SUBPLANNERS

New products are happening now!

2016-03-08T07:25:00.003-08:00

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Subplanners-By-Jean-Snowden
When you need a sub teacher..............

Gratitude......turns what we have into enough, and more." - Melody Beattie

2015-05-06T06:56:00.002-07:00

It's been a crazy winter - my first blog entry since last November - and the best word to sum up the craziness is "gratitude." Amid and among normal family and grandfamily stuff: two of our families moved to new homes, my sons took their basketball teams to state finals (two different states), my daughter-in-law graduated from an intensive post-bach nurses training, and my husband landed in the hospital for a couple weeks with a critical infection, now in remission and recovery. So "gratitude" is the key word: grateful all things were safely and successfully resolved, and grateful we're on the other side of it all, and in one piece!

I finished one subplan during the winter: "Ships and Shipwrecks" for 5th/6th graders. Take a look:

There are reading comprehension passages and follow up activities on the Sultana, Titanic, Andrea Doria, and Edmund Fitzgerald. And for kids more interested in vacation cruises than shipwrecks, an opportunity to design and promote their very own dream cruise. As with all my subplans, there is minimal teacher preparation - perfect for a last minute sub teacher day.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ships-and-Shipwrecks-A-Full-Day-for-your-5th6th-Grade-Sub-1733350

On another track, Jack Apps Education is now a real company - Chris (co-writer and "limited liability partner") and I went through all the filings and paperwork without having a clue what we were doing - and now we're for real! Our first app, "Build Compound Words" is for sale on your ipad, and we've begun working on "Build Plurals."

Our educational apps are unique because we use pictures of real objects and people rather than cartoons - so important to help diverse learners make connections to the real world around them. Another goal is to supplement our apps with printable materials, providing built-in practice for students to write words and sentences in a variety of formats. Our printable products are available at www.teacherspayteachers.com, www.teachersnotebook.com, and soon on our very own Jack Apps Education website.

But back to thinking about gratitude - this winter has been a rollercoaster ride and I've once again learned (for maybe the millionth time) to be grateful for the gifts inside each and every moment.

Best and always,

"Compound It all!" -me

2014-11-13T07:38:00.002-08:00

Or was that "confound it all?" After working on our Build Compound Words App (for ipad) these past several months, I may have confused nf with mp! We (Chris Holm, Speech/Language Clinician, and Kim Wapola, Developer Extraordinaire) have been working together since January to put together an animated online product that would support this common core standard:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.4.d

Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).

The app will soon be available!

In the meantime, there are printable products already available here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Subplanners-By-Jean-Snowden/Category/Speech-Language-Apps We believe the real photographs used in these products (the same photos used in the app) are especially worthwhile for students with limited language or diverse learning needs.

1. Build Compound Words for Kids is a compilation of 10 different activities to practice compound words for independent word-work stations or literacy centers. Click here for the full preview: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Compound-Word-Activities-for-Kids-1397891

2. Build Compound Words for Teachers includes 5 comprehensive activities designed to be used for therapy or 1:1 sessions, with recording sheets and IEP goals/objectives included. Click here to see it: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Compound-Word-Book-For-Teachers-and-Clinicians-1333621

3. Build Compound Words All in One is just that: both products combined. And here it is!http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-In-One-Compound-Word-Activities-1505387

Definitely time to "Compound It All!" - in your classroom, homeschool, or therapy settings.

Best always and ever,

Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to great places! You're off and away! - Dr. Seuss

2014-10-30T10:10:00.004-07:00

We three (me, Jim, and the dog) are back on Minnesota soil after driving the "circle tour" - counterclockwise - around Lake Superior. We encountered dense fog for one full day, unrelenting gale force winds for one day, crazy drivers who didn't seem to notice the above mentioned obstacles.......and guess what? We'd do it all again in a heartbeat. The landscape, lakescape, history, people (not in cars) we encountered on every one of our 1230 miles were extraordinary. This is a trip worth taking!

Future subplans? Voyageurs and the Fur Trade; Famous Shipwrecks on Lake Superior; Copper Mining; Iron Ore Mining; .....I could be busy for awhile!

Best always and ever (and still unpacking),

all God's critters got a place in the choir, some sing low, some sing higher..... -Bill Staines

2014-10-11T12:06:00.002-07:00

I'm reminded of this song when I hear our administrators talk about inclusion of special needs kids in our mainstream classrooms. Sounds so right! Everyone has a desk in the classroom no matter what culture, learning style, disability, size, shape, needs.

But what if having every kid together in one place doesn't allow for every individual in the classroom to show progress and learn? What if the distractions are too great? What if language or communication styles are too diverse? What if there are just too many adults and kids in the room? What if the range of academic functioning is greater than 2 grade levels? What if the district mandated curriculum has no relevance to our kids' real worlds at home?

Having all kids "singin' in the choir" is a beautiful notion, but is it more important for kids to feel "included" in a group - or for each kid to reach his or her greatest learning potential?

Be well and always,

"Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on the river!"

2014-09-26T14:49:00.004-07:00

The tune has been playing over and over in my head all day! Several reasons why, actually, since the Mighty Mississippi is very close by and I drove across it twice today. Also because it's a sleepy kind of September day and I'd love to be "rollin" on the river instead of driving across it. And mainly because I just finished writing about the Mississippi River - its history, steamboats and stories.

(rollin', rollin....)

Click here to see it on TPT.com

I think there are some fun activities in here to go along with solid learning for your 5th or 6th graders. And just for kicks, click on this link for an animated activity on locks and dams from the National Park System. It's addictive! http://www.nps.gov/miss/forteachers/upload/kayak.swf

p.s. The tune now inside your head is brought to you by Creedance Clearwater Revival.

Be well today and always,

"When I was very young, most of my childhood heroes wore capes, flew through the air, or picked up buildings with one arm. They were spectacular and got a lot of attention. But as I grew, my heroes changed, so that now I can honestly say that anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me." - Fred Rogers

2014-09-14T15:18:00.003-07:00

Although this is my favorite perspective (anything Mr. Rogers said is my favorite perspective), there are many other ways to think about our heroes. I think it's important for kids to think about heroes, too, and not just the ones with capes. Helping kids find the right kinds of heroes when they're young may help them grow into being heroes themselves.

This full day of activities for you or for your sub helps kids explore their own, individual ideas about heroes. Can one kid's ideas be different from another kid's on this topic? And what really are the attributes of a hero? People in their families, their neighborhoods, books, movies, and, yes, even cartoons - no limit to the places in our world where we find people we look up to, people we want to be like.

Check out these activities for yourself and get the conversation going in your classroom at the very beginning of the school year. Helping kids learn about heroes helps them know the kinds of people they want to be.

This full day is aligned with 4th grade common core standards and includes extra forms for your sub.

This one has all the same activities without the extra paperwork.

PLEASE, though, check the previews so you'll know for certain if the reading level is appropriate for your kids!

Back to Mr. Rogers, heroes are always the people who help kids. And that's you.

Be well and always,

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” -A.A. Milne

2014-09-01T07:23:00.003-07:00

Here we are - back at the beginning of a school year and there's just way too much on every teacher's plate, let alone on their desks, shelves, and kitchen counters.

Getting organized (in A.A. Milne's words) is trying to keep our worlds from being all mixed up. Ha! Like we have that kind of control over our lives or anyone else's, right?

But we can at least try to control the stresses in our lives by always, always having a "Plan B." Use one of these full days of theme-based activities on a day when you're in the classroom and need some extra help, or on a day when you need to call in a sub teacher.

One of these products may be just what you're looking for:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Subplanners-By-Jean-Snowden

One of my buyers recently said, "Just like sub plans in a can!"

...exactly what I'd intended.

Be well today and always,

“What do stars do? They shine.”

2014-08-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Neil Gaiman puts words in their poetic, simple and proper place. Of course stars shine! That's it! No more details than that to worry about - not right now anyway.

Think how we could apply his logic to help get through the complications, stress, new classrooms, new curricula, new administrators, new technologies, etc. etc. etc. of the coming year. In other words, take your plate-full of worries and stresses and throw it away! Because, bottom line, it will be a great school year.

All you need to do is find the least common denominator for each big item you're facing. Like this:

What do summers do? They end.

What do schools do? They start.

What do parents do? They worry.

What do principals do? They organize.

What do teachers do? They teach.

What do kids do? They learn.

Now add some of your own. Make them positive....make them simple.....make them work.

What do _ do? They ___.

I'm not suggesting we forget about the real world and it's impossible complications. I'm just suggesting we try to keep it all in perspective.

"What do people do? We grow."

(inside and out)

Be well today and always,

Isn't it nice to think tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet? -Anne of Green Gables

2014-07-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Tips for a Good School Year

(with fewer mistakes in it)

1. Set up your classroom before opening week. We don't get paid to do it, but it'll save you time and stress later.

2. Find your own personal balance. Set a limit on the things you can do in your school day (call them your CANS!) and stick to it. Maybe that means leaving a few bulletin boards undone or not having a complete classroom library at the beginning of the year. You will be a far more effective teacher if you stay focused on your CANS!

3. Set up your plans and activities for the first whole week of school, not just the first day.

4. Keep a file for "back up" plans and add to it all year long. Inside should be your sub teaching plans (hopefully from subplanners:}, filler activities for centers, transitions, behavior interventions, whatever! Bottom line: always always always have a PLAN B.

5. Go to www.teacherspayteachers.com for everything you don't already have! You'll find what you need in a pinch. That's a promise.

6. Turn off your computer, go outside, and enjoy the last few days of your summer vacation!

Be well today and always,

"I am so tired of summer vacation," said no teacher ever. (:Somee Cards:)

2014-06-11T08:18:00.001-07:00

Finally! A few weeks to put your feet up and relax, reflect, refresh, and renew. And despite the criticism that summer is teacher slacker time, I argue that it's what makes us better. We take the time to think about what worked and what didn't in our classrooms during the past year, and we resolve to make changes.

Our vocation has gotten tougher and tougher in recent years in our educational leaders' very sincere efforts to close the achievement gap. The programs now in place: rigid "one size fits all" curricula; data collection and testing that take up valuable teaching and learning time; inclusion of all special needs students; behavior management programs that seem to favor inclusion over natural (and necessary) consequences....let's face it, these changes aren't working.

Maybe it's time our district leaders took a summer vacation to do what teachers do: reflect about what's not working and resolve to make changes.

Just sayin'!

Be well today and always,

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. - Anne Frank

2014-05-22T15:06:00.003-07:00

To be fair, there are TONS of days when Anne Frank's wisdom doesn't apply one little bit. Instead of improving the world it feels like we're only making everything worse - no matter what we try.

But the fantastic thing about teaching is the incredible potential of it! We never know when a new word or concept might finally be understood (despite our administrators' beliefs that learning automatically occurs when standards are plastered on the wall and the mini lesson script read verbatim). When a kid starts using a new word or generalizing/connecting a new concept - it's like winning the teacher lottery....no money in it, just pure satisfaction.

Now that your school year is coming to a close and you're feeling totally burned out from the physical and emotional exhaustion of it all, do remember how positively you have impacted the lives of your kids. From Anne Frank's poignant words: teachers work every day to improve the world - one kid at a time.

Be well today and always,

The best teachers are those who show you where to look - but don't tell you what to see. - Alexandra K. Trenfor

2014-05-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

This morning at the eye doctor one of the technicians congratulated me for being a teacher (Teacher Appreciation Week after all) and told me of her niece's decision to become a social studies teacher. Apparently she'd had wonderful teachers over the years and then implied that teachers always encourage and motivate the best kids. Not necessarily, I replied! The best teachers are there for every kind of kid. No exceptions.

And are those "best" teachers successful with all kinds of kids? No, but they don't stop trying. Each morning they come "armed and ready" to accommodate this impossible combination of objectives: meet kids' needs for discovery and learning, manage difficult behaviors, provide challenges to some and remediation to others, and obediently follow their district curriculum guidelines and standards. Then, incredibly, turn around and do it all again the next day. phew!

My idea of a "best" teacher may or may not be the one to get highest test scores, but is always the one who will ask more than tell and respect each and every kid's need to explore an idea or concept rather than blindly memorize it. As in the quotation: "shows where to look but not what to see."

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Give yourself a pat on the back for the amazing work you do.

Be well today and always,

I am thankful that in a troubled world no calamity can prevent the return of spring. - Helen Keller

2014-04-25T06:50:00.003-07:00

Just one of many amazing quotations by Helen Keller, and one more thing to be very thankful for!

Other things I'm thankful for: long conversations with trusted friends; quiet mornings just like this one; quiet evenings alone with my husband; quiet afternoons working at my computer. See a pattern?

Be well - grateful for the return of spring - today and always,

"Believing we can improve schooling with more tests is like believing you can make yourself grow taller by measuring your height." - Robert Schaeffer of FairTest

2014-04-09T20:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, I hate our testing craze! The way I see it - standardized tests measure how well a kid feels at a particular moment, how well he knows how to take tests, and how well he understands one tiny piece of information that someone in an ivory tower somewhere has determined is important for him to know. And that's not measuring learning.

BUT - my complaining about it isn't helping anyone who has to deal with testing during this month of months in most schools across the USA!

Take a look instead at this video performed by a group of 5th grade teachers in Mounds View Schools, New Brighton, Minnesota. It's wonderful! Thanks to these energetic young teachers (and every other teacher out there who is dedicated to going into a classroom each day) the future of public education is looking very good, despite the reliance on standards and testing.

http://www.cities97.com/onair/oake-keri-48249/local-school-performs-let-it-go-12230673

Be well today and always,

The things that make me different are the things that make ME. - Winnie the Pooh

2014-04-03T07:59:00.002-07:00

Just recently my step granddaughter, Noelle, asked me questions about learning styles for a research paper she's doing. Little did she know I'd get going and never shut up!

I think it's trendy these days to find labels for everything, including labels for how kids learn. It's kind of like "tidying" up the pantry so we know what we have in there: auditory, visual, tactile, social, verbal, logical, etc. etc. Trouble is, kids - all of us - are rarely one and only one "style," but rather a very unique combination of all. Good teachers from the beginning of time have recognized that we all learn differently. They didn't need the labels.

As a special ed teacher I loved trying to figure kids out and adapt materials to find the right trigger or twist to get their "motors running" as I used to say. And every once in awhile I got lucky! But what I had to learn myself - over and over again - is that kids don't learn until they're ready. Teachers can know their learning styles and help create a readiness to learn in their classrooms, but kids have to bring in the rest.

Phew - makes it sound impossible, right? I had a great chemistry teacher in high school, Mr. Clyde Skogan. He knew I was clueless (still am) about the need for understanding chemistry. Each day after his opening lecture and while others were setting up lab experiments, he quietly explained to me the 2 or 3 main points I had to remember just to pass the class. He wasn't talking "down" to me but finding language I could relate to. Perfect example of accomodating a learning style. In this case, my readiness wasn't really wanting to learn but definitely wanting to graduate!

Be well today and always,

“She turned to the sunlight And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbor: "Winter is dead.” - A.A. Milne

2014-03-26T08:47:00.002-07:00

Forsythia in Bloom!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow........sheesh!

2014-03-18T06:35:00.002-07:00

Funny how snow is so peaceful and pretty in early December, and annoying and unwelcome in mid-March. It's been a long one up here in the north land! Surely spring is just around the corner....

And that's all I have to say about that.

I've added a new category to my subplanners store: "Activity Centers for Homeschool or Classroom." They are the same themed full day subplans minus forms, scripts, and common core standards. Click here to see a listing of all themes included. The product previews show every page included in the download so you'll know for certain if it's going to be worthwhile for your kids. There are centers for grades K-6, just like the subplans.

In the meantime, stay warm and dry and soon spring will actually come out from around that corner!

Be well today and always,

Let’s have one day for girls and boyses - when you can make the grandest noises - screech, scream, holler, and yell, buzz a buzzer clang a bell......... Shel Silverstein

2014-03-04T07:50:00.003-08:00

I've been thinking about how hard it is for kids to sit quietly and still all day long in a classroom, especially in this endless winter we find ourselves in! Remember when it was us sitting there? Staring at the second hand as each and every second got ............ L O N G E R............

As teachers we want to keep kids busy and productive with as few disturbances as possible, but breaking up the day now and then with games doesn't have to be nonproductive. For example:

Idea #1 - keep a jar full of "acting out" strips from your current shared reading book or any curriculum unit that all the class participates in. At a needed break time, announce "time to act it!" A volunteer comes forward, picks a strip, acts it out, others guess.

Idea #2 - take a hallway walk for exercise and while you're at it: count and name the shapes you see; count how many D-words or L-words or Ch-words you see; find 3 things that rhyme with "store;" mentally add up the room numbers; estimate the length and width of the hallway and then measure it for real; possibilities are endless!

Idea #3 - Another jar full of words and/or sentences and have a volunteer come forward and set up hangman blanks and have the class guess the letters. Always works best when the words/sentences connect to your current studies.

Idea #4 - Play telephone. Kids line up in two lines and all face the back of the room except for the first person in each line. You show these two line leaders the same word (from your ever-ready jar!) then signal start. They whisper the word to next in line, next, next, next until the last one comes to the board and writes whatever he or she "heard" by the time it got down there.

After one of these opportunities for "buzzing a buzzer and clanging a bell" your kids just might be ready to settle down to do some work.

might.....

Be well today and always,

When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels. -author unknown

2014-02-25T07:24:00.002-08:00

We've had our fair share of snow in Minnesota this year with two feet on the ground and piles up to four feet lining sidewalks and roads. Along with the snow have been record cold temps, so the prospect of going out to either shovel or make snow angels - is, well, unappealing.

So if you're like me and stuck in an icy cold rut - the only thing to do is find what comforts you best and indulge. I walked this morning at an indoor arena where the ice is where it's supposed to be: inside the rink. Now I'm headed for a second cup of coffee and good book.

If you're in a classroom, remember to find great filler activities on tpt.com. In this era of too much testing (forced labor - like shoveling) and too little creativity (snow angels) there's got to be a little fun in the day's weather forecast!

Inside looking out

Be well today and always,

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

2014-02-17T09:15:00.001-08:00

Paying attention to each and every student isn't such an easy thing these days! This latest trend (hope to God it's a trend, anyway, so it will move on) of overtesting and data collecting has created classrooms that look more like factories than families. Kids turn into numbers and teachers become testers and evaluators - much like the business world we're supposed to be emulating.

So how much attention can we pay to individual kids - as kids - when we have to pay attention, first and foremost, to the numbers?

When our district first started following the "edicts" of No Child Left Behind - putting up data walls to measure progress and scripting teachers and kids alike and taking creative and personal interactions - the hallmarks of successful teaching and learning - completely out of the picture, I wondered what could be next - Family metrics? Collecting data at home on conversations at the dinner table? (Remember now, the standard requires complete sentences to answer our questions by age 5. One syllable responses not allowed!) hand washing? turn taking? milk spills?

But no matter what they say, our classrooms aren't factories and our best teachers try hard to maintain warm, safe, "family-like" classroom environments, amidst the micromanaging. And paying attention to each student - either by listening to what she says or watching what she does - will always be the most important thing teachers do, our "most precious gift."

Be well today and always,

Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will really hurt me.....

2014-02-02T10:09:00.002-08:00

All the judgments we adults openly share and then broadcast about one another in the media and social media - too fat, too thin, too brainy, too vague, too self righteous, too Democrat, too Republican, too sweet, too sarcastic, too rich, too bossy, too talkative, too dumb, too quiet, too whatever!

Just wondering how that behavior impacts our kids. We tell them not to tease or bully kids who are different and then we rant on facebook about people whose views and lifestyles are.......different! Isn't that the same as name-calling? And taken a step or two further, bullying?

Bullying is a big deal, but not only in classrooms. I made this sign to add to my own collection of words posted here and there around the house - just as a reminder. Click here if you'd like a copy, too!

Be well today and always,

My shadow! My very own shadow! ...and it's all mine. - Peter Pan

2014-01-25T11:43:00.003-08:00

I looked for a worthy quote about shadows/winter/Groundhog Day and got sidetracked by this voice inside my head: Mary Martin singing about finding her (his) shadow after meeting Wendy at the Darling Residence. And wondering why I know every word of every song in that show....

Back to shadows and winter and Groundhog Day! If you live in the Midwest, you don't anticipate an early end to this particular winter - one of our harshest in recent years - but the legend still brings a smile, or more likely a roll of the eyes when we hear its pronouncement.

If you're a second grade teacher, click here for a freebie for days leading up to Groundhog Day It includes groundhog clipart from Morgan Ramsay at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cute-Groundhog-Clipart-FREE-FOR-COMMERCIAL-USE-501664 She has great stuff!

Here are some other products that might help you get through the winter grind - whether you use them for yourself or for the sub:

Stay warm wherever you are and remember to do whatever it is that brings you peace of mind.

Be well today and always,

Still working on that dream! -us

2014-01-13T16:31:00.001-08:00

It's Black History Month and we all look to our great African American leaders in this ongoing battle for civil rights. Much as I revere MLK, Rosa, and others - including President Obama - I always taught my kids first about Abraham Lincoln, the man who got us started towards equality. I know many others contributed and should be given credit for change, but for me, it's Abe.

It's because of the Emancipation Proclamation, of course. Parts of it are included in these free comprehension passages on Civil Rights. Click here to download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-i62PVJovVednBsblVJQ2NjUDA/edit?usp=sharing

These passages challenge 4th-6th grade readers to imagine an America today without the contributions of MLK, Rosa Parks, and Lincoln. Readers also decide which of these Civil Rights leaders was the most important and give reasons why they think so. Everyone's opinion counts! Might be worthwhile for teachers to set up informal debates in the classroom. Students learn pretty quickly that without solid reasoning their opinions won't get much play.

This is a month when we as teachers and adults are reflective about how far we've come and how far we need to go. When we allow students to see a bigger picture; form opinions about civil rights issues and then learn how to support them - we allow students to become reflective as well.

WOW Teaching!

For a full literacy center on Civil Rights, check out my Black History Month Activity Center (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Civil-Rights-Activities-for-4th-5th-and-6th-Graders-488915)

OR for a full day of Civil Rights activities for your sub teacher (or for you), click here http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Civil-RightsFull-Day-of-Activities-for-5th6th-Grade-488784

There are TONS more civil rights activities at www. teacherspayteachers.com.
For younger readers check out this teacher's offering: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Martin-Luther-King-Activities-second-and-third-grade-1045024 And for secondary students, look at this comprehensive power point http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Civil-Rights-in-America-Black-and-White-World-117627

P.S. Maybe you can tell I'm from Illinois. Once while visiting Salem, Ill. when I was about 8 or 9, we adopted a stray border collie and named him - can you guess? Abe. Our family has an antique mahogany bed that is similar to one in his Springfield house. We call it our Lincoln Bed! I figure he's one of the cousins.... in my dreams!

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. -A.A. Milne

2013-12-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not organized. And the beginning of a new year is the time for putting our lives and our things in order, right? set up new goals? find new energies and challenges?  Organize shelves, closets, drawers?

Well, I've never been able to do it even though I know  my life would be so much easier if I did. In my classroom I always looked pretty good at the beginning of the day with stacks of activities neatly arranged and ready for distribution. The trouble started as soon as papers were returned for correction.

Actually, the trouble with me in general, in life, is that I love to set up and do stuff, and hate to put away. I mean really hate. So back in the classroom when students complained that a paper was missing, I wasn't the teacher who could look back knowingly and make accusations of unfinished work. I was the one who started frantically going through my desk drawers!

Another trouble with me is being around friends and colleagues who are fastidiously well-organized - and that's most of the people around me!   I get peevish. "Who cares about that?" I think to myself. "Obviously not spending their time doing seriously important things like I do." HAH! If only I really did do something worthwhile instead of look for what I'd just lost.

So, I won't even try to offer suggestions for a more organized world - at home or school. You should definitely be relieved.

I do have some products to tell you about, though, that could help your day run more smoothly. For starters, download this freebie for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to read and make predictions about four potential Winter Olympics athletes. Click here for this free product! OR how about reading comprehension passages on Civil Rights Leaders - again for free: Download it now!

For a full day of activities on the Winter Olympics, go to http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/2014-Winter-OlympicsOne-Full-Day-for-your-5th6th-Grade-Sub-Plans-991354

And a full day on Famous Americans for 3rd graders: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Famous-AmericansFull-Day-of-Activities-for-3rd-Grade-874791  to supplement your upcoming Black History Month or President's Day Units.

The bottom line here is that you can save a lot of time in your day by checking out products on teacherspayteachers.com. What to do instead of writing lesson plans? Clean out a few drawers or shelves and get yourself energized for the rest of the school year.

p.s. just so you know I'm not exaggerating about my lack of organization, here's what my desk looks like. The papers piled to the right have to get filed in my 2013 tax file. Sometime later today, maybe.

.

Be well today and always,

SUBPLANNERS

New products are happening now!

Gratitude......turns what we have into enough, and more." - Melody Beattie

"Compound It all!" -me

Best always and ever,

Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to great places! You're off and away! - Dr. Seuss

all God's critters got a place in the choir, some sing low, some sing higher..... -Bill Staines

"Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on the river!"

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” -A.A. Milne

“What do stars do? They shine.”

What do summers do? They end.

What do schools do? They start.

What do parents do? They worry.

What do principals do? They organize.

What do teachers do? They teach.

What do kids do? They learn.

What do _________ do? They ___________.

What do _________ do? They ___________.

Isn't it nice to think tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet? -Anne of Green Gables

"I am so tired of summer vacation," said no teacher ever. (:Somee Cards:)

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. - Anne Frank

The best teachers are those who show you where to look - but don't tell you what to see. - Alexandra K. Trenfor

I am thankful that in a troubled world no calamity can prevent the return of spring. - Helen Keller

"Believing we can improve schooling with more tests is like believing you can make yourself grow taller by measuring your height." - Robert Schaeffer of FairTest

The things that make me different are the things that make ME. - Winnie the Pooh

“She turned to the sunlight And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbor: "Winter is dead.” - A.A. Milne

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow........sheesh!

Let’s have one day for girls and boyses - when you can make the grandest noises - screech, scream, holler, and yell, buzz a buzzer clang a bell......... Shel Silverstein

When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels. -author unknown

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will really hurt me.....

My shadow! My very own shadow! ...and it's all mine. - Peter Pan

Still working on that dream! -us

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. -A.A. Milne

What do _ do? They ___.

What do _ do? They ___.