New on the Blog

 

February Wishlist It and Win Giveaway!

Good news! TpT has just announced that a site-wide sale will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 6th and 7th. During the sale, everything in my TpT store will be 25% off with the TpT promo code,  

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Sharing our Blessings with YOU!

Thanksgiving is next week, which means it’s time for the annual Sharing our Blessings blog hop and giveaway! Sixteen bloggers are participating this year, and each blogger is giving away a $25 TpT gift card. That’s $400 worth of  

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Thankful Writing Activity: Easy Expository Writing Lesson

Happy November! Is there a better time to write about all the things we are thankful for? This writing topic might seem may seem trite and overdone, but we can never overdo the message of showing appreciation for the  

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Celebrate Do Something Nice Day!

Did you know that October 5th is Do Something Nice Day? Google it and you’ll see! What a great time to teach your kids how to be a good citizen and learn to consider the needs of others!  To help your  

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Free Halloween Word Work – Seek & Spell Fun!

How much time do you spend each week on spelling instruction? If you’re an upper elementary teacher, the answer is probably “not enough.” While you might recognize the importance of phonemic awareness and phonics lessons, there’s just not enough  

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Honoring 9/11 – A Delicate Balance

Each year on September 11th, we reflect on a series of horrific events that changed the course of history. As a teacher, you might be struggling with whether or not you should discuss 9/11 with your students. Although your  

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Buddy Bio Poems Partner Poetry Lesson

Imagine yourself as a student in a new classroom during the first week of school. Unless your teacher starts off with at least a few getting-to-know you activities, it might be weeks before you feel comfortable enough  

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Grab your Free 2023 – 2024 School Year Calendar!

Years ago, I searched everywhere to find the perfect calendar to use with my students, but I couldn’t find one that worked. I wanted one with 8 1/2 x 11 inch portrait-style pages that would fit in  

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Launch a Super School Year Free Video Course

Getting the school year off to a great start is essential, which means that what you do the first week of school can make all the difference! A few years ago I presented a popular webinar called How  

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Make Your Mark on International Dot Day!

Have you heard about International Dot Day? It’s celebrated on September 15th, and it’s all about encouraging kids to discover how they can make a difference. Why is it called “Dot Day”? To find out, read the book that  

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Easter Egg Showdown Review Game

Easter egg activities aren’t just for little ones! You might not take older kids on an Easter egg hunt, but you can bring colorful plastic eggs into the classroom and jazz up any review activity with this

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Studying with a Buddy Makes Test Prep Fun!

I’ve never been one to spend months teaching test prep strategies, but I also feel we’re doing kids a disservice if we don’t prepare them in some way for state testing. A teacher once told me that she considers  

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