New, FUN Product!!

If you look at my TPT Store, I think you'd easily figure out that I love Mad Libs. They are a great way for students to refresh their skills while having fun. Even my high schoolers love "getting a break" and completing Mad Libs. And with Mad Libs, I don't feel like I'm wasting time on a useless activity; lots of kids really do need that refresher.

So I've created two more Mad Libs for you, and put them together in a product. These are only $1...what a steal! :) Word and PDF versions available.

I've been subbing 6th grade for 10 weeks now, and it's safe to say that they need constant reminders of what figurative language is.

So the first Mad Lib is using Similes & Metaphors, and the second uses Hyperboles & Onomatopoeias.

Have fun reviewing!! Thanks for stopping by!

Winter Wonderland Mad Lib

Looking for a fun little warm up, or an activity to do on the last day before break? I created a fun little Mad Lib that is winter-themed...perfect for this month of December.

This little goodie is free on my TPT page. Just print it out, and share with the students. I usually give them about 15 minutes to do it, just so that it's a fun activity, and not a "get it done" activity.

Enjoy!

Go to my TPT Store to download your Winter Wonderland Mad Lib

Currently-It's December!

Hello everyone! Happy Holidays! I'm so excited it is December :) I love Christmas and all things Christmas. The constant Christmas music, the cider and peppermint hot chocolate, the smell of cinnamon pine cones and Christmas trees. I love it all. :)

This is our first Christmas as a married couple, and last night we decorated our tree together...while watching Elf! I think we'll make that a tradition :)

I'm once again linking up with Farley for her Currently of the month. Thanks lady for always hosting this!

Enjoy December everyone!

TPT Cyber Sale!!!!

Woo Hoo! Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now TPT's Cyber sale!

Get ready for some major discounts and have fun shopping! Remember, it's never too late to implement new ideas into your classroom :)

Don't forget to use the code SMILE to get 28% off!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For...link up!

Hi all! It's officially Thanksgiving break, and I am thankful for that :) I need a break from the hyper 6th graders...though I am thankful to have steady subbing again.

I decided I needed to reflect on what I was thankful for this year, and thought I'd share that with all of you, and see what you're thankful for as well! So join the link up, read, comment, and share :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now it's your turn! Download the photo, use text boxes to put in your answers, make a post with this, and add the post to the link up! Don't forget the rule of 3-comment on two before you and one after you :)

Link Up Below!

Homework Helpers/Passes-Version 2

I used to not like homework passes. I thought it was a way out for the kids. And I felt like I never gave busy work, so all my homework was important. However, I was highly "encouraged" to make them/hand them out one year, so I reluctantly did so. And I found that I liked what they offered.

Homework Helper Version 2

Homework passes are a great way to give students responsibility; these passes require students to take responsibility for their actions when using the passes. With my passes, students must check one of the boxes stating that they either: didn't do it; chose not to do it; or had other homework that had a higher priority. This at least makes them stop and think about it for a minute, and decide if it's worth it.

A great option is to offer extra credit points for students who don't use the passes [usually the students that don't actually need the extra credit], but this allows you as a teacher to say that you do offer extra credit in your course.


I also found that it's a great way to weed out a bad assignment. I once had half my honors class use a homework pass on an assignment....I no longer did that assignment. :)

So I've made a second version for you guys. This one is worded a little differently than Version 1, and has a slightly different look.

Let me know what you think!

Thoughts...

I'm finding it hard to find things to post about now that I'm subbing instead of teaching.

Sure, I could tell you about each subbing experience...the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I figured people would get tired of that. I am liking subbing though, for the most part, and am enjoying not having the responsibility of grading a million essays ;) It's a nice break.

Thoughts on the Texas curriculum: I am finding the Jr. High and High School level English curriculum to be a bit rigid. Every six weeks there's a standardized test...I am NOT used to that. I am used to having autonomy in my teaching. In my old school, as long as I was teaching to the standards, I could basically teach whatever I wanted, and however I wanted.

I'm not seeing much creativity in the classroom, which kind of saddens me. I'm seeing a lot of worksheets...a lot. I know I'm subbing and so teachers leave worksheets because you never know what kind of sub you're going to get, but still. I long-termed for 5 weeks...and it was a LOT of worksheets.

Is this just my experience, or is Texas really this rigid in their curriculum? Any insight anyone can throw my way would be great!

November Currently

October has come and gone. My wedding has come and gone. Hopefully the hot weather has come and gone as well. It is Fall y'all!!!

Happy November to everyone, and I hope you had a great October. I am linking up with Farley again to join her Currently post. Enjoy!

*Note....Farley's said "Yummy" at the bottom, but the one we download didn't say that, so I just changed mine ;)

Don't forget the rule of 3!

What I'm Reading

Hello Blog Word!

I thought I'd do a fun little post about the books I'm currently reading :) I'm reading one right now, and about to go pick up a second for my book club!

Personal:

I am currently on the second book in a series called Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. A gal in my book club recommended it. At first I said no way, because the cover made it look like a scary or horror book. It is NOT. It's a little "creepy" in a few parts, but more because of fantasy, not guts/gore. Anyway, I got really into it and couldn't stop!

By Ransom Riggs

So right now I'm on the second one, called Hollow City: The Second Novel Of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.

Again, NOT SCARY, despite the covers. Go get it!!!

Book Club:

So last month we read Paper Towns by the guy that wrote Fault in our Stars. I loved Fault in our Stars and thought I would like Paper Towns...wrong. Did not care for it. 

So this month we are going to read Still Alice, by Lisa Genova.

I haven't even picked it up yet, so can't tell you a thing about it. However, it was made into a movie and Julianne Moore was the star and she won an Oscar. So that's good ;)

So if you're looking for something to read, try one of these and let me know what you think! :)

Also, side note: I'M GETTING MARRIED SATURDAY!!!!!! Woot Woot!

A Refreshing Surprise

It's no secret that this long-term subbing gig for the 6th graders has been challenging. But yesterday, I got a nice surprise.

The fiance and I were driving home, past the school I've been working for. On the marquee out front, there flashed my name :) We stopped and looked, and I got the Staff on Fire "award"/nomination for the week! What a boost...a greatly needed boost. [I actually nominated the two teachers who have been helping me, but they didn't win. I was hoping they did because they have been so gracious and I wanted them to be recognized for all they've done...so I'll do it on my blog (without naming names).]

[I tried to cut out the school name...]

After being so down about the rough time I was having, this was a great reminder that what I do matters. Yes, this may come across as a humble brag, but it's more than that.

This is a reminder to all the subs that we matter. It may not feel like people notice how hard we try, but they do. And that should give us the drive to keep doing our best everyday we sub. I know personally, that when I was teaching full time and needed a sub, I GREATLY appreciated any sub that actually did my lesson plans. Just take care of my kids...that's all. And so as a sub, it's my job to take care of their kiddos too.

So fellow subs-keep your chin up on the rough days...know that you are doing a greater good. :)

Happy Columbus Day & enjoy the day off. I'm also having a 10% off sale over at my TPT Store if you wanna stop by!

What an experience...and apology letters

I have to say--subbing is a whole different game. I've never, in my 8 years of teaching, dealt with students like this.

I have tried EVERY trick in the book, and some out of the box ones, and nothing can keep these kids quiet for more than 5 minutes at a time.  I know they're 6th graders [in middle school] and I know they need walking around time and time for getting the wiggles out, but come on. Any ideas??

Yes...I'm still subbing for the woman I started subbing for on September 10th. So it's going on 4 weeks now, and so the students have had me longer than they've had her. I'm doing my best to teach the "lesson plan" and help the kids learn something. But most days, I just feel like I'm babysitting.

I don't know what I thought long-term subbing would be like, but this is not what I dreamed. I want to be a great sub...one that the teacher comes back and says, "Wow! She actually did what I asked her to do and the kids got their work completed!" I had no idea teaching 6th graders would be so mentally, and physically, exhausting.

ON another note...I subbed for another teacher on Thursday [we had planned it long before this teacher ending up staying out longer] so that was a nice little break. However, "my" kids in the classroom I've been long-term subbing for, were HORRENDOUS!!! I could hear them yelling in the next room, cursing, flipping chairs, etc. That poor sub had zero control. I actually had to leave the current classroom I was teaching in, walk to the other classroom and tell them to calm down....multiple times!

So when I came back on Monday, boy howdy did those kids get it. I made them write apology letters to the sub for being so disrespectful and rude. I am actually going to have the secretary send them to the sub. I don't like making writing a punishment, but this needed to be done. A few students wrote me an apology letter too....super sweet. Of course those were the kids who were sitting in the back trying to actually work on what the sub gave them. :)

Anyway, trying to stay positive and starting each day with a fresh and positive outlook :) Just hoping I can hold it together until Friday [my supposed last day] :) Then a 4-day weekend!!! Woo hoo!!

Good luck this week everyone...and happy fall!

October Currently...and Wedding Month!

It's finally October!!! Not only am I excited because it's fall time and that means PSL, fall decorations, colder weather, etc, but I'm excited because it's wedding month!!!!!

In just 3 weeks, we'll be married :) So excited!!!!!!!

But for now, here is my October Currently, courtesy of Oh Boy 4th Grade :)

The parents are visiting this weekend and it's been fun! We went to visit the fiance's work Friday and he showed them all around, Saturday we went to the Fort Worth Stockyards and then they went to a wedding out here [happened to be this weekend too so they thought, why not go?], and then today we're taking them to visit the JFK site in Dallas, and then the Texas Rangers baseball game. A fun-filled weekend :) 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Those darn germs...

It is here.

The sickness is upon me.

Those darn germs.

The 6th graders finally got to me :/

I started feeling bad on Saturday and thought maybe it was a cross contamination issue with gluten. But when I was better on Sunday, Monday and most of Tuesday, I knew it wasn't that issue. Then Tuesday evening the feeling came back, along with a slight fever. And then it hit, like a ton of bricks. I just didn't feel well.

My fiance was awesome though :) Brought me Airborne and Gatorade :)

So we went to bed early and I thought I'd be ok. However, I woke up this morning and still didn't feel well. I have a "long-term" sub job so I sucked it up and went. The secretary saw immediately that I didn't look good and told me an extra sub had shown up today by mistake, and would I like to go home....uh, yeah! Such a blessing.

I came home and slept for 3 hours! And now I'm just resting, watching NCIS reruns on TV, drinking lots of water, gargling with hot salt water, taking Airborne, and resting some more.

I HAVE to go back to work tomorrow...I refuse to take another day off. So I am going to go to bed early again tonight and hope I'm better in the morning.

Think happy thoughts for me please :)

Adventures In Subbing Continued

Well hello everyone!

It's nice to be working again, and I hope everyone has fallen into a groove in your classroom. I am hoping to fall into a groove these next two weeks with my new "long term" two-week sub position...for the same woman I've been subbing for this last week. The kids will have then had me for 3 weeks-just as long as they've had her. It must be weird for them, poor things, and maybe that's why their behavior was a little crazy these last few days.

I'm thinking about changing her seating arrangement from table groups to rows...for the sole purpose of keeping the chatting to a minimum. I HATE rows, but I think it needs to be done for my sanity. Does anyone foresee a problem with me changing them to rows and then putting them back to tables when she returns? I could see how it might be considered stepping on her territory, but I've got these kids another two weeks and I need to get all the work done, and I think this might help. Any suggestions?

On a different note, I took a break from the 6th graders Thursday to sub at the high school [I had already taken this job before they knew she'd be out so long], and it was 10th graders...what I've been teaching the last 5 years! I was in my element and loved it! I got to talk to them like real humans and have normal conversations ;) Don't get me wrong, the 6th graders are super sweet, but something about high school is fun!

We went to our [mine really 'cus he went to three while I was home for my bridal shower] first Texas College Football game yesterday! Pretty fun :) We went to the UNT game...they were playing Rice...they lost, big time. But it was still a fun experience.

 Also side note...I made some yummy pumpkin bread [with chocolate chips] muffins this morning :) I LOVE pumpkin spice season!!!!!! I'm going to give a few to the neighbors, keep some, and maybe bring the rest to work or let the fiance take them to his work :)

Here's the recipe someone asked for:

Well, that's all I've got! I'll let you know how the two weeks thing goes, and let me know what you think about the rows idea!!!

My First Subbing Experience [& PSL is back!]

Well it finally happened; actually sooner than I was thinking it would. I got my first sub job...my first FIVE actually. Weird for the first two weeks or so of September!

Anyway, I got back from CA Tuesday night, then had to take my fiance to the airport Wednesday morning, so I saw him for all of 10 hours...7 of which we were sleeping. Oh well :) So Wednesday was raining and fabulously fall feeling, so I got a #PSL and headed home to watch my DVRd shows and do some laundry from the trip and such. It was a glorious day :)

Thursday I woke up, took a shower, and finished writing thank you notes and working on making a Shutterfly album of my shower weekend :) Then I said, what the heck, I'll check and see if there's any jobs available [even though I had checked 20 times yesterday]...this was at 11:30. There was a job!!! For 11:45! Good thing the school is 2 blocks away, literally.

So I threw on some make-up, tried to find some work pants that fit, and headed over...got there at 11:45 on the dot. I didn't have time to worry or stress or freak out about it. It happened so fast that I just went in and got to work.

This job was for a 6th grade ELA class. I felt ok taking the job because I have an English credential, and I had done 7th & 8th my first two years of teaching...back when I had more energy ;)

So 6th graders are a lot more squirmy than I thought they would be. I don't know what I thought they would be, but I didn't think they'd be THAT squirmy :) But they were super cute and eager to please.

Then toward the end of the day, the VP came in and asked if I could sub for her again tomorrow [Friday], and of course I said yes! Friday turned out to be a little more than I bargained for in regards to a student situation, but everything turned out ok in the end. Turns out I'll be subbing for her Monday and Tuesday too!!! Woo hoo for work!

Then just yesterday, I picked up a half-day job for a high school English class! My comfort zone ;) So I'm excited about that too :) I'm wondering if these early jobs are just flukes, or if it will be steady jobs from here out...??

OH! And my substitute business cards arrived Friday while I was at work...so I'll be bringing a few to the middle school for the front office, and I'll be leaving one for the teacher. The notepad was SUPER disappointing. I really thought it was bigger...it's really small :( I'll barely be able to write much on it...oh well.

Thanks for reading everyone!!!

New Business Cards!

Hi all....coming to you from CA! I scheduled this post for while I'm in CA for my bridal shower/bachelorette weekend! :)

Anyway, with the new blog design, I decided to make new business cards as well. Yes, these are different from my subbing cards I made. Those are to hand to teachers regarding subbing; these are to promote my TPT business.


Here's the front I created:

And here is the back:

I made these myself with Word, so nothing fancy from VistaPrint or anything. Just printed them on card-stock and used a paper cutter to make sure they had straight edges :)

My old business cards didn't have a back side, or the Facebook page on it. I like these and think they'll go nicely with my blog and the substitute cards if I want to leave both :)

Hope you like them :) Does anyone else do business cards or bags or anything? I know a lot of people made stuff for the TPT Conference [I did not go], so I'm wondering what people make!

Share Away!!

Currently: September 2015

Another official beginning to a new school year- September! August is like the prep month, and even if you have the kids for a couple of days, September is when you really feel like the school year has started :)

Once again, I'm linking up with Farley's Currently. I love seeing all the people that link up, and I often find someone new to follow!

Don't forget the Rule of 3! Comment on the 2 people before you, and the 1 after you :)

I'm going back to Cali tomorrow for my bachelorette/bridal shower weekend!!!! It will be so nice to see my family and friends again, and I know we'll have so much fun. My sister and mom have been working really hard to give me a memorable time :)

Happy September everyone!

PS- It's Pumpkin Spice time!!!!!!!!!!!

New Blog Design Thank You

A HUGE shout out to the ladies over at Blogs Fit For A Queen for my new blog design!

I'd had the same design for almost 3 years, and it was in need of an update. I wanted something a little more classic; something that matched the secondary grades.

It's hard when teaching high school to find that balance between cute and fun, and not too cutesy for the guys, or too little kid-ish. I thought what these gals came up with was great!

I had also realized that the blog title didn't specify what I taught or what subject. I usually mentioned it in other places, but I think it's good to have it right up top there :)

So thanks again ladies! Make sure you go check out their blog, even if you don't need an update. They show all the blogs they've done, and maybe you'll come across one you'd like to follow!

Have a great weekend!

Mixed feelings on this First Day of School

It's the first day of school for so many people...but not for me. Feeling a little sad about that, but also a little happy.

I mean, let's be honest...there's positives and negatives to this whole move that I just went through. I'm getting to be with my future husband; we're getting married in October; we bought our first house; and I get to live in Texas, which I always wanted to do [I had this fantasy that it would be like the TV series Friday Night Lights with Connie Britton...only not as hot as it actually is.] Essentially, I'm getting everything I ever prayed for growing up. I've always wanted to be a stay at home mom, but we don't have kids yet, so I'm just at home.

Things I miss about work:
-My co-workers
-Commiserating over the same rough kiddos
-Coaching
-Seeing kids excited to learn
-The Renaissance Fair
-Actually Teaching

Things I don't miss about work:
-The politics going on at that school
-That moment when you find "that student" that is going to make your year miserable
-Grading a million, literally probably 1,000, essays
-KIDS NOT DOING THEIR HOMEWORK AND THEN THE PARENTS GET MAD AT ME WHEN THEIR KID'S FAILING
-Being exhausted

Even with all the things I don't miss....I still miss teaching. Maybe I miss it because I no longer have a pay check. For the first time in forever, I don't have a steady paycheck. That is very scary. Maybe I miss it because I'm currently bored and it is something to do. Maybe I miss it because it is my identity..."What do you do?" "I'm a teacher". What am I now?

I'm excited to sub, but it won't be the same. I'm only hoping it will be different, and a good different. An experience I won't forget :)

Happy First Day of School everyone!

For the days you just can't...

Ever had a day where you wake up and just can't? You just feel miserable and can't imagine teaching...but you didn't feel like this yesterday, so of course, there are no lesson plans all typed up and ready to go. Ideally, we'd have everything readily available so that a sub could teach our actual lesson, but sometime that just isn't feasible. So I think this is a pretty good solution :)

Well have no fear! I've got you covered with my standards-based  Substitute Teacher Lesson Plan Filler Pack!

I was thinking the other day as a sub, what am I going to do if the teacher doesn't leave anything? With nothing to do, that is when trouble can break out.

So I created a pack of emergency lesson plans I could bring with me for when I sub in an English or History class and there aren't any plans left. These plans are standards-based, so you won't be wasting a day with a movie or what not :) I'm going to put them in a binder and bring it with me every time, just in case. Then if I need to, make copies so the students have something to do :)

If anyone out there is subbing, this would be a great idea for you to bring with you. And if you're a teacher, leave this binder on your desk at all times so you can just ask the secretary to tell the sub to pick one! :)

Here is an example where students are asked to analyze a speech, using close reading techniques.

There are 6 activities total, in both Word and PDF format, along with a binder cover and binder spines. I think this is a great solution for the days you just can't :)

You Asked For It...

So here you go!

Informational Text Analysis Activities!!!! So excited to have this product available for y'all :)

Whether you use Common Core at your school or not, it is important to teach students how to analyze informational texts. So I have compiled some different texts, and created 2 different analysis handout versions you can use to analyze the text.

As you can see, 3 of the texts are historical, and 2 are modern, pulling from the New York Times' Room for Debate page. These will create some buy-in to the activity: one is about sports, and the other is about Internet addiction.

The two different handout options also allow you to choose which is best for your student population. If you teach the middle school level, you may want to use the one with pictures for some more buy-in. If you're teaching Seniors, you may want to get to the nitty gritty and go for the more basic of the handouts. Either way, your students will be interacting with the text in new and challenging ways.

Here's a glimpse of one of the articles [sports]:

And then students use one of the handouts to analyze the text. They'll be asked to give a brief summary of the article, relate the text to the world, relate the text to another text, find & explain rhetorical devices, and relate the text to themselves. This gives students a well-rounded view of the article and helps them see the importance of informational texts.

I have done something similar with my students last year, and it really challenged them to look at the text a different way, and through multiple lenses. I hope you enjoy it! Head on over to my TPT Store to download now :)

The Waiting Game

I hate waiting. I'm very impatient ;)

I got my fingerprinting done yesterday, and dropped off the form with HR. By the way, fingerprinting in Texas is different than fingerprinting in California. For one, they took my picture, for two, it was at a gun range/shooting range place. In CA it was at an agency or notary office building, not a gun range :) But at least it's done.

So now it's the waiting game. Waiting to get approved. Waiting to get my Sub ID #. Then waiting to get a job. I'm not expecting a job the first couple of weeks, but it would be nice to get some income rolling! It's just weird not having my own classroom.

I talked to some friends at my old school, and they were telling me about the first day back, who got my room, why did I leave my Donor's Choose doc cam? All that stuff. Made me miss them and teaching.

I've never subbed before. I know it will be different than teaching; less stressful I hope :) But I'm just anxious to get back out there :)

So for now, I'll keep working on TPT stuff, and I'm going to start making some items for subs too.

Let's pray I get approved soon...then at least I can make my cute notepad and business cards :)

Until next post! :)

Substitute Notepad & Business Card

I like doing fun "work"...so I'm working on designing my substitute notepad and business card :)

I think I've found the one I'm going with...not the typical apple notepad ;) I can't order them yet because I need to wait to get assigned my Sub ID # so I can put it on the notepad and card.

I'm also putting my new last name on it, because I don't want to do two different orders, so I'm putting my maiden name and my new last name :) I'm getting married in Oct [have I mentioned that before? ;)] so I figure that's close enough to the beginning of the school year to put the new name on the notepad and card.

Here's the design I'm thinking:

NOTEPAD:

I still need the sub # for the notepad...

Front of business card: [still need sub #]

And back of business card:

I haven't ordered them yet, obviously, so what do you think? I personally love them :) Should I put the "7 years experience" bit?

Winners of the 400+ Follower Giveaway

Winner winner chicken dinner!!! We have our winners ladies and gentlemen :)

WINNER

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway...I wish you all could win!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amy-When you email me with your product of choice from my TPT store, please also provide your address so I can mail you the Starbucks gift-card :)
Jen- Email me which planner set you'd like :) 

My email is: Talesofteachinginheels@gmail.com

Thanks again everyone for participating!

Substitute Orientation

So I went to my Sub orientation on Thursday. What an awakening. I do not want to speak badly or put down anyone, so I won't. :)

I will say that I think we need to change the way we look at our Sub system. The orientation did not really talk about teaching strategies or how to teach.

I think it would be great if there was some sort of training like that. For instance, if you've not taught before or have been subbing for less than 3 years, you have to go to a one-day training that teaches some basic strategies. Maybe it talks about what's important for each subject/grade, how to set the tone in the classroom, etc.

I just know how the sub things works from a teacher standpoint. I literally had a sub who brought his guitar and played music the whole time. Luckily I had set a good tone for the year and *most of my students did their assignment while he played...some even asked to go in the hall and work.

That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about...we should tell subs that they MUST follow the lesson plans..as a high school teacher, I don't have time to waste a day. I used to feel like I couldn't get sick because I knew it'd be like blowing off a day :/

I'm hoping I can change that and be the kind of sub that teachers want :) I think I'm going to make a little notepad with my name and sub ID on it so I can leave notes for the teachers. I might make a little business card to leave them to, that way if they like what I did, they can request me :)

What do y'all think? Does that sound like a good idea?

And for the Middle School Teachers...

You too get an ELA Standards checklist!! :) LOL I feel like Oprah...you get a checklist, you get a checklist, everybody gets a checklist!!!!

I created the ELA Common Core Checklist for 8th Grade:

Just like the 9/10 and 11/12, there is a checklist for each category of ELA, as well as 7 page dividers to choose from depending upon which lesson planner you have :)

And lastly, for the Checklist for 7th Grade teachers:

 Enjoy my Middle School friends!! Hope this is helpful for you :)

400+ TPT Followers GIVEAWAY!!!

It's GIVEAWAY time!!! Thank you so much everyone for following my store on TPT...all 400+ of you! I can't believe it :) I love that we all have a place where we can create and share products to help each other out in the classroom!

So here's the deal! Enter the Rafflecopter below, a few different options to earn multiple entries, and get ready to win! Enter now, through Saturday

1st Place Winner: A $10 Starbucks gift-card and ANY PRODUCT OF YOUR CHOICE from my store...that's right. Even a $15 product...FREE!!

2nd Place Winner: Any Lesson Planner/Binder Theme of your choice...FREE!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Thanks for entering!!! Good luck!!! 

ELA Standards Checklists...now available!

I spent most of today making two new products! I wanted to get them up on TPT while the sale was still going so you could take advantage of the reduced price :)

I know that a lot of teachers keep track of the standards they cover, either for personal use or because their school requires it. I thought I'd make a great checklist for you with everything in one place and easy to access.

I also made sure it could be something like an "add on" to the Lesson Planners/Teacher Binders I sell. Everything will still be in the same theme that way :)

So here's what I did:

For Grades 9/10, there's a 10 pages checklist of all ELA Common Core Standards, and 7 different cover options to choose from :)

Each cover option, or page divider if you will, goes with one of the 7 themed Planners I sell.

I did the same thing for Grades 11/12 as well...a separate item to purchase.

I made the main photo look a little different for the different grades :)

They're only $1.50 on my TPT Store, but today only they're another 28% off!

Currently August!

It is officially the month of the dreaded Back to School. That phrase has a whole new meaning to me this year. For the first time in 8 years, I didn't run to Target for back to school supplies; I'm not replenishing my printer ink at Office Depot; I'm not at Michael's buying cute decorations...because I don't have a classroom this year.

While subbing will be a nice, stress-free break, it is very weird to be a teacher without a home [so to speak]. So here's to the first Currently of the new school year...can't wait to see what it will bring!

Thanks Farley, for hosting!

Happy August everyone!!

TPT Back To School Sale! August 3 & 4

Is it that time already? Back to School?! Well I know not everyone is excited about it; if you're in the Fort Worth area and want to take a day off right away, I'd be happy to sub for you ;) LOL

Anyway, I'm joining TPT in their site-wide sale of 20% off; but, if you use the code at checkout, you'll get 28% off all my products!!!! Huge deal :) Just use "bts15" for 28% off at checkout! :)

 

So head on over to my TPT Store today, do a little preview shopping and make a list of all the items you'd like to purchase to help make your teaching experience a little bit easier this year :)

May I suggest a cute lesson planner/sub planner like this one?

Or maybe some Icebreakers for middle/high schoolers?

Or how 'bout start the school year off with a great writing unit, combined with the Smashbook project as homework, that will really refresh their writing memories and keep you from pulling your hair out when grading essays ? :)

So have fun browsing all the Back to School Sale products...and don't forget Back to School Night...you'll need these little apples to help you get what you need for your classroom...for free from parents! It comes with blank apples as well so you can type in whatever else you'd like!

Happy Back to School!!!