Being a teacher is hard. Being a substitute is hard. Let’s make each other’s lives a little easier! Right out of college I started substitute teaching….over 20 years ago! I then had my own classroom for 17 years. Currently, I’m back to being a substitute. And boy, things have changed! I put together this checklist for teachers. It’s perfect to look over before school starts to make sure you’re prepared anytime a substitute has to come into your classroom. Some are a little time consuming – such as information for fire drills/lockdowns/etc. Others are simple – such as have a pen or pencil available for your substitute. You wouldn’t believe how many classrooms I’ve been in where I cannot find something to write with! Click on the link below to get your FREE copy of this checklist before the new school year begins! PLEASE SEND ME MY FREE SUBSTITUTE CHECKLIST!

Teacher appreciation week is here and we are celebrating with free math resources your students will love! My teacher friends and I came up with the teacher appreciation week freebie event in order to save you time and sanity as you close out the school year. And guess what!?! All 24 of these amazing math resources are FREE! You can download them all or just choose a few. Click HERE to get some fantastic Math FREEBIES!

Click here to get How to Create a Writing Rubric for FREE! If you’re like me, you’ve been frustrated with what’s provided to you for teaching writing in the classroom. Many years ago I went to a presentation where we were taught how to create a rubric. I really loved the way she explained how to make a rubric for any writing assignment. It didn’t give me a curriculum, but once I knew how to create the rubric, it was easy to come up with writing ideas. Something I love about creating my own rubrics is that I can customize it to my students’ needs. This is great for students who struggle and for those who want to go above and beyond! Creating a writing rubric doesn’t have to be daunting. There are many different types of rubrics, and your writing assignments don’t have to always have the same one. Once you’ve decided on what it is you want the students to complete, choose which type of rubric you want to use. IMPORTANT: I am a firm believer in giving the rubric to students at the beginning of the writing process! You want to make sure they know what’s expected…

Have you ever heard of a hashtag sale on TpT? I’ve been a buyer for over ten years and a seller for a year and a half. Last week was the first time I’d heard of it. Basically, it’s a group of sellers that join in on a sale together. There are rules to follow, so if you’re a seller, don’t join one unless you’re part of the group and know the rules! The sellers choose products (I’ve seen from 1 to 4) in their store to offer at a discount for a certain number of days. I’ve seen discounting down to $1, as well as 1/2 off products. When searching through one sale, I spotted a bundle product that’s normally over $100 marked 1/2 off. What a deal! You’ll know which products to look for by searching the # in the search bar. Check out the hashtag sale going on now! (January 23-25, 2023) All products included in this sale will be discounted to $1. Simply type #januaryjoy in the search bar on TpT, and you’ll find lots of great products!

I now have three stores open that sell teacher resources and products. Check them out! TPT — https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Life-With-5-Boys Made By Teachers — https://www.madebyteachers.com/seller/life-with-5-boys/ Classful — https://classful.com/lifewith5boys/

When it comes to reading with your students, which do you prefer: the literature anthology that your district purchases or literature novels? There’s nothing quite like delving into a fantastic novel with my students. There are so many activities to do. My students are always more engaged with a novel than with their reading book. There are some great stories from different genres in the reading books, but I feel like nothing beats investing a few weeks of class time on one story. Students really get to see character development, focus on multiply settings and their impact on the story, and closely examine the problem & solution. I also love seeing their reactions to the story ending. When we read Charlotte’s Web, there are usually several tears shed throughout the room. In contrast, when we read Stuart Little my students usually flip to the next page, wanting to know more of Stuart’s journey — Will he find Margalo? Will he ever see his family again? I’ve taught 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades, and each grade level has some fascinating books that are great to get your students engaged in reading. Books I’ve read with my students: Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little,…

The first week of school is always so daunting, for both students and teachers. This beginning of the year memory book will help students ease back into the routine. It will also make a great keepsake for them to look back on. The pages include — Cover Page, My School, All About My First Day, All About Me, More About Me, My Teacher, My Goals, My Favorite Subjects/What I’m Looking Forward To, My Summer, Meet New Friends, Our Classroom Rules, and Our Class Birthdays. Great for elementary age students. Happy Back to School! 🙂 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Memory-Book-8118717

I first started substitute teaching in 2000. I got my own classroom in 2001, I always tried to make sure my room was set up easily for a substitute, since I had some interesting experiences myself. After almost 20 years as a teacher, I’m back to subbing. The world of teaching has changed a lot in two decades, and I’m seeing a lot as a substitute. I’ve put together this checklist for teachers. Its purpose it to make sure a teacher’s classroom is prepared for a substitute. The more prepared the teacher is, the smoother the day goes. This benefits not only the substitute, but the students as well! Check it out: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Substitute-Checklist-for-Teachers-8167554

Twenty-six months after stepping out of the classroom for maternity leave, I have returned. I’m not in my own classroom, though. I’m subbing. Being a substitute isn’t new to me. I did it when I was in school for my teaching credential and Master’s Degree. But, that was 22 years ago! It’s really crazy how much the classroom has changed in two decades, mostly because of technology. So, how did my first day back go? It went well. The teacher left me well written plans. The students were pretty good. It was really weird to walk out at the end of the day, not having to answer several emails and make sure I’m planned for the next day. AND, for my CA friends…..I had 30 minutes of prep time while the students were at music! If you can’t remember what prep time is, let me know. 🙂 Most of the day they were on their computers doing activities. Computer time when you’re the teacher is A LOT different than computer time when you’re the substitute. In my own classroom, when students got on their computers it allowed me to work with struggling students and get caught up on things. As…