Turn a PDF File into an Online Book

I just found a really cool tool. It's called Flipsnack. You upload your pdf file (you must own the copyright to the file) and instantly turn it into an online ebook. How cool is that? I created one from one of my free TPT products.

Read Aloud Magic: Intentional Teaching Through Reading Aloud

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Magic happens when teachers read aloud to their students. Sharing a book, poem, or nonfiction text motivates reluctant readers, and provides rich opportunities to teach with intention. You will learn why reading aloud is an important instructional tool, how to read like a drama queen (or king), how to teach reading strategies and skills during a read aloud session, and how to engage students in thinking about meaning. Read Aloud Magic: Intentional Teaching Through Reading Aloud was written for both new and growing teachers in grades K-12. Although the examples are written primarily for elementary, secondary teachers can apply the teaching strategies to appropriate texts for their classes. This professional learning electronic booklet (9040 words; approximately 34 8 1/2 x 11 typewritten pages) is written for the busy teacher who is looking for a quick read.

Cyber Monday Sale at TPT - Up to 30% Off!

Exciting news! Everything in my TPT SHOP is 20% off for Cyber Monday PLUS you get an extra 10% off if you use PROMO CODE: CMS28. That's 30% off! One Day Only. 


Tweet my Cyber Monday sale and get one free Christmas item of your choice from my TPT Shop! Leave your email in the comments so that I can send you your freebie. Tweet:


20% off great teaching resources by Lisa Frase + get an extra 10% off with PROMO CODE CMS28 www.lisafrase.com @teachingfriends 

Writing Workshop: Telling vs. Showing

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Young adult author Craig Hansen posted an excellent model on using telling vs. showing in your writing on a writer's forum. I contacted him and asked if he would revise his post for the blog my for secondary teacher-readers. He uses James Patterson's bestselling novel Kill Alex Cross to make his point.

     The topic of showing vs. telling comes up in discussions of crafting fiction quite a bit. While few people enjoy forty-page diatribes by Tom Clancy on how the S.S. Nemitz was built and what it can do before the narrative gets moving again, not all prose passages that engage in "telling" are bad, necessarily. That's a controversial statement, I know. So rather than tell you my opinion, I'm going to show you why I think this is so.I'm going to use, as our proof-text, a small chunk out of James Patterson's recent bestseller, Kill Alex Cross. It's brief, but it'll get the job done.

Secretary of State Martin Cho's Motorcade was running behind schedule, as usual. He'd kept the House and Senate Intelligence Committee chairs waiting most of the morning, and now he was almost an hour late for the Saudi ambassador.

"Call the office, tell them we're on our way," Cho said to the aide sitting across from him in the short Mercedes limo. Her name was Melissa Brandt. She was a recent Harvard grad and young for the job, but promising. Also maybe a little naive.

"Mr. Secretary, they've been notified by the scheduling office already. I called them--"

"Just do it again, please, Melissa," he said. "Make sure the ambassador knows we're thinking of him. That's important to them. They're sensitive people. The ambassador has been pampered all his life."

"Yes, sir," the aide answered.

Crisis talks had been quietly taking place between the two countries for several days now. With the president indisposed, as he was, it was up to the secretary to put in the face time on this one. So far, it had been a dour affair. The pre-9/11 days of arm-in-arm policy making with the Kingdom seemed like a quaint bit of history now.

As Melissa Brandt pulled up the State Department on her phone, she craned her neck to see outside and check their progress up Constitution Avenue.

"Hi, Don, it's Missy with the secretary's office," she said, still looking out the window. "We should be there any minute. We're just passing by the, um --"

All at once, the young woman's pale blue eyes flew open wide.

"Oh my God!" she said. "They're going to hit us! Secretary Cho, look out!"

The scene continues from there, but this is the bit I want to focus on. This section of Kill Alex Cross comes from Chapter 56 of Mr. Patterson's best-seller, and consists of 278 words. Let's take a closer look at it:

Secretary of State Martin Cho's Motorcade was running behind schedule, as usual. He'd kept the House and Senate Intelligence Committee chairs waiting most of the morning, and now he was almost an hour late for the Saudi ambassador.

"Call the office, tell them we're on our way," Cho said to the aide sitting across from him in the short Mercedes limo. Her name was Melissa Brandt. She was a recent Harvard grad and young for the job, but promising. Also maybe a little naive.

"Mr. Secretary, they've been notified by the scheduling office already. I called them--"

"Just do it again, please, Melissa," he said. "Make sure the ambassador knows we're thinking of him. That's important to them. They're sensitive people. The ambassador has been pampered all his life."

"Yes, sir," the aide answered.

Crisis talks had been quietly taking place between the two countries for several days now. With the president indisposed, as he was, it was up to the secretary to put in the face time on this one. So far, it had been a dour affair. The pre-9/11 days of arm-in-arm policy making with the Kingdom seemed like a quaint bit of history now.

As Melissa Brandt pulled up the State Department on her phone, she craned her neck to see outside and check their progress up Constitution Avenue.

"Hi, Don, it's Missy with the secretary's office," she said, still looking out the window. "We should be there any minute. We're just passing by the, um --"

All at once, the young woman's pale blue eyes flew open wide.

"Oh my God!" she said. "They're going to hit us! Secretary Cho, look out!"

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     The italicized portions of this text are all TELLING sections, rather than SHOWING sections. They consist of 149 words. 149 words of telling, out of 278, as we open chapter 56.

Now, I'm not going to get into a debate about Mr. Patterson's relative merits as a writer. That's not the focus here. I chose him because millions of people buy his Alex Cross novels and generally enjoy them enough to keep buying them.

     But 53.5 percent of this passage consists of telling. Does that make it bad writing? I've run into folks who would suggest so.

     "It's over fifty percent telling," they would cry. "Show me this, don't tell me!"

Are they right? Let's take a look at the first chunk of telling:

Secretary of State Martin Cho's Motorcade was running behind schedule, as usual. He'd kept the House and Senate Intelligence Committee chairs waiting most of the morning, and now he was almost an hour late for the Saudi ambassador.

We're being told an awful lot here:

1) That our focus is the Secretary of State.

2) That his name is Martin Cho.

3) That's he's in a motorcade.

4) That's he's running behind schedule.

5) That running behind is the norm for him.

6) Who he's kept waiting with his tardiness before the scene begins.

7) Who he's currently bugging with said tardiness.

8) That the Saudi ambassador has been kept waiting for almost an hour, not an insignificant amount of time.

     That's a lot of information for 38 words to convey. And we're told, not shown. It's definitely a telling voice.

However, even the most ardent anti-tellers will allow a bit of scene-setting. They might argue that there would be a way to convey the same information through dialog and scene, but for the most part, this passage might be given a pass.

     But we're not done. Here's our next bit of "telling."

Her name was Melissa Brandt. She was a recent Harvard grad and young for the job, but promising. Also maybe a little naive.

     Patterson had just introduced a nameless aide in the previous sentence. Now:

1) He names her.

2) Tells us she's recently from Harvard.

3) Tells us she's "young for the job." (So we know our focus is on the Secretary's POV; third person close.)

4) Tells us she shows promise. (In what ways?)

5) Tells us she's a little naive. (I think, given the action that follows, "inexperienced" will be what is actually demonstrated by her actions, so naive might not be the best descriptor.)

     Again, this is a lot of information. Both of these characters are appearing for the first time in the novel. In chapter 56. And this is what we're getting about them.

It's a lot of telling and, as I indicated above, at least one descriptor used is not necessarily backed up by Melissa's actual actions.

     Some folks might suggest some of this information could "come out in dialogue." Really? How many aides do we assume a presidential cabinet secretary drives around with, having stilted conversations like, "So, how does the White House compare to Harvard, Ms. Brandt, now that you've been here three months?"

Nope, that'd be laughable. A cabinet secretary is a busy, serious position for anyone who holds the position. It wouldn't "ring true" to have this information come out in dialogue.

     Also, there's not much reason to insert any earlier scenes about Miss Brandt's background, how she's "promising," or the Secretary's background because, as the chapter goes on, they are attacked and killed in a terrorist strike.

     Keep in mind, this is an Alex Cross novel, not a Secretary Cho and aide Melissa Brandt novel. Adding in background chapters for fringe characters would bloat the novel unnecessarily.

Final chunk of telling:

Crisis talks had been quietly taking place between the two countries for several days now. With the president indisposed, as he was, it was up to the secretary to put in the face time on this one. So far, it had been a dour affair. The pre-9/11 days of arm-in-arm policy making with the Kingdom seemed like a quaint bit of history now.

As Melissa Brandt pulled up the State Department on her phone, she craned her neck to see outside and check their progress up Constitution Avenue.

     Whoa! That's how some anti-telling purists would react to this chunk.

     Hold on there, pard'ner, they'd say. That's just way too much telling. We have crisis talks going on between the US and Saudi Arabia, an oblique reference to the president being indisposed that's not explained here, the talks aren't going well, and a bit of a history vs. now lesson.

And then, "head hopping!" Suddenly we're in Melissa's focus. That's why I included it, since it's not really a bad case of telling. But it is head-hopping, another "no-no."

     This is where purists would start shredding the passage.

     Why isn't the president's indisposed situation explained? It is, in the context of the novel. By the time you're here, you know very well why he's indisposed.

As for the rest, we're in the Secretary's focus right up until we head-hop, so we're simply being given information on what's weighing on the Secretary's mind. Could that be brought out in dialogue? Not without the scene coming off as incredibly stilted. He's not about to discuss such matters with the driver, who is up front and probably cut off from an audio feed into the back of the limo. Nor would he discuss such matters with Melissa the Underling.

     So what is going on here? Is Patterson just, as some would suggest, "a lazy bestselling author, too successful to be tightly edited?" Is he clueless about showing vs. telling? A lazy one-percenter ignoring the ninety-nine percent?

     Well, some might suggest that, I suppose.

     But no. There's another way to look at this.

And it's this: Not ALL telling is bad. Telling can sometimes keep a story focused, tight, driven, and moving forward in the narrative.

     Sure, some of this information could have come out in dialogue. Establishing chapters added. Such background could be played out in dramatic scenes, rather than spoon-fed to us in 149 out of the first 278 words of chapter 58.

     Anyone who did that, however, would not be able to accomplish it in 149 words. Their novel would be comparably bloated, overstuffed, boring, and moving at a snail's pace.

     You see, whatever you think of Patterson taste-wise, he's not a dumb writer.

     What Patterson knows is this:

• People buy Alex Cross novels to read about Alex Cross.
• Not Secretary Cho. Not Melissa the Aide.

     They are collateral damage in a smartly and economically-written suspense novel that moves along like a bullet. Patterson wants people to care before Cho and Melissa die, so he tells us a little bit about them.

Not much. It's not thirty pages of background. It's 149 words out of 278. The percentage looks bad; but the overall effect is to briefly establish these characters, elicit a bit of concern over who they are, and then "blow them up real good."

     It's a big, dynamic scene to let us know the bad guys have struck again, and they're hitting really high-profile targets. Who can stop them?

     That's all this passage was meant to accomplish. Patterson's smart enough as a suspense novelist to know that 149 words of telling may not be ideal on a pure artistic basis, but it is what will keep his steam-engine of a story barreling down the tracks.

     Is this a defense of ALL telling passages? Of course not.

     However, this as an example that sometimes, used judiciously, telling is an effective storytelling tool.

And very few Patterson readers notice, or care, that he employed telling instead of showing to establish these characters. What they care about is that the bad guys murdered a cabinet secretary of the US.

And in case some people reading his work hate government officials, he includes poor, young, unsuspecting Melissa the Underling in the explosion. That way, even if a reader says, "Well, Secretary Cho, who cares? He's a member of the corrupt Coyle administration," well... they might at least feel bad about poor inexperienced Melissa dying in the process.

     Here endeth the lesson.

Craig Hansen is author of young adult novels Shada (Ember Cole Series) and Most Likely.
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Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Hunger Games Official Trailer

The official trailer for The Hunger Games is here. It looks amazing!

Living History: Using Historical Fiction in the Classroom

Readers, 
     I would like to introduce Shelley Stout, a former teacher and published young adult author. She graciously agreed to guest blog today. 

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     When I initially began writing my novel, Radium Halos- a Novel about the Radium Dial Painters, my intended audience was adults. Over the past two years since its release, I have discovered my novel also appeals to the young adult crowd. Thus began my quest to introduce Radium Halos to students in middle schools and high schools and to teachers as a teaching tool.
     Radium Halos is historical fiction, based on the true story of the Radium Dial painters. Who were they? What happened to them? Why is their story important?
     Very few people are aware of this tragic, true story from American industrial history, in which teenage and young women factory workers in the 1920s were exposed to radiation, while painting watch and clock dials with radium paint. Although they reported their resulting illnesses to their superiors, they were denied timely medical coverage or compensation. Students need to make sense of what has happened in history. How can they relate to young people or adults from other centuries and the decisions they made? How did these people in history overcome adversity and learn from their mistakes? What can we learn?
     If you are a history or social studies teacher, it’s important for your students to see connections and draw parallels between history and current events. You want to expose your students to as much of our historic past as possible, so they can understand how something that happened decades or centuries ago is still relevant in our present-day lives.
Radium Halos works well with your existing history curriculum, either for middle schoolers or high school students. A  free curriculum guide features unit objectives, pre- and post-reading activities, writing assignments, cross curriculum activities for science and/or literature, and student assessments with answer keys. Also included are activities for eBook readers, AP, and special needs students.

     Praise for Radium Halos: “Shelley Stout debuts with a novel of characters as compelling as the true story it covers. Like a good reporter, she follows the facts. In this case she not only uncovers a story little known, but more importantly she reveals in her characters, the humanity of a tragic tale.” -Batt Humphreys, former senior producer for CBS News and author of Dead Weight

     Shelley Stout is a former teacher and published author of short stories, novels, magazine articles, and blogs. She presents workshops to teachers and enjoys being a writing mentor and tutor for children and adults. Shelley is available to speak to students via Skype.
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Balancing Elementary Lesson Plans

  Elementary teachers are generally charged with teaching multiple subjects. In this day and time of standards based content, teachers are expected to achieve a certain degree of expertise in their subject matter. This challenge has become increasingly difficult in elementary school where teachers are often self-contained. How does one keep their day and week balanced in order to meet the needs of their students, teach the curriculum, and get grades without completely running out of steam?
  One way to accomplish this task is to think ahead. As you plan your lessons, avoid falling into the one subject at a time trap. There are certain things that you need to be mindful of during your planning in order to avoid a day of complete chaos or a huge stack of writing assignments to grade on the weekend.
Balance in Activities
  Imagine a day that goes like this: Students begin their day presenting independent reading and research projects on PowerPoint. Afterwards, students have a writing celebration. You plan for students to display their pieces on decorative paper that requires cutting and pasting. In social studies you are going to conduct a simulation. In science you are conducting a messy science lab experiment. And in math, you plan to finish up a huge shopping project. At the end of the day you are totally and completely and utterly exhausted!
  You might consider setting up a weekly planning calendar in order to map out your week and see your time as a whole rather than individual parts. Think of the time you have allocated for each subject and whether or not you can accomplish your goals for that day. Consider the number of cooperative activities you planned in one day. Perhaps you can move some things around so that everything doesn't land on Monday. How much prep work will it take to get ready for everything you need to do? Look at the activities you have planned and ask yourself how necessary those activities are to your student's learning. Sometimes you need to let something go. Create a balance of low prep and heavy prep lessons, as well as cooperative work versus independent work. The main goal in keeping balance in your daily and weekly activities and to not over plan a day that leaves you a frazzled mess by dismissal.
Balance in Assignments
  Authentic assessments are wonderful, but there comes a point in which you need to balance out your assignments. If you assign all writing work for every subject, you will spend every waking hour grading papers. A well rested teacher is a happy teacher. A happy teacher is a more productive teacher. Don't burn yourself out by taking on more than you can handle. Plan out your graded assignments with care. Use your planning calendar to determine that you've planned the required number of assignments during the week, distributed the assignments throughout the week (you don't want to overwhelm your students either), and varied the assignments so that your weekend bag doesn't cause you to dislocate your shoulder.
  Creating a balanced week is key to keeping your sanity and avoiding major burn out. If something always needs to give then perhaps it's time to change your planning strategy. It's kind of like going to the grocery store without a list -you will end up spending more money on things you don't need. If you write your lesson plans one subject at a time without looking at the whole of your week, you will end up planning more than you can handle. In the end, you plans won't be as effective because you won't have the energy to carry them out.
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Power Modeling: How-to Teach Kids to Write

Now Available

Power Modeling: Teaching Kids to Write

I am excited to announce that the first eBooklet in Effective Teaching Solutions Professional Learning Series is now available for purchase on Kindle, Nook, and TPT. The intention of this series is to provide busy teachers with a short, professional read packed with information that you can apply immediately in your classroom. 

About Power Modeling

Modeling is one of the most powerful instructional tools a teacher has at their disposal. Teaching students how to write requires a great deal of modeling. You will learn about different ways to model writing and how to begin deconstructing mentor text for the purpose of learning the author's craft. This text includes examples of modeling, as well as guidance for writing alongside your students. Power Modeling: Teaching Kids to Write was written for both new and growing writing teachers of grades K-12. Although the examples are written primarily for upper elementary and middle school, all of the modeling techniques can be applied in some form or another throughout the grade levels. This professional learning electronic booklet (7967 words; approximately 25 8 1/2 x 11 typewritten pages) is written for the busy teacher who is looking for a quick read. 

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Rigor and Expectation in Education

I've been thinking a lot about the terms rigor and expectation and how they are used in education. The word rigor means "strictness, harshness, severity". Suddenly the idea of giving a child a rigorous education sounds a bit...harsh. So what do we want children to experience in the classroom?

Our expectations of our students go a long way in determining if a child is challenged or not. A challenging curriculum doesn't equal busy work or unnecessary tears. It should mean taking a child where they are at and pushing them to the next level. Learning isn't always easy. Students who make straight A's without batting an eyelash are probably not being challenged. We need to continue to set the bar a little bit higher each time they engage in a new task.

Years ago, I worked in a retail store. Each day we set a sales goal, but we always set it a little bit higher than our average sales for that day of the week. Imagine if we set our goals to an average standard each week. Once we meet our average we probably would wind down and close out the day. But instead, we set our goal higher. That means we had to work harder to achieve our goal, and most of the time, but not all of the time, we did just that. Our average daily sales crept up as did our expectations. In the end, we out performed our goal.

Set goals so that they are above your general expectations, but still reasonably attainable. If students continue to slide -make A's without working hard, or fail without really trying -then we are not teaching our students the value of hard work. The A student will eventually run up against a wall. The failing student will eventually shut down. Neither child will develop a work ethic or a sense of personal pride and intrinsic reward after accomplishing a difficult task.

*Check out this linky party for undiscovered, new teaching products.

1:00 p.m. EST is the official moment of remembrance for 9/11. May the victims of that day rest in peace, and their families and friends find peace in their hearts. Take time to remember. Take time to reflect. Take time to take joy in the life we've been given and our blessings. In the daily grind of life, it's easy to forget what's important until tragedy strikes. Don't forget to tell your loved ones that you love them. God bless America.

Getting to Know Your Readers

I record notes into a composition book. As I begin to write, I tell the student that I'm jotting down our conversation to help me remember. I tell them I want to get to know them as a reader so that I can help them grow in their reading. When I bring a student to my table for a conference, I ask them to bring the book they are currently reading and their reading notebook (we are using binders this year). What do we talk about?

ONE
I ask students to tell me what is happening in their book so far. We might discuss the book a little bit before I ask them to read a paragraph or two aloud to me. I am paying attention to see if they chose a "just right" book or not. I listen to their fluency as well. If I feel the book is too easy, I suggest that they finish the book and then try a book that's a little more challenging. I might even go over to our reading center and show them some books I think they might enjoy. If the book appears too hard, I take them to the reading center and help them find a "just right" book.

TWO
I take the opportunity to look through their reading notebook to see if they've followed directions for recording books and writing responses. This is the perfect time to do a quick little mini lesson if student's misunderstand how to do something.

THREE
I ask them how they feel about themselves as readers. Do they like to read? What is their favorite genre? What is their favorite book? This week I discovered that at least three of my boys are rereading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series.

Reading conferences are a great way to get to know your readers. I spend 3-5 minutes with each student until I've met with everyone. I will begin completing individual reading inventories with students once I finish up my initial conferences. I try to confer throughout the week (a minute or two drive-by), and hold conferences every six weeks or so.

The Power of Positive Teaching

We are going through a rough patch. The economy is a mess and education is inside the can for the political game of "kick the can". We could list out a hundred excuses for every failing school or child. Teachers across the country are fighting for their jobs, their profession, their autonomy, and their integrity. It's easy to go down the dark path of no return. I saw a sign recently that said due to the economic problems the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. Where does all of this negative energy leave us on Monday morning when we enter our classrooms?

 Do you allow all of the negative Nellies to drag you down and emotionally beat you up? Do you find yourself occasionally (or often) sucked into negative conversations? Gripe. Moan. Groan. Complain. Whine. Zig Ziglar, one of the great motivation speakers calls all of this negativity "stinkin' thinkin". Negative thinking leaves us in a dark place. It eats away at our souls and destroys our happiness.

I choose to be happy.

I choose to be positive.

I choose to move forward with enthusiasm.

I've recently experienced a number of personal difficulties. I'm sure you've heard that old saying that when it rains it poors. Well, it stormed. A lot of things that were out of my control happened to me (and my family) within  a short three week period. I'm exhausted from the emotional and financial drain. I've had my moments, but in the end, I realized that the only person who can control how I think and react to situations is me. 

And that's why I've decided that I need to surround myself with positive energy and enthusiasm. I remind myself on a daily basis that allowing myself to be sucked into negative thinking and conversations will only drain my emotional energy and negatively effect my health. 

I choose to go into my classroom with a positive attitude. I choose to have a great school year. I choose to believe that each of my students will succeed. I choose to accept the things I cannot control and make the best of each and every situation.

Happiness is a choice.

Many years ago I was at a school that thrived on negative energy. I fought my way through each day with enthusiasm. I refused to give in, to fall into a dismal trap, to allow the negative people around me to make me one of them. Every morning I plugged in a Zig Ziglar tape (it really was a tape back then) and repeated motivational quotes to myself. I focused on the positive. I allowed positive thinking to feed my soul. 

Are you going through a rough patch? Have you caught yourself griping about the administration, parents, or the kids in your charge? What good has the griping accomplished? None at all. Throw your "stinkin' thinkin'" into the garbage can. Focus on the important things in life. Focus on the needs of your students and find positive ways to approach each and every day. Stop surrounding yourself with negative people. Plug in positive thinking and allow the power of it to transform you inside and out. You will feel better, do better, and be healthier for it.

FREE POSTER

The power of positive is in your hands. Take hold of it and empower yourself to be the best teacher you can be. Make the decision to be a positive person; a positive teacher. Make this year your best year ever!

First Day of School

My first day of school lesson plans look more like a things to do list. I always set out a packet with surveys and some puzzles to keep the kids busy since they trickle in over an hour's time. I also put picture books, magazines, and nonfiction books on the tables for my new students to read while they are waiting for class to begin.

Once the majority of students have arrived and we are ready to begin our day I begin by teaching my first procedure. I call my students to come sit down on the carpet area of the classroom (my teaching space for mini lessons). The first thing I do is read aloud First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg. The surprise ending gives the kids a little laugh and a chance for me to see how my new students behave and react during a read aloud.

The next thing I do is introduce myself. For younger students I might bring in a bag with pictures and artifacts
that represent my family, travels, and interests. For older students I might create a PowerPoint presentation. One way to learn more about your students is to give them a small paper sack. Tell students to put three things in the sack that represents something interesting about them and prepare to share it in small groups. I don't ask students to present in front of the entire class until they have a chance to get to know each other better.

Throughout the first day I will stop and try to put names and faces together without peeking at name tags. I work on this all day long with the goal of knowing each child's name before they leave.

The next thing I do is unpack, organize, and put away supplies. I am very strategic about it. I decide beforehand where everything goes. I will also run a sheet of name labels for each student before the first day of school, and I will keep blank labels on hand for new students. We label, collect, and put away one thing at a time. I do this in a very organized fashion. I use this time to observe my students behaviors and actions, and teach procedures like stopping to listen for instructions, raising their hand, etc. Once supplies are put away we set up our binders. All of this takes patience, but if you take a one thing at a time approach the morning will move rather quickly.

After supplies are put away, I have several things I can do: read another book, teach a lesson, play get to know you games, take individual pictures for bulletin boards, and teach procedures (restroom, hallway, lunch, recess, morning routine, afternoon routine). I generally over plan for the first day. You never know how fast or slow a group might move, so it's best to have more to do than not enough. You can always carry over the next day, or choose to skip the less important activities.

Please share the love and leave a comment telling us something you do on the first day of school.

Blog Hopping for Classroom Ideas

I went blog hopping today in search of classroom ideas. I love to look at pictures of classrooms. They often provide much needed inspiration. I found everything from free printables and fonts to unbelievable classroom decor.

First ~
I found a neat little blog called Sweet Blessings where a technology specialist combines her love of cooking in her posts. She has made quite a few free colorful printable posters. I just printed off several to laminate and hang in my classroom. My favorite says, "This classroom runs on love, laughter and lots of Sonic drinks."

Second ~
Run on over to Wise Owl Factory to learn about different books to use in your classroom and to collect free downloads to go with the books. She blogs a book a day, so keep going back for more ideas!

Third ~
The Lesson Plan Diva is back in school. She posted lots of great pictures of her classroom. I love to see pictures of what other people are doing as I try to come up with my own plan (I will post pictures soon myself).

Fourth ~
Kevin & Amanda blog about recipes and scrapbooking, but the thing that appeals to the teacher side of me are all of the free, unique fonts I can pick up from their site.

Fifth ~
I just discovered School Girl Style. I can't get over the amazing pictures in this blog. I don't think I will be able to duplicate anything here, but it sure is fun to look at this stuff and imagine. Perhaps some of you will find inspiration as you set up your rooms.

August 10 for 10 Favorite Picture Books

A couple of weeks ago, I learned about a special event coordinated by Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek called 10 for 10 Picture Books. If you love picture books then hang on for your hat. Teacher bloggers across the country are blogging the ten picture books they can't live without in their classrooms. This is a great opportunity to learn about lots of picture books and how you can use them in your classroom.

Let's begin with my favorite ten picture books. I have to tell you it's truly difficult to boil it down to ten, but I tried to think of the books that I go back to year after year after year. I've used these books in 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades.

1 The first book on my list is Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. You can check out my recent book review on this must have book. Did you know that Patricia Polacco is dyslexic? This book touches the heart of so many children. She tells her story of her struggles learning to read and the teacher who made a difference. I make a point to read this book aloud the first day or two of school.

2 The second book on my list is Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston. Every year I pull this book out during the first week of school to read aloud. Amber lives on a mountain where there isn't a school. One day a new girl moves to the mountain and sets her mind on teaching Amber to read. This book not only focuses on the struggles of learning to read, but it gives you plenty of great lines to repeat when kids get frustrated. My favorite line, "Learning to read is like walking up a wall. You have to set your mind on it." But that's not all! Amber's friend moves away, but Amber sets her mind on teaching herself to write. This book is a lesson in determination and perseverance.

3 A few years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Jo Harper read aloud her book Finding Daddy: A Story of the Great Depression. I fell in love with this beautiful picture book and never miss the chance to read it aloud at some point in the year. This is a story about a girl who searches for her daddy after he doesn't come home one night. It was a common occurrence during the Great Depression for fathers to leave their families after a time of not being able to find work. This historical fiction piece is a rarity set in the Great Depression. Don't miss out on this story of courage and perseverance.

4 The fourth book on my list is by no means fourth in my eyes. I seriously can't live without Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Did you know that Owl Moon is the best selling picture book of all time? This Caldecott Medal winner is a quiet book that wakes you up early in the morning and takes you outside to go owling. Not only is this beautiful book an excellent introduction to an owl unit in science, it is the perfect book for teaching students how to write sound images.

5 When I was in the 7th grade my drama teacher handed me a story from the Woman's Day magazine to use for my humorous interpretation in an upcoming competition. The name of the story: Alexander, and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day  by Judith Viorst. This classic circle story is one of my favorites to help kids learn how to organize their writing. It's a funny little story about all of the things that can go wrong in a day. The story pattern is duplicatable for young writers and gives them something fun to write about.

6 I can't live without my copy of When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant. This quiet story takes you to a another place and time through the use of vivid language and strong memories. I love to use this book to introduce writing details about place (setting). It is packed with fabulous examples to use as mentor text.

7 Another wonderful book by Cynthia Rylant is The Relatives Came. Virtually every child can connect to this simple story of when the relatives arrive. This is a great book to read for text connections, and to expand into a writing prompt. Kids generally have stories of relatives visiting or visiting relatives. This is the kind of book you can flip for both reading and writing.

8 One book you don't want to miss out on is The Gardener by Sarah Stewart. This little Caldecott Honor book is packed with surprises. A little girl visits her uncle in the city during the Great Depression (another rare picture book set in this era), and manages to find purpose in creating a rooftop garden. It's a story of courage and kindness and family. There are lots of teaching opportunities with this book from reading to writing to science.

9 The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson brings our differences and sameness to light in this historically relevant story of two little girls who form a friendship with each other -even though they each live on the "other side of the fence". This is just one of those great read aloud stories you can fit in at any time of the year.

10 Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting is another favorite picture book. Unfortunately, I've reached 10! I could go on and on, but I suppose there is only so much time in the day and space on the blog. This is a timeless environmental book about a family who attempts to save a tree from dying. It's a story with the type of plot structure, characters, and setting that gives you many teaching opportunities.

So this comprises my top ten picture books. What is your favorite picture book?

Popping the Blog Party Balloon

Are you looking for
 the Cyber Search
 Showcase?
Click HERE

All good things must come to an end. This past week has been a smashing success. First a back to school blog party and then a treasure hunt across blogs for awesome teaching resources. Today I am going to announce the winners from the blog party, as well as tell you about a thought I had yesterday.

I went back into my classroom yesterday and shoved the furniture back in place. I think I tend to forget just how much work it takes to get my classroom ready for the first day of school. After spending the summer blogstalking, I have a ton of new ideas. Monday afternoon I found myself walking through Hobby Lobby with the urge to spend money and create things. I was looking for "just right" stickers for a project when I had an a-ha moment.

Do I really need to make every decision about how I want to run my classroom this year before I meet my students? Is it necessary to have everything in its place and on the walls on the first day of school? I realized that I don't have to get everything that's in my head done right now. Some things can wait. I can make decisions as I get to know my students. I can plan based on their needs. It's okay if my walls are blank. I can fill the walls up with the evidence of my student's learning. I've given myself permission to chill out -to find balance and prioritize. It's such a relief to not think I need to think through and plan for every little detail right now. That's my thought of the day!

Back to School Blog Party Winners!

I hope that everyone feels like a winner this week. I also want to invite you back next year, but in the meantime, come hang out on the blog with me and share this amazing journey we call teaching. Okay, okay...I know what you want to hear -and the winners are:

Monday
Cheryl at Crayons and Curls won the $25 Amazon gift card! (Comment #25)

Tuesday
Tamara, a 4th grade teacher from Washington won the TPT shopping spree from 24 sellers! (Comment #12)

Wednesday
Madison from Utah won the lovely earrings from Moonlight Designs! (Comment #7)
Lori, a 4th grade ELA / Social Studies teacher from North Carolina won the beautiful necklace set from Class and Sass Jewelry! (Comment #11)

Thursday
Kathleen won the Back to School Goody Box (Comment #5)
*Kathleen - Your email bounced. Please contact me by then end of the week.

Friday
Jen won the $100 shopping spree from my TPT shop! (Comment #8)

*I have contacted all winners by email. If you are a winner and did not receive an email, please check your spam and / or junk folders, and / or contact me directly.


BACK TO SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD CONTEST

Cyber Search Showcase - It's Cyber Monday for Teachers!

I'm sorry you missed the Cyber Search Showcase! Don't despair - there are still some great freebies on the blog and on my website. I hope you will take the time to explore. Please visit my TPT store for both free and reasonably priced teaching resources. If you like what you see, I hope you will follow me at TPT to stay updated on my most current products.

Please come back and visit me on the blog, bookmark my website, subscribe to my newsletter, hang out with me on Facebook and Twitter, and follow me on Pinterest.

It's not too late to explore the following blogs and websites to find amazing resources and thinking about teaching. Let's make 2011-2012 the best school year ever by networking and learning together! Keep in touch -you never know what surprises we might have in store for you.

Cyber Search Showcase Sellers and Websites

• Laura Candler Teaching Resources


• Tracey Graham Smart Chick Teacher


• Lisa Frase Effective Teaching Solutions


• Rachel Lynette Minds in Bloom


• Ashleigh Swinford Education Journey


• Charity Preston The Organized Classroom Blog


• Jennifer Runde Runde's Room


• Wise Guys Teaching Activities, Lesson Plans, and Units


• Karla Banks Life in Special Education


• Heather Kaiser The Teched Out Teacher


• Rosshalde Pak Education Shortlist


• PowerPoint Maniac PowerPoint Maniac's Teaching Resources


• Nyla Phillips-Martin  Nyla's Crafty Teaching


• Margaret Whisnaut Taking Grades for Teachers

Getting Ready for Back to School

The lazy days of summer are coming to an end. It's time to start getting ready to meet a new group of children. In fact, many of you have already begun. This past week I hosted a Back to School Blog Party. Don't worry! If you missed it, or even a day or two, it's not too late to join the fun. In fact, I am going to list all of the free downloads right here:

Free Back to School Candy Bar Wrappers
Free Back to School Classroom Management Printables Packet
Free Back to School Printable Gifts
Free Teacher's Money Binder
Free Teacher's Stationary Set

Cyber Search

I have some very exciting news! I am participating in Cyber Search Showcase on Monday. Fifteen teacher-authors will give away one teaching resource for one day only. The value of all of these resources equals $85. Take a sneak peak by visiting the blogs and websites of each author throughout the weekend, and then come back here on Monday to start your Cyber Search and to get your first free resource. All of the resources are specifically for grades 3-5. Happy Hunting!

If you think you missed out on the giveaways, think again! You have until Sunday, August 7, 2011 midnight Central time to enter. Here is a quick recap for each day's giveaway and a link to the blog post:

Day 1 - $25 Amazon Gift Card 
Day 2 - TPT Shopping Spree sponsored by 24 teacher -authors
Day 3 - $66 Worth of Beautiful Handcrafted Jewelry from two Etsy sellers
Day 4 - Back to School Teacher's Goody Box
Day 5 - $100 Shopping Spree from my TPT Shop

The Back to School Blog Party was such a smashing success that I am already making plans for next year! Thank you for participating!

As you begin to go back to your classrooms and prepare for school, don't forget to snap a picture of your  back to school bulletin board. I extended the deadline for the Back to School Bulletin Board Contest to Saturday, September 4, 2011 midnight Central time. I will place all of the bulletin board pictures on a permenant page on my website, but one person will win a $25 Target gift card, so don't miss out!

Kimberly at Science, Etc. wanted some ideas for quiet signals to use in the classroom, so she started up a linky party to gather ideas. I will put my two cents in. Switching lights, ringing a bell, or raising your voice is the least effective strategy for getting your student's attention. A simple, yet effective way to quiet down the crowd and get students to turn your direction is to simply same (in a normal voice): "Raise your hand if you can hear me." You can also say, "Clap twice if you can hear me," or you can say, "Put your hands on top of your head if you can hear me." The students around you will quickly follow your directions. The effect will domino throughout the room.

I am now publishing a bimonthly FREE newsletter on TPT titled from the Teacher's Desk: Classroom Tips & Ideas. This 2-page newsletter is filled with great ideas for the classroom. Download the first two issues now:

                                       Issue 1      Issue 2


Contribute a teaching idea to "from the Teacher's Desk".


You are invited to contribute articles and lesson plans to my blog, ETS monthly newsletter, and website. Simply fill out the following forms and share the love:

Submit a Teaching Article
Submit a Lesson Plan

One last thing before I sign out for the day. What do your students do when they are done with their work? My kids always have a book on their desks. Reading is a priority in my classroom, so I created a really cool classroom poster. You might have already found it and downloaded the first version, but this morning I changed the file to zip file and added a 300 dpi jpeg. I sent my jpeg file to Walgreens and created a 16 x 20 poster. I used the code 40PERCENT to receive 40 percent off the price (I don't know if the code still works, but it's worth a try). I picked up my poster an hour later and yesterday, I found the perfect frame at Target. I can't wait to hang it above my reading center. Even my teenagers gave their hard won approval. The best part is that you can download this poster for FREE! Done? Read. Poster