INNOVATIVE CONNECTIONS

Sweet Secondary Teaching Blogs and Pinterest!!

2013-05-25T08:28:00.001-05:00

Are you a pin addict? Are you a blog addict? Are you a Secondary Teacher? If you answered yes, I'd like to share some awesome teaching blogs with you. If you like pinning awesome teaching ideas, these are just for you!

You will find all subject areas in this crew. We follow each other on Pinterest and thought you might like to too. Ready to meet them? Okay:

Bio: Hi! I'm Adrianne from The Tutor House. I love tutoring and creating engaging lessons for math in reading for grades 3-8! If you've ever thought about starting your own tutoring business, you should come on over to The Tutor House!

Follow Adrianne of The Tutor House on Pinterest.

Bio: Welcome! I am Connie from Teach it Write. I am a retired English teacher and I’m thrilled to now write curriculum full time that I love to share on my site http://teachitwrite.blogspot.com. My book, The House of Comprehension, shows how the elements of literature form the structure of any fiction or non-fiction text. Check it out on my blog site or on www.teachitwrite.com.

Follow Connie of Teach it Write on Pinterest.

Bio: Hi Everyone! It's Kristy from 2 Peas and a Dog. I am a Canadian middle school teacher who loves to pin and blog about things related to Grades 6 and up.

Follow Kristy of 2 Peas and a Dog on Pinterest.

Bio: Hiya there! I'm Jamie but you may know me as MissMathDork! I am a lover of all things mathematical! Patterns, sequences, geometric shapes, if it's mathematical, I'll find a way to make it fun! Want to see some of my ideas? Check out my ideas and pictures at www.missmathdork.com! You won't be disappointed!

Follow Jaime of Miss Math Dork on Pinterest.

Bio: Hello, there. I’m Charlene Tess from Simple Steps to Sentence Sense. Grammar is my specialty. I have always loved taking sentences apart and putting them back together, and I successfully taught my students using the simple steps method for over three decades. Visit my blog to get helpful tips on grammar, usage, and writing.

Follow Charlene of Simple Steps to Sentence Sense on Pinterest.

Tammy Manor!

Bio: Hi my name is Tammy and I've been teaching high school English for 13 years now. I know that teaching can be very stressful. My school is constantly changing the book list and I've taught every grade 6-12 as well. As a result I have unit plans for a large variety of novels, plays and memoirs. Come check out my store on TpT for a variety of ELA materials. Follow my blog for teaching related posts.

Follow Tammy on Pinterest.

Bio: Meet Sabrina, author of A Space to Create. Find teaching resources for art teachers and classroom teachers alike. My art lessons teach students the creative process enabling them to build confidence and have amazing results. Come visit my blog A Space to Create! (K-12)

Follow Sabrina of A Space to Create on Pinterest.

Bio: Hi there! I'm Gina from All Things Algebra. I have taught Algebra and Pre-Algebra for seven years and have a passion for creating activites and games that engage my students. If you are interested in finding ways to have more fun in math class, head on over and check out my blog!

Follow Gina of All Things Algebra on Pinterest.

Bio: Hi there! My name is Amy Brown and I write a blog called "Science Stuff." I am a 29-year teaching veteran of biology, chemistry and AP biology. I love science and I love kids, so I have the best job in the world! Hopefully, I have passed my love of nature and the environment on to many students. My blog has tips and tricks for teaching science as well as a lot of free science teaching materials. I hope to see you there!

Follow Amy of Science Stuff on Pinterest.

Bio: Hi! I’m Krystina from Numbers Rule My World. I love incorporating hands-on activities and technology into the classroom for Math: grades 7-9. If you’re looking for great ideas about math then you should come on over and check it out at Numbers Rule My World!

Follow Krystina of Numbers Rule My World on Pinterest.

Bio: Hello, my name is Jennifer Smith-Sloane. I am a Middle School Math and Special Education teacher. I have a strong passion for differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each learner in and out of my classroom. I love seeing the light in a student's eyes when something finally clicks and I do everything that I can to make that happen as often as it can. Visit my blog 4mulaFun!

Follow Jennifer of 4mulaFun on Pinterest.

Bio: This is Madame Aiello, author of Teaching FSL. Although I've taught other subjects as well, French as a Second Language has always been my passion. My focus is the higher grades, since I taught high school originally but teach grade 7 & 8 since six years ago. I share lots of resources, blog about second language teacher specific topics as well as those that apply to all teachers.

Follow Madame Aiello of Teaching FSL on Pinterest.

Bio: Bonjour! Hola! I'm Liz from Liz's Lessons. Languages are one of my passions, and I love teaching with technology. I create fun lessons for teaching secondary French, and Spanish. I also make formative assessments and technology activities in English, that can be used in any secondary classroom. If you are looking for some engaging activities for your classes, be sure to stop by Liz's Lessons!

Follow Liz of Liz's Lessons on Pinterest.

Bio: I'm Andrea Kerr from For the Love of Teaching Math. It is my mission to change traditional math classrooms one game and activity at a time. If you like to incorporate hands-on, group activities and games into your classroom, check out For the Love of Teaching Math!

Follow Andrea of For the Love of Teaching Math on Pinterest.

Bio: I'm a middle / high-school teacher and I love to create ELA, Social Studies and Geography related resources. I blog at Addie Education - Teacher Talk... come on by and see some of the fun things I do with my students.

Follow Addie Education on Pinterest.

Bio: I'm a high school English teacher in a 1:1 school who loves books and fostering creativity. My blogs are Mrs. Orman's Classroom and Hunger Games Lessons. I share my teaching resources on TeachersPayTeachers.

Follow Tracee Orman on Pinterest.

Bio: Hi! I'm Kim from Teaching Math by Hart. I am forever planning and thinking of new and innovative ways to teach math to my students. Why, you ask? Believe it or not, I think learning Math should be FUN and it should be REAL! If you are looking for some ideas to engage your students in math class, come check out Teaching Math by Hart - in the middle years classroom!

I hope you enjoy visiting these blogs and finding lots of great pins to add to your boards!
Have a great day!!

Dry Erase Pocket Folders...They're Fantastic and So are Teacher Appreciation Sales!

2013-05-06T02:42:00.000-05:00

Heads up: Be sure to see all of today's post...hint, hint.

Visit MyBinding Blog!

Dry erase pocket folders are great for a multitude of things. And, thanks to MyBinding, I have them!!!

They are fantastic tools to have for getting students' blood flowing too!

In my mailbox about a week ago was a nice surprise...a set of 9 x 12 reusable dry erase pockets to use in my classroom...THANKS TARRAGON! ;) You rock!
Visit MyBinding to see more about them, or just go ahead and order them...you know you wanna...Check out what I did when I received my pocket folders from MyBinding!

So, since I just finished creating a new resource for pronouns, I decided to try it with the new folders I got this past week! It was great!

I just slipped them right into the pockets! Of course, to create a little twist, I tied some yarn on them, hung them in "stations" around the room, and had my students pair up and work each set while I played music...when the music stopped, they shifted to the next station. It was fun for them and such an easy way to get middle school busy bodies up and moving --trust me, they need it.
(I didn't use pics of actual students while they were doing it since they were moving station to station/standing up--I didn't want to worry about photos of students and such.)
Anyhoo, there are 101+ things I can think of to use these handy pocket folders for, so I am looking forward to utilizing them more and more and more. ;) They are universal...great for all subjects, grades, skills, students. And, honestly, what student doesn't love to play with your dry erase markers? Mine always do!

Here's the resource I used with my new pocket folders-- Working with Personal Pronouns-Cases and Functions: Nominative, Objective, and Possessive Cases
I just uploaded it in my TPT store and in my TN shop too, just in case you want to grab it there. See my post about it on Blog-K-12.
And, last, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, I'd like to ~~mention~~ shout out about is the big TpT Sale going on May 7th-8th! TPT APPRECIATES YOU!
Don't forget to enter the promo code at checkout: TAD13

(Don't you just love the cute graphic, designed by Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs)

I'll have the majority of my digital resources on sale for 20% off both days. TPT will be throwing in another 10% for a total of up to 28% off all sale items! Happy Shopping!

Have a great week, FABULOUS TEACHERS!!!

YOU ALL ROCK, and you are appreciated!

Teachers Notebook Teacher Appreciation Week Sale!

2013-05-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

News Flash, Friends!

Teacher Appreciation Week!

It's a Week Long Sale at my Teacher's Notebook Shop!
Running from May 4th to May 10th, you'll find numerous resources for language arts...reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar items of many sorts.
Tons of shops are offering big discounts, so you can get up to 55% off while you save an additional 10% on sale items that Teacher's Notebook is giving all customers!

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And that's not all...

Oriental Trading will be giving away a $100 Oriental Trading Gift card EVERY DAY!
Don't miss the Oriental Trading Sweepstakes!

So, head on over and stock up on great resources for your classroom by TN teacher authors!

I hope you enjoy!
Have a great week and we are nearing the summer....yay!

Cooperative Learning with Reading Response and Writing Activities

2013-04-28T12:34:00.003-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I wanted to share some student samples from a couple of cooperative learning tasks involving reading response and writing.

We are in the midst of our final unit of the year called "The Spirit Within" and I wanted to share some of our work.

So, here is what we've been up to lately...

Literature Circles: Sequence of Events Map-

A "During Reading" Group Task for Night...

After reading a section of Elie Wiesel's memoir, students created flow maps in their literature circle groups. These are just two of the creative ideas they came up with to show the sequence of events. I like to have them work in groups because they learn so much from each other.

Partner Allegory Writing after Reading "Terrible Things" by Eve Bunting...

I gave them the option of working independently or with a partner to compose their own allegories based on the idea presented in "Terrible Things" and, to my surprise, I had a good handful choose to do it independently. Either way, the originality and imagination that came out was amazing.

Students read their allegories to the class after taking a couple of days to compose allegories and then illustrate them--in the form of a children's book. They really had fun with the project.

We thoroughly enjoyed hearing the different avenues taken to present the same idea!

As you can see, my kiddos have been busy with various hands-on tasks, in addition to getting ready for our upcoming state test!

(I won't even yap about state testing...lol)

What have your students been doing in class these last couple of weeks. Please share your fun ideas and cooperative learning activities with us.

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Recycled Materials - Great for Organization Tools and Storage!

2013-04-04T06:24:00.001-05:00

Hello all...Recycled materials - Are you a fan of organization tools and storage containers??? I am!

For those of you who enjoy scrap booking or tend to have lots of little "scrap" pieces of paper you keep to decorate items with (photos, collages, scrapbooks, classroom decor, art activities, student crafts, etc), I found myself looking for a perfect-sized container to keep all of mine in-nice and neatly...

What I came up with was a FOIL WRAP BOX---just your every day foil wrap box from the kitchen. Instead of tossing it, recycle it!

1. I had a roll of white masking tape (not the manilla colored tape, but white) that I happened to find for under $1 at Hudsons...one of my favorite stores (LOL)!

I covered the box with this white tape...

2. After covering inside and outside box with the tape, I put all of the scrap booking pieces in it.

3. Afterwards, I wanted attached a piece of Velcro under the flap to keep it closed--instead of tucking in the top flap. I guess you could tuck it in, but I had the Velcro and decided just to use it!

4. Last, I had to decorate the box with some of my scrap booking pieces because I just couldn't stand to leave it plain white! Ha...

Inside (and Velcro pieces)

Outside

That's it! Just wanted to show you because I just recycled items lying around! Possibilities are endless for classroom organization!! This is great also for colored pencils, skinny markers, grading pens, and all sorts of art supplies (pipe cleaners, straws, Popsicle sticks, etc.)

Have a great Thursday!

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Happy Easter Sale: Language Arts Teaching Resources

2013-03-31T13:48:00.003-05:00

I'm having as sale on 50 teaching resources for language arts! Teachers, jump in on the savings...

This is just a random "Happy Easter" sale for the opportunity get a 15% discount on many resources you should will find helpful in your classroom and may have already stored in your "cart" for a later date! Get them at a discounted price today!
Visit my TpT Store and empty your cart!
While you are there, check out the many FREE resources and grab them too!
Swing by my Facebook page and let me know what you found or liked!
Meanwhile, I hope you and your family have a happy and blessed Easter!

Exchanging Positive Comments with Classmates on Valentine's Day

2013-02-12T19:54:00.007-06:00

I love Valentine's Day!

Along with Valentine's Day comes the exchanging of little "love tokens" ("love tokens" especially in middle school...) between those who "like" each other, have boyfriends/girlfriends, crushes, admirers, etc. But, we also know plenty of people (children, teens, adults too) who like to receive sweet little notes on this fun day! (Cupid does not absolutely have to be involved, right?) Sending a sweet note, positive comment, or smile someone's way is a great idea for the students (teachers too ;) ha!)

That's why I ended up making this resource to encourage my students to exchange little notes with positive comments to each classmate--there's something positive in all of us and those positives should be acknowledged. It's a way to lift spirits, put a smile on a face, or just to let someone know you've "noticed" something good in him/her.

So, why not have your students do the same. It's an inexpensive way to exchange "valentines" or "kind thoughts" on Valentine's Day! Grab the free resource in my TpT store!

I'd love to hear your ideas for encouraging and promoting a positive environment in your classroom--for Valentine's Day as well as any other normal day at school!

We can all use these kinds of tips/ideas to boost the morale and warmth surrounding us each day at school.

Happy Valentine's Day! (early..)

Lessons From The Middle- 1st Blog Birthday, Major Giveaway!

2013-02-08T04:00:00.000-06:00

Lessons From The Middle- First Blog Birthday Giveaway

I am happy to announce the exciting giveaway I get to be participating in this weekend!
A fellow blogger and friend,
Krystal Mills of Lessons From The Middle, is celebrating her FIRST Blog Birthday in a big way.
She has nearly 100 awesome teachers who have graciously donated fabulous products/gift certificates for her giveaway.
Krystal arranged prize packages for grades K-3, 4-6 and 7-9 ...Something for almost everyone and MORE than one winner obviously!!
So make your way over to Lessons From The Middle February 8th - 11th to enter.You can gain an extra entry just by following my TpT store (in addition to all other entry points available)! Just click my name below or birthday bash graphic to head to the party! Be sure to enter rafflecopter for the prize package you want! She's got a lot of them!
While you are here, please let me know what grade you teach and the cool items you hope to win! I love to know who swings by my blog! Best of luck to you!

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I LOVE Pretty Books and AWESOME Books!

2013-02-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

Anyone that knows me personally knows I have a bad habit of collecting books...especially the ones with the pretty covers!! Don't ask...

Anyhoo---I'm forcing myself to declutter my entire home!!! That includes eliminating some of the books in my personal library.

I'm letting go of numerous books, many of which I have obtained multiple copies of over time!

While I may end up donating them should teachers not end up getting them from my store, I've loaded them on TpT under used goods in the meantime!

Titles include:

The Hunger Games Trilogy

Mockingjay (hardback)

Catching Fire/Mockingjay (paperbacks)

and various others...

Take a look if you are interested!

I know many teachers, like me, enjoy building classroom libraries!

Score Big on Teaching Resources Galore...Sunday Super Sale

2013-02-02T09:25:00.000-06:00

Announcing a kickoff of a sale! Teachers Pay Teachers is holding a site wide SUNDAY SUPER SALE! Tons of awesome sellers are putting their stores on sale--including me! Get up to 28% off in my store on lots of digital items and resources in many other stores!

Be sure to use the PROMO CODE: SUPER

This SALE is FEBRUARY 3RD! So, go load up your shopping carts and have a SUPER Sunday!!!

Stash your cart with items including these fun resources:

Multiple Grammar Skills
Assessments

Subject/Verb Agreement Cards!

Novel Pack for Mockingbird

Expository Text Structure Cards!

AND---There's a Super Sale at my Teachers Notebook Shop today and tomorrow! All items are 25% off February 2nd and 3rd! Score BIG on Teacher Resources of all sorts!!!
Score with these fun resources and MORE:

Test Prep for English Language Arts

Word Wall for Literature Terms!
Test Prep!!

Vocabulary Pamphlet!

While you are here, join my blog and tell me what you found while browsing TPT and TN! I'd love suggestions for teaching resources you have found in other shops! Sellers are buyers too ya know!

Happy Shopping!

Mid Winter Mad Money Giveaway and Foldable Offering!

2013-01-18T06:04:00.000-06:00

Got the Mid Winter Blues?? Chase them away!
Sometimes we need to just get a little crazy and go shopping in the winter to chase away those winter blues! I am so excited to team up with these amazing bloggers for this Mid Winter Mad Money Giveaway created by Adrianne of The Tutor House. She's full of awesome ideas, and this is just one of them!

We are giving away 2 gift certificates of $75 each to 2 lucky winners!

(I'd do some MAD SHOPPING for sure with $75 buck to spend!)

All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

This MAD MONEY giveaway starts right now from

January 18th and goes until 11:59 PM CST January 21st.
Take a minute to visit these outstanding bloggers! I have really enjoyed getting to know them and collaborating with them. You will too.

Please use widget below to enter the contest. If needing any help with entering contest, email Adrianne at thetutorhouse@hotmail.com Here's a GIANT HIGH FIVE to Adrianne for this easy, breezy giveaway! a Rafflecopter giveaway

How you would a $75 TpT giftcard? I need to add to my cart too!
Comment below with suggested resource (maybe for intermediate or secondary level) and whose store it's in or the link to it...(and email where I can reach you), I'll send you A VOCABULARY FOLDABLE resource for free!
It's so versatile you can make use of it with any subject/terms you'd like!

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My Favorite "Go-To" Books for Language Arts Teachers

2013-01-16T12:02:00.000-06:00

So, I've been "de-cluttering" my house lately, and I've been trying very hard to let go of old books---I've got way too many books- Novels, Textbooks from College, Textbooks my mother used as English Teacher, Children's books, Story Collections, Reference books, reference books, and reference books....WOAH! No way can one person use them all. Or, can I?
Anyhoo...I decided to sort through all them, organizing into "must keep" and "I'm thinking about it..." and "donate" so that I can stick to my "de-cluttering" plan! One of the steps includes cleaning out children's books and another is for going through all other books! Needless to say, I had lots to do!
I've decided to hang on to lots of my reference books. (Just can't part with them...)
And, I here are some of my "Go To" Books as a Language Arts Teacher:
1. Vocabulary for Dummies (No, I'm not a "Dummie" but I do like these books---they have every subject under the sun!)--I actually have several others versions: Organizing, Spanish, Finances, and Acrylic Painting --wide array of subject areas I know!

2. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy-What Every American Needs to Know (2nd Edition, Revised and Updated)
I <3 My Mom for getting this for me several years ago! It's so cool...a National Bestseller! There is an unbelievable amount of information in this book!

3. The Writer's Brief Handbook (I actually "stole" this from my husband--he had it from law school--but I make better use of it!)

4. The Writer's Options-Lessons in Style and Arrangement (6th Edition)
---One of my college textbooks, it still has the campus book store sticker ;)

As I was writing this post, I remembered a link up from this time a year ago that Stephanie of Teaching in Room 6 did that really exposed me to some great titles. you might like to look through others' favorites! It dawned on me when I was about to add my 5th book -The Little Brown Handbook!
The edition I have is no longer printed, so I will be hanging on to it for years to come! However, tons of editions are available!

Anyhoo, that's my list of favs as a language arts teacher and wife of an attorney (who always has me proof documents-hahahahaha-gotta love doing that)!

As my students begin the research paper process this quarter, we'll be utilizing these a lot!

So, what could you never part in terms of a resource book? I am apparently always adding to my collection of books! Love them!!

Poetry Activities of All Sorts! Product Swap 3!

2013-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

Yay, it's time for a new MAGICAL PRODUCT SWAP!!! Jessica Standford, Mrs. Stanford's Class, is our host for the Product Swaps. I've had such fun doing them!! I've gained a lot just from participating. Learning about so many different resources from all the others in the each swap is very motivating! Definitely visit Jessica's blog to see all the peeps who have linked up to swap #3!

I'm so excited to be paired with a totally AWESOME teacher and fellow bud, Addie Williams of Addie Education Teacher Talk. Addie has over 15 years of experience in teaching. I have loved getting to know her and collaborating with her --really since I've been involved in blogging, TpT, and more!

Addie said I could pick out whatever I wanted to from her store, so I decided on this Poetry Activity Pack! As one of her bestsellers, it's a comprehensive pack of fun and engaging poetry resources! Want to know the best part? Each of the activities can be easily differentiated for various ages and abilities!
There are 8 different activities (7 assignments/projects and a bonus handout/worksheet).
Check out the projects in the pack:

"Pet Peeve Poem - Practice Writing With Similes"

"My Life in 30 Words" (Great for Back to School!)

"From Prose to Poetry"

"Laughing With Limericks"

"Imagery Poem"

"Hero Music"

"Poetry Poster / Mind Map"

Bonus Handout/Worksheet!

The Figurative Language Sheet includes:
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Personification
Rhyme
Metaphor
Simile

I'm so excited about this resource, especially right now, because we are really jumping into our poetry unit at school! Awesome!!
The "Laughing at Limericks" assignment included is just perfect for St. Patrick's Day!
The pic below shows pages for the Imagery Poem Project. It engages students by having them first analyze a poem and then create their own.

Imagery Assignment - 1 of the 7 Activities Included!

Did I mention that it's a total of 38 pages, with 26 classroom ready printables? Addie also included a comprehensive poetry writing rubric to use for the projects. Among the different projects, you'll find detailed assignment sheets, examples and discussion questions, templates, writing paper, and brainstorming sheets.

The Hero Song/Poetry Writing "Hero CD" project has a marking rubric included with brainstorming sheets, and lyrics for 7 songs.

Anxious to dig in, I printed every page! No, it wasn't tons of ink, just tons of GOOD STUFF! And, printing it in black and white works fabulous too! (in case you were curious...) My printer at school is black/white, so I went with that. (If you know how impatient I am, I couldn't stand to wait until I got home to a printer that may/may not have colored ink left...ha!) Anyway, I like to project the PDF pages on my whiteboard as I use different activities, so I'm pumped that lots of the pages have colorful clip art. It's not too much, not too little...just right! I love how clear and crisp the whole pack is--she did a great job putting this all together. I've put this resource in its own special binder! ;) It took my whole breakfast table to spread out all the pages. Hopefully, you get an idea of all the great stuff included.
AND, Addie has put it on Sale for 20% off!!!

Swing by Addie's blog to tell her how awesome her resource is and check out my product that she is featuring, the Expository Text Structures Signal Words Card Pack: Word Wall/Centers Pack! You can purchase it at a discounted rate tonight and tomorrow (1/12-1/13). You might find it pretty useful, especially in this second semester nearing state testing!
Connect with Addie at other links:
Facebook
Pinterest
TPT Store
TN Shop

Enjoy surfing through the Magical Product Swap!

Teaches Third in Georgia- Innovative Teacher-Author and her Groundhog Freebie!

2013-01-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while (like a really, really long while) since I've posted the Innovative Teacher-Author post, but this year has been nuts! So much to do all the time...you know how it goes. You're teachers! So, I'd like to share a little bit about Randi Smith of Teaches Third in Georgia!

Teaches Third in Georgia

How many years have you been teaching? Grade levels? Subjects?

I have been teaching for seven wonderful years in North Georgia. I teach every subject, all day, every day.
Right now, I am teaching a fantastic group of third graders. I have also taught second grade and fourth grade as well.

What do you find most challenging as a teacher-author and in what manner have you chosen to tackle this challenge?

As a teacher-author, it has been time consuming and disheartening at the amount of time it has taken to build a store with quality products and lessons that others will find useful and enjoyable.
I feel like the best bet for managing is to set a goal each week/month for something that you would like to create and then create the time to meet that goal.
Spend time on one or two quality products and then enjoy the rest of your time with family!

At what online marketplaces or vendors do you currently sell educational resources?

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

What is something cool, weird, funny, or just plain quirky about you? Hey, we are here to "get to know" our fellow teacher-authors! ;)

Something I am probably notorious for is my inability to pay attention to things that are not interesting to me. Reading is interesting, but not textbook stuff. Writing is interesting, but not grading papers. Teaching is interesting to me, but not staff meetings. I probably couldn't count the number of times I've been caught doodling on my handouts at staff meetings!

(lol, we won't tell on her... ;)

Please suggest 1 or 2 educational blogs that are STAR BLOGS and would benefit fellow teacher-authors to visit?

Clip Art Collaborators and Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas!

Do you have your own blog?

Freebie to Share with Fellow Teacher-Authors:

Groundhog's Day Multiplication Mosaic

Helpful hint in the areas of classroom management, grading, or organization:

Don't let being a teacher stress you out! Yes, it is a very stressful job. But at the end of the day, just remember that you are making a difference in this big ole world-one child at a time.

How would you like us to connect with you?

Find me on...

Pinterest

Facebook

Be sure to check out Randi by visiting her blog or other links above! If you like her freebie (JUST IN TIME FOR GROUNDHOG'S DAY!!!), leave her a note in the comments below!

Thanks for reading and HAPPY FRIDAY!

YA Book Review with Supplemental Printable!

2013-01-03T12:40:00.002-06:00

Hello to all of you! I am fortunate enough to have Carolyn Wilhelm, The Wise Owl Factory Book-a-Day Blog & owner of Connect-a-Blog, guest post today to tell you about a young adult novel she recently read!

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A Catastrophe of Nerdish Proportions (The Nerd Girls #2 by by Alan Lawrence Sitomer ) is a humorous book that will definitely appeal to middle and secondary school students. While there is much fun and adventure, the life lessons addressed are clear and valuable. The outlandish events are not intended to inspire readers to commit similar crimes, but to learn from the "what if" possibilities of fighting between nerds and popular girls The ending is not perfect and everyone doesn't become friends, but everything works out well enough to cause YA readers to think about what is really best in life.

The Nerd Girls come out ahead but not in the way you might expect. The descriptions of the scholastic competition are so very true to life, and I say that as a former teacher of gifted/talented classes and academic coach. Situations like in the book really do happen and there are frustrations in academic competitions just like in sports. The humor will catch the attention of students and the story is far from preachy.

There are two groups of three girls in this sequel to Nerd Girls Book I: The Rise of the Dorkasaurus. The ThreePeas are lovely to look at but not very nice people! The Nerd Girls have some physical or personality flaws, so most readers can relate to them. In the end, one of the ThreePeas joins the Nerds for all the right reasons, and the two remaining Peas still have miserable personalities. Usually three friends do not work well together, but in the two cases in the book they do for most of the story. One Nerd girl is struggling for independence from her overly concerned mother, one has a father reappear after years of being divorced from her mother and absent from the family, and one has Mrs. Department Store mom who overdoes the homemaker role. These six girls are put together on an academic team to be forced to work together and get along, which makes the story captivating.

That is all I can write without giving too much of a spoiler! I will just say your students will want to read the book, and you might find it interesting yourself. I will say there is a tiny bit of romance (enough to keep the attention of readers) but no kissing and all. I always liked books like that as a teacher, and I avoided "mature" books in the classroom.

The author is an amazing teacher who has won many awards and is a speaker at many well known conferences. He was California teacher of the year. On his web site, he has many FREE lessons called SAT Essay Prep. It isn't easy to see at first, so go to this link http://www.alanlawrencesitomer.com/resources/freesatessayprep/, and look on the right and lower side bar and you will see a list of free materials provided by the author. He created the free materials to offer more equity in education. What a guy! And, he can write from the viewpoint of a teen girl!
Check out his novel here on Goodreads!

Here is my free PDFwork page for A Catastrophe of Nerdish Proportions (The Nerd Girls #2 by by Alan Lawrence Sitomer ). Students will have to read the book to answer the questions!

Carolyn Wilhelm

_____________________________
Thanks so much to Carolyn for providing your free PDF work page and for sharing her thoughts on the novel.

As a contributing author to Carolyn's Connect-a-Blog (A collaborative teacher blog K-12), I encourage you to visit and see all it has to offer!
If you are interested in purchasing this book, you can find it here:

I hope you take a second to let us know if you have read this book or the first book; please feel free to tell us your thoughts about either one or both!
Be well,
A. Smith

What will you achieve in 2013?

2012-12-31T20:11:00.004-06:00

13 Things for 2013!!

Michelle Lundy of "Making It As A Middle School Teacher" has the neatest link up going on that really is inspiring.
I think it's great to see what each of us has decided to aim for in the upcoming year as well as to think about what we'd like to accomplish personally and professionally in 2013!

"A YEAR-IN-PREVIEW"

I hope you take a moment to see what various teachers (who are also women, men, mommies, wives, girlfriends, sisters, brothers, daughters, etc.) have chosen to share with you from their list of things to achieve/see/do/create/etc. for this next year! You can view all posts of those participating by clicking above image which will take you directly to the linky party!
Thanks to Michelle for such a great idea to start off the new year!

Happy new year to all of you!

What's your biggest event, goal, test, hope, wish for next year? Share below~

The Magic of Silent Movies in Creative Writing!

2012-12-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

I want to give a SPECIAL "THANK YOU" to Adrianne Meldrum of The Tutor House for being a guest blogger today! She does, without a doubt, always have clever and spectacular ideas/activities to share. So, without further delay...
______________________________________

There's something magical about silent movies. Even without dialog, a story is conveyed. How would the story be different if you could add dialog? Using silent movies for a creative writing project or exercise could liven up your students creative juices.

I found three fun (short) silent movies that lend themselves well to adding dialog. Two of them are old silent movies and the other is a modern day silent movie. All of these videos are under a creative commons license.

Divide your students into teams and assign a video. Students will then work together to come up with dialog that goes along with the video. They will need to come up with a title and then perform the voices for the videos. Of course, you'll need to set some ground rules with no profane or inappropriate content allowed.

You could also have students do their own voice over of the videos. If you would prefer this method, please email me to receive an editable version of the video.

What kinds of stories do you think your students will come up with?

Video Sources: Video One, Video Two, Video Three

Adrianne Meldrum is a private tutor and author of The Tutor House, a blog dedicated to helping tutors find curriculum and business tips.

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A Christmas Stocking Freebie and Teacher to the Core Giveaway Galore!

2012-12-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to share the news of an amazing "Teacher to the Core Giveaway Galore" going on at Katie Knight's blog Teacher Core! (OR REMIND THOSE THAT ALREADY KNOW)

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12 Days of Giveaways!!!

Be sure to swing by and see if you can snag some cool teaching resources!! Tell her I sent you! ;)

(Oh, I'm participating in her giveaway too (along w/ many amazing bloggers, so be on the lookout!)She's got TONS of items lined up to dish out to YOU! Congrats to Teacher to the Core on the "200 Followers" milestone!

AND FOR AN ADDITIONAL FREEBIE FROM ME...
In case you've missed my primary freebie in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, I wanted to share it with you (being perfect timing and all...)--It's a quick little activity you can do with your kiddos to instill the magic of "GIVING" during the Christmas Season! I call it "Fill Someone's Stocking with Cheer..."
We all know it's more important to give rather than receive, so without any further rambling, check it out:

Homemade Ornaments to Match Our Winter Poetry!

2012-12-10T20:14:00.000-06:00

I love doing this activity with my students. The beauty of this lesson is that you can assess students on use of vivid language but on their appropriate levels! So, this fun and festive assignment is great for a variety of ages!

Should you be hunting a writing activity to go along with the Christmas or "Winter" season, this is a great one!!

You'll find guidelines, suggestions, a grading rubric, a pre-writing template, and a rough draft handout to help guide the students through the very important writing process!

Pre-writing Handout!
What I hear, see, etc...

The focus is on writing, obviously, so an ornament is included in activity only to serve as a visual supplement. So, the ornament creations are left entirely up to the students -HOWEVER they choose to make them should be JUST PERFECT.

Grading Rubric &
Rough Draft Handout

Eliminating any limitations leaves the doors wide open for creativity and imagination, encouraging students to utilize available materials they have at home. I discourage store bought items in order to cater to student imagination and it helps with those who are unable to go buy materials to make ornaments. The purpose of the added craft is to create a visual supplement that is totally homemade by gathering items lying around the house...the result being a creation representative of the child's Christmas/Winter term assigned!

Guidelines/Suggestions

A super festive idea is to string some colored lights across the top of the dry erase board, a tree, or just across your classroom wall, hanging the ornaments on the lights (or hang them on fishing line if you are afraid to hang them from light strands... lol).

Poof! Automatic Christmas/Winter display, student work display, and festive fun all crated by the students...no work on your part!

In addition to the ornaments on display, you can put their poems up too, under the lights/ornaments or on wall around a tree, depending on which way you'd like to display it all!

Oh, just a little tidbit...I use the terms "Christmas" and "Winter" because many students in my classes over the years have different beliefs and/or religions and I do not want to single anyone out or offend anyone--so if considering it our "Winter Poetry" writing assignment handles that issue.

---AFTER ALL, the purpose is to write a poem about an assigned word, stay on topic, and dazzle the reader with vivid language in connections with an assigned term. And, the visual display (craft) is supposed to represent the student's term! So, it hardly has to be dedicated solely to Christmas, which allows us all to take part in the fun writing/craft activity! You can find this item in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store or in my Teachers Notebook Shop! (Those links are on the top right of blog--or click images to go straight to the TPT product!)

I ASK YOU...

What do you incorporate as seasonal fun into your lessons?
Please share some ideas below!! Who knows, if enough ideas are out there, we could keep the kids involved in seasonal fun until we are on Winter Break!

Happy Writing,

Woot! Woot!! CYBER Monday Sale!!

2012-11-23T16:41:00.000-06:00

Super brief but important post...

WAIT for it... WAIT for it..... :)

CYBER MONDAY PLUS TUESDAY SALE 2012!!

We are throwing a huge Cyber Monday Plus Tuesday Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers November 26-27th!

You can get up to 28% off 1000s of products.

Have you decided what different things you might need for December? January? Maybe now is a GREAT time to stock up on cute and fabulous activities and lessons for your classroom!

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Thanks to Michelle (The 3am Teacher!!) for creating our OH SO CUTE graphic for a linky! If you'd like, check out all the other great stores linked up too!
HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

My Binding: Paper Monster Laminator Giveaway!

2012-11-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

Guess what???
I have been playing with my new toy!! Yes, a laminator! In terms of toys, it's a favorite among teachers today!
You can see in the pics that I've been busy, and I keep thinking of new items to laminate. Oh no.....How will I get caught up on things? Some way, it'll all come together. In the meantime, I'm laminating! Just know this....it is addicting. (This is your warning!)

These are some of my literary elements I have in my store...
I printed them on colored paper!
I <3 how these are working out in my room!

Love these character trait word cards by Rachel Lynette!

So, the fabulous news I have to share is-----
MyBinding is going to give one of my lucky followers a laminator.
Along with my 12 in. laminator, I received a package of 25 --11 1/4 x 17 1/4 pouches and a package of 100 --8x11 pouches.
See this video regarding the product I've been fortunate enough to use for my classroom and visit the MyBinding web site--

Paper Monster 12 in. Laminator

http://www.mybinding.com/.sc/ms/dd/ee/91970/Papermonster-12-Business-Laminator-LA3

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After you browse the MyBinding site, come back and leave me a comment and tell me how you would use a laminator for your classroom! Also, "like" MyBinding's Facebook page. Simple!
It would be great if you would become a follower of my blog if you aren't already... Then, enter via Rafflecopter!
Now, for some pics....

Another item I love and was pumped to laminate---Check out these subject/verb agreement sentence parts---Again, I'm a LOUD one, so I printed them on BRIGHT, colored paper! Laminated in these pouches I got, they are super durable--thicker than the lamination used on our school laminator! ;)

Don't get me wrong, there are tons more pics, but I am trying to keep this brief and to the point...as if you don't already have pictured what you would be laminating.... ;)

You guys have 3 days to enter this giveway!

Be sure to enter through Raffecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A HUGE THANK YOU to MyBinding, and Tarragon from MyBinding, for making this possible!

Borders/Backgrounds-- Freebie for You!

2012-10-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Hope your October is lovely!

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I meant to load these a long while back and forgot I had them.. HELLOOO! ;) Anyway, these are just a few backgrounds I drummed up one evening when creating my own agenda books for the week. I thought I may as well load them on Google docs and share with you guys!

Download these swirly corners frames/backgrounds for FREE--either from pic or google docs link above!

They work great for backgrounds in power points, smart notebooks, promethean flipcharts, pdfs, and all sorts of documents/files!

Hope you enjoy!

A. Smith

You Simply Must Read This Book...Bulletin Board Kit and Product Swap!

2012-10-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Jessica Stanford of Mrs. Standford's Class is having her awesome Product Swap, and I'm delighted to be participating again!

Today, I'm want to share this cute bulletin board resource I got the opportunity to implement in my class this week!!

"Recommended Reading Bulletin Board Kit"

A Language Arts Reading Activity Created by Laura Ellison of Will Grade for Coffee

Check it out in her TpT Store.

You Simply Must Read This Book! {Bulletin Board Kit}

Words in different Fonts!

Three different frame designs!

How many of you stumble upon the issue of students not being able to find a good book to read...or, at least student who think they can't find one? This bulletin board kit takes care of that situation!
Each time a student reads a great novel, one the student would like to recommend, he/she fills out a book recommendation to tell something enticing or fascinating l about the book.
Included are the bulletin board title words "You Simply Must Read This Book!" on individual pages, each word in a different font. So cute! There are also three different designs of frames included to provide as student printables.
This activity sparks fellow classmates' interests and provides a handful of suggestions to your students for picking out their next novels. Or, if your board turns out like mine, they will have a board full of suggestions!!

See the pictures of my students' awesome new bulletin board!!!

I'm LOUD and love COLOR, SOOOO, my title is on PINK paper!

I love this idea. I actually have students read an independent novel each nine weeks. This week, they completed the activity about novels they really enjoyed reading and wanted to recommend to other students!

When a student is hunting a book of interest, I can direct him/her to this bulletin board to read some of the recommendations from fellow classmates. Awesome! Now, when we go to the libarary, students will be getting in there and checking out books they've been anxious to read instead of spending too much of library time trying to find a book that interests them.
Hopefully, you have your readers that seem to never have trouble finding a great book, but many of us have just as many or more that fight reading. This could change their minds entirely!
Another cool thing about it is being able to have students contribute to the board throughout the year...
When you've filled it up, replace new recommendations with some of the older ones that most students have already had plenty of time to see! That's my plan... ;)

Getting students to read is easy breezy if they are reading material of high interest to them. This cool idea not only delivers multiple suggestions, but suggestions are from peers. If students recommend books to other students, as opposed to the teacher recommending books to students, many are more inclined to check them out...I teach middle school, so if one kid thinks something is cool, we all know that another --or two or three--are going to think it's cool.
So, be sure to get your own bulletin board kit! This is not just for language arts classes either...It's great for any class that incorporates novels/reading into their classes AND---A "SUPER DUPER" bulletin board idea to use in the school library!
I am actually pondering ideas as I write this post...One thing that comes to mind is asking students to recommend novel titles of particular genres in connections with a new unit or theme in class. For example, we begin a new unit next week that is my FAV! It's our mystery/fantasy unit. Oh my goodness, there are tons of great titles to recommend!!
Can you tell that I'm excited about my new bulletin board? Um, duh!
The kiddos finished it yesterday! On Thursday, they wrote recommendations and decorated their frames. On Friday, we put them on our totally cute bulletin board! Each student did his/her own thing. I tend to get picky about writing, but I let that go with this activity. No "blue/black ink or typed" requirements. For their first time recommending book titles to others, I asked them to think of a book they have read this year or last year (since it's only October) that they REALLY liked. Hopefully, students will add to the board as they come across novels they "really like" and want to recommend! I told them the recommendations should spark student interest and should reveal what was so enjoyable. AND, I did tell them to make it "CUTE"---lol, my kiddos are not exactly used to coloring, so they JUMPED on this! (Okay, so I did throw some tiny guidelines.) Allowing student choice goes miles with my 8th graders. However, it's a plus for all ages. No need for limiting creativity, right? Anyway, some students trimmed excess white paper around the frame; others cut out frames entirely. Ahem, my girls were more particular. Students wrote in pencil, pens, markers, and colored pencils---quite a variety. The activity was an opportunity to say, "Look What I Read that was Totally Awesome!"

Visit Laura's Blog!

Anyhoo, there you have it! Bet you're wanting your own "You Simply Must Read This Book!" bulletin board, aren't ya? I mean, look at the cute bulletin board my awesome students ended up creating! Swing by Laura's blog to tell her how cool her activity is! I very much enjoyed creating this board with my students and feel it will be a helpful tool throughout the year! FYI, Laura is getting married SUNDAY (Tomorrow)! Deliver Best Wishes when you swing by her blog!
If you go to the "My Classroom" page on Laura's blog, she has lots of pics of different areas of her classroom---I thought it was insightful and cool to see! It's nice to see how other teachers organize/set up rooms, and a "special page" for it on her blog is a nice feature---hmmm, now I'm pondering ideas for mine! ;) There is also a page/tab especially for 6th grade blogs, so be sure to add yours to her link up if you are a 6th grade teacher-blogger!

Laura happens to be featuring my Writing Adventures Combo Pack resource for the product swap. So, the first 4 peeps who comment below and on Laura's blog can get it for free! BUT, be sure to leave me email address in your comment on my blog if you want it sent to you!!!
You can connect with Laura via Facebook and find other resources of Laura's in her TPT Store.
THANKS to Jessica for getting this swap together! And, THANKS to Michelle, The 3am Teacher, for the awesome graphic! You can visit Jessica's blog, from the graphic at the top, to see her fab post for the swap and all the link ups of blogs participating. Hope your Saturday is SPECTACULAR! I'm watching a little SEC Football today/tonight! :)
OH OH OH---For the MAGICAL Product Swap, my TpT Store is 20% off (Most Products...)
A. Smith

October: Special Days, Weeks, Events of the Month

2012-09-29T15:07:00.001-05:00

October is One Busy Month!

I have quite a bit on my "to-do" list, both in the classroom and at home! After learning of all the "special days" for October, my list has gotten longer... Have a look at some below! I had to post this today so you could get started on any additions you want to make to your plans for the first week of the month!

1st week-

Get Organized Week

Cleaning Out the Clutter! Throwing Away Tons of Papers "To Be Filed" and Never Got Filed!
That Garbage Bag in Pic is a LARGE YARD/LEAF Sized Bag!!!

2nd week-

National Pet Peeve Week --Do I Smell a Journal Prompt???? ;)
International Letter-Writing Week

3rd week-

Teen Read Week -I love all of the mystery/fantasy books we use in literature circles for our Mystery/Fantasy Unit starting next week! See More about Teen Read Week Here

4th week-

Peach, Friendship, and Good Will Week

October is the month for:

Breast Cancer Awareness-- Visit Pink for October for badges, buttons, and backgrounds to show your support! I already changed my Facebook cover photo! And, here's one of their cute seasonal badges! ---------->
Domestic Violence Awareness
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month -You knew I'd squeeze something for my 4-legged friends in this post! I actually donate monthly to ASPCA! There are tons of things to teach young children and teens in regards to animals (responsibility, treatment, care, needs, etc.)

Streaming video by Ustream

Energy Awareness
Computer Learning
National Stamp Month
Squirrel Awareness Month
Positive Attitude Month

Days for many of us to note:

World Vegetarian Day- October 1
First Day of Sukkot October 1
International Day of Non-Violence- October 2
World Farm Animals Day - October 2
Balloons Around the World Day - October 3
National Poetry Day- October 4
World Animal Day - October 4
Do Something Nice Day - October 5
World Teachers' Day - October 5
Columbus Day (Observed) - October 8
World Post Day- October 9
Fire Prevention Day - October 9
National Stop Bullying Day - October 10
Dictionary Day - October 16
National Chocolate Cupcake Day - October 18 (Excuse for Class Cupcakes?? I think so!)
Rainforest Day - October 19
Reptile Awareness Day - October 21
iPod Day - October 23
United Nations Day- October 24
National Forgiveness Day - October 27
Summer Time Ends/Europe - October 28
National Cat Day - October 29
Internet Day - October 29
Halloween - October 31

Busy month, I'll say!
What do you have planned for your students during October?

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Focusing on ONE Topic? Hard to do sometimes...

2012-09-23T00:38:00.000-05:00

Wow! I just realized I have not blogged since September 3rd! Where does the time go? As many of you are in the same boat, no doubt, I'm sure you can relate to the feelings of being overwhelmed, tired from the school day-week-month, attending extra-curricular activities, and of course planning, teaching, meetings, etc. etc. etc. Having said that, I cannot focus on just ONE topic to blog about----so many things are on the brain tonight!

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Go figure! I was in bed trying to sleep, and opened my eyes, realizing I was wide awake with the sudden urge to write on my blog- a random assortment of things I must say.

So, what have I been up to this busy month?

1. School, of course! It seems I've had zero time online (sniff, sniff) because I've just been downright too busy from 6 am til 10 pm--and then I'm pooped! Seriously, legs ache, head hurts, and ears in desperate need of silence...

Grading!!! It seems as though I have this ever-growing stack of papers to GRADE! Do you have that feeling? Will I ever catch up with all the papers? I feel more pressure over last couple of years since parents check grades on computer ---religiously.. ;) I think I may have to have a "Come to Jesus Meeting" with myself about feeling as though I must grade every stinkin' thing the kids do---
Planning/Preparation-- While I have "boocoodles" of things to use in planning for each week, there's so much that goes into getting ready for upcoming week's lesson plan--the copying of papers is the BIG time stealer, the "cute" notebooks/flip charts to go along with the week's agenda (Yes, this is something I've grown unable to live without, lol), reading upcoming literature selections prior to class time, and more.
Make Up Work--wait..... MAKE UP WORK! I have had more students out, due to illness, vacations to other countries, accidents, etc. I spent a ridiculous amount of time in last month putting together make up work for students....more so than any year I can recall. It's unreal how much time gets taken up with getting individual student make up work together. Am I the only one that finds this stressful? Yes, I tend to have my little "system" for make up work---pulling items from the day's lessons and putting them in each block's make up folder for students; pulling tests to put in test make up folder, blah blah--you know the drill! ;) While I totally understand absences happening and make up work just being a part of teaching, I just have to say I've had more absences in August and Sepetember of this year than any I can ever remember....and it seems to be that way with other teachers in my department/grade this year too.
Meetings-- You know what I'm talking about! Department meetings, faculty meetings, book study meetings, and parent/teacher conferences are the main/routine meetings to which I'm referring. Remembering what day of the week I have which and seeing one thing after the other occupy afternoons on the calendar can really make a girl tired.... yawn.... :)
Ending the School/Work Day-- Even though I've tried very hard to STOP grading papers at home and grade a lot less at home than in the previos years, I've still struggled with leaving school at school (work at work), and I'm trying to remind myself that I have a "life" and need to tend to things at home-- which brings me to my next topic ;)

2. After School/Work! After a long day at school, you know your day isn't over---and, knowing you totally understand the feeling, I'm dog-tired after school...

Cleaning house
Tending to 5 dogs/ 1 cat (and my hubs!)
Laundry
Dinner, dinner, dinner
Errands (before everything closes---since teachers can't exactly swing by salons, doctor's appt.., banks, pharmacies, groceries, etc. on lunch breaks...lol. Well, I can't at least...I'm doing WELL just to get 5 secs to wash my hands before lunch and maybe RUN to restroom between classes.)
Home Projects---Does your list continue to pile up faster than you can cross things off of it? (still painting outside of house, attic insulation, dealing w/ dryer vents, new light fixtures, garage door issues....blah, blah, blah (Don't even get me on the list I HOPE to get to do in next year or two! It's waaayyy too long!)
Bills---yes, remembering to pay the bills, recording expenses, etc., etc., ---I don't think my hubs realizes how good he has it not having to remember to do that! I am the main one w/ that duty. And, yes, "bills" occupy time--even the scheduling of payments with online banking...I'm always stressing that I'm forgetting something!
Last--Finding time to spend w/ family, friends and actually getting out to enjoy this beautiful thing known as LIFE! I'm trying harder to do that since I basically was a computer/online geek all summer----and, it seems every weekend has been consumed with out of town functions and football games this month. (October is already packed every weekend...)

3. Down-Time! Wait.....what was that I just said? Does that exist anymore? I try to decompress--recently in the hammock w/ the spurts of fall weather in the air!! ;) Or, after I've done all I can physically/mentally manage for one day, I jump in bed to read to have some "quiet" time or "me" time--but usually, I doze off w/ the book/magazine in hand!

Why am I sharing all of this?

Well, Not to complain--please don't fuss at me or think I don't love my job or life, because I do! I have TONS to be thankful for and have been truly blessed with so much. But, I'm human.

I'm also sharing because I'd love to hear if others can relate to my ramblings..

And, I'm also feeling the need to jabber on about the bazillion things in my head---in hopes that "blog therapy" will take them off the brain, even if momentarily. (This reminds me of that show "Awkward"--ha, I just admitted to watching that show--last Sunday's marathon anyway!!)

Another reason for sharing and ALWAYS lingering in my thoughts is that I've been feeling that I'm neglecting my blog, collaborative blogs, my interaction with the SUPER AWESOME network of friends I've grown to know through my blogging/social media "pow wows" --and, well, I've been paranoid about being so MIA. Don't even get me started on how BUGGED I am that I've not even thought about sitting down to create my next resource for my store! But, it's as if one day has rolled into the next before I've realized it. I need a couple of hours added to the 24 hr. day!!! ;0 Yeah, not happening.

So, if you've read this far, THANK YOU for letting me get it all out! ;) This has been a true "Blog Therapy Session" for me! From this point forward, I may refer to it as BTS time! -ha, ha! I'm Serious! People say journaling, keeping a diary, etc. helps. I'm guessing that IS TRUE! I feel a little better already, now that I've BLOGGED about it! This is the first blog post in a while with no pics, products, freebies, giveaways, or basically teaching related content---except for the whole "life as a teacher" thing!

Tell me, how do you find time to ENJOY life, wind down, and remember the "important things" in the midst of all of the daily demands that will always be there? I would LOVE to hear your "time management tips" because they would be very helpful! :)

P.S. Since I RAMBLED on and on this evening, in attempt to "blog it out," I ask that you kindly ignore ~~any~~ all errors, as I'm just not feeling up to proofreading tonight--Toodles! ;)