TpT Sale {BOGO Deal Inside for FREE Products}

Hey friends!

This will be short and sweet!

If you didn't know, the TpT B2S sale is happening NOW through the end of tomorrow! My entire store is 20% off plus use the promo code BTS14 for a total of 28% savings!

This adorable sales button is by Kimberly over at The Learning Tree!

But wait!

Not only am I having a sale, I'm also offering a very special, limited time offer!

Yes you read that right! You can save 28% AND get FREE products too! I really hope this deal helps ease some of the B2S financial stress us teachers always suffer from! 

So Happy Shopping!

Here's some of my top sellers and follower favorites: 

(Just click to check 'em out on TpT)

Also, I would love to hear of any great TpT finds you have found to buy! I've already gone shopping once but can always go back for round 2! :)

IT. IS. HERE. {And you don't want to miss it!}

I am SO SUPER EXCITED to be posting today!

 

Not only is it my first official post from my new home in Texas...

 I have something AWE to the SOME to share with you!!!

 

It's the 2013-2014 Teacher Smart Back to School Emagazine.. and it's FREE!!!

 

Some fabulous bloggers have contributed to this Emagazine to give you their TOP 3 MUST HAVE items for the new school year!

The Emagazine has been assembled and published by April from A Modern Teacher and Melanie from Schoolgirl Style! So a HUGE thanks to them!

 

So, without further adieu, here it is!

Remember, if you see an item you like, CLICK ON IT! Each item displayed is linked to a place where you can purchase it! Also, don't forget to click on all of the blogger's buttons to head to their blog and follow them for even more fabulous ideas!

     

If you enjoyed this Emagazine, please consider pinning this post so that others can enjoy it too! :)

Let's Get to know Ya! Guest Blog Post from the Applicious Teacher

Hey Guys! I am Leigh from The Applicious Teacher 


 I am hosting today's post while Daina settles into her new home in the Big T!

Today, I wanted to talk about getting to know your students.

I mean really KNOWING your students.

Not just their grades or who their parents are, but their likes and dislikes,  their academic strengths/weakness and their backgrounds.

Like in this video from SoulPancake
Do you take the time to really understand your students as little people?

You should! Research shows the more you know about a person, the better you can connect with them.


As a teacher, connecting with your students can help to build trusting and respectful  relationship. That ultimately leads to positive interactions and increased learning opportunities as students learn they can ask questions, make mistakes, and celebrate their achievements in a safe environment.

Now, I am not suggesting you set up a ball pit in the middle of your classroom (although that would be TOTALLY AWESOME!) But there are some subtler ways to connect and understand your students.

Student Information Sheets 

One of the easiest ways to get to know your students is to have them fill out an information sheet. I have parents fill one out at the "Meet the Teacher". Then I have students fill one out on the first day of school. I love using this FREE one from Katie Jones.

"Getting to Know You" Games

We all spend the first weeks of school playing the "Getting to Know You" games to help build a classroom community, but do you pay attention or *GASP* actually participate in the fun!?


One of my favorites is the simple, yet effective "Name Game". I always play this on the first day of school.  It is SUPER easy and requires absolutely NO PREP! Here's how to play:

Have students sit in a circle.

Then have students think of an adjective that describes them, but also begins with the letter of their first name. My favorite: Lovely Langton.

Starting with the teacher, move around the circle stating the name alliteration and the person before you's name. The kiddos LOVE playing this and it helps YOU learn their names pretty fast! For a challenge, you can have students reintroduce ALL the previous student's alliterations.

Student Annotated Notebook

When I first started teaching, I struggled with keeping track of the"little" information I would pick up through-out the year on my students. As I was complaining  sharing with a fellow veteran teacher about it while I filled out some IEP paperwork, he suggested I keep an annotated notebook on my students. GENIUS!

To set up the notebook, just assign each student a few pages. 

As you go through the year, use the pages to write down the "little things" that happen through-out the year. I also like to date things (had lunch detention or fell on playground on such and such date)

 I find my self reaching for this little notebook every time I am preparing for a Parent Conference     (their child's art was on display in the office!) 

and when I need to fill out PST or IEP paperwork (they are great with "hands on learning" but struggle to apply the same concept in the abstract)

Those are just a *few* ways you can "get to know" your students better. 

Thank you Daina for entrusting me with your glittery blog! 

Guest Blogger: Tamara Russell from Mrs. Russell's Room

Howdy everyone! :)
So excited to be sharing a little something with ya since Daina is on her way to the great state of Texas!  Those of you who follow us, know that we taught first grade together last year and had a total blast the whole way through! :)  She will surely be missed here, but...thanks to the 'bloggy-sphere' she will never be more than a few quick clicks away! :)
So, let's chat a bit today about two things that I think about in the weeks before school starts.

One of the things I am most passionate about is parent participation.  Work on building a relationship with them early.  I find that once parents are comfortable with my routines and proceedures, they typically go with the flow...but the first few weeks of the year, they are typically a bit nervous and needy. Remind them that it really is going to be okay and that you're in this TOGETHER. Offer them specific opportunities to participate in students learning.  Make sure that it is something that they can be successful with...and that they can experience with their little learner.  Apple Day, Pumpkin Day...these are great days that include both learning and play.  The parents will enjoy getting to see how you interact with their child, and to see what they are learning.  This year, I am hosting a Teacher Talk night once a month to explain to the parents a little bit about what I'm teaching in the classroom and to show them how to review the reading and math strategies at home.  I'm hopeful that it will be a great opportunity for us to share our enthusiasm for their children's learning!

Something else that I think a lot about before I start the year is daily routines.  I had a mentor once upon a time that gave me a list of 100 common classroom procedures that I should have an answer for in my room to make sure that my management of the children was always on point.  Things as simple as how do the children take care of sharpening their pencil to what do they do if they find a book that needs repair.  I was surprised at how many things I didn't have an answer for.  If you are a teacher that struggles with having students that constantly come up to you and ask you questions about procedures...then, those are the things that you should be thinking about explaining more clearly...while you have the time to do it in the summer.  Sometimes...even after all these years, I've found that I need to adjust some of those procedures because children change over time...or some procedures don't work in all situations.  Be open to that as you review your procedures.