!
December is here!! 
This E-Book, created by TpT Teacher-Author Rachel Lynette, contains Christmas/Winter Holiday Activities and Holiday Tips from 50 TpT Sellers! 
-54 Pages in this product-Wow!
You don't want miss out on this treat!
Happy Holiday Teaching!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...