It's been a while….

Wow! It's been way too long since I have posted on here. A lot has happened in the past few months including the death of my father. I'm still figuring out how to get through the grief. I'm trying to find little projects here and there to keep my mind sane. I've found my way back to Teacher's Pay Teachers! I have been able to spend some time on some new products and have many new ones in the making. I'm very excited to have my enthusiasm back! I'm hoping to get my blog back on too! What better way to get back in the swing of blogging then by participating in a fantastic giveaway! Creative Teaching Supplies is hosting a 200 TPT follower giveaway. I'm so happy for them. Maybe one day, I'll get there. If you enter, you will have the chance to win my Pirate Themed Literature Circle roles. We have been working with these in class all week and my students love them.

Here's a picture of the roles.  I put them on file folders and laminate them.  Each role has a homework sheet to go with it.

  

Here's a link to the giveaway. I hope you win!  http://creativeteachingsupplies.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/200-tpt-follower-giveaway.html

I hope to be blogging again soon! Andrea

BEST SELLING WRITING ACTIVITY **giveaway AND linky!

Caitlin and Carrie from Table Talk with C&C are hosting a very exciting *TpT Best Seller Linky Party and Giveaway* this week.  I am very excited to be donating my best selling writing activity for this linky and giveaway!  They wanted to have a linky and giveaway that showcases all of our hard work that goes into making meaningful and engaging products on TpT.  We all know how passionate we are about blogging and TpT product making, that we wanted to also celebrate all your hard work and accomplishments as a TpT seller.  The countless hours of creativity you put into these beautifully and thoughtfully made products deserve a little bit more love!  Why not celebrate them right here, right now?!?! Who's with us?  

The best part is that we connected with some very generous TpT Sellers who have donated their best *writing activity*  product and we want you enter to win them!!!  Enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win ALL of our donator’s Top Selling *reading activity* TpT Product!   

 You will have a chance to share your best writing activity seller through the linky AND enter the rafflecopter to win all of these amazing products!

Here's how it's going to work.  

1. Take a look through your TpT Store and sort your products by "Best Sellers."  

2. Find the product that is your best selling "reading " related product.

3. Link up your "BEST SELLING WRITING ACTIVITY."  

4. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win all the *FREE* best selling writing activities from our donators!

5. Spread the word about the linky and giveaway through all your social media!!

The *best selling writing activity* linky will be up for one week and then we will share the winner from the rafflecopter!   

We hope you will all join us and we celebrate the hard work, creativity, and countless hours that we have put into making teaching and learning more fun and engaging!! :)

http://www.tabletalkwithcandc.blogspot.com/2013/09/giveaway-winner-and-best-selling.html

The item that I provided in the giveaway is my common core writing/editing checklists.  This is what is included:

1: A CUPS page that addresses language standards for grades K-5. This is a great way to show the teacher areas that need to be retaught, reinforced, or accelerated.

2: 4 standards based checklists for: opinion, narrative, informative, and research papers for grades 1-5. Again, a great way to see what they need to know, what they are lacking in and how to challenge them.

3: A 3,2,1 peer editing sheet. Peers share 3 things that they like about the writing, 2 questions that they had while reading, and 1 suggestion to improve the writing. Students are not only told the negatives about their writing.

4: A student reflection and goal setting sheet. Students can reflect on each piece of writing. The goal setting sheet has a place for the teacher to check off when the goal has been met.

5: A teacher sheet with the standards for the 4 types of writing. The checklist is divided up into 3 sections: Fall, Winter, Spring. These are for all standards grades 1-5. First grade students will not be responsible for all that are on the list, but you may have some that need a challenge. I suggest highlighting the areas that your students are responsible for (their grade level and the ones prior) to help you. This is a great piece to show evidence of their writing growth.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-core-writing-and-editing-checklists-724320

I hope you link up your best selling writing product to this linky and enter this awesome giveaway!

Have a great night!

Andrea

TPT *Reading Activity* Best Seller Linky and Giveaway!

Caitlin and Carrie from Table Talk with C&C are hosting a very exciting *TpT Best Seller Linky Party and Giveaway* this week.   I am very excited to be donating my best selling reading activity for this linky and giveaway!  They wanted to have a linky and giveaway that showcases all of your hard work and dedication to making your products meaningful and engaging for your students.  We all know how passionate we are about blogging and TpT product making, that we wanted to also celebrate all your hard work and accomplishments as a TpT seller.  The countless hours of creativity you put into these beautifully and thoughtfully made products deserve a little bit more love!  Why not celebrate them right here, right now?!?! Who's with us?  

The best part is that we connected with 14 TpT Sellers who have donated their best *reading activity* seller item and we want you enter to win them!!!  Enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win ALL of our donator’s Top Selling *reading activity* TpT Product! Yes, you heard me correctly all 14 items FREE!!  

Starting today, 9/15/13, you will have a chance to share your best reading activity seller through the linky AND enter the rafflecopter to win all of these amazing products!

Here's how it's going to work.  

1. Take a look through your TpT Store and sort your products by "Best Sellers."  

2. Find the product that is your best selling "reading " related product.

3. Link up your "BEST SELLING READING ACTIVITY."  

4. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a *FREE* best selling reading activity!

5. Spread the word about the linky and giveaway through all your social media!!

The *best selling reading activity* linky will be up for one week and then we will share the winner from the rafflecopter!

My best selling reading activity is my Independent Reading Goal Setting product.  Students set monthly independent reading goals for books *finished*.  They also have an opportunity to reflect on their goals each month.  Students collect bookmarks for each book that they finish.   On these bookmarks, students write a quick summary of the book and whether they recommend that book for others to read.  I have used this in my classroom for 3 years now and my students really enjoy it.  

Our classroom chart to graph our reading goals

Students keep track of their own goals

Bookmarks that students collect to show off the books that they have read.  They LOVE counting these!

Enter this fantastic giveaway and don't forget to check out the links others have left for their best reading seller!

Have a great night!

http://tabletalkwithcandc.blogspot.com

Andrea

Back to school Blog hop AND giveaway!

Well, it's that time again to head back to school.  I start back on Monday, with the kids showing up on Wednesday.  I'm looking forward to seeing their excited little faces, but I always feel a bit nervous meeting them as well.

These are my tips that have helped me make it through Back To School.

1.  Save your plastic bags.  I can't tell you how many times students ask me for bags.  They need them for their wet boots, projects, you name it.  They especially came in handy the last day of school.  I only regret that I did not refill them through the year.  So, I save them up during the summer.  I take an old Kleenex box and decorate it.  I used Monster duct tape last year and kept all my bags in there.

2.  I study my class list names.  They don't have pictures attached, but I like to know their names before I see their faces.  That way, I only have to attach a name (that I already learned) to the face.  It's much easier for me to remember them.  It's so funny how attached I am to these kids before I even see their darling little faces.  :)

3.  I like to over plan!  I need to make sure that there is no dead time in those first few days.

4.  My goal is to stay organized this year!  I want to start the year off right.  I want to use my computer calendar to keep track of dates and deadlines.  I also want to make sure that I am teaching all the new common core standards and have proof of it, if necessary.  That's why I created my Common Core Writing and Editing checklists.

Common Core Writing and Editing Checklists

These checklists are for both the students to use and the teacher.  It has the standards laid out for grades 2-5 (some K-1).  This will allow the teacher to easily see which skills their students are lacking, on track for, or advanced in.  It also has some good peer editing forms and goal setting forms for your students.  Lucky for you, this item is going to be given away for FREE to one lucky winner!  Click on the button to enter Laurah J's giveaway!  There will be 2 winners!  The grand prize winner will win a prize worth $122 in Teacher Pay Teacher products, an awesome pencil sharpener and a Blog design (if that's what you choose).  The 2nd prize has a value of $88!

Check out the other blogs listed below to see what awesome products they are giving away!  Don't forget to click on the top button to enter the giveaway!  Happy Hopping!

Ten things I've learned from Teaching Linky

I've linked up with Miss Kindergarten for this fun linky.

I have learned a lot in the past few years...

1.  Sometimes I forget to take my teacher hat off at home.  Just today, my 2 kids were arguing during lunch and in my teacher voice I said "Boys and Girls!" (I have 1 boy and 1 girl).  My husband started laughing as I corrected myself by saying their names.  

2.  Even though I teach the older grades (3rd now, but 4-5 in the past) I will still be called "Teacher".  Calling them "Student" in reply does NOT change that habit.

3.  Students will ALWAYS try to get you off topic.  I swear there are about 2-3 who wake up each morning with a mission to get me off topic.  

4.  No matter how much I promise myself that I will use my plan time wisely, unless I lock myself in my classroom, I always end up talking to someone.

5.  The copy machine will always jam up when I need it most....the last 2 minutes of my plan time.

6.  I've learned that 3rd graders really do bounce!  No matter how much you tell them to sit down, they get right back up 2 seconds later!  "Sit down", boing, "Have a seat", boing,  "I'll talk with you in a minute", boing, "Raise your hand and I'll come to you", boing....

7.  Heads up 7 up is STILL my favorite game!

8.  Setting high expectations in your students helps them set high expectations for themselves!

9.  Kids will do anything for a Jolly Rancher.

10.  Pencils don't work unless they have a very sharp point...Once that sharp point is gone (although there is still plenty of lead), they have to get up and get another pencil or sharpen it **boing, boing**  This is what I'm planning on tackling this year....stopping the quest for the sharpest, pointiest pencil!

This was a fun linky.  I enjoy thinking back on things and then remembering that it's all starting over again in a few weeks!

Have a great day!

Andrea

Clip Art???

So, I like to draw in my spare time.  Am I an artist, no.  Am I good, not so sure.  My husband says I am.  :)  I like to use my own images in my products and I'm working on a Pirate Literature Circle set.  I'm soooo excited about this.  But, I am wondering, what do people think about the clip art?  I would LOVE some feed back.  Is it good, bad?  We don't know each other personally, so my feelings won't be hurt!  :)  My hubby on the other hand...well, I think he has to tell me that it's good.  Also, is this something I should sell?  I'm thinking no.  I don't think people would be happy spending $$ on it...but who knows.  Should I add other images to what I have here?  I do have a treasure chest and working on a ship.  Just curious what others think.  I'll send 2-3 people who are willing to look at this my images  to give me feedback.  Just leave me your email address in the comments section.  Here is what I have so far.

Thanks so much for any and all feedback!

Andrea

Liebster Award

I got an email from 3rd Grade Theatrics this morning telling me that my blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award! My blog is so new...I'm shocked!  :)  Needless to say, I'm having a GREAT day!

What is the Liebster award?  It's an award given to up and coming bloggers that have under 200 followers.  It's a great way for bloggers to connect with each other and to get the word out about new blogs.

This is how this award works.  To accept the nomination I have to:

1.  Link back to the blog that nominated me

2.  Nominate 5-11 blogs that have under 200 followers

3.  Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator

4.  Share 11 random facts about myself

5.  Create 11 questions for my nominees

6.  Contact my nominees to let them know that I nominated them.

I nominated:

Kelsey at Growing Gracefully in Third Grade

Stephanie at The Creative Classroom
Chris at Owl about us

Stephanie at The Learning Chambers

Carrie and Caitlin at Table Talk with C&C

Foreman Teaches at Foreman Teaches

Questions from 3rd grade theatrics:

1. When did you know you wanted to be an educator?  

It took me a while to decide this.  Teaching is my 2nd career.  I went to college to be a pharmacist because I heard they make great money.  I later changed my major to Management and graduated with that degree.  My dad was a teacher (taught for 40 years), and I guess I was trying to not follow in his footsteps.  I was out of college for 5 years when I decided to go back and become a teacher.  I should have known that it was in my blood.  

2. What is your favorite classroom memory?

This one is hard.  There are a lot of good memories...I guess thinking recently to the past school year, it would be when we finished our trickster tales and shared them with the class.  I was very impressed with how they came out, especially with my ELL students.  Their stories were by far the best in the class and that was a great moment for me and them.  They didn't want to share their stories, so I read them out loud using my best voices and the look of joy on their faces was priceless!

3. What is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation is to travel to Europe.  My Great-Grandfather was born in Germany and I would love to see where my family came from.

4. What was your funniest teacher moment?

This was when I was doing my Field Experience.  I was in a 3rd grade classroom like once or twice a week and teaching a unit on community.  The community we lived in was Mooresville, Indiana.  So I was doing what our community was and what it wasn't.  We were comparing it to other communities (like Indianapolis).  So, John Dillinger was from Mooresville and David Letterman is from Indianapolis.  I was trying to get across that well known people can be from anywhere.  I was also talking with them about the interstate that goes through and around Indianapolis and that there is no interstate in Mooresville.  Again, the point I was trying to get across was that there is more traffic in Indianapolis than in Mooresville.  So at the end of the unit I asked the kids what they learned.  They learned that criminals come from Mooresville (John Dillinger) and that no accidents happen in Mooresville.  Talk about a smack my head moment.  LOL!

5. What is your favorite summer activity?

Relaxing!  I love not having an agenda.

6. What is your favorite brand of handbags/purses?

Honestly, I just LOVE purses!  Doesn't really matter to me.  I like to change them out often.  Though lately, I've had 2 coach purses.

7. What is your favorite movie?

I love Gone With the Wind.

8. What is your favorite children's book?

My favorite children's book is a Raggedy Ann book.  It was an old Golden Book.   This was my favorite because I remember when my dad gave it to me.  I guess it made me feel special.  Now my daughter has it.

9. Which holiday, during the school year, do you look forward to the most?

Ugh.  I hate holidays at school!  I dislike holiday parties!  But, I guess I most look forward to Christmas because we get a break and get to see lots of family.

10. What is your favorite on-the-go snack?

I like to take cut up apples with me when I go places.

11. What is one piece of technology that you can't live without? 

I just got an iphone a few months ago.  I can't live without that anymore.  What we did before smart phones, I have no idea.

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MYSELF:

1.  My very first concert was an Alice Cooper/Scorpians concert and I got to go onstage and dance during the Scorpians song Wild Child.

2.  I started playing the church organ when I was 14 years old.

3.  I  broke my arm during a marching band competition.

4.  I secretly want to be a cake decorator.

5.  I LOVE cooking shows, especially cooking competition shows.

6.  I love anything with Johnny Depp in it.

7.  I lost 50 pounds!  

8.  I knew I was going to marry my husband before I met him.  :)  My friends all knew him and kept talking about him.

9.  My favorite color is Orange.

10.  I love Pink Floyd.

11.  I hate air conditioning!!!  I freeze...brrrr.

My 11 questions

1.  What is your favorite subject to teach?

2.  Who is your role model?

3.  What is your favorite TV Show?

4.  If you could have dinner with any 3 people of your choice, who would you choose?

5.  What's your favorite grade to teach and why?

6.  What advice would you give to a new teacher?

7.  Who was your best teacher?  Why?

8.  What's your favorite dessert?

9.  What's your favorite song right now?

10.  What are your hobbies?

11.  What are your hopes and dreams for this upcoming school year?