#celebrate2018 TpT Sale

Some awesome TpT sellers and I have teamed up to #celebrate2018. You're invited to join us! Visit Teachers Pay Teachers and search using #celebrate2018 to discover terrific teaching items priced at just ONE DOLLAR! But HURRY, this celebration only lasts through New Year's Day 2018!

Here's what I've added to the celebration sale. Just click on the link to read more about the product and to download your own copy.

New Year's Nouns

New Year Zap

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Remember to #celebrate2018

Popular ELA Print and Go Holiday Resource...FREEBIE

I hate to be the bearer of bad news! I know that most teachers have just begun their holiday break, but looking ahead... School does resume after the holidays are over. If you're like me, you're anxious to return to your kiddos, but the thought of preparing lessons and activities and a return to the paperwork can be disheartening. Here's a fun, engaging, print and go ELA activity that will help you get back into the swing of things. It's the first thing that I present to my sixers on the first day back after holiday break.

New Year Mystery Picture Parts of Speech

Following a key, students match a word's part of speech with its representative color. They then color squares to reveal a mystery picture. The parts of speech practiced in this mystery picture are nouns (singular and plural) and verbs (past, present, and future tense). The coloring sheet can be projected on a whiteboard for whole or small group instruction/participation instead of printing individual paper copies. 

With over 11,000 downloads, this popular FOREVER FREEBIE has been shared and used with numerous students and has been widely reviewed by teachers.

Buyer: I think this is a wonderful idea for kids to do and have fun at the same time
Sunflowers and Smiles: Thank you for providing this activity! The kids loved practicing their grammar skills.
Megan W.: Great for review and to ease back into the swing of things after break.
Buyer: Great for a warm-up or homework assignment.
Christina R.: This was great as an independent center last week! Thanks for sharing!
Lorraine C.: Great review for morning work! Thanks!
Jennifer G.: Great way to start the new year and review parts of speech. Thank you!
Buyer said: This is so AWESOME! I used it in my home school group and they loved it!
Martine C.: Great activity to help review the parts of speech while students are getting settled back into the routine of school.
Michelle B.: Thanks! Great idea for reviewing parts of speech, and easing into the new year next week.
Louise C.: I love that they are coloring and applying knowledge at the same time!
Buyer: This is such a novel idea and kids love mysteries so it will keep them engaged too, thanks very much!

To read more about this product or download a copy for yourself, please click HERE. If you like this product and would like more like it, click HERE. There are over 75 Mystery Picture products in my TpT Store!

TpT Super Cyber Sale 2017

Shop on TpT on Nov. 27th and 28th and save BIG!

Everything in my store (and MANY others) is priced 20% off. Add to that a 5% discount offered by TpT on EVERY purchase and you've scored MAJOR SAVINGS!

'Tis the Season to shop on TpT!

Win a $10 Gift Certificate

'Tis the season for giving!

I've got a gift for you that I can't wait to give away.

Would you like a gift card to spend on TpT?

Just enter the Rafflecopter below before Monday, November 27, 2017 Midnight EST.

One lucky entrant will snag the gift card to spend on TpT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Show and Tell Tuesday November Edition

It's that time...

I CAN NOT BAKE! I do not have the patience nor the grit to follow a recipe, see it through, and clean up all the mess! NOPE! However, I do enjoy the results, so you know all those recipes you see on Facebook? They really do work. I found a series of recipes over the summer that used refrigerator biscuits as the basis for pastry. Check out the mini pot pies made with country style jumbo biscuits as the crust... yummy easy! And that pie down below... oh yeah! DELISH and super easy peasy! Made with cinnamon rolls as the crust. Ha, I really can bake after all!

Those of you who have followed me for a while might recall how I work with a local branch of Kent State's chemistry professor. She invited my students and me to participate in the regional National Chemistry Day science fair. What fun! My students and I hauled our toaster ovens (science tools extrordinaire), rocks, and old crayons 40 miles to the metroparks nature center. There we demonstrated how chemistry rocks by involving visitors in painting hot rocks with wax crayons... super fun and super pretty. Our area of NE Ohio is BIG into the hiding painted rocks craze so this was the perfect exhibit for the day.

And speaking of our mentor chemistry teacher... here she is teaching a lesson about physical properties, chemical changes, and heat.

Normally, I do not dress up for Halloween at school. I do NOT like to dress up, never have, never will. However, I could not resist what our elementary staff decided to wear this year... emojis!!!! I am all the way at the top wearing the MEH emoji. My kiddos said that is the look that I give them when they are trying to make excuses or when they make poor choices. LOL!

I always end the monthly Show and Tell with a snap of my fuzz girls. Here's Lulubelle getting into mischief as usual. My nephew volunteered to assemble my brand new light. She made it a bit more difficult than it should've been. She just couldn't resist the pieces, styrofoam, and plastic bags. SIGH... life with cats is never dull.

 Be sure to stop by Forever in 5th Grade to read more Show and Tell posts by teacher bloggers. It's a great way to keep up with what's happening in the bloggy world of education.

Happy Hashtag Sale

Don't look now, but there's a GREAT hashtag sale happening SOON NOW!

Click HERE to be taken to all of the sale items. Happy shopping!

Happy Hashtag Halloween TWO You

A group of wonderful teachers and I have joined to offer you a special Halloween hashtag sale on TpT. This sale is for TWO days only and everything offered is priced at TWO dollars. Don't delay or you'll miss out on this special teachers' treat. 

Click HERE to see all the sale items.

October Show and Tell Tuesday

It's time for another month of...

 This month I'm featuring photos of all things SCIENCE!

Something new that I just started is an after school robotics club for my  kids in the middle. Any students in fifth through eighth grade who enjoy computers and coding and all things tech were invited to participate. Thirteen students signed up with more interested once fall sports are concluded. Here you see two fifth graders building their Lego robot. We meet again in two weeks when we will start coding programs to make the robots move! Such fun!

 STEM challenge No. 2 for my sixth graders: build the tallest free-standing tower on a foundation of wooden bricks and sticks. Oh my, the struggle... it's REAL!

Dr. Ann, the chemistry teacher from our local branch university, paid her first visit to ALL of my science classes. She presented a lesson on using scientific glassware, measuring, and Archimedes' principle.

AND finally, as I end all monthly Show and Tell posts, a pic of my two fuzz girls. They are actually sitting together again after a two month hiatus. It's definitely not sisterly love that draws them together this month, but rather a brand new blanket that's supposed to be my blanket. Each of the girls has claimed that warm, fuzzy patch as her own and won't relinquish to the other. They LOVE the new blanket more than they dislike each other... LOL!

Be sure to stop by Forever in 5th Grade for more October Show and Tell posts. It's a great way to keep up with terrific teachers in the education bloggy world!

#SPOOKYSALE

Don't be scared but a group of fabulous TpTer's and I have joined to offer you a special two day only hashtag sale just in time for Halloween. 

On Oct. 12-13th you will find frighteningly terrific teaching products priced at a deep discount. Visit TpT on those two days and search using #SpookySale to locate the sale items.

Happy Shopping!

World Teacher Day Giveaway and Hashtag Sale

To celebrate WORLD TEACHER DAY, we are giving away TWO gift cards to TWO lucky teachers. A team of terrific teachers and I have grouped together to reward TWO awesome teachers a well deserved gift for everything they do! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway. The more fields that you complete, the greater your chance of winning one of the gift cards! Don't wait to enter. The giveaway ends Thursday, October 12, 2017, at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway We are also hosting a special TpT Hashtag Sale. For one day only, October 5, 2017, you will find numerous teaching products offered at a 50% discount. Search using #worldteacherday to find these specially priced products. 

Better Late Than Never...

I am a bit late to the party, but I did finally make it!

My favorite season of the year has finally arrived! I LOVE all things fall, but especially APPLES! Chalk it up to the profession, as in AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHER; however, I chalk it up to delicioso! I made my first batch of the year applesauce this past week. YUM! I also had the first of the season cider, apple cider doughnuts, Cortland apples (my favorite variety), and apple cider slushy... notice I say first... definitely not last!

Lots of home improvement over the summer! Here you see the front walkway being replaced. Would you believe there were three full pickup truck loads of roots dug out of my yard to make the walkway level and smooth?

During last month's Show and Tell you saw the beginnings of the home transformation. This month you see the completed new look! You can also see the completed new walkway. And yes, those are fallen leaves already!

A new home look called for a new car look! This happened just a few days ago. 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

I had to sneak in one more pic since I always end Show and Tell with one or both my fuzz girls. 

Here you see my old girl, DaisyMae chillaxin' after a rough day. She exemplifies exactly how I feel after this last month of school, home, and personal activities: TIRED but OH SO CONTENT!

Don't be LATE like me! HURRY over to Forever in 5th Grade to read more Show and Tell posts by terrific teacher bloggers. It is a GREAT way to keep up with what is happening in the bloggy world of educators.

#HappyLaborDay

A Bonus for You!

Everybody loves a sale! 

Everybody loves a bonus! 

Everybody loves a TpT Bonus Sale!

Check out all these great teaching products on sale for today!

Show and Tell and Teacher Book Talk Tuesday

As you are reading this blog post, please think of me working in my classroom, readying it for my kiddos to arrive next week. Tomorrow begins the first of four days of professional development and inservice... sigh! Meanwhile, let's get to all of the Tuesday fun!

First up to share with you... 

My house is being painted! YAY! It's been seventeen years since last the old homestead had a fresh coat. Next month's Show and Tell should have the finished product.

Next is all the fun stay-cation activities that I've been doing these final days of freedom.

Feeding the fish at the Pymatuning Spillway. 

I kid you not... there are so many fish that the local ducks can walk on their backs.

Old ladies' luncheons with new recipes to share. This is what I made for the last luncheon: Cowboy Caviar... YUM!

Going for rides all around the county... where we saw this!

Although it was wide, it wasn't very bright. Still it is a promise.

Of course, I MUST share at least one pic of a fuzz girl. This month I have two, both of Lulubelle, the young lady who is always getting into trouble. 

Here she is trying to figure out how to jump on the window ledge. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Here she is fooling around with a fidget spinner that I didn't know was on my work table. Apparently it was stuck between some papers and books. Lulubelle ferreted it out while I was doing a bit of TpT work!

And now for Teacher Book Talk Tuesday, the last of my Show and Tell items,  and the second week of giveaways (a wonderful children's book and an Amazon gift card).

The book that I am sharing this week is a kid friendly biography about someone I had never heard of but was well-ahead of her time. In fact, she was so far ahead of her time that we don't have a photograph of her, only painted portraits. Yet, Ada Byron Lovelace is credited with writing the first computer program. I stumbled upon the book while searching for STEM titles on Amazon.

This well-written and handsomely illustrated picture book biography details how Ada Lovelace Byron was able to write the first computer program more than 100 years before the first computer was built. Ever since she was a young girl, Lovelace was fascinated by numbers. As she was growing up, she filled her journals with ideas for inventions and equations. Her mother provided tutors to further develop Lovelace's passion for mathematics. When one of these tutors invited Lovelace and her mother to a gathering of scientists, she met the famous mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage. He was so impressed by Lovelace's knowledge that he invited her to his laboratory, where she learned about his idea for an Analytical Engine, a mechanical computer that would solve difficult problems by working them through step-by-step. She realized that this "computer" would only work if it were provided with detailed instructions, and after much work, she succeeded in writing what is now referred to as the first computer program and in creating the profession of computer programming. The descriptive text and dazzling spreads work seamlessly to provide a sense of Lovelace's growing passion for mathematics and invention. The illustrations reflect the 19th-century setting and contain numerous supporting details. For example, gears that will eventually become part of the design of the Analytic Engine are featured throughout: in the corners of the title page, on the pages of Ada's journals, and on Babbage's chalkboard. VERDICT An excellent addition to STEM collections...School Library Journal

I actually received the book yesterday, after more than a month's wait. Apparently MANY people have discovered Ada Lovelace and Amazon actually sold out of the title. Because I just received it, I had to do a QUICK read in order to write my blog post to get published on time. I just had to share this title, especially since school is starting and I will be introducing computer code to my kiddos. I have to share this book with them.  I will be going back to do a more thorough read so that I am more familiar with the material (and just because I like the book). It will be a great read aloud and research motivator. If you are introducing coding to your students, if you are involved with technology, and if you particularly enjoy encouraging girls to "do science" then this book needs to find its way onto your wishlist and into your class library. 

And now you need to find your way over to Kidpeople Classroom where Kathleen will be reviewing a wonderful children's book that you can own (as well as a ten dollar Amazon gift card) via our second weekly giveaway. 

And when you finish entering the giveaway, be sure to find your way over to Stephanie's blog, Forever in 5th Grade to read more Show and Tell posts. It's a great way to keep up with some terrific teachers bloggers.