Making It As A Middle School Teacher

A Best Seller & A Back-to-School Product

2015-08-02T18:44:00.001-04:00

I'm back to remind you about the Back-to-School Sale on TPT which runs on August 3rd & 4th.

I'm also here for a cool linky party where bloggers were asked to share their Best Seller and a great Back-to-School product.

One of my Best Sellers is Percents & Proportions ~ Common Core Real-World Task Cards.

For a great Back-to-School product, I'm going to go with my T.E.A.M. ~ Cooperative Group Job Descriptions. It's available is two color themes.

You can purchase these products, or any of my products for 20% off during the sale. Remember to use the Promo Code BTS15 at check-out to get an additional 10% off!!!

What a deal!!!

Thanks to Wise Guys for setting this up!

An InLinkz Link-up

Back-to-School Sale 2015

2015-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

As the legendary Chuck Berry likes to say,

it's almost time to be....

We love back to school time here in secondary! Join us to celebrate with the TpT Sale, August 3rd - 4th, and get those lessons you need for up to 28% off! Check out the top secondary teachers below for some great deals on top lessons!

********************************************************************

Hey guys!

I'm still here and I so appreciate you still being here with me! I hope your summer has been a great one and I hope you are ready for a new school year!!!

To celebrate, my entire store will be marked down 20% on August 3rd and August 4th.

{Remember to use the Promo Code BTS15 at check out to save an extra 10% on your purchases.}

Be sure to check out the stores of some of my upper grades/secondary blogging pals!

A Space to Create

The Classroom Sparrow

Room 213

Darlene Anne’s ELA Buffet

Danielle Knight (Study All Knight)

Michele Luck's Social Studies

Teaching FSL

Juggling ELA

Making It Teacher

James Whitaker's SophistThoughts

Created by MrHughes

Leah Cleary

Addie Williams

MissMathDork

The Creative Classroom

Mrs. Brosseau's Binder

Pamela Kranz

Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy

ELA Everyday

The Creative Classroom

Kesler Science

Live Love Math

To the Square Inch- Kate Bing Coners

The Classroom Sparrow

Liz's Lessons

For the Love of Teaching Math

ELA Everyday

Chopsticks to Mason Jars

Connie

Charlene Tess

Science Stuff

Teacher's Appreciation Sale ~ We Salute You!

2014-05-05T18:12:00.000-04:00

For those about to teach, we salute you!!!!

TeachersPayTeachers is having a Teacher's Appreciation Sale on May 6th and 7th, and I've joined forces with lots of other amazing secondary bloggers to help spread the word.

My ENTIRE store is 20% off and when you use the

Promo Code TPTXO at checkout, you'll get an additional 10% off for a total of 28% off! That's a big sale!!!

Click here or the image below to go to my store and grab a few deals.

Here are the store links for the other bloggers shown on the image above. Be sure to check them out as well!

Enjoy :)

Sale ~ Celebrate 3 Million TPT Teachers!

2014-02-26T15:36:00.002-05:00

Whoa! Let me see if I can blow the dust off this old blog and remember how to write a post!

It has been a looonnnngggg time!

I'm here today, and hopefully many more days, to tell you about a sale coming up on TPT.

We are celebrating 3,000,000 teachers. Yep. That's right…6 zeros!

Who's That Blogger Reveal!

2013-08-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

I want to give a huge shout-out to Michelle from The 3AM Teacher for putting all of this together! It was so much fun looking through everyone's school pictures. I can't even begin to imagine how much work it took for her to pull this off.

Did you guess the right one for me???

I'm #42, by the way.

Scroll on down to see which picture belongs to each blogger and see the BIG winner.

Who's that Blogger Reveal & Winners!!!

I have labeled the childhood photos with the matching blogs for you all to peek at!! Because of the volume of entries, winners will be notified throughout the weekend. I appreciate your patience as we send out emails and prizes.

Click on each image to see the photo

Winner of the $125 Amazon Gift Card!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to

MEAGAN RAVEY

You will receive an email notification and once your email has been confirmed, I will send you the Amazong gift card!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so very much for playing!!

Educents Middle Grades Bundle ~ What A Deal! {Thrifty Thursday}

2013-08-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

It's an exciting time of year for us teachers! I am excited to celebrate by having this amazing deal for you along with 16 other bloggers and Educents!

I wanted to select something that was hands-on, real-world, and FUN!

I'm super excited to share that two of my products were chosen for this bundle. I could not be happier!

This is a 2-part packet with a total of 22 pages, including 2 short quizzes with Answer Keys! Extensive use of graphic organizers is included with this lesson. Students will work with levels of organization and levels of dependence as well as explore Earth's major biomes, including biotic and abiotic factors.

28 numbered cards that leave the level of difficulty and specific math skill to be assessed up to you! Some students may only do basic operations, while other students may be required to do more advanced skills and give more details for their answers.

And that's just two products. Check out the rest of the products below that you also get in this limited time bundle from Educents!

This bundle is only available for a short time so you will want to head on over to get it before it's gone!

Click the image below to go right to the deal on Educents.

Who's That Blogger? Play and Win! {You've Got To See This!!!}

2013-08-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome Everyone!!

Are you ready to have some fun??

....Play a game?

.....Win prizes and cash?

I have teamed up with 65 AMAZING blogger buddies to put together the ultimate Back to School Linky/Giveaway!!!

Each one of my blogger buddies submitted a cute childhood photo & generously donated something special from their online TpT shops for this occasion!! We have included a fun game for you to play for a chance to win over $300.00 in prizes and a BONUS CASH-PRIZE raffle you can enter at the end of this post!!

CHA-CHING!!

The game is easy to play....

Your job will be to try and match each blogger with their childhood photo!!! With over 60 childhood photos and bloggers to match up, this might get tricky!! As I mentioned above, each blogger has generously donated one awesome prize from their TpT store. Successfully match a blogger and childhood photo, and you win the prize offered from that blogger!!! The more you matches you make, the more prizes you win!!!

Check out some of the prizes you could win!!!

but Wait....

That's not all....

ONE lucky follower will win a $125 Amazon Gift Card!! Scroll to the bottom & follow the directions in the Rafflecopter for a chance to win $$$

The link below will open a form that will allow you to submit your answers for the match up.

Use the blogger links and numbered images to help you along the way!! Each childhood photo has been assigned a specific number.

Once you open the form, use the drop-down menu beneath each blog button and select a number that corresponds to a childhood photo.

The form results will be collected throughout the week. At the end of the week, each submission will be "graded" and you will receive a prize for each blogger and photo you successfully matched up!!

The game closes on Friday, August 23rd at midnight (Arizona Mountain Time). Answers will be announced on Saturday, August 24th. Winners will be notified through email throughout the week.

Use the blog links below the photos to search for clues!!

Click HERE to Play the Matching Game!!

AWE!!! PuFfy HeArT SWEETNESS!!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Click HERE to Play the Matching Game!!

Follow the directions in the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $125 Amazon gift card!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for participating!!! Good Luck!!!

If you would like to post about this linky/giveaway, grab the special image below to display in your post and link up below!!! Make sure to use the link to the actual post,,,

An InLinkz Link-up

Science Saturday with Real-Life X-Rays, Best & Most Linky, & Upcoming TPT Sale

2013-08-17T02:00:00.000-04:00

As you can see from the title, I have several things to share with you today! Let's get started.

First, I recently had the opportunity to review a wonderful product from SmileMakers, who has been helping teachers to create smiles for over 35 years. The company is based out of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

I chose Real Human X-Rays.

Real human x-rays printed onto heavy duty plastic sheets. Arrange the pieces together to crate a full scale skeleton. Use the individual pieces to examine all the bones in the body. Measures up to 14 x 11 in size. Includes 18 pieces.

I was super excited when these came in the mail. Shipping was very, very quick which is always great!

Here are a few more pictures of the contents.

Vocabulary cards to match with pictures.

Informational sheet

Work sheet to copy for your students with its own answer key.

You get ALL these x-rays! I left the white backing paper behind these to get a better picture.

Hand x-ray held up to light. I would SO LOVED to have had these available to me when I was a student. High-quality, real-life pictures.

How awesome will it be to use these in the classroom? Add this to the classroom skeleton and you have another wonderful manipulative to help bring life science to life!

Next, I'm joining in a fun linky with Christina at Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge.

Remember those categories in high school like Most Likely to Become President? Well, Christina has modeled her linky around that same idea. Too cute!

Here's my 'yearbook page.'

Here are the links to the above products:

Teacher's Pet ~ T.E.A.M. Cooperative Group Job Descriptions

Most Likely to Help Your Students Succeed ~ Absolute Value Partner Picking Cards

Best Couple ~ Picnic Probability and Percents & Proportions Real-World Task Cards

Head over and see what other great products you can find!

Lastly, if you've been around the blog and TPT scene for a while, you know there is always a huge Back-to-School Sale. That time has finally come for this school year.

The sale will be this Sunday and Monday, August 18th and 19th.

As always, I'm offering ALL products at a 20% discount. At check out, be sure to enter the promo code BTS13 for an additional 10% off. This will give you a total of 28% off.

Click the image below to go straight to my TPT Store. You can go ahead and add products to your shopping cart, then pay for them once the sale begins!

Whew! I think that's it for today.

Enjoy :)

Back to School Bonanza

2013-08-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Back-to-School Bonanza!

If you've already started back to school, I hope all is going well.

If you're starting back soon, I hope you can get in a bit of rest before the big day arrives.

Every year, we have tons of things to do to prepare for the new school year. So I'm linking up to share one of my back-to-school tips with you.

The over-arching idea for my back-to-school tip is plan, plan, plan...and plan some more! I think it is absolutely critical to make a list of big things and little things alike.

What do you need to purchase? Get the shopping done with plenty of time to spare. What do you need to pack up to take back into your classroom? Box up all the items and have them ready to go. Is there something that needs a fresh coat of paint or a minor repair? Do those repairs before the last night before school starts back. Are there items that you no longer need to have in your classroom? Think about other teachers that might benefit from those items. What decorative items/wall hangings/posters are most important? Prioritize the huge list of things you need to get up on your walls. This includes getting them laminated and cut out. If you have to do a few more things after the first day, at least the most important things will be in place. Do you need copies for the first couple of days? Don't dilly dally on getting those done. The copier can only spit out so many at the time.

For your sanity's sake, don't forget to stop and rest, take a break, get a pedicure, eat out the night before the first day. You deserve to be fresh and ready to go!

If you're looking for a fun math game to add to your repertoire this year, I'm making one of most popular products free to those of you taking part in this blog hop.

Click on the image below to download the Grade 7 - 8 Fraction Fiesta from my Google Drive.

This is a 29-page file that typically costs $4.00 in my TPT Store. I hope you enjoy it!

Want More Back to School Goodies?

Enter our AMAZING back to school giveaway!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Drumroll Please...Winner of Pi and The Lost Function!

2013-08-15T15:42:00.001-04:00

Thank you so much to each of you who entered my giveaway for a classroom copy of Pi and The Lost Function!

The giveaway ended last week, but I've been out of state for my brother-in-law's funeral. I'm back home and sort of back in blogging mode, so it's time to announce the winner.

Here we go...

Congratulations, Barb! I've sent you an email. Please contact me within 48 hours so I can pass along more information to you. After that time, if I have not heard from you, I will choose another winner.

I missed a few posts that had planned for this week. I'll catch up with those next week.

If you're the praying kind, I'd love for you to remember Mr. Making It in your prayers. He will truly miss his big brother.

ePals Global {Tech on Tuesday ~ on a Wednesday}

2013-08-07T15:34:00.000-04:00

Last week I posed a challenge to you and promised to include many ways to tear down your classroom walls as part of my Tech Tip Tuesday posts.

{If you've been around long, you'll notice this got a facelift as well along with a name change. Tech on Tuesday sounded better to me.}

Here is my first tip on how you can make your classroom more global. Watch the video below on ePals Global Community.

You can find the ePals Global Community website here.

I'd love to hear from you if you have already used this website OR if you give it a try this year!

Don't forget to register for the Pi and the Lost Function giveaway that ends tonight! Click HERE.

Enjoy :)

What I'm Currently Doing ~ August

2013-08-01T16:23:00.000-04:00

August in here!

WOW!

So hard to believe we are already in the 8th month of the year.

{This also happens to be my birth month!}

With a new month, you know what else comes along by now.

Farley from Oh' Boy 4th Grade's Currently.

Here's mine...

I always love the design Farley creates for each of these, but I think this might just be one of my favorites! Simple but colorful and fun!

So most days, I'm home alone...except for my small zoo. It's pretty quiet. I talk to them and I'm not ashamed. :-)

In Georgia, July and August are typically un.bear.able. However, this year has been much better. There have even been a few breezy nights and early mornings. Nice....very nice.

I've started a new blog about life outside of teaching. Yes, it does exist if you work at it. It's called A Life Not Measured and I'd love for you to check out my inaugural post from today!

I decided to cut out ALL caffeine. No cokes, no tea, no coffee...nada. It's been tough since I was born the Coke Man's daughter and supposedly drank Coke from my bottle. Anyway, the headache is getting better and I WILL tough it out!

50 pounds. Yep. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Back-to-School time requires patience by the handfuls because there will be interruptions and unplanned necessities. But you will make it.

You all need plenty of energy. Let's face it, we all put in well over 8 hours a day to get our rooms ready!

Where would we be without mile-long to-do lists? Without them, I think our minds would be too scattered to remember half of what must be done.

Thanks for another great month of Currently, Farley!

Head over and check out some more posts for yourself.

Enjoy :)

7 Ways to Tear Down Your Classroom Walls This Year! {Around the World Wednesday}

2013-07-31T18:26:00.002-04:00

What will you do this school year to help your students connect to others outside the classroom, outside your school, your community, even outside your country? With a little planning, you can virtually tear down your classroom walls and allow your students to flourish!

During the school year, this is where I share ideas and projects for your Social Studies class. As a new school year looms near and I spend time thinking about exactly what I will share with you in these Wednesday posts, I decided to offer up a challenge to you.

No matter what age you teach, what content you teach, or in what type of school you teach, you can do at least one thing to connect your classroom to another.

Again, this can be within your own school, another school in your district or county, a school in a different state or country, maybe even a school one a totally different continent!

There are many ways to tear down a classroom wall. Start small and think big for the future!

Here are just a few...

1. Connect with another classroom through a closed Facebook group. Maybe students can discuss a book or poem they are reading.

2. Set up a Twitter account just for a certain project your students are working on. Find another teacher willing to do the same and go from there. What if students studied weather in a climate completely unlike their own through tweets?

3. Create an Instagram account for your classroom. Follow other teachers that have a similar interest/content area. Let's say your students are studying a particular region, anywhere in the world. If you can hook up with a teacher in that region, students could post pictures of all-things related to Alaska, for example. Houses, clothing, food, culture, animals...the possibilities are endless!

4. Of course, there's always Skype. With this one, however, you have to be more careful about time zones. If you can work that out, students could even teach each other how to do math problems or collect data from each other for data and probability tasks.

5. Pen pals, the old-fashioned handwritten kind, are still around. You can have individual pen pals for each student or just have a group pen pal from one classroom to another.

6. If you have a bit more time to spend, classroom blogs are an excellent way to share and find information from all around the world! For those who teach writing, this might even be a way to get more of your students interested in the content.

7. There are many other forms of technology, websites, and apps that can effectively knock down a wall or two. In fact, this has piqued my interest so much that I'll be doing a series on Tech Tip Tuesdays about lots of other ways to accept this challenge. Stay tuned each week as I present these to you.

As I said earlier, you can start small....very small and work with a teacher down the hall if need be. However, if you put on your thinking cap and use all your resources, I bet you can find a teacher much farther away who would love to join forces with you.

Since we live in a global society and our world truly does seem to get smaller and smaller, this is an awesome way to bring some real-world, authentic learning into your classroom. Also, our students are so technologically advanced, these ideas are sure to grab their interest. You may want to fight it tooth and nail, but technology is here to stay. The more we can use it to our advantage and create real learning situations, the better.

So, are you up for the challenge?

I would LOVE to hear from you about some of the ways you are already incorporating global learning, with or without the use of technology, into your classroom.

How are you tearing down walls?

Enjoy :)

Math Monday ~ Pi and The Lost Function {with a giveaway for you}

2013-07-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

Math Monday here on Making It As A Middle School Teacher got a little facelift. Remember this?

I felt as though I needed something more inclusive for those weeks I want to share non-game related math ideas. Yes, I have some of those, too. Believe it or not.

However, this week is ALL about a great new 3-D math adventure game that I was recently introduced to. You are going to LOVE it! Stayed tuned till the end for the giveaway information.

So here it is! Pi and The Lost Function from AT&LT Games!

Pi and The Lost Function is a 3-D algebra readiness adventure game that intervenes when it detects students are struggling with specific math skills.

I absolutely love the fact that this is geared towards the students we teach! It's not a program that has been retrofitted in an attempt to appeal to middle schoolers. Even the graphics and the characters are age appropriate and will be easy for adolescents to identify with!

When you look at the press release a little further down in this post, you'll recognize some of the top-notch writers on this project. How cool is that?

But writing is where the story ends, unfortunately. That's where you come in! AT&LT Games is looking to add voice-over to the high quality video images. You'll hear about the educational advantages to that in just a bit.

Here's a video to help explain it all.

Just to recap...

With your help, we can reach students with special needs by adding voice over to:

Increase student understanding
Combine verbal and visual information
Increase student motivation
Help struggling readers
Improve language skills
Engage all students

Click here to read more about the Kickstarter program.

Be sure to read all the way to the end to see lots of awesome screenshots from Pi and The Lost Function. They make me want to play NOW! You'll also see several quotes from teachers who have already had a chance to use the program.

If you are able to contribute, even at the $1 minimum level, you will be helping out a wonderful cause! We all want students to be more engaged, right? Many of the levels even include a free download of the game, t-shirts, and more!

We also want our students to have fun while learning.

Wesley enjoys the humorous storyline while playing The Lost Function. The game’s intriguing storyline is written by Lee Sheldon (writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Charlie’s Angels, and Cagney and Lacey) and two-time Telly Award winner and Emmy winner, Graham Sheldon.

Another high mark for this program is that students aren't just left to "play" at their computer station. Pi and The Lost Function allows teachers and tutors to assist students when needed.

Math Tutor, Ellen Clay, assists a student with graphing on the coordinate plane as he plays The Lost Function. Teachers and tutors often use The Lost Function as a supplemental classroom tool that goes along with their instruction.

Lastly, students will be presented with real-world, authentic math situations to solve as they take on the role of the main character, Pi.

Wesley encounters a character with a real-life mathematical problem. She must help Troy, the veterinarian, with his dilemma.

Take a look at the Press Release.

CREATING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Virginia Beach, Virginia – July 30, 2013 – ATLT Games, creator of the math educational game Pi and The Lost Function, has started a Kickstarter campaign to add voice acting to its currently text-based storyline to help learners with special needs. The campaign begins on July 29 and ends on August 27.

Pi and The Lost Function is a 3-D algebra readiness adventure game that intervenes when it detects students are struggling with specific math skills. Currently, the storyline is text-based, and ATLT Games would like to add voice acting to the 3-D characters to assist learners with disabilities.

To add voice over technology, the Kickstarter campaign will help raise the $41,223 needed for the technology addition. Kickstarter is an online funding platform that has funded many creative endeavors by allowing supporters and fans to financially back projects before the creation of the product, promising its investors rewards of varying levels. To support the Pi and The Lost Function Kickstarter campaign, visithttps://www.atltgames.com/kickstarter/.

“The typical classroom includes general education students as well as students with special needs…the addition of voice over would truly make it a more differentiated experience and make the game more accessible to a variety of students.”- John Merritt, Special Education Inclusion Teacher
The addition of voice over will help students with vision impairments, emotional/behavior disorders, dyslexia, autism, ADD/ADHD, struggling readers, and English as a second language (ESL/ELL).

The game’s intriguing storyline is written by Lee Sheldon (writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Charlie’s Angels, and Cagney and Lacey) and two-time Telly Award winner and Emmy winner, Graham Sheldon.

###

About ATLT Games:
Advanced Training & Learning Technology (ATLT Games), LLC was started in 2010 with a mission to develop innovative educational technologies. Our current line of products enhances and improves student performance by combining the power of gaming technology with subject matter content that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Our educational games provide students with various learning modalities and include instructional support tools that reduce workload for professional educators and allow for better classroom differentiation.

Primary Contact:
Lauren Franza
Educational Designer
757-213-6841
lfranza@atltgames.com
www.atltgames.com

If you'd like to keep up with AT&LT Games and Pi and The Lost Function, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Now for the giveaway!

AT&LT Games has graciously provided me with a Validation Key Package which includes a license for the game download and single student use to pass along to one of my readers.

Could it be you???

Entering it super easy.

The contest will run through midnight on Wednesday, August 7th. I will post the winner here. You will have 3 days to contact me with your e-mail address or I will select another winner.

Thanks and good luck! Also, please spread the word to your friends who would be interested in winning the giveaway or in finding out more information about this program.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Area & Perimeter with the U.S. Flag...and Currently!

2013-06-30T15:15:00.001-04:00

Gosh, it is hard to believe that today is the last day of June! Where oh where has another half-year gone?

With July 4th almost here, I wanted to share a product I created last year to practice area and perimeter using the United States Flag. I have included an Answer Key. Click on the image to check it out in my TPT Store.

"This product contains 30 area and perimeter questions based on the United States flag. The questions range from basic area and perimeter calculations, to converting back and forth from feet to inches within the questions, and to higher-level, critical thinking questions that will lead students to more deeply analyze their answers.

I've based the calculations on standard, accepted flag-making specifications.

The final question asks students to design a flag for their school, determine dimensions, divide the flag into parts, and then calculate the area and perimeter for the entire flag as well as its parts."

AND...Currently is here a bit early this month. Head over to check out the rest of the party over at Farley's!

Seriously, I never get tired of House Hunters!

My sister-in-law, Diane, her husband, Mike, two of my nieces, Francesca and Alena, and one of my nephews, Caden will be here for a visit from Denver. We haven't seen them in about a year or so. I am so excited for them to come. They are all under the age of 10 so we are sure to have a ball!

I'll be going to Indianapolis for Scentsy Family Reunion {convention} in a little over a week! Can't wait to see what all the fuss is about. Plus, I've never been to Indianapolis...or anywhere in Indiana for that matter.

The beach is not happening, but I sure would love a few days there. Too many other things are going on right now. Sigh.

My to-do list continues to grow and grow. I MUST get some things 'to-done' soon!

As a blogger, if you're not being yourself and enjoying what you're doing, why in the heck are you taking time out of your day and away from your family to do it???

Enjoy :)

A New Hat {and it smells good}

2013-06-27T11:39:00.001-04:00

Hello and welcome back to Making It As A Middle School Teacher!

I have a short video for you today to share a 'new hat' I've recently began wearing.

It's a fun one and it smells really, really good!

I'll still be here...and one other place that I'll share with you in the coming days.

I'd love for you to follow along with me in my new endeavor.

Website: https://wicklessingeorgia.scentsy.us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WicklessInGeorgiaMichelleLundy

Twitter - https://twitter.com/mlundy5

Instagram - http://instagram.com/mlundy5

AND ---- Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin'!

Enjoy :)

Feedback is Fantastic for Teachers, Too!

2013-06-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

When I create a product for classroom use, I never know if other teachers will like it or find it useful for themselves and their students. OR if they will hate it and consider it a waste of time!

Receiving feedback on Teachers Pay Teachers gives me some insight as to how I'm doing.

Any feedback, good or not so good, is very beneficial. However, there are a few messages from time-to-time that really warm my heart and remind me why I do this.

I knew I wanted to link up with Christina over at Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge for her Fabulous Feedback party. She'll be hosting this every second Friday of the month.

Here is feedback from two customers that I wanted to share this month.

THE best feedback to me is when a teacher has already used my product in their classroom AND the students loved it! That's what drew me to this particular feedback.

I had so much fun making this game. Fraction Fiesta comes in two versions {4 - 6 grades and 7 - 8 grades}.

I also appreciate feedback that shows the teacher has thought about the product and how they can use it in their own classroom. To me this shows a genuine interest in my products.

Picnic Probability was created after I saw the need for more practice in my own classroom! I think I have as much fun designing for cover image as I do creating the actual product.

So the way this works is that if you are either of the two buyers above, contact me by email at michelle@makingitteacher.com. Then you can let me know another product you would like me to send you...FREE!

Enjoy :)

Summertime Reading

2013-06-15T18:01:00.001-04:00

It is a beautiful Saturday here in sunny, small town Georgia. I should grab a book and head out to the deck!

{Here's a couple of images I whipped up about books. Feel free to pin and/or download.}

Summer is always a great time to enjoy some extra reading time...for us and for our students.

I have a few things to share with you today with that in mind.

If you are STILL teaching {moment of silence}, these will be a great find for you right now!

If you are on Summer Vacay, go ahead and download now for use next year.

First up, I have two FREEBIES for you. Click on each image to download from my TPT Store.

I also have a paid product I created for summertime reading. Check it out here.

What about your summer reads? Do you have some planned? Have you already marked a couple off your list?

I'm going to read this one first...

If you've already read that one, have you tried this companion book?

I'd also like to read...

As for non-teaching books, I can't wait to read...

I've read two other books by Hosseini and loved both! As a 7th grade Social Studies teacher whose curriculum involves the Middle East, these are great books about real life that give a better understanding of the culture.

I wasn't quite a teenager yet in 1974, but this one sounds really interesting! {No pun intended.}

One of my favorite reads from last summer is...

This one was rather odd, but I couldn't put it down! I loved it!

I'd love to hear some of the books on your lists! Please leave me a comment about the book you're most excited about reading this summer. {Teaching related or not.}

By the way, here are two of my Pinterest boards related to reading. Hop on over and follow these or my entire Pinterest profile {even better}.

Enjoy :)

My Very First Five for Friday

2013-06-14T21:22:00.001-04:00

Hello and Happy Flag Day!

For the first time ever, I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her fun Five for Friday post.

I've been stalking these posts for a while and I'm super excited to join in. However, I haven't done anything teaching related lately, so you'll see some behind-the-scenes images. :-)

1. Mr. Making It and I spent the day at the shooting range. Got to keep my skills sharp! I have always enjoyed shooting. It's been a while since we had a chance to go.

2. I got a much needed hair cut on Tuesday! It's great to be back in the short hair universe.

3. Since becoming a Scentsy Consultant, I have been so thankful for the fun I get to have AND the extra income in can generate. Here's a party set-up at a former co-workers home and my Scentsy Family Reunion {Convention} t-shirts that came in the mail this week!

4. My new Grace Adele purse and clutch arrived and I was like a kid on Christmas morning! I share some pics once I took them out of the beautiful wrapping later.

5. Hello?!?! Can anyone hear me? That's what my TPT store has been saying lately. I have not posted any new products in quite some time. It's about time to change that!

I spent the day shopping and having lunch with my youngest son and his girlfriend. So hard to believe Austin is 19! The years have gone by so quickly.

I hope you had a fabulous Friday as well.

Enjoy :)

Bloglovin', Anyone?

2013-06-02T18:35:00.002-04:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

If you've been keeping up with blog readers, you know Google Reader sadly went away.

I've been using Bloglovin' and...I love it so far.

Please be sure to follow me there to stay up-to-date on all my blog posts.

There's a button near the top of the right sidebar.

Thanks bunches!

CURRENTLY Getting My Rear in Gear!

2013-06-02T18:22:00.000-04:00

{Source}

And man, oh man, was I feeling uninspired!

I've only blogged a handful of times since January and I updated you a couple of times about taking a little hiatus.

Apparently, that little hiatus turned into a rather loooong sabbatical! But that's OK.

My REAR is now in GEAR!!!

So, on to June's Currently hosted by the lovely Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade. {Confession: I have been closet-stalking my favorite blogs from time-to-time and I have missed taking part in all the Currently posts.}

Yikes! As I've been typing this post, the thunder...and lightning...and rain rolled in and parked right over my house. Big storm!

I am so enjoying Summer to the absolute best of my ability.

Pizza. A White Pie to be exact. There's this local pizza joint named American Pie that makes this ooey, gooey, cheesy Alfredo sauce pizza that is out.of.this.world! I think I'm going to have to brave the storm and go get one.

I couldn't decide if the mani/pedi fit better as a want or a need. I went with both since I've been stretching the last ones out, way out. It's time.

For my Vacay Essentials I went for a little alliteration. Always one of my favorite tools! Of course I must have family and/or friends. Who want to vacay along, right? I've got to have fun which can range from time on the beach to a museum tour. I'm pretty eclectic like that. Lastly, I can't live without my f{ph}one. I'm hooked. Helplessly. That's all I want to say about that. ;-)

Head over to Farley's and check out the other Currently posts. Even better, join in the fun yourself!

Back to my sabbatical...

If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that I lost both my parents within a 53-1/2 week period of time. That was hard, especially with the circumstances of my Daddy's death.

I've struggled.

Add to that a couple of rather tough teaching years in that same time frame.

Add to that blogging and creating teaching products.

Add to that the normal everyday stuff that makes up life

You get the picture.

I think I finally gave myself enough time...this time. In the past, I've always felt guilty about not keeping up this end of the bargain {and I do miss it when I'm away} and I would make myself get back into the grove before my mind, body, and soul were all ready to participate.

So many ideas have wiggled their way into my brain and they are ready to come to life in my computer and find their way to you!

If your school year has ended, I hope you are having awesome days at home.

If it hasn't, I hope you are making the most of the last days with your students.

Until next time...which will hopefully be a much, much shorter span of time...

Hugs to you!
Enjoy :)

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

However you spend your Easter Sunday, may it be a wonderful, peaceful day for you and your family and friends!!!

Hiatus, Sale, Focus, & A Georgia Blogger

2013-03-24T17:56:00.002-04:00

Hello!!!

I have been on a little hiatus for almost 2 months! Sometimes I just feel like I have to back off to allow time for everything else that must be done in life...and so I don't start to regret blogging.

I do love to blog and share my ideas and products with you. I love to communicate with you and have you share ideas as well. However, it all has to be in perspective, you know?

So, after chasing my tail around for a bit, dropping the ball on a few ideas, and having slight technical difficulties, I back here posting today! Yippee!

Of all days to come back, today is my 23rd wedding anniversary with Mr. Making It. In just a few more days, we will have been an 'item' for 26 years. That makes me sound old! In reality, we met young, were high school sweethearts, got married a couple years after high school - and the rest is history! So technically I'm still young. We've been together since I was 16...it was love at first sight!

Anyway, I mentioned that because in honor of our anniversary, I'm throwing a little sale over at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. The closet percentage I could pick was 20 so it's a 20% OFF ALL ITEMS sale!

I'm hoping this little sale will help me get my focus back on blogging. I need my mojo to get motivated!!!

Thanks for all the page views and repins on Pinterest while I've been away. You all are the BEST!

Finally, I'm linking up with Fifth in the Middle for her Blogs by State page. What a great idea, Diane!

I'm proud to say that I am a Georgia Blogger! There's quite a list of us over at Diane's blog. Be sure to check it out and find bloggers near you.

Have a great week and y'all come back now, ya hear?

Enjoy :)

Super Sale on Super Sunday!

2013-02-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm having a Super Sale on Super Sunday at both of my stores!

Head over to either place to grab a great deal {or two}.

Just click on the images below to go right to my stores.

I'm offering 20% OFF at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Be sure to enter the Promocode SUPER at checkout to get an additional 10% OFF from TPT.

That makes a total of 28% OFF in all.

I'm offering a whopping 40% OFF at my Teachers Notebook shop!

Due to the way this shop is set up, I can offer a bigger discount to you.

Shop 'til you drop and...

Enjoy the game! :)

Barbara's January Visit ~ Peace!

2013-01-27T11:11:00.002-05:00

I am always so grateful to Barbara for her outstanding post each month! Knowing what she's been through the past few weeks makes this post even more special!!!

You rock, Barbara!

Peace - It's A Sign

by Barbara Gruener

It's been 17 days, but I can still hear the mangling metal, see the shattering glass, smell the leaking fluids, and feel the overwhelming fear as that oncoming car crossed into my lane on that two-lane bridge and left me no options but to brace myself for the head-on impact. As I slammed on the brakes and clung to the steering wheel for dear life, I couldn't help but wonder if this was it, if I was going to die. But that thought was quickly usurped by the fact that I was alive and could feel my legs and had better get myself out of that salvage that used to be my van before it blew up {I'll admit I've seen that happen on t.v. a time or two}. My door wouldn't open, so I crawled over the tray onto the passenger side and inched myself out onto the sidewalk on that bridge. Trying to collect my thoughts and make sense of what happened, I glanced over at the car that had slammed into me and thought I'd better help that driver get out if she could

(before her car blew up, of course!).

I stepped over the guard rail onto the road to ease my way to her Xterra. I tapped lightly on her window (as if I needed to politely knock) before attempting to open her door. "Excuse me," I heard myself say, "but you might want to try to get out of the car if you can." That's when everything started to turn fuzzy and white and close in on me. I told her that I needed to go sit down and headed back to the guard rail. I thanked the lady in the yellow shirt who arrived first on the scene for offering to call 9-1-1, and that's all I remember until I came to and was lying on the ground with EMS First Responders were attempting to secure me for the ambulance ride to the ER.

Trust me on this one; the ambulance ride to the hospital is another story for another time, so let's fast forward to the ER. I spent five hours in the hospital and was released after a series of x-rays and some sutures to close up the severe laceration on my knee. Getting the twelve shots to numb the knee cap so the doctor could stretch the skin and put it back over the bone was probably the worst pain I've ever known. I was squeezing my husband's hand so tightly and repeating my one little word - gratitude - over and over and louder and louder. I had to work hard to find something, anything to be grateful for as the doctor stitched me back together. He explained that the wound was quite deep and that it was somewhat star-shaped so it wasn't an easy fix. I left there with twelve stitches, a fractured radial bone in my wrist and a chip in the medial bone in my ankle. Three acute injuries plus the fact that every muscle in my body ached from the impact.

At this point, you may be wondering what's the point of today's post, so here it is. Despite everything that I've gone through in the last two weeks and will continue to go through as my fractures heal and I go to physical therapy and attempt to get my knee to bend again, I've intentionally looked for - and found! - so many blessings in this burden. And focusing on gratitude rather than the gravity of the situation has helped me feel peace despite the pain.

I was able to spend an hour at school this past Friday, my first visit back since the collision on the tenth, and look what I saw outside of Mrs. Martin's kindergarten classroom:

Don't you just love this? And can you see why I can't wait to get back there, to my peacemakers, where I belong!

During my recovery, I've received so many kind notes of affirmation and gestures of love. Friends and family have been bringing meals so I don't have to cook and driving me to all of my doctor appointments. One of my kindies wrote me a note asking when she could come to peace class with me again (I'd never heard anyone refer to guidance as peace class before but hey, I like it!). Another told me that he was going to ask his mom to get me a new car ... and he was tickled pink to give a pink car-shaped mouse for my computer yesterday ... too cute! So many of them have said that our school just isn't the same without me. Isn't that just better than any medicine the doctors could possibly prescribe?

The biggest irony of all? Remember that star-shaped laceration that caused me so much pain and that the doctor worked so diligently to stitch up? Well, I got those stitches removed on Wednesday and the scar that's left on my right knee doesn't look like a star at all, but rather it resembles - and I promise you I am not making this up - a peace sign!

My wish is that you always look for {and find!}

blessings in your burdens and peace in your pain.

AMEN!!!