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,…

This resource is a year long spiral review practice for writing sentences. It will help your students write better sentences. Students practice how to restate the question, proofread, expand sentences, and write the question when the answer is given. These activities span over 36 weeks. ~Each week includes the following : *RESTATE THE QUESTION – Students are given a question. They must answer in a complete sentence and restate the question in their answer. *PROOFREADING – Students practice using proofreading marks to find mistakes in the sentence. They then write the sentence correctly. (Proofreading Resource Page for students is included!!) *WHAT IS THE QUESTION? – An answer is given. Students need to write the question. *EXPAND YOUR SENTENCES – Students practice expanding sentences to be more clear and descriptive in their writing. Fun Challenges for each week! ~Each week, one of these is featured in a challenge section (12 total for each!). This section is perfect for students who finish early and need an extra challenge. Your slower students may get to some of it, but if it isn’t finished, that’s alright. *MAKING WORDS – Students are given a positive phrase. They have to find words (2 letters or more)…

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…

A few months ago I decided to try my hand at being a seller for Teachers Pay Teachers. Since I have so many resources I’ve created over the years, I thought it would be a breeze…..yeah, no. There’s a process for creating the resources you wish to sell. And, the fact that thousands and thousands of teachers are selling on the site, means there are SO many products for buyers to sift through. After many, many, many hours (mostly after everyone’s gone to sleep!), I just got to my 50th product that I’ve uploaded and have on my TpT store! It’s been a very interesting process, and I’ve learned quite a lot! 🙂