Throwback Thursday: Memories

Welcome to another installment of...

How does Throwback Thursday work, you might ask? Simply look through your PURR-fect Previous Posts, perhaps a particular favorite of yours, and re-post it! Then add the TBT badge to your post and include your link below! Purr-fectly easy and simple! Your post doesn't have to be from LOOOONNNGGG ago; it can be from last month. And if you don't have a post to share, perhaps an old photo or two from WAY BACK will do! Even a favorite pin is PURR-fect! Just join in the Throwback fun!

For whatever reason, last week at our family dinner get-together we started going through OLD photos, ones that dated from WWI and the 1920's. These were photos of my grandparents and parents as children. Since I am the oldest (I remember when I was the youngest) member of the family the discussion turned to photos from my childhood. I am not someone who saves photos and mementos; that was my mom and sister. However, before my mom passed away she went through ALL of her photos and mementos, separating them into boxes for each of us. I just so happened to know where my box was. We had the best time going through the old photos of me, poking fun at what I looked like, what I wore.

The most interest (and LAUGHS) came from a pile of band photos. Back in the day, I was a band geek, BANDO; as was my niece and her husband; and as is their son, my great nephew. Connor was leaving the next day for band camp (he is there now, having the time of his life) and he was curious about band in the OLD DAYS... really, he used those words! 

Here, then, is band in the OLD DAYS...

circa 1974, Was I EVER that young?

Band Camp 1975

Memorial Day Parade 1976
I'm closest to the camera.

Spirit of '76
I actually made money traveling to local sports events, meetings, and other high school concerts playing in this shtick.
Remember 1976 was the US Bicentennial. Would you believe I still have that costume? Minus the bloody bandage.

40 years later, I still am a BANDO...

At church

Alumni Homecoming Band 2009
We even marched!

I sometimes play for local theater musical productions. I thought I had a photo from "Guys and Dolls" but alas it's nowhere to be found. Instead try to imagine this: I am dressed in a Salvation Army Uniform, seated at the rear of the "in the round outdoor theater tent" stage, playing flute/piccolo whilst the singing and acting are going on... all while it is 95 degrees with 95% humidity and 75 degree dewpoint outside the closed tent! Can you say wet mop, wring me out? Somehow I didn't seem to mind!

We don't seem to mind doing the things we enjoy or find worthwhile no matter the conditions! We find the time, we ignore the weather, we push past our tiredness. Whether it be blogging, preparing lessons, creating teaching products, running, reading, or playing an instrument, we love to talk about them, we love to share them, and we love to DO! And while we are doing we are creating memories! Memories that someday we might sit around a dinner table and share. Perhaps YOU WILL BE A MEMORY that one of your students will share with a grandchild someday. Makes you stop and think, eh?

Earlier this summer I stumbled upon the cutest worksheet made by Teaching 5th in Georgia. It will help your students remember the memories that they created during their summer break and perhaps encourage a few conversations along the way. You can download the sheet HERE or by clicking on the pic below.

Before you go, don't forget to link-up your Throwback Thursday posts, pics, and pins! 

Wordless Wednesday 7.23.14

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo once again for Wordless Wednesday.

How many of you have made, are making, or will be making one of these puppies?

Tomorrow is the day! Are you ready? What have you got planned for TBT? Be sure to come back and link-up. I can't wait to see what you have to share!

Also, be sure to stop by Thriving in 3rd to help Lindsey celebrate her first blogiversary and enter her giveaway! She is offering a terrific prize package!!!

Two for Tuesday (and Wednesday)

It's time to link up again with The Teaching Tribune for...

We got a little bit of a late start for this linky today so I'm going to extend the sweetness a little longer.

Just for today and tomorrow (Wednesday) two of my TpT Products will be on sale for 50% off! Be sure to stop by The Teaching Tribune to see all of the bloggers who are participating in this linky and what products they have especially reduced for today!

Item #1 is my Mega Bundle of Polka Dot Classroom Decor

This product is a compilation of ELEVEN polka dot/monster themed items already being offered in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store as well as FOUR bonus files only found in this pack. By combining the following items into one convenient MEGA Pack, a savings of $7.00 is passed on to buyers. Originally priced at $10.00, you can snag this bundle for just $5.00 today by clicking HERE or on the pic. That's a total of $12.00 in savings if you were to purchase all of the items separately in my store.

Included in this bundle are the following FIFTEEN items:
Writing Process Clip Chart
Editable Word Cards
Word Wall labels and header
Sentence Posters
Steps for Dismissal Checklist
Class Writing Journal Covers
Editable Homework Punch Cards
No Homework Coupons
Spelling Brag Tags
Homework Brag Tags
Back to School Brag Tags (editable to include name, school, grade)
PQA Poster
School Year Goals Planning Sheet
Story Wheel for Literary Elements Graphic Organizer
Summer Reading Questionnaire

Item #2  is my best selling product, Poetry Task Cards+. This pack of twenty task cards normally sells for $2.50. Today only you can download one from my TpT Store for just $1.25 HERE or by clicking on the pic.

I print these task cards on brightly colored paper, put them in a small photo album and place them on a table with a collection of poetry books forming a poetry center. Students work with the task cards at specified times during Language Arts class or during free time throughout the day.

In addition to the poetry task cards, I’ve included three bonus files (that's the + part): poetry pencil toppers,a poetry wordsearch, and a poetry foldable for use in an interactive notebook. 

Two for Tuesday is definitely a day to celebrate! Something else worth a celebration is Thriving in 3rd's one year blogiversary! CONGRATULATIONS, Lindsey!

Lindsey has quite the party going on including a fantastic giveaway package. She has something for everybody...

Something for k-2 teachers...

Something for 3-5 teachers...

And something for middle school teachers...

There's me:)

Hop on over to Thriving in Third and enter one or all four of Lindsey's Rafflecopters. Her giveaway runs through next Sunday with the winners being announced early next week. Be sure to leave Lindsey a little blogiversary message while you're there!

Don't forget that in two days it will be THURSDAY... and you know what that means!!!!

Get those PURR-fect posts, pics, and pins ready to Throwback for all to see! I've got a feast of old photos to share this week.

Monday Made It: Brag Tags

I actually lost track of the days; that's what summer does to you. I wasn't sure that today was Monday until I checked my blog feed and Instagram and began to see all the Monday Made It posts. When I discovered that it was I hurried over here to join Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for...

Last Friday I blogged about all the sets of brag tags that I had been creating. I had even created a complete homework management packet that included punch cards, tags, and no homework coupons. So what are brag tags, some of you might be thinking? Brag tags are badges/mini-awards that students earn by completing a specified behavior. They are incentives for good behavior, good habits, and good work. Students collect brag tags and hang them on a metal ring, cord, bracelet, or necklace. They can wear these bracelets and necklaces or hang their rings in a prominent place to display their accomplishments. They get to brag about what they have accomplished, thus their name.

I've created quite a few tags lately; however, I haven't really MADE any of my brag tags yet... sigh! That was this morning's project. Making the actual brag tags is not difficult. I just need to make a LOT of them because my kiddos LOVE brag tags and work REALLY hard to earn them. I try to get as many made before school begins as possible so I do a batch or two everyday until I get stocked up.

First I have to print them out...

Then I have to place them in the plastic sheets to laminate them for durability...

Next stop is the laminator...

Now the fun begins: cutting them out. Miss Daisy decided to help me with this step.

She gave me her approval, so I was able to continue working.

Before I completely cut the tags apart, I stop to punch them. It's a bit easier to punch the tops while they are still in a strip rather than completely separate. I can zip right down the edge without stopping to pick up a tag and position it.

Finally, they are ready for my kiddos to earn!

This is the set that I added most recently to my TpT store and one of the sets that you see me making above. These are meant to be awarded to students who earn a perfect score on their weekly spelling test. You can check this set out as well as all the other ones in my TpT Store by clicking HERE or on the pic below.

Still not sure about brag tags? Why not download this sample for a closer look!

Guess what I'm working on for next Monday?!?!

Five for Friday with Pins and Freebies

I looked at the calendar today... sigh! Just a little more than three weeks from today I will be sitting in a faculty meeting. WOW! Where did the summer break go? The time has passed quickly, and speaking of time---

It's that time! Time to join Doodlebugs for...

Do I need to say more? It's been like this since early Thursday morning. I'm waiting with fingers crossed.

We had a wonderful family celebration this week! The youngest in our family, my grand niece Kamryn, celebrated her 13th birthday.

I spent a great deal of time this past week doing some initial planning for the upcoming school year, particularly in the area of Interactive Notebooks. I found many wonderful ideas on Pinterest... of course... and started pinning and pinning and pinning. I found so many INB pins that I had enough to start a new board just for INB's. This has quickly become my favorite set of pins so I am sharing them with Teaching (Powered by Caffeine)'s weekly linky.

Have fun looking through all the pins. I dare you to NOT pin any of them!

Follow Angela's board Interactive Notebooks on Pinterest.

This week wasn't just all fun stuff! I did get some work accomplished. I use a behavior incentive program in my classroom for both my fifth and sixth grade students that involves brag tags, small little badges/awards that students earn by doing their work, performing well on tests, or exhibiting notable behaviors.

I had used brag tags YEARS ago but I tired of them. Back then it was laborious making the tags!!! Not now, though with computers, printers, and laminators at home! This will be the second year that I am using this system, and because I have my students for multiple years I needed a new set of tags. I suppose I could use the same ones from last year, but my kiddos will notice. They love getting new designs and often spend a great deal of time choosing a tag when confronted with a choice of tag. So, I was busy this past week creating four new sets of tags. To read more about each or to download a set, simply click on the pics below. To see all of the brag tag sets that I have created click HERE.

First up is this set of editable Back to School Tags. Included in this packet are five sheets of 18 count brag tags for a total of 5 different designs plus one blank page which can be customized to include school, teacher, and student names as well as grade and academic year. This is a GREAT starter set!

The second set of tags that I put together are for general classroom behaviors. Included in this packet are twelve different designs. Combine this pack with the one above and you've got your reward system in place.

Because I teach in a Catholic school, many of the tags that my students can earn reflect our faith. My kiddos learn special prayers and religious concepts for which they can earn a brag tag. This packet contains nine different tag designs for this purpose.

The final set that I completed this week is a homework management system that will motivate students to complete their homework assignments on time. It's a combination of punch cards, brag tags, and no homework coupons. I had a group of sixers last year who were notorious for not doing their homework. Once I instituted this system, there were few instances of late or missing work!

Here's how the system works.

Students are given a homework punch card. They earn punches by turning in their homework on time.

The punches earn them brag tags...

... and no homework coupons! YEA!!!!

Would you like a copy of this homework management system to try in your classroom? Then hop on over to my Facebook page. I am holding a giveaway for this product through noon EST on July 19th. That's tomorrow so you should hurry!

Still not too sure about brag tags?!?!? Here's a fall brag tag freebie for you to try. You can download it HERE or by clicking on the pic.

I'm linking this freebie with my friend Lynda from Teaching Science with Lynda. She has a great fall freebie linky going on right now. I'm also linking it with Freebie Friday. Be sure to stop by these blogs for more AWESOME freebies!!!