tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82110051836103868902024-03-26T06:42:52.445-05:00Fixin' to TeachHi! I'm Courtney! I'm a former teacher, TPT teacher-author, and blogger. On my blog, I share technology tips, classroom tips, and upper elementary and middle school classroom resources.Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-87887711215158874122023-09-28T11:34:00.001-05:002023-09-28T11:34:26.682-05:00The Best (and Cheapest) Printers For Teachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8U_NbAxWyzJTUcOqouK2JaPaQIJJIvTtChe_CI-rjporrp_o6HuMghEVo4Yo3AoFbYCaGEzxQfUWv9zx4yoSAtORWGH1dhKGMPXPKTuCVNgGKPgaYiOJTyFbJUduDlnSHO3JaaS9fdasxNI-c8I52f3z9ybZDKLHQkoqobZU0NYNT0gGxGpN-cCU1yUk/s2000/_%20The%20Best%20(and%20Cheapest)%20Printers%20for%20Teachers%20%20Top%20Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8U_NbAxWyzJTUcOqouK2JaPaQIJJIvTtChe_CI-rjporrp_o6HuMghEVo4Yo3AoFbYCaGEzxQfUWv9zx4yoSAtORWGH1dhKGMPXPKTuCVNgGKPgaYiOJTyFbJUduDlnSHO3JaaS9fdasxNI-c8I52f3z9ybZDKLHQkoqobZU0NYNT0gGxGpN-cCU1yUk/w640-h496/_%20The%20Best%20(and%20Cheapest)%20Printers%20for%20Teachers%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Do you hate spending money on printer ink? Do you wish you could print reference materials in color? So did I until I found HP Instant Ink!! I haven't bought printer ink in the last 5 years or run out of ink. Let's get down to why HP Instant Ink is SO SO wonderful!</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #22211f; font-size: 17.6px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This post contains<i> Amazon affiliate links.</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #22211f; font-size: 17.6px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77JevJEmbG-r4DgpXgEtZbzPpf8ii8ewO6Y0u_ka5QRGNVYDK_ZEGZcgYgiluPwtAMcNycwRO9Gcan84SeUbomSNgkOhjhX0B5mYv-KyT6cTbIGSIMCKzAZRgWj95z8BZQg93V9IMbJ7o_Sr9ZaUGRCfzJlNfM2mPlKcXHJ1SJbqEI0YSEga5CuMc96U/s419/CE_Example_-_Logo_-_HP_Instant_ink.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="419" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77JevJEmbG-r4DgpXgEtZbzPpf8ii8ewO6Y0u_ka5QRGNVYDK_ZEGZcgYgiluPwtAMcNycwRO9Gcan84SeUbomSNgkOhjhX0B5mYv-KyT6cTbIGSIMCKzAZRgWj95z8BZQg93V9IMbJ7o_Sr9ZaUGRCfzJlNfM2mPlKcXHJ1SJbqEI0YSEga5CuMc96U/w400-h160/CE_Example_-_Logo_-_HP_Instant_ink.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><p></p><p><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">HP Instant Ink is a subscription-based printing service that has MANY fantastic benefits!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Cost Savings: HP Instant Ink offers different subscription tiers based on your monthly printing needs. This can potentially save you money compared to buying individual ink cartridges as you pay a flat monthly fee regardless of how much you print. I can't even begin to tell you how much money I have saved since I started using HP Instant Ink compatible printers.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Convenient Replacement: With HP Instant Ink, you don't need to worry about running out of ink or making last-minute trips to purchase cartridges. The service monitors your ink levels remotely, and when your printer is low on ink, it automatically sends replacement cartridges to your door. This ensures you always have ink on hand when you need it. This is great because y'all know how busy teachers are, sometimes planning until late at night.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Predictable Costs: The monthly subscription fee makes budgeting for printing costs more predictable. You'll know exactly how much you're spending on ink each month. The even better news... any pages that aren't used in a month will roll over to the next month. IT'S AWESOME!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. Environmentally Friendly: By optimizing ink usage and reducing cartridge waste, HP claims that Instant Ink is more environmentally friendly than traditional ink cartridge usage.</span></p><p><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Easy Setup: Getting started with HP Instant Ink is generally straightforward. You select a plan that fits your printing needs, and the service guides you through the setup process.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">6. Flexibility: You can change your subscription plan at any time to accommodate changes in your printing habits. If you find you're printing more or less than expected, you can easily adjust your plan accordingly.</span></p><p><span style="color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If the above reasons haven't completely convinced you, let's get down to brass tacks (as Saul Goodman would say). How much are you looking at and what printers are compatible?</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSxmGBdOiqF0J4vRqGoHlI_by9aldL3UfgDN8k9KnzuAMdYJmYymBoi2UmCAXN0BOiugj_oa9mxKPgDbrYpfWszjo-9_yDHzLMd0KSxaTlpIrIG2dYBLvJIr8ouo72f1qwW1JCB_flJC4S_9roqJFLhWmCwpjJ23iF6MIo9T7chql967LuNFJyD3-A-4/s3077/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="3077" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSxmGBdOiqF0J4vRqGoHlI_by9aldL3UfgDN8k9KnzuAMdYJmYymBoi2UmCAXN0BOiugj_oa9mxKPgDbrYpfWszjo-9_yDHzLMd0KSxaTlpIrIG2dYBLvJIr8ouo72f1qwW1JCB_flJC4S_9roqJFLhWmCwpjJ23iF6MIo9T7chql967LuNFJyD3-A-4/w640-h144/Picture2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prices as of 9-28-23</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>The prices above include the ink & the shipping of the ink. There are ZERO hidden charges!! It doesn't matter if you print a full color page or a page with one word on it... you pay the same price.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">If you use my referral link when you sign up, you'll get one month FREE! <a href="http://try.hpinstantink.com/fBQGG" target="_blank">TRY HP INSTANT INK NOW...</a></span></b></p><p>Here are some HP Instant Ink compatible printers:</p><p><i><a href="https://amzn.to/46rnNOR" target="_blank">HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Color inkjet printer</a></i></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46rnNOR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="833" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZkdtJxzgX5B2sDg1oEggzjOWI4k8sQNdeZJXUlk23N8Pl7QCmJDrmpTBCyrM5FgJtfAR3NlGEE-MuskvzvzdeYiwDMBTkB527l1rUtYAuaIwkiY7Ba1wMZ9TteO3TdETaSX81K_wDuD3bmS3p5FaiycwPrbWoZ-OSd-SevEQJPlJHIFIwahN_H83zKxc=w400-h234" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 32px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-large product-title-word-break" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 32px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-break: break-word;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/46dW5pd" target="_blank">HP DeskJet 4155e Wireless Color Inkjet Printer</a></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 400; line-height: 32px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-large product-title-word-break" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 32px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-break: break-word;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46dW5pd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="952" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnamStegtf6y2bWqolnCCSYbHCFOZnyn92qznMYQ-gDCY8gVzjjg4XsiPNxM9LJnJaCCPv-XvoN15s5yppB5BGzKw1-WkctEXMsu-0-uoY3FRIDrX8RKvvqI-MQBhXY2xSEO1fT6n1GJQ_UZL0aRjZN1VBLuV33zzHTIXIfI83j6GBmbMECxO0IRvtWo/w400-h243/Screenshot%202023-09-28%20110010.png" width="400" /></a></div><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px !important; font-weight: 400; line-height: 32px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-large product-title-word-break" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 32px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-break: break-word;"><br /></span></h1><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 32px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-large product-title-word-break" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 32px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-break: break-word;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PylhQ5" target="_blank">HP DeskJet 3755 Compact All-in-One Wireless Printer</a></i></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; line-height: 32px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-large product-title-word-break" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 32px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-break: break-word;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PylhQ5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1054" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHb5nbiGIdwm1QZ4y6XDLKKDt3C0NO2z8VBzeyZu5s7jydGVv2vs7n1pFUZDvDIwQn6Oef56Qmoo33Ro2N660fTf9-D1B9fGpwLFDKlsM87dxpLQsQHErLz9-S7zr3_-FrxgK1IfEiq4Rpbxs8ZWxxaSY4ErQFh0SH_XVaFJcxbn078pB3LNOs5IHH10/w400-h223/Screenshot%202023-09-28%20111007.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Out of everything that I have purchased over the years for teaching, this has been the BEST because it has saved me so much money! Share this post with friends to spread the money-saving love.</span></div></span><p></p></div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-30123387681896483992023-09-20T11:37:00.002-05:002023-09-20T11:47:43.854-05:00Heart Rate Mini-Lab Activity for Middle School Science (and a FREEBIE)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://crimson-river-89899.myflodesk.com/89d52ac1-0404-410f-8781-11c68adf67f9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB4g2KmHo_YCJBRE26KYPohvcMroJg0BBV9garOUkG3HdUR2AoVGLaVEmNUA-GxIQEj8bhBBIbz8e6oGvNSWherly_u_YAyoTKEVQa9TIQQIL0zgESAEGFysAz7vwX2HrxwFhSPTkaViX7mUu4PgWIHGmSPPJ_-j7A9I6uv-IFo3RfKafi-wM_YbUp3Y/w640-h496/Heart%20Rate%20Mini-Lab%20FREEBIE%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Do you struggle with finding activities to accompany your middle school human body systems unit? Well, read on because I've got a treat for you that's also F-R-E-E!!🎉</p><p>Teaching about the human body systems to middle schoolers can be challenging, & finding activities that are hands-on can also be nerve wracking. I have a wonderful activity that goes along with the circulatory system; you could also incorporate the respiratory system into this mini-lab as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytS8jUtMg-VleuerpZ9HPGPUWSrZJjzdl5Zmj8baoNiVUzl5SiRqgJWDtpJG7mOjldXijvVtyn3OYdHAlCSCEQ2-AOV2D-hTslc7R9PdAC_k9qmqqLBNd8_QCuognj1zhS9QbPb9bi2Nw1xNiJ7RnuQnDq5rg87OjRYxE3_p7QigVCZyhSlqgIwT4G0s/s960/Untitled%20design.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytS8jUtMg-VleuerpZ9HPGPUWSrZJjzdl5Zmj8baoNiVUzl5SiRqgJWDtpJG7mOjldXijvVtyn3OYdHAlCSCEQ2-AOV2D-hTslc7R9PdAC_k9qmqqLBNd8_QCuognj1zhS9QbPb9bi2Nw1xNiJ7RnuQnDq5rg87OjRYxE3_p7QigVCZyhSlqgIwT4G0s/w200-h200/Untitled%20design.gif" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The purpose of this activity is to show students how their heart rate is affected by physical activity. Students will take their resting heart rate, jog in place for 2 minutes, rest for about 30 minutes, & then take their heart rate after resting. A great discussion can take place about why your heart pumps faster & your breathing rate increases during exercise. The great thing about this activity is you can go as in-depth as your class is capable of. <i><b>NOTE:</b></i> This mini-lab is meant to be done AFTER you've taught about the circulatory & respiratory systems so students have the background knowledge of the functions of these 2 systems.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://crimson-river-89899.myflodesk.com/89d52ac1-0404-410f-8781-11c68adf67f9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1617" data-original-width="1945" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDP021snyyFwk5X_iO5uO4PZrF-we1Rt6qzFy1eDcS_FovprQncK2DzWDxkQeCupc_pPtj_u7HP_n5MfbDXKxX1LpPJ-lyQVyM2gGZxGwUfzVtESCJc-GEYl6sQb0Jt14_NrD4Jx8zv-HiHF3rMLGaJMq2a8JoWsMWXPjZfbaQM3hLujo7uZrsl2fJl8/w400-h333/IMG_2765.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p>Here are step-by-step instructions as well as tips & tricks to use this in your classroom:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>*TIP*</b> I did this activity whole class with me guiding the entire time. I chose to do it this way because I only had 55 minute classes, & I wanted everybody on the same page so to speak. This could also be done as homework & discuss the next day in class.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>STEP 1: Read the Passage</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> Since I did this activity whole class, I either read the passage aloud or had students read. After reading, you can choose how detailed of a discussion you want to have. I kept it at a minimum because I needed the students' heart rate to come back down as quickly as possible to have time to finish this in one class period.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><b>STEP 2: Start the Activity</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Students locate the pulse either on their neck or their wrist. To be honest, the most amount of time is spent on this. Information on how to find the pulse can be found on the mini-lab sheet. I've also included pictures below to help you in locating your pulse. If a student is stuck & absolutely can't find their pulse, I help them to speed up the process.</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ofoBuFQEC-00E31yPV3HF5nn7kZQS6WDBD8_vbHnO7pZNYVJddoAUmVzeCzXIs4sDH8dgECSu8WQXT-G1iahoP8EZV9OD-eGBBZYLQwpz0X2T7Nluj2IAGImua3zTK1yTQ-iObKxrdf_P13HvWbacOaZ6dwVmDoeCELE3J1Xq98niOhKk3hWYmWysSg/s1992/Untitled%20(11%20x%208%20in).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1992" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ofoBuFQEC-00E31yPV3HF5nn7kZQS6WDBD8_vbHnO7pZNYVJddoAUmVzeCzXIs4sDH8dgECSu8WQXT-G1iahoP8EZV9OD-eGBBZYLQwpz0X2T7Nluj2IAGImua3zTK1yTQ-iObKxrdf_P13HvWbacOaZ6dwVmDoeCELE3J1Xq98niOhKk3hWYmWysSg/w400-h174/Untitled%20(11%20x%208%20in).png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><b>STEP 3: Take Resting Heart Rate</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> Once students have found their pulse, time them for 30 seconds. Whatever they get is multiplied by 2 since we need BPM (beats per minute). Then students record the BPM on their chart under 'Resting Heart Rate'.</span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><b>STEP 4: Jog in Place</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> Now students will exercise for 2 minutes. I have them jog in place. However, some students have preferred to do jumping jacks, burpees, or a combo of multiple exercises. As long as they are doing something to increase their heart rate and aren't injuring themselves or anyone else I really didn't care what they did. <i><b>NOTE:</b></i> I had fun with this and treated the students like athletes, cheering them on, encouraging them, & counting down the time loudly & obnoxiously. After the 2 minutes, students need to QUICKLY find their pulse. I gave them about 15-20 seconds to locate it before I started the timer. Students will take their pulse for 30 seconds & again multiply by 2 and record the data on their chart.<br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUaNgNEipNg4nL7f5Pf4O4DSTr_xZBbMJML5QkDueCUlF8oX-AAggYowCz3VshYCFG056lIEExTemzkfmHUiTe-j8XA3mr1qIMspsvH3kez8vD07dONWifhbV-LcgzbovwjI_ufu3guZxdXGyJQM5AG7Q_3bdQkCUIbFpmMMynb5kStylLlea7xGvLns/s498/ted-lasso-coach-beard.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUaNgNEipNg4nL7f5Pf4O4DSTr_xZBbMJML5QkDueCUlF8oX-AAggYowCz3VshYCFG056lIEExTemzkfmHUiTe-j8XA3mr1qIMspsvH3kez8vD07dONWifhbV-LcgzbovwjI_ufu3guZxdXGyJQM5AG7Q_3bdQkCUIbFpmMMynb5kStylLlea7xGvLns/s320/ted-lasso-coach-beard.gif" width="320" /></a></div></span></span><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div>STEP 5: Return to Resting Heart Rate</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Now students need to sit & rest to allow their heart rate to return to normal. This also takes quite a bit of time. During this time, I have students sit down and take notes. They need to be as quiet & sedentary as possible. You could show students a video or even have them do some independent work; anything to keep them seated & quiet. About 10-15 minutes before class ends, have them take their return to resting heart rate. They find their pulse, & you time them for 30 seconds. Then, they multiply by 2 & record the data.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><b>STEP 6: Conclusion</b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Once the activity is complete, discuss what happened with their circulatory & respiratory systems during & after exercise. During exercise, your heart rate & breathing rate increase to supply your muscles with the oxygen they need to keep up with the physical activity. Your breathing quickens to bring in oxygen faster because the muscles need more since they're working harder. Your heart rate increases since blood delivers oxygen to the body & your muscles need more oxygen since you're using them more. The opposite happens after exercise. You can make this explanation as simple or complex as you need to for the level of your classes.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope you use this fun activity with your middle schoolers so they can see & feel what happens to the circulatory system during & after exercise. <a href="https://crimson-river-89899.myflodesk.com/89d52ac1-0404-410f-8781-11c68adf67f9" target="_blank">Click here</a> to grab the heart rate mini-lab activity.</div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-78977646149510816632023-01-13T11:41:00.003-06:002023-01-13T11:41:25.933-06:006 Tips to Help You Deal With Parents as a Middle School Teacher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF85D9aaSDwAjLjk5qvHFS4t1ycPTE9J8SBtXqmkZWqU67jQITZrSA0rS_Am2ds8qTQ7Eq_OQ3B-aJms_VRVfzMWODpvv3fKyMswq-bIYw279uFGxIYvVTMIeCvjf5SKo9rBY1JC9x3zdG_EHWNGBH06FDzWHH1mF3c3AKA0m2oWRITVx5ZR9-xNLR/s2000/6%20Tips%20to%20Help%20You%20Deal%20With%20Parents%20%20%20Top%20Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF85D9aaSDwAjLjk5qvHFS4t1ycPTE9J8SBtXqmkZWqU67jQITZrSA0rS_Am2ds8qTQ7Eq_OQ3B-aJms_VRVfzMWODpvv3fKyMswq-bIYw279uFGxIYvVTMIeCvjf5SKo9rBY1JC9x3zdG_EHWNGBH06FDzWHH1mF3c3AKA0m2oWRITVx5ZR9-xNLR/w640-h496/6%20Tips%20to%20Help%20You%20Deal%20With%20Parents%20%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Being a teacher not only means interacting with children, it also means you need to deal with their parents as well. Communication with parents is probably one of the most stressful parts of being a teacher, yet one of the most important! In this post, I'm going to give you some tips on how to effectively communicate and build positive relationships with parents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixD5A6DhZlearF6klwzTOx_AZ3ooF_6T0iw-lchr_GFXv7H6Pm6oKLNiqu_stDYc3pa_Z754g4ICJUOGKG_odR2GkY-VzrWU0ZtSGOJ-gw5De9i77yHp6MZUVomvrqDTk_NE-QbxnftGDCY7WC5HMmIzvWOTjJUmTtjd72lRKWVVE7QaNRR0TPK4Mp/s480/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixD5A6DhZlearF6klwzTOx_AZ3ooF_6T0iw-lchr_GFXv7H6Pm6oKLNiqu_stDYc3pa_Z754g4ICJUOGKG_odR2GkY-VzrWU0ZtSGOJ-gw5De9i77yHp6MZUVomvrqDTk_NE-QbxnftGDCY7WC5HMmIzvWOTjJUmTtjd72lRKWVVE7QaNRR0TPK4Mp/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6ecfda; font-size: x-large;"><b>1. Be proactive in reaching out to parents</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Reach out to them BEFORE there is a problem. If you establish a good relationship with your parents from the get go, they will be more receptive to hearing what you have to say about their <strike>demon spawn </strike>child. I recommend giving parents your behavior expectations and consequences at the beginning of the year so there is no question as to what will happen when the students don't do what they're supposed to. Being a middle school science teacher, I probably had more expectations than most other teachers just because it's a science class and there's a certain level of control needed when doing labs.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6ecfda; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. Keep parents informed</b></span></div><div><span> Don't wait until the straw breaks the camel's back before you contact parents about their child's behavior. If I wasn't sure if a behavior or action warranted a call home, I would ask myself, 'If this was my child, would I want to know about it?' That answer would always dictate my next steps. Take advantage of apps like Remind to remind parents about upcoming tests, due dates, etc. The more you communicate with parents and treat them as a part of their child's education, the more receptive they are to hearing from you when it's not positive. It's better to be safe than sorry! In my school district, ALL parents were automatically signed up for Remind. So, when we had a test, I'd send out a quick message to parents. Then, when a child did poorly on the test, the parents couldn't say, 'I had no idea there was a test coming; my child said you never told them about the test.' Bust out that Remind message and BOOM problem averted. </span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #6ecfda; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. Be positive and encouraging</b></span></span></div><div><span><span> Parents want to know that you have their child's best interest at heart! If you come at the parent as if their child is the problem, they will shut down and become accusatory. No one wants to hear that their child is the bane of your existence, even though they 100% are. Put the onus back on the child. Say things like, 'Johnny made a choice today that prevented him from completing the assignment.' OR 'Johnny kept making random loud noises in class and that prevented the class from doing...' Please don't say, 'Johnny was being obnoxious and annoying so the class couldn't get anything done.'</span><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6ecfda; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. Keep your opinions to yourself</b></span></div><div><span> Even though you've probably thought about putting duct tape over Sally's mouth, keep the conversation professional and strictly factual. Don't say things like, 'I think....' Say what actually happened even though it might be uncomfortable. A couple of years ago, I had to call home to inform parents that their kid drew a penis on one of their papers as a joke. That was uncomfortable!! However, be straightforward but gentle. If you are ever asked your opinion by parents, be careful not to say anything incriminating, hurtful, or diagnose anything. A lot of parents that I've dealt with have asked me if I think their child might have ADHD or be depressed. DON'T TELL THEM ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN COME AT YOU LATER FOR. These parents could easily meet with admin. and tell them... well, so and so said that my child has autism. That is very bad!</span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #6ecfda; font-size: x-large;"><b>5. Document, document, document</b></span></span></div><div><span><span> Whatever you do, document everything. Whether you do that digitally, written, or both, just do it. Even if the 'good kid' who never gets in trouble does something out of the ordinary and you call home, document it. I used a chart for each of my class periods that I made on the computer and printed out. I included the student's name, parent or guardian whom I talked to, the phone number I called, the date, the time, and the reason I called. I use the CYA method obsessively when it comes to dealing with parents because I've seen through </span></span>colleagues how not documenting something can come back to bite you in the butt. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6ecfda; font-size: x-large;"><b>6. Get admin. involved if necessary</b></span></div><div><span> There are some parents out there that can be worse than their child! I've had run-ins with many of those parents. If you don't feel comfortable meeting with a parent alone, ask admin. or another teacher who has that student to sit in with you to be a 'witness'. I've had several instances throughout my teaching years where I refuse to call a parent because they would berate me, yell at me, and insult me. Every single time, my admin. has taken over and made phone calls for me. Usually when it gets that far, the parents won't even answer the phone anytime admin. calls them. Your admin. is there to support you. They've had experience dealing with these not-so-fun parents. </span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>I hope you learned something new to help you with your parents. If there's anything you'd like to add or any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below. </span></div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-74439510693807127852022-12-19T09:35:00.199-06:002023-09-20T11:48:10.185-05:00Introduction to Biomes for Middle School Science + a FREEBIE<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8eNS7pTDOGpKWIvtmFHSAfUaVXZTvkvyPt41VHvMFdaPRePkWNV0v-0QDQoImsp7YJbGXxaUJ38DZSMa_ru27ydmhAyJJFGBgdEEZGRuyc151kh-Z1p1xrn5NR0BR4NK6CKeuvRMA4UDX_XcaGFU7BwDbciQp1gTs4bgxowktxsLEKhtx79uY2t7/s2000/Introduction%20to%20Biomes%20FREEBIE%20%20Top%20Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8eNS7pTDOGpKWIvtmFHSAfUaVXZTvkvyPt41VHvMFdaPRePkWNV0v-0QDQoImsp7YJbGXxaUJ38DZSMa_ru27ydmhAyJJFGBgdEEZGRuyc151kh-Z1p1xrn5NR0BR4NK6CKeuvRMA4UDX_XcaGFU7BwDbciQp1gTs4bgxowktxsLEKhtx79uY2t7/w640-h496/Introduction%20to%20Biomes%20FREEBIE%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Do you teach about biomes and don't know where to begin? I got you! Biomes can be overwhelming to teach because there is SO much information out there. It might seem near impossible to narrow down the topic and weed out any unnecessary information. We want students to focus on the most important concepts of biomes, which can be tricky.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzq1RbNcQclkM-nMyXMMNTuxI66hZZcsZl7pLJOQ2BH2nN9ty3sYh05nZBvfEMnUexSpdq1hM-eA6E40XvJbvCOeaqnCWY_4tN5fiwep083EAtiUFxQYaZzLupJhWMoKnaBrbNelvbQ4YH2Ul_MD0UsxL3KYPWulC67MKtotu8FAlKmLnRPL_BbYH/s480/giphy.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="480" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzq1RbNcQclkM-nMyXMMNTuxI66hZZcsZl7pLJOQ2BH2nN9ty3sYh05nZBvfEMnUexSpdq1hM-eA6E40XvJbvCOeaqnCWY_4tN5fiwep083EAtiUFxQYaZzLupJhWMoKnaBrbNelvbQ4YH2Ul_MD0UsxL3KYPWulC67MKtotu8FAlKmLnRPL_BbYH/s320/giphy.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The first concept we need to focus on is what determines the type of biome. That's pretty simple: <b><span style="color: #6ecfda;">1.</span> </b>the climate (specifically the amount of rainfall) and <span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>2.</b></span> the types of organisms that live there (specifically the adaptations they have that allow them to survive in that particular biome). If you want to get technical, there are other sub factors under climate that also give the biome its characteristics, but this is middle school so we don't need to go too much in depth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this freebie, the focus is on climate as well as plant and animal adaptations for each of the 7 biomes. The activity is meant to give students a quick overview of the biomes as an introduction. Let's look at what is included and how to use each part.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="color: #043164; font-size: large;"><b>Reading Passage:</b></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> There are 3 pages of information on each of the 7 biomes (deciduous forest, desert, marine, rainforest, taiga, temperate grasslands, & tundra). Each biome contains information about climate and a few common plant and animal adaptations as well as a small map showing where each biome can be found.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOea5NQKvVbvYtE1cMgfPYHUeOK3DjzzLd6OdyjRofe3hU2SqOfCcW8P3aRCHAcAygs92AOgJAOrAKo273_61lc_zxFwxil3-4GV-v9KwzYzdFyoIgU3Tjhq1gHN2iZV7oiYt-OT44cisb1KIzBcLp28-HqOqZWESMHzxiH2-FxI8Zyh_GcNYe6Wc4/s2640/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1747" data-original-width="2640" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOea5NQKvVbvYtE1cMgfPYHUeOK3DjzzLd6OdyjRofe3hU2SqOfCcW8P3aRCHAcAygs92AOgJAOrAKo273_61lc_zxFwxil3-4GV-v9KwzYzdFyoIgU3Tjhq1gHN2iZV7oiYt-OT44cisb1KIzBcLp28-HqOqZWESMHzxiH2-FxI8Zyh_GcNYe6Wc4/w640-h424/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></div><span><br /></span></div><span style="color: #043164; font-size: large;"><b>Comprehension Questions:</b></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span> There is a page of comprehension questions based on the reading passage. Students will need to either highlight or underline where they found the answers to the questions in the passage; they are essentially proving their answers. </span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> <b><span style="color: #6ecfda;">TIP:</span></b> Your reading teachers will love you because proving answers is a key concept they teach to help students with reading comprehension.</span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwsRIUs-w-5FXC60lh51YN5isfcMIAGXIm31V4dXkJkMWyTzJ7lR4MjztmbDs_b57oIDtNn0X-LdnGoBup4KSa03Bw0wUGQju8EiFmR8p64nSuozm7kpoE9eroZKvxl-XCjKz4_jVMTymhrNSZ_pXiPxXuKMKqRQy3-_F69bpip9-quYYkMGfxTBu/s2640/Picture2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="2404" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwsRIUs-w-5FXC60lh51YN5isfcMIAGXIm31V4dXkJkMWyTzJ7lR4MjztmbDs_b57oIDtNn0X-LdnGoBup4KSa03Bw0wUGQju8EiFmR8p64nSuozm7kpoE9eroZKvxl-XCjKz4_jVMTymhrNSZ_pXiPxXuKMKqRQy3-_F69bpip9-quYYkMGfxTBu/w582-h640/Picture2.png" width="582" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="color: #043164; font-size: large;"><b>Writing Prompt:</b></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> There is a writing prompt where students must summarize the biomes discussed in the reading passage.</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> <span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>TIP:</b></span> If you want to have students research other information about the biomes to include in their writing composition, go for it! That might give them a bit more to work with when they compose their writing.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>TIP:</b></span> Again, writing is a very important skill that students seem to lack. This is a great way to incorporate cross-curricular activities into your science class.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JjMXzultEKhT6-lRNY2k7dx3g25o7Pe1iZM25NHTOxe_nYwqcj7by9hlqmzY4Q5vkRbDPmRzgw1clsa34LuYKGuU4gZu0azZDlOxU4U7QVJysY8ENEYBxcUIIXdabVJoRteJEDFUf1Hx9zvIZbalUyWZEWARmMC0UThg5R6DP_FtDrSljnxstP8d/s2640/Picture3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2631" data-original-width="2640" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JjMXzultEKhT6-lRNY2k7dx3g25o7Pe1iZM25NHTOxe_nYwqcj7by9hlqmzY4Q5vkRbDPmRzgw1clsa34LuYKGuU4gZu0azZDlOxU4U7QVJysY8ENEYBxcUIIXdabVJoRteJEDFUf1Hx9zvIZbalUyWZEWARmMC0UThg5R6DP_FtDrSljnxstP8d/w640-h638/Picture3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #043164; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="color: #043164; font-size: large;"><b>Word Search:</b></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> There is a fun word search included as a bonus activity. It can be used for early finishers, or you could give a couple points extra credit for finishing it. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhE-ZmOO0uGD7JJynY1Kn2ppRBrURZGJhTCS_msDv2qo42UPV-jJlPU0dARWBxB63b4aVGYD2WxrkDlajv7HUCRpaH_Zn5gE8upLwuu8mktUbr8J4MlxmZQClolDQDb_JLXLCx7n2L9a-Po53whBfwuemA61DnHOIDvMRVAhYv1K6qBOKb_jtRG10/s2640/Picture4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="2452" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhE-ZmOO0uGD7JJynY1Kn2ppRBrURZGJhTCS_msDv2qo42UPV-jJlPU0dARWBxB63b4aVGYD2WxrkDlajv7HUCRpaH_Zn5gE8upLwuu8mktUbr8J4MlxmZQClolDQDb_JLXLCx7n2L9a-Po53whBfwuemA61DnHOIDvMRVAhYv1K6qBOKb_jtRG10/w594-h640/Picture4.png" width="594" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #043164; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="color: #043164; font-size: large;"><b>Colorful and Blank Maps:</b></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> There is a colorful world map that shows where each biome is located. There is also a blank map where you could have your students color. Using color for diagrams and maps has been proven to help with information retention. Having students color the map themselves is a double win to help them remember the general area of the biomes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>TIP:</b></span> If you use interactive science composition notebooks, you could shrink the maps so they can glue them in their notebooks after coloring.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-jrH5y5ugXasj9BUhObfwdWb0Sxgcdv2Cnl7P8WGrRJYHXNzor-H6QAwmK34HLjzmGnttTKWhPaQ7Kem1wA8M_Z8VF4dM9VbsvY-Ox0h_a5gtJQGZQHUYVvVAHdkIKSv1dIpy6YHyvVB9vOX3uVkatZ3HsJiqKF5sQD6sbp7Z_XKLq2Y4a-mmaHH/s2640/Picture5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="2640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-jrH5y5ugXasj9BUhObfwdWb0Sxgcdv2Cnl7P8WGrRJYHXNzor-H6QAwmK34HLjzmGnttTKWhPaQ7Kem1wA8M_Z8VF4dM9VbsvY-Ox0h_a5gtJQGZQHUYVvVAHdkIKSv1dIpy6YHyvVB9vOX3uVkatZ3HsJiqKF5sQD6sbp7Z_XKLq2Y4a-mmaHH/w640-h360/Picture5.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="color: #043164; font-size: large;"><b>Answer Keys:</b></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Last but not least is... answer keys! In this freebie, there are answer keys for EVERYTHING, even where students should be highlighting to show proof for the comprehension questions. I know how little time teachers have to come up with an answer key, so all of that is included!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuuLm8SDbB76SDBsI1SRogNfJzFBc7TA-4r6d7hMHKs14OZmMO8oOLdQEeJl3bNygOZC6ejfeEq1Worflcwr-QckWmHnIeLkN51egbeCYvBaCXvb_pbRO-XyFQWg5BhIHKxUEwe3Vtf3wKKZoK-bpY4zO-RZcguUnVw7aZC6o4XMMRjiqdpFMEDtO/s720/Intro.%20to%20All%20Biomes%20Passage.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="556" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuuLm8SDbB76SDBsI1SRogNfJzFBc7TA-4r6d7hMHKs14OZmMO8oOLdQEeJl3bNygOZC6ejfeEq1Worflcwr-QckWmHnIeLkN51egbeCYvBaCXvb_pbRO-XyFQWg5BhIHKxUEwe3Vtf3wKKZoK-bpY4zO-RZcguUnVw7aZC6o4XMMRjiqdpFMEDtO/w309-h400/Intro.%20to%20All%20Biomes%20Passage.gif" width="309" /></a></div><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>HACK: </b></span>If you're one of those teachers who doesn't directly teach biomes (maybe it was taught last year or it will be taught in the next grade level), you can still use it for an educational time filler. Need something to fill a day before the holidays? This is perfect! Need something educational to do after state testing? This is perfect!</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>HACK: </b></span>This resource is also great for emergency sub plans. It will take at least an hour to complete AND you won't need to plan for a sub; just print and go!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Are you ready to give this resource a try? It is FREE after all! Grab yours today!👇</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div id="fd-form-63a0817c2846eec35208f8db"></div>
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</script>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-68404784504222007432022-12-12T10:40:00.001-06:002022-12-12T10:41:34.116-06:005 Ways to Stay Organized as a Middle School Teacher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5_V9R-u4rWDpel9JafsFNE3SFtNh01X1XT_kdxYat25yeuga2wGqz5F9VLRNo6s0dBNayomLkztD_YTOoNYIcDyXbp95UZKpGv5Ua6UShaCwHFqFCYS4KLxqLe2qCzAnRiLjF7kEUp0qKvZsglx9gmefbaxX4TJ61tKO2yDZu41Sf4W5QF8L_jcW/s2000/5%20Ways%20to%20Stay%20Organized%20as%20a%20Middle%20School%20Teacher%20%20Top%20Image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5_V9R-u4rWDpel9JafsFNE3SFtNh01X1XT_kdxYat25yeuga2wGqz5F9VLRNo6s0dBNayomLkztD_YTOoNYIcDyXbp95UZKpGv5Ua6UShaCwHFqFCYS4KLxqLe2qCzAnRiLjF7kEUp0qKvZsglx9gmefbaxX4TJ61tKO2yDZu41Sf4W5QF8L_jcW/w640-h496/5%20Ways%20to%20Stay%20Organized%20as%20a%20Middle%20School%20Teacher%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Teaching is hard, right? Anyone who has spent even one week as a classroom teacher knows this is the case! Staying organized as a teacher is a daunting challenge! I'm going to tell you a TRUE short story about 2 teachers (the Type A teacher has been teaching for 22 years & the Type B teacher has been teaching for 16 years). <div><br /></div><div>The Type A teacher is obsessively organized. Everything in their classroom is organized including digital files, printables, etc. The Type B teacher tries year after year to figure out how to get their Google Drive in order and decide the best way to organize digital content. The Type A teacher has lessons planned weeks in advance while the Type B teacher plans the weekend before. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the above scenario, I am explaining me (Type A) & my sister (Type B). I'm not really sure how we are full blood related siblings! 😂 Organization comes naturally to me & I pride myself on planning weeks ahead of time. My sister struggles with organization & lives hour by hour. My point being, not everyone is an organizational freak like yours truly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsGru9O9sH9_ZPwG2Juv0oJnyI6uYlOCMBhvnR_WGI8J4ZsBrj3GAmSulxgDa3A2I0bjPw63y8kffJollbvJLAGYyRttlo673A8pvdXTvNUbbj7OVBC-cmrF9JJKvMSVbBjUB1MPlAZKOgPR2s8fbumu3a2IVoM0WS_UOcvcG3AKf1MDcVINyOTPR/s245/npln.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="245" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsGru9O9sH9_ZPwG2Juv0oJnyI6uYlOCMBhvnR_WGI8J4ZsBrj3GAmSulxgDa3A2I0bjPw63y8kffJollbvJLAGYyRttlo673A8pvdXTvNUbbj7OVBC-cmrF9JJKvMSVbBjUB1MPlAZKOgPR2s8fbumu3a2IVoM0WS_UOcvcG3AKf1MDcVINyOTPR/w320-h261/npln.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I'll be sharing some organizational tips that will hopefully help make your life easier:</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>1. Digital Planner, Paper Planner, or Both</b></span></div><div><span> <span> Decide which one of these you like better when lesson planning. Personally I preferred having a paper lesson planner that way I could take notes as I was teaching </span></span>(more on that in a minute). I know some people prefer all things digital & some schools might even require you to submit your plans electronically. Luckily my school didn't require that. Even if I had to submit my lesson plans digitally, I still would've used a paper planner. There are pros & cons to using a digital vs paper planner. With digital, you can easily change plans at the last minute by copying or cutting & pasting. With paper, you need to erase or cross out your original ideas, so it takes longer & can get messy if you have a lot to change within your lesson plans. If you want to use both, your digital plans could be a more in-depth view of your day & your paper plans could be an outline of your daily lessons. Whatever you choose, do what is best for YOU!</div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>2. Write Down Everything</b></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span> </span><span> I started doing this my last 10 or so years of teaching. I used my paper planner as sort of like a very short diary, so when I was planning for the next school year, I could look back to see what worked & what didn't work. For example, if my class was conducting a lab activity testing bird beak adaptations I would jot notes in my planner on that day about what worked or didn't work. I could do this while I was walking around monitoring the different stations. To me it was just easier to walk around with my planner & a pencil & make notes on things like... allow more time for this activity, change this next year, or even make notes on things to add or delete for the activity. I promise that your next year teacher self will thank you!</span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVlzjLM082FvG5MWSBcsKvmsEcvhRSPweo2yNN27YuyrehyaPEepS_kzaCMLvqXYNnmmFAcqeJGMy1PEGHMdm6hLQK49aWSA2Z5RVwEz2T-VSPpD6Ldc475tSmcJiAWt6KL03bOn8FUEjhkCAp5GwQiuuY9WG0aBfcd7U6c2r24ORd2rafc6qxjU7/s4288/chivalry-creative-KptPfNB2Qpc-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4288" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVlzjLM082FvG5MWSBcsKvmsEcvhRSPweo2yNN27YuyrehyaPEepS_kzaCMLvqXYNnmmFAcqeJGMy1PEGHMdm6hLQK49aWSA2Z5RVwEz2T-VSPpD6Ldc475tSmcJiAWt6KL03bOn8FUEjhkCAp5GwQiuuY9WG0aBfcd7U6c2r24ORd2rafc6qxjU7/w400-h266/chivalry-creative-KptPfNB2Qpc-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>3. Binder for Student Info.</b></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> </span><span> I recommend having a binder where you can put information about students. You can include IEP's, 504's, any discipline notes, or anything that pertains to your students. That way when you have those IEP, 504, or parent meetings, you can grab that binder & go. It is very difficult if you have 150 students or more, especially during the 1st semester, to know what accommodations Johnny gets or that Susie has a health issue. The binder might have to be rather large depending on your student population, but having that at your fingertips is so valuable even though it does take some time to set up.</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>4. Digital or Paper Files</b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> No matter what grade you teach, you will need to have an organizational system in place for the lessons & activities you use in your classroom. At the beginning of my teaching career, I liked to have everything as a paper copy except for the PowerPoints. As I advanced in my career & technology became more commonplace, I found that I really like to store everything digitally, sorted into folders by unit number. If I had a digital copy of an activity that I needed copies of for class, I wouldn't keep a paper copy. Each time I needed to pull something from my digital files, I would just print the activity & make copies. You might like to have both, which is totally fine as long as you can keep your content organized. If you don't have some activities in digital form & need to store them, I recommend a file cabinet or keeping the paper copies in files in your desk drawer. The hanging file folders can be labeled the same way as your digital files to make it easier. I know some people who like to use milk crates with hanging file folders instead of a file cabinet. It's completely up to you... whatever works best for YOU that doesn't cause any unnecessary stress. Here's how some of my Google Drive files are organized (I recently taught 7th grade BTW):</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44Lb5NKroROcpUp0yBete-307r9kdJmjxXw6n9nU77z99MZxkBK5SAEJn0UJWdXK8i0emE7zlEsN_wYmeUYQqNTNa7TOGSmK48bpbrso2uVrWXAhaP2m1sk0j7V1kqtkmpTbJmQ2VQgyO9E9njGgdoCLmrKRPtySWenTJoy3fCXrh1_nqZ2EpsFmu/s1220/Screenshot%202022-12-12%20090602.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="1220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44Lb5NKroROcpUp0yBete-307r9kdJmjxXw6n9nU77z99MZxkBK5SAEJn0UJWdXK8i0emE7zlEsN_wYmeUYQqNTNa7TOGSmK48bpbrso2uVrWXAhaP2m1sk0j7V1kqtkmpTbJmQ2VQgyO9E9njGgdoCLmrKRPtySWenTJoy3fCXrh1_nqZ2EpsFmu/s16000/Screenshot%202022-12-12%20090602.png" /></a></div><br /><span><span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>5. Jot Down Supplies for Next Year</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Let's look at a scenario: You just finished up the school year & you're heading to Summer Break! 🎉🎉 You enjoy your break, but it's time to report back to school. As you're planning for your first 6 weeks, you remember something about needing different supplies for a science lab you tried last year. But for the life of you, you can't remember that far back. To help you remember, like I mentioned in #2 above, you not only should write notes about what worked & didn't work for you (in real time) during the year but you should also include items that you'll need to purchase yourself or order from your school. For example, if my students do a lab activity on bird beak adaptations & I see that I'm running out of sunflower seeds, I'll include that on a running list in my planner. Doing that saved me a tremendous amount of time the following year! I would always finalize my list when I was actively monitoring (how many of you hate those words? 🙋) state testing at the end of the year. So, you could buy the items with extra school budget money, you can buy it yourself over summer, or at the very least, you'll be able to plan when you'll need the items BEFORE you actually need them.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span>I hope these tips help you with classroom organization. I'd like to end with a quote to summarize this list: <span style="color: #6ecfda;"><b>'PROPER PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE'</b></span>! Get organized now to make your life easier in the future.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><i>P.S. Do you feel organized in your teacher life? If you do, drop me a line in the comments letting me know about an organization hack you have for teachers. If not, let me know what you're struggling with. I would LOVE to help you!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-24393008969738655402022-11-16T11:44:00.003-06:002022-11-16T12:11:40.256-06:00Using Bell Ringers in Your Middle School Science Class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Science-Bell-Ringers-8569387?utm_source=Fixin'%20to%20Teach&utm_campaign=Using%20Bell%20Ringers%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Class" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOuDOfDgwcx_bP3sqUscpkCQjYzNB5yDGk4wVslpu4OviM2TTNCMhErfLAhUdFmVlSU5uTogx_O6oa4mHWLWuaGKj9HiG_ZaLmzRNlaORDwKBY4LvLeoSNPt3Q8BAGjHq326V3kkU8kUb4TmsCGOL_aJ1I25x2bGAlKFuIaJ9YafzZ74BuQHer07f/w640-h496/Using%20Bell%20Ringers%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Class%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The bell rings to switch classes, and you absolutely dread the next class period! You get that sinking feeling in your stomach that makes you want to crawl into a corner and wish you were somewhere else. For me, that place is the Maldives! 🌴😂 Your students are always chaotic when they enter the classroom. You hate the beginning of class because the students come into your classroom looking to rain on your parade. I swear the DMX song, 'Y'all gonna make me lose my mind' was meant for teachers. I've been there and then some! Does this sound like some of what you experience as a middle school teacher? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF67TBG60iVP96eiNwAhvuY8Q00PFzGM6PZXmluwBSZ_yLADwaKVOb0V2x2KyWJOdhrtoki7J1xyJmpRdZPURcx_LGGBRXlgx3rY9i6-WRWcJWhdpNWODs5lY3FxbTq4RTEYMG5Bn4oobTXAovMayPB4SiBsJKC26XM3cdz36v-d4e5H8swWHKEBK/s360/tumblr_nc19koFiWG1rx1uhuo1_400%20(1).gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="360" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF67TBG60iVP96eiNwAhvuY8Q00PFzGM6PZXmluwBSZ_yLADwaKVOb0V2x2KyWJOdhrtoki7J1xyJmpRdZPURcx_LGGBRXlgx3rY9i6-WRWcJWhdpNWODs5lY3FxbTq4RTEYMG5Bn4oobTXAovMayPB4SiBsJKC26XM3cdz36v-d4e5H8swWHKEBK/w640-h418/tumblr_nc19koFiWG1rx1uhuo1_400%20(1).gif" width="640" /></a></div><div>Well, I have a solution that helped me managed those passing period and beginning of class scaries. At my most recent middle school, all teachers had to stand at their door monitoring the hallway which makes it very difficult to keep control of the hallway and the students already in your classroom. To combat this, I trained my students from day 1 on what my expectations were when they came into my class. I had a slide for each day of the week that I projected on the board to tell them what to do... either getting their science notebooks or supplies they'll need for that class. No matter what the other instructions were for the beginning of class, one thing was certain; they had a bell ringer (or warm-up) to complete at the beginning of class. When I decided that I needed a change to begin each period, I created no-prep bell ringers to use that were either a spiral review or a practice of current concepts. As professionals, we all know that the more practice students have with a concept, the more they will remember the information. With repeated review, students will also be able to apply what they know easier as well. Below is a sample of one style of bell ringer that I created to use in class:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Science-Bell-Ringers-8569387?utm_source=Fixin'%20to%20Teach&utm_campaign=Using%20Bell%20Ringers%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Class" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="1596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvWORm37f0FocZCwIXyZh3v6bMJcQMZvuAPxirih6p8bUIz5Mte10GUKI6JUZJFBRqatIbmTGzIAk6d48-r7H2a3p7G20lQ7nkgFvHnBbj_iUWX8yZey4vrxnhVrHRBaYTCcvuzGFhHfXcLLBNFOA3u2_v-OoVCxJzfUHPPHnq-DdA4XowM4NwgmF/w520-h640/IMG_2083.jpeg" width="520" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I use this style of bell ringer for a typical beginning of class activity or as an educational time filler. There's 2 of the same bell ringer on one page that I just cut in half and I'm ready to go. If there's 10 minutes left in class, get one of these half sheets out to curb the chaos at the end of class. If I use these as traditional bell ringers, I NEVER graded them to put in the grade book. The students knew that these were for practice purposes ONLY. I wanted students to be able to make mistakes and ask questions. I would usually give the students about 5-7 minutes after the tardy bell rang to complete their daily bell ringer. That way, while students were working, I could take care of attendance and any issues that arose at the beginning of the period. Then, we would go over the answers together, either orally or using a document camera, and students had a chance to ask questions. Below is a sample of the other style of bell ringer that I use in class:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Science-Bell-Ringers-8569387?utm_source=Fixin'%20to%20Teach&utm_campaign=Using%20Bell%20Ringers%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Class" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1919" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0bawhFgI7TNgAhUnhcXuusU87PgvRXMAyTeRxxjr3N7_AYQRJagkHz8Gmn233O8Q6LC_kEgLEhN5SClT_8_5XYz_dmtm9bV5Ti5AUq76k1kSyzak310rFgQaKzK8zbKTjpOCUtJQx9an5bfihImpRg9UxUoweJDSwAlC52smwbcs5RbXB58DMoxe/w546-h640/IMG_2082.jpeg" width="546" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I use this style if I want to make a packet to use as sub plans. Since there are 2 separate bell ringers on one page, this is a great way to include multiple bell ringers and copy front to back. I absolutely love these because they are such easy prep and everything is included for you... well, except the actual copies! If you're using these as a packet for your sub plans, you could take a participation grade to make sure students actually did something when you weren't in the classroom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the end of the day, your classroom is YOURS. You spent all those years in school and all that money! Someone once told me, 'It is your classroom, and you have control of it!' I think about that often when I need a mental pep talk. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you teach middle school science, check out my no-prep bell ringers to help get your students into a routine that benefits everyone. Click on the picture below to grab this time-saving resource now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Science-Bell-Ringers-8569387?utm_source=Fixin'%20to%20Teach&utm_campaign=Using%20Bell%20Ringers%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Class" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="3630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIMUZEl1Q7vX3NptZSPMLA5YJAbMoUM3r26EzdbliAkDyxezrJPpKPUn3_-nHOLXQnkWT1WQTwLYzPHapU2W0kLwptzQoGRFnEu3hQBSzVUz6gFszrehEZWBG9qLG3GI5bxH-kHiDI-zYyCSwtARCrSltN0GfyonPvqPyB0u-9BU1Jmcm9sK7pRtI/w640-h320/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: white;"><br /> </span></div></div></div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-36331837004622594282022-11-11T14:35:00.004-06:002022-11-11T14:35:39.903-06:007 Books to Have in Your Middle School Science Classroom Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmchEMvLXKa1hmD3CeEVRzoB1tqO3lAfGFTdTrU3SzZpbsMmaBvMVLy2K7SiEfwq-tXQfmhDkhHAYNuXiZqsJqVVZ9bjlUIlKgpNo6bK7rikkj6Mmi07AfoJKIpfde_L2qBLJfLm6Gsfj_sAdExJyCSvlut5Wi4XCJXzKk3z84J_z9I63awd4cGF2/s2000/7%20Books%20to%20Have%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Classroom%20Library%20%20Top%20Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmchEMvLXKa1hmD3CeEVRzoB1tqO3lAfGFTdTrU3SzZpbsMmaBvMVLy2K7SiEfwq-tXQfmhDkhHAYNuXiZqsJqVVZ9bjlUIlKgpNo6bK7rikkj6Mmi07AfoJKIpfde_L2qBLJfLm6Gsfj_sAdExJyCSvlut5Wi4XCJXzKk3z84J_z9I63awd4cGF2/w640-h496/7%20Books%20to%20Have%20in%20Your%20Middle%20School%20Science%20Classroom%20Library%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Having supplemental books in your science classroom can have SO many advantages. For one, you can use these books for students to browse after they have completed their work. You could even create fun activities for students to do based on the books you have in your classroom. During my 22 years of teaching, I've had so many students grab science books off of my shelf and just read or look at the pictures and ask questions about random science topics. They're a GREAT way to incite student curiosity! Below are some of my recommendations for books that every middle school science teacher should have in their classroom:<div><br /></div><div><i>This post contains Amazon affiliate links.</i></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f978d0; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook</i> by Michael Geisen</b></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;">This book covers literally EVERYTHING including scientific investigation; matter, chemical reactions, and solutions; human body and body systems; biological classification and cells; and so much more! It's written in a kid-friendly style and language and has lots of easy to understand illustrations. There are also lots of fun little 'knowledge checks' (that are like quizzes) with answers on the next page so students can check their answers. This would be a fun activity for early finishers; you could have them write the answers on a separate paper and test their knowledge. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3UwGCKY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3UwGCKY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="520" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8iH0VjW_0MTDJkTtgSJ9W35EpAW-sivnVaGaiMnzHY1-gM9zlDCsAxRK8Swt3UQjlJ7EynuRRUYFhDc3tWDbZQjM_oMMIE6R4tcSo6JIEwYghVllDV4nXAhTYgfCowfyE-qIwA1eWBSJpOX8cVbr_gXHvKjWIy9vKQLCf-v6to67uE-Ldb9aQ67om/w295-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20103830.png" width="295" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f978d0; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Human Body Theater</i> by Maris Wicks</b></span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can tell by the title, this book is about the human body systems. If you teach about the body systems, this book is WONDERFUL! It is written in a comic book style and includes information about all 5 senses and has a glossary at the end. It covers all 10 body systems as well as an introduction on cells and how they pertain to the human body. This book has funny captions and kid-friendly descriptions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3EltjYd" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3EltjYd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="463" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYeai7YiycvxoTsexXXPgxPvlTz8TmmA_yb0JRpa1BdaBPLaEV77_uN_tXYwBNskuQ8X8Y7JL-vA3FAesM9U6JxaePzTIUs5P3zbZ8ET25wmeNBuYi1z1-dH41hCbG2VyJERqZcFuEvpj0IhAcaaGf4SU4UedgDYgwcFNNBQ_NNaRG6S4sMVtssaG/w286-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20104254.png" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f978d0; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Sciencesaurus Student Handbook</i> by Holt McDougal</b></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;">This book is another great resource to have in your science classroom. It is like a miniature textbook with topics divided into sections and subsections with a glossary and table of contents. The book has pretty much every topic taught in middle school and then some. You could use this book for early finishers or as a resource for students who are struggling to grasp concepts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3Gd14fE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Gd14fE" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="403" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZiR8Zw0prgGqjf__oPyZf0YCFBzwL9n-Y8n2Urm93ruUUoBlmuxAyukXlgFCWPdv_fdPMFWdcoZtiz2Bp7d24hyNazfiErAG38guufQ5FGdrlRo_qHKo1t-SFazlLsOhAjqqh2v_Ae09A07RtEOXG_lHCVucdlfTnMaEpCVx1mOwJLdHulEJuWLt/w281-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20112054.png" width="281" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f978d0; font-size: x-large;"><i>Ask Your Science Teacher: Answers to Everyday Questions</i> by Larry Scheckel</span></b></h2><div style="text-align: left;">This book is perfect for those students who are always asking obscure off-topic questions. We've all had those students... you really want to answer the question because they're showing curiosity but don't have time or just plain don't know the answer! Questions like, <i>What makes our eyes twitch?</i> or <i>How do glow-in-the-dark objects work?</i> Those are just 2 of the 250 questions answered in this book. You could even create writing prompts from these questions or have students summarize what they've read. This is a great book to incite student curiosity!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3TnYGpq" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3TnYGpq" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="341" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gbDcf2yT3rxAZwuOfgHzQxc9GieJzkyufxYa0hmjRm5vtZ8qKIQrrHQIreQfAQnl9-Hsj9BAAeum7kMicgpjcnKyPi74YbstpBYhc3B98VGZe9Nx-1xDZtJl97TwnmSFE7_1Lxr-9NFXUA-xRQMQ1B8amA8xCjmxTS0vpa2jcETMIhsJwNP-2Nup/w269-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20114349.png" width="269" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f978d0; font-size: x-large;"><i>Knowledge Encyclopedia Science!</i> by DK</span></b></h2><div style="text-align: left;">This is another great reference book for your science classroom that covers many topics. It is illustration-heavy with tons of captions so students don't get overwhelmed with reading paragraph after paragraph. This book does a nice job of breaking down concepts with visuals which might benefit struggling students. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3WStQrY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3WStQrY" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="492" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VnwSZiWVyo83ta48QR7XdX4cO5mHtLMab1pelWVSVuADv4pOe8lj5WWd2tB0TEI0ewjSA0E_5yjsO5Vc4tADehhVpx2m--XIrfYOMXaO_er_G7sa9T0aQ_59Emzq68mDxMZpSXIhEqm6b6IW0tzw8k-xpeFYjz_2i4a_jq-OtmTp1GJYo4sbYQSE/w338-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20120525.png" width="338" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f978d0; font-size: x-large;"><i>How to Survive Middle School: Science: A Do-It-Yourself Study Guide</i> by Rachel Ross, Maria Ter-Mikaelian, & Ilse Ortabasi</span></b></h2><div style="text-align: left;">This book is a great resource for not only struggling students but also for early finishers who like learning new concepts about science. It includes information on lots of different concepts that are broken up nicely with wonderful illustrations. The book also has activities and questions that are answered within each section so students can check their level of understanding. Each chapter also has a vocabulary list of definitions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3hyboVh" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3hyboVh" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="470" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV_ltdICtkMc7EkgNnm_Pr6v8zfCY09tytdHb_hGFlVV-xDxv31Fwvo4XPZ-FuEMTvrY8VokB4YiEcdIuEOXGMesSgkTjjWLXoYkZKjlj0UN0vJqf8LRTQ51D2oxWuXSBAa2umIhbzeMKFTzWO2lKkuFIC_jOS3dEMeOD5ivhXRLf7mqFZnCh7LNW/w265-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20122436.png" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f978d0; font-size: x-large;"><i>Science Encyclopedia: Atoms Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More!</i> by National Geographic Kids</span></b></h2><div style="text-align: left;">Let me start off by saying... anything by National Geographic Kids is AMAZING!! Don't let the topics in the title fool you. There is SO much more than just what is listed there. In true National Geographic fashion, the photos and illustrations are beautiful! This book also gives a list of websites, films and shows, and books where students can go to learn more about anything science related. Even though this is geared towards 'kids', it is well-suited for middle school.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can check out this book <a href="https://amzn.to/3toSpiG" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f978d0;">here.</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3toSpiG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="591" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt5UxW7vi7_2Q1iucnUgFXYLYQDDXCg8N8cMUPsBBdUyM2MTM5wwQraWi_v0jdQ87Ar8Lk63TB0PcjuNLfdiepbyz4YlVk8DE4KGSLBc3wjbdL8-50tSX4RWY6GcvKPxqefpqzv6SRkbKuQvrSD8_3hSRV-J5p4f12JNYOYn_HzV9fd_tV9uwkxb7/w300-h400/Screenshot%202022-11-11%20124301.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you get a chance to check out some of these books! They can be a wonderful supplement to your middle school science classroom. Let me know in the comments if you have other books to add to this list. I'd LOVE to hear from you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-50313273596097727072022-09-23T11:45:00.040-05:002022-11-11T14:11:35.281-06:00Why I Use Choice Board Projects in Middle School Science<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruLkKWUhtHDtkIWqbECx0SwcY-bpZljQGwyDNmRZnJ_ooLI357gkplhXIx5zo5fS1hiO6UiyNfRpeDCkHOdZuTDHcV7gccVkA0JmEKPlfGIOFLp7I-R7_ZuS4FGRLj20Xnklwf2fUi1RvS9I4Qxk0ruwBNN2A8ST45PMCo7sLczvFPaux-eb9nljP/s2000/Why%20I%20Use%20Choice%20Boards%20%20Top%20Image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruLkKWUhtHDtkIWqbECx0SwcY-bpZljQGwyDNmRZnJ_ooLI357gkplhXIx5zo5fS1hiO6UiyNfRpeDCkHOdZuTDHcV7gccVkA0JmEKPlfGIOFLp7I-R7_ZuS4FGRLj20Xnklwf2fUi1RvS9I4Qxk0ruwBNN2A8ST45PMCo7sLczvFPaux-eb9nljP/w640-h496/Why%20I%20Use%20Choice%20Boards%20%20Top%20Image.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Do you struggle with differentiation in your science classroom? Do you want your students to review concepts while also having fun? Well, I have some great ideas about how you can use choice boards to accomplish all of that!</p><p>Most of the time in class, I kind of feel like this...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LZUT2ft9J_U776HSJlNtI055OqBpUS2l5ouWAPuajO_9AESr3EXLxw6s68Rz6zSFjy29FpApRVJZFlMA6P_oJAwkiREfeMDU6btFN01r-7vjQldG9J3tJDMVJTMPt5C7e6VazmGQ9LageTzfuJLrIvHFiC5P7OvH5VYGLWSNhoVfgyOxDTxSFaIk/s220/anyone-answer.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="220" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LZUT2ft9J_U776HSJlNtI055OqBpUS2l5ouWAPuajO_9AESr3EXLxw6s68Rz6zSFjy29FpApRVJZFlMA6P_oJAwkiREfeMDU6btFN01r-7vjQldG9J3tJDMVJTMPt5C7e6VazmGQ9LageTzfuJLrIvHFiC5P7OvH5VYGLWSNhoVfgyOxDTxSFaIk/w400-h225/anyone-answer.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, when I get the chance for students to do something fun with little to no prep, I'm all over it! When I first started teaching (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth) JK, differentiation wasn't really a huge deal. Well, I learned quickly that ALL students learn differently! I was on the struggle bus for a long time when it came to differentiating activities for my students. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is where choice boards come into play. If you're not really sure what choice boards are, they're just that. Students get choices on how they want to showcase their learning. I usually bust these choice boards out the last week of our unit, right before our district assessment. These projects as I call them take about 3-4 days of in-class work, and they are COMPLETELY student-centered!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What can choice boards look like? I use different types so that students don't get bored of the same old... choose this, this, and this. I have some that work like tic-tac-toe where they choose 3 in a row/column/diagonal to 'win'. This kind really takes thinking on your part because you can't just put any 3 assignment choices in a sequence. You need to be strategic on where you place each assignment. You wouldn't want to put 3 easy tasks in a row or vice versa. This is super easy for differentiation! With my SPED students who need a lot of extra help, I tell them to choose any 3 on the board (they don't need to go in order like the other students). Of course, I tell them privately because you know how nosey other students get, and I just don't want to deal with that (that's a whole blog post in itself). If you'd like to look at this type of choice board, click on the picture below:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Biodiversity-Loss-Choice-Board-Editable-7781727" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlfllBxjbk3SisM8R7EoI8XCiJvOVD9_HbXsgh28vTK5qKygKyXa9p7w2DWGzrKLpr-pQ4bxh-mym28itLkMpkx6DWaqEzCRoBUSErTxfFLrgCHRxehjphzzoeox9m3nW_hPVPS6jt4UCxMtt4xbYsxgpvOKdecKV8u75jk6VnzimN9SXUnD_3nww/w400-h400/Biodiversity%20Loss%20Project%20Cover.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another type of choice board that I like to use is one that I call a 2-5-8. This is when students are given various tasks worth 2 points, 5 points, and 8 points and they choose any two assignments that add up to 10 points. Of course the 2 point tasks are easy, and they get more difficult (more creating) the higher in points that you go. I try to have at least four tasks for each set of points that students can choose from. For example, students would choose one 2 point assignment & one 8 point assignment, or they can choose two 5 point projects. Again, the differentiation here is super easy. For SPED students, I let them choose what they want to do (even if the point total doesn't add up to 10). At the other end of that spectrum, some of my GT students usually want to complete two 8 point tasks, and I let them do it as long as they feel like they can finish in time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's talk about the 2-5-8 choice board a bit more in detail because TBH these are my favorite! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Two Point Tasks:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> Since these assignments are only worth 2 points, I make them easy. For the most part, students will get a paper from me, complete it, and they're done. Here is an example of one of the 2 point tasks from my human body systems choice board project:</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9Za2mOmPnldAQWZlUGOr2ga7DconQQsECM1eIPqpan9bLQDEQFkDVkClMKj25g3WjsHDExlkWG5vF1wywS-aSlJUX_PtD9rMt_VXu70pWowj4j_jEgmvNh6lWVnE85XfrAi1F8_cHhLaoiFSTFG0yzsml4sj2Crgf2d5xicaBfurO1GhrdQz-Rbl/s2048/photo-output%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9Za2mOmPnldAQWZlUGOr2ga7DconQQsECM1eIPqpan9bLQDEQFkDVkClMKj25g3WjsHDExlkWG5vF1wywS-aSlJUX_PtD9rMt_VXu70pWowj4j_jEgmvNh6lWVnE85XfrAi1F8_cHhLaoiFSTFG0yzsml4sj2Crgf2d5xicaBfurO1GhrdQz-Rbl/w400-h400/photo-output%20(7).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">These task cards are worth 2 points. I copy several sets of the task cards & QR code answers (not enough for each student, but enough that several students per class can use them at the same time). You can either laminate them or put them in sheet protectors and attach with a binder ring for future use. If students choose this task, they get the task cards & answer sheet. Once they're done with the 20 task card questions, they come get the QR code answer sheet & scan each one to make sure their answers are correct. If students have questions, I make sure to help them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Five Point Tasks:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span> These tasks are going to be a bit more difficult and students will need to get a tad creative. For the 5 point tasks, I try to include several ways that students can show what they know. I like to incorporate a couple writing tasks as well as some drawing or a little of both. Personally, I love to write and suck at drawing, so I would've totally chosen the written tasks! Students are the same way, especially middle schoolers, at what they like and don't like. </span>Here is an example of one of the 5 point tasks from my human body systems choice board project:</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15aM4GuuFghIO0HPt-gG8PQlxuTEgCbCRCHGr_2MeGHnlBZBNBaE7ax91xfDhaHgl55ijp91dTPjzj1Y9iVrg01sCxH6oi_6UBxEf7KJXKn057_JQgTzYM-_vBKsF8EBKjweTjG-_R04CwHENovkIqunBWWJk2o2Qpyd2EfFyJ4gDUACuPLPuBRjJ/s2048/photo-output%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15aM4GuuFghIO0HPt-gG8PQlxuTEgCbCRCHGr_2MeGHnlBZBNBaE7ax91xfDhaHgl55ijp91dTPjzj1Y9iVrg01sCxH6oi_6UBxEf7KJXKn057_JQgTzYM-_vBKsF8EBKjweTjG-_R04CwHENovkIqunBWWJk2o2Qpyd2EfFyJ4gDUACuPLPuBRjJ/w400-h400/photo-output%20(3).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the above task, students need to create a billboard for 3 homeostasis functions of the human body. I do let students use a computer for a lot of the tasks if they prefer. When you're creating choice boards for your class, keep in mind that students must choose TWO 5 point tasks if that's what they want to do to get to the required 10 points. So, you'll need to have several 5 point task choices. If you only have two or three tasks, it's not really considered a choice board. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Eight Point Tasks:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> These tasks are WAY more difficult and in-depth than the other point sections. I expect students to show high quality and creativity! This point section should take up the majority of the students' work time. If they choose an 8 point task & a 2 point task, the 2 point task should take about 1/2 to a full class period to complete. That means the 8 point task should take a couple days. </span>Here is an example of one of the 8 point tasks from my human body systems choice board project:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_9-e4xm5y-P9HqDuRwGKLolddhFrhPDctZYw4Be3Gywu8skJee4jsTl9wUfsutRjzZyr49_-ZTV1hzBBg1Zes2qCcxOIC0LjKNtbD2gjkqmdS5jB1xaMzbYMCGJczakn3y6q519PK3fd50Wpocx9uRCWGhKhWKVPpa8oNy46VHPQYDBgVZ8UOyxA/s2048/photo-output%20(6).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_9-e4xm5y-P9HqDuRwGKLolddhFrhPDctZYw4Be3Gywu8skJee4jsTl9wUfsutRjzZyr49_-ZTV1hzBBg1Zes2qCcxOIC0LjKNtbD2gjkqmdS5jB1xaMzbYMCGJczakn3y6q519PK3fd50Wpocx9uRCWGhKhWKVPpa8oNy46VHPQYDBgVZ8UOyxA/w400-h400/photo-output%20(6).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In general, I like to make the 8 point assignments all about creating and using those higher-level thinking skills. For the above task, students need to create a foldable or staggered book incorporating the following: the structures & functions of all of the human body systems that we cover in class, homeostasis examples, & include a picture of the system.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You might be thinking, 'If a choice board project takes 3-4 days to complete, it must be a lot of prep, right?' Wrong... The hardest part is deciding which tasks you want to include when creating your choice board as well as the points to assign to each one! Yes, there are copies to be made, but it's really no more than an average day. Also, for the 5 & 8 point tasks, I get out 3x5 notecards, plain white printer paper, and lined paper so the students can choose how they want to complete their work. I buy the notecards & lined paper with budget money because they are super cheap (you could also ask students to bring some of that at the beginning of the year if you have a supply list). The printer paper is just copy paper that I 'borrow' from the copy room. If you're laughing like... we don't have a budget or I'm at a low income school, students can always complete a lot of the tasks on the computer & share it with you when they finish. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hopefully I have convinced you to try using choice boards in your class and at least given you some ideas of how to go about creating your own! Creating choice boards is kinda my jam, so if you'd like to check out the human body systems choice board, click on the picture below. Let me know in the comments if you've used choice boards or have any questions about using or creating them! I'd love to hear from you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Human-Body-Systems-Project-Editable-7417682" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5iVoTKQ9DQNl_2XM_Z80WgEY7DBzncuT3bxZCIfuVCnF14ptFNu0uIUfW5DRYIM23PmJRviZNuNGI9fICnEb8lHcedxLkIqsBzB6eG-Zw2saJp2sfRwBNINkProtr7zqxdXNmWOh6YKOJZ-Oz-Bu6TlodRSxwILshwn48oZxVzLGPed_mtwoQ4oZ/w400-h400/Human%20Body%20Systems%20Project%20Cover.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-72279819917185512372022-07-18T11:52:00.000-05:002022-07-18T11:52:27.558-05:00Tips for a First Year Science Teacher<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinh249CIh4IMgjKCWANWV2ywRUEnejUaS3xn3Pr4ttjwkKhuwGwpGgW4UgPSm1A6xSC4iwTAcDuHsyCIh8uC0gTiZUN4KhwZMKurk_zvfe5aL8CmF-10r6FhHxOA1BTdss8roveuyGbDmc2f1U42GzoQQ3pN3P_NtX2gXS4v5xtDAmVMx-LhUsnInN/s2000/Tips%20for%20a%20First%20Year%20Science%20Teacher%20%20Top%20Image.png"><img alt="Tips for a First Year Teacher" border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinh249CIh4IMgjKCWANWV2ywRUEnejUaS3xn3Pr4ttjwkKhuwGwpGgW4UgPSm1A6xSC4iwTAcDuHsyCIh8uC0gTiZUN4KhwZMKurk_zvfe5aL8CmF-10r6FhHxOA1BTdss8roveuyGbDmc2f1U42GzoQQ3pN3P_NtX2gXS4v5xtDAmVMx-LhUsnInN/w640-h496/Tips%20for%20a%20First%20Year%20Science%20Teacher%20%20Top%20Image.png" title="Tips for a First Year Science Teacher" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Are you a first year science teacher or a first year teacher in general and want all of the help that you can get? When I tell you that your first year teaching will be the most difficult of your career, I really do mean it! This past school year was my 22nd and final year of teaching. It does get easier, but every year is HARD work! Here are a few tips that I would've told myself as a first year teacher:</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;"><b>1. Be flexible</b></span></div><div>As a veteran teacher, I can promise you that something will (without fail) interrupt your class. Whether there was a last minute assembly or the fire alarm decides to go off and one class of the day was ruined, you need to figure out a way to work around the disruption. If you work in middle school like I did, there are times when some students won't be in class for a choir trip, band trip, track meet, etc. Decide how you'll handle that make-up work and move on with your life. Complaining to admin. or anyone else won't solve anything and you'll only create a negative relationship with your co-workers. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;">2. Ask for help</span></b></div><div>Some schools will provide you with a mentor teacher. USE THEM! I remember what it was like during my first few years of teaching, and it was rough. So, as a mentor teacher, I tried my best to help the new teachers. Even veteran teachers who move schools need help; not necessarily with the teaching content but also help learning the ins and outs of their new school. Mentor teachers have been through the trenches and could easily answer a simple dilemma that you've been struggling with for days. Your mentor teacher or veteran teachers in your field can greatly help you with lessons, activities, and anything else you might need as a newbie.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;"><b>3. Plan out labs ahead of time</b></span></div><div>Science is very different from other classes in that students will complete labs in the classroom. Some labs need to be planned a few days or a week before the students complete it in class. It can take a lot of prep work. You need to make sure you have all of the lab materials necessary. That can take some planning. If you're missing an item for a lab, you need to have time to acquire the missing part. Also, if you have questions about any part of the lab, you'll be able to get help before you hand over the reins to the students. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;">4. Test out the lab</span></b></div><div>Once you've acquired the materials for the lab, go through each step as if you were a student. If you don't know how to complete the lab, your students most likely will struggle. Also, you can see what kinks need to be worked out before the students get access to the lab. If I'm giving the students a lab that I haven't tested out yet, I feel very unprepared. There were even times where I fully tested out the lab and then something didn't work out right in my first period. That will happen. By testing out the lab first, you'll at least feel prepared and confident going into the activity.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;"><b>5. Have classroom management</b></span></div><div>I know you've taken classes in classroom management in college, but that doesn't quite prepare you for managing 6 or so classes by yourself everyday of the year. I have stories that would make you speechless! 😝 The best way to feel somewhat confident in starting the school year is to have a PLAN! I recommend having an individual plan as well as whole group (class) plan. This topic alone could be a separate blog post. Ask yourself... what will I do if ____________ happens? Also, know your school's discipline policy and try to work your classroom management around that.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;"><b>6. Write everything down</b></span></div><div>If you teach the same concepts year after year, your planning each year will get easier. Until then, pretend that your lesson plans are your daily diary. Each day, write down what worked and didn't work. It literally takes a few minutes, and your future self will thank you for the extra time you spent doing that. Even at 22 years, I still looked back on my lesson plan book when planning for a new school year. I also would create a running list of items that I would need or things I wanted to change for the next school year. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #f86fcc; font-size: medium;"><b>7. Don't spend your own money</b></span></div><div>This has been a major topic of controversy in recent years regarding teachers having to buy their own supplies. Yes, you're going to spend your own money on your classroom to make it homey because it WILL be your second home. By all means, buy all the lamps, decorations, or whatever you want to make your classroom YOURS. But, as I said earlier, science is a whole different ballgame. We can use so many different supplies to put together one lab. My advice is to beg, borrow, and well don't steal. 😂 Take advantage of supplies that you have at your school, ask other science teachers at your school or in your district. You might have a budget for science materials or admin. might have extra money (especially if you're in a title one school) to help get you materials for labs. Now, if you need to buy an inexpensive consumable item, like an elodea plant, then just spend the money. If there's something that you'll use EVERY year, then get help from the school.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whether you're in your first year or tenth, I really hope this helps some!! Good luck in your endeavors and remember, it will only get easier! If you have any questions or would like to add to the list, add a comment below.</div>Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-30666549897493080882019-07-24T11:53:00.005-05:002019-07-24T14:30:02.310-05:00Best Science YouTube Channels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwyZjY-pBJ7-PtvyafhEkQeluJunbWIyHniC6luOWiS-WN06u5X6Dr4DezcvNkFxBPg8FHBNJMZoElbC2j-X8oDrGwmr7zT6erO9GBKaWfrWwJScoZ2u8UAlIUPuE6RdbsNbwul9E_ps/s1600/YouTube+Blog+Post+Top+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Great YouTube channels for science" border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1286" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwyZjY-pBJ7-PtvyafhEkQeluJunbWIyHniC6luOWiS-WN06u5X6Dr4DezcvNkFxBPg8FHBNJMZoElbC2j-X8oDrGwmr7zT6erO9GBKaWfrWwJScoZ2u8UAlIUPuE6RdbsNbwul9E_ps/s640/YouTube+Blog+Post+Top+Image.jpg" title="Best Science YouTube Channels" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hey Y'all!!<br />
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Remember back in the day when you were sitting in class and learning from textbooks, worksheets, or lectures. Well, today teaching has changed a lot... especially science. Being a science teacher means keeping up to date with the latest information so that we can share that knowledge with our students. It also means communicating that content in a fun and engaging way. One way I have found to increase engagement is by using videos, whether it be in stations, mini-lectures, or Nearpod (click <a href="https://www.fixintoteach.com/2016/10/the-one-app-i-use-in-science-that-i_22.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to read my blog post about Nearpod).<br />
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Imagine trying to explain the function of different parts of an animal cell or how weathering, erosion, & deposition affects Earth's surface. It's RATHER difficult to do that with teacher explanation alone. Why not show a video where students can ACTUALLY see the effect WED has on Earth's surface? Don't get me wrong, there are tons of hands-on activities where the students can explore difficult concepts. But, videos add that 'real-life' aspect of exploration. After teaching science at both the elementary and middle school levels, I've gathered quite a few YouTube channels that I love that are both entertaining as well as informational. For ease of navigating, I've split the videos into elementary level & middle school level. Click on the pictures to go to that YouTube channel.<br />
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Crash Course Kids is such a fun way to supplement elementary science content. There are quite a few good videos here about various science concepts such as mixtures & solutions, space, & LOTS more!</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/tkent22/featured" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="859" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdo9CmPsestVyjd7tj7StW9Is7fImdu6YUMcfEMnfwaVZK__4D0bns5NnzpD-EJx6SGx7uYKcXMP-5PPABQT0lgXluu8Atc_fpinSygE5iXzFCktch6ExbJi5W1jxZsPWs2GgSpWMPGg/s400/Annotation+2019-07-24+120135.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Esteem Interactive Learning has a variety of geology videos ranging from geology in the kitchen to geo-road trips. It's fun for students to be able to 'visit' various places that show examples of what you're discussing in class!</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">3. </b></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mtinquirecom/feed" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="650" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5y8ulm5Z9JB_K584z7IrUKfDISKBca5DKqLgGSYT5UP8SFjKNklGM3ZKa8nkyQPaH9b0iD-Z-m8DKWt3Yk04bp9aMl4AyVRa-vsC7n2SBmKwdGrNAO5JCeY7enUcRzNXERqGrV6fRsM/s400/Annotation+2019-07-24+120832.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're in Texas, mtInQuire.com has videos related to specific TEKS. However, some of the videos are older which means that the TEKS number might not match, but the content should still be valid. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmVpK1uCXOxPWhHFMTjS8A92UFHbWjn6EkhRGGzKI9pEeK5FyMYfrNxt6XaRUO99XhFMaJXR4NUD1r7ft3aQjdUuoYre-fbR7q_FSfBnvxgnlwF9WeQdJolpGoLd9oSLWm2hEOF05Gyw/s1600/Middle+School+Label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="702" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmVpK1uCXOxPWhHFMTjS8A92UFHbWjn6EkhRGGzKI9pEeK5FyMYfrNxt6XaRUO99XhFMaJXR4NUD1r7ft3aQjdUuoYre-fbR7q_FSfBnvxgnlwF9WeQdJolpGoLd9oSLWm2hEOF05Gyw/s400/Middle+School+Label.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AmoebaSisters/featured" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="947" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-nDSbK_kTKO79olYSuoNw2ECHjmsCWFiDvE_pnbZYRpdkbpUgdoEyBwcV6v5x18riF-JtjPAkA7of1xZ-blhBgzoJ4_Lym4pg2k8D7w5sNscbSQzm6F7iAjuUI3Ep3_1-jB4w82LFI8/s400/Annotation+2019-07-24+121451.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Amoeba Sisters is probably my favorite middle school biology-related channel. Their videos are hilarious and there are quite a few puns sprinkled throughout! If you teach anything related to biology & haven't checked out their YouTube channel, you MUST do so! They are also on Patreon if you'd like to support them. If you do, they let you vote on their upcoming videos. Check out their YouTube channel for more info. on Patreon.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/londonjenks/featured" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="887" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0q6bLObuoG85ITvrUGjWV975QEN3r4o77xx5djgTw7t71AYfFQZvPlgLfN5hs00LawohEXX0eCV1fa0BOGLIxSzyZdptVFm82VRut_1Y0W1J9XQBCrmX1gJDU-OAsfFTdUcTvvFVCOU/s400/Annotation+2019-07-24+122729.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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London Jenks has a WIDE variety of videos on his channel. The videos encompass all branches of science, & they're short enough to supplement concepts.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/bozemanbiology/featured" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="223" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8b8H8Yeqz9pJsDwdwNyPCLfLKOvJK2X01p_0qq250HS280vJrCInls7kn7iThuZCJ7hFB7ANBtmBNqwf29blfGfXNBOKD6MQI-17jG76xoWiD8Pjcz6y4gl8wjc7XF8EV0RcNgf4ZSg/s320/Annotation+2019-07-24+123752.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bozeman Science is a great informative YouTube channel. He's not as entertaining as some of the other channels I've mentioned, but the information is WONDERFUL! These videos could be used as a review for some students who don't grasp a concept. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/FlinnScientific/featured" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="294" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdn6lctoNA9nShNmL1p9kfkxFradVerKTjtOMCLGFHk4OZgVSUijsIBUU2jDvU5n9n6W3M-RSE7R6gA3vawBKMm8diheetx6RS-7PDyk0fEd-oWuIUv7iGV08yi1sVBYGhbFDu-RBAJE/s320/Annotation+2019-07-24+124151.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Flinn Scientific is a great place to find good demonstration videos as well as quite a few chemistry videos. Some of the videos found on this channel might even be geared more toward high school. But there is a good safety video as well as some other good demos!</div>
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I hope these videos help you in planning for your science curriculum! If you have any other good YouTube channels that I missed that you love for science, comment below & I'll add them to this post!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCqU9TYiyA68PqOK-DLMTai3MXeMOFQF4VssQm5L5pNN9zwFx_NExI3K25mYEGrBe16DjD1kWwi1lBeFzRQtEn0tyqD0seLVQYZepRMksu8YrTpG71emM1QRj3kb8o6d3hBqoMBgOOWs/s1600/YouTube+Blog+Post+Pinterest+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Great YouTube channels for science curriculum for elementary and middle school" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCqU9TYiyA68PqOK-DLMTai3MXeMOFQF4VssQm5L5pNN9zwFx_NExI3K25mYEGrBe16DjD1kWwi1lBeFzRQtEn0tyqD0seLVQYZepRMksu8YrTpG71emM1QRj3kb8o6d3hBqoMBgOOWs/s640/YouTube+Blog+Post+Pinterest+Image.jpg" title="Best YouTube Channels for Science" width="361" /></a></div>
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<br />Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-81554975746591313622019-05-05T11:04:00.001-05:002019-07-24T14:54:49.422-05:00Elementary School vs. Middle School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Nr4vwNg1gOL4n4CAw2Fa1S8Rgte1wAzLbl57TJNTTfhj4XYLm3EIGVXGrB4_Ky_lr0OGWYPE7nJHAYB-Q2q9rCBitSe08uK5UPqkc13a1jeoxxEh9NFMUDYyaLzqVgp3D9Qsp0A7Eng/s1600/Updated-+Top+Blog+Image+Elem.+vs+Middle+School.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My experiences in both settings" border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1286" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Nr4vwNg1gOL4n4CAw2Fa1S8Rgte1wAzLbl57TJNTTfhj4XYLm3EIGVXGrB4_Ky_lr0OGWYPE7nJHAYB-Q2q9rCBitSe08uK5UPqkc13a1jeoxxEh9NFMUDYyaLzqVgp3D9Qsp0A7Eng/s640/Updated-+Top+Blog+Image+Elem.+vs+Middle+School.jpg" title="Elementary School vs. Middle School" width="640" /></a></div>
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Soooo... it's been quite a long time since I've written a blog post. That being said, I want to talk about one MAJOR change that has happened. I moved from 4th grade science to 7th grade science for the 2018-2019 school year. One of my favorite quotes is, 'Everything happens for a reason.' This saying couldn't have fit my situation better than if it had come from God himself! I taught middle school at a private school in California, but I had never had experience with public school 7th graders. Since my son & nephew are in 8th grade where I started teaching, I knew a little bit about the school. I've seen quite a few social media posts recently about elementary teachers moving to middle school for this next school year. In the spirit of those posts, I'd like to highlight a few glaring yet delightful differences between elementary and middle school.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0ROgKlcXIfuCUMBSe02PEPRDNl_Nvc7MiNOfOFlxmlXDgG1BwUwUy0xtsq0XRkaaf0YzvyqaB0iSRXNQWrNv1CkKgQN8c4AISeb7-6aHkcXFyuegyMTS1j1n6JpeA3MnrUgg71j6emA/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="500" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0ROgKlcXIfuCUMBSe02PEPRDNl_Nvc7MiNOfOFlxmlXDgG1BwUwUy0xtsq0XRkaaf0YzvyqaB0iSRXNQWrNv1CkKgQN8c4AISeb7-6aHkcXFyuegyMTS1j1n6JpeA3MnrUgg71j6emA/s400/Picture1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>1.</b> </span>In middle school, there are NO scheduled parent-teacher conferences!!! My district's policy is for elementary school teachers to have a conference with every one of their students' parents after the 1st six weeks. Prepping for those conferences as well as having to sit down with each parent was stressful and emotionally exhausting! Most parents with middle schoolers are trying to teach them to be more responsible, so we don't deal with as many parents as elementary school teachers do!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87Sb_9U3OWgu9N1u3JYIl-ONONM1d_c16yoUvD2G3-nmy9FFTCQJrWEpyNW0O6C5aGcHvnmQXpQwLjdqA8_nyoDLkMNwygZhBoEtKjEvbLtE2Q9hPR04z9ee84Z_rUpVG3ukfCMufmmY/s1600/teacher-memes-25-5bd1d81bc9e77c00517afe97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="853" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87Sb_9U3OWgu9N1u3JYIl-ONONM1d_c16yoUvD2G3-nmy9FFTCQJrWEpyNW0O6C5aGcHvnmQXpQwLjdqA8_nyoDLkMNwygZhBoEtKjEvbLtE2Q9hPR04z9ee84Z_rUpVG3ukfCMufmmY/s400/teacher-memes-25-5bd1d81bc9e77c00517afe97.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">2. </span>NO class parties!!! I cannot even tell you how much I LOVE this!!! Not having to plan parties and everything that goes along with that is pure bliss!!! Yes, middle school students want to 'celebrate' Valentine's Day.... by having free time on their phones!!! LOL!!!! As a school, we do things like Val-o-Grams for Valentine's Day and decorate for Christmas. But, we don't have elaborate parties with endless junk food and games that take forever to plan! I didn't realize I wouldn't miss this aspect until I didn't have to plan parties this year! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWuDh_v2yvcYnLjIPiZXYfB5aHEfIN9v0IcFUvzQuPF0nlx9fvixV19WSaAJW9twHPyBLd8TiLaTa-jTbvQCtNaFUpQdiSlFIV0UF3AM_flFK_7hTulLs3AQIZN6DQT4hEpJ2LY-MeRE/s1600/when-a-student-keeps-asking-what-time-the-party-starts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWuDh_v2yvcYnLjIPiZXYfB5aHEfIN9v0IcFUvzQuPF0nlx9fvixV19WSaAJW9twHPyBLd8TiLaTa-jTbvQCtNaFUpQdiSlFIV0UF3AM_flFK_7hTulLs3AQIZN6DQT4hEpJ2LY-MeRE/s400/when-a-student-keeps-asking-what-time-the-party-starts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">3. </span>No school themes or cutesy decorations! I'm all about attractive looking classrooms and schools, but spending hours getting my classroom and school ready for a new school year is insane! In my first years of teaching before I was married or had a child, I would change my room every season and every unit we covered! Fast forward <strike>19 years</strike> a few years and that same person who LOVED changing her classroom multiple times a year is perfectly content having pretty decorations that stay up all year and possibly more than one! I don't have the youthful energy I did <strike>19 years</strike> a few years ago!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUSH6pHzF_TOmpV4bgW4GsU9LQwRt4oi3lnxcQ6xSVs4T3MaHfgClSe5tvWQLapwAKRGSFVFjhK6g3RgA-NYbDRAr92E81Y7Z-Idn4vyJj9UHWa9DxdKcdGKYRMkAIfr8ef1O9QNcdDo/s1600/and-thats-everything-that-needs-to-be-decorated-before-school-starts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUSH6pHzF_TOmpV4bgW4GsU9LQwRt4oi3lnxcQ6xSVs4T3MaHfgClSe5tvWQLapwAKRGSFVFjhK6g3RgA-NYbDRAr92E81Y7Z-Idn4vyJj9UHWa9DxdKcdGKYRMkAIfr8ef1O9QNcdDo/s400/and-thats-everything-that-needs-to-be-decorated-before-school-starts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: xx-large;">4. </b>My 7th graders (at least most of them) are much more mature and independent than 4th graders! It is so nice to have a normal conversation and be able to joke around with my 7th graders! Although with that being said, middle schoolers can have a bit of an attitude sometimes. But, if you build a rapport with them and treat them with respect, they will be more receptive to your expectations and demands! I LOVE the fact that 7th graders are old enough to understand (or should understand) that high quality work and effort are expected of them. If they don't produce what is expected, their grades will suffer! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASyvhbu0M1-5jkJfGLIhkfOxhYsQFAQfCwJb0UAnza16P5qkJ-psYKcHYSg_FIlUfVdiqgqORqheU0t5npr-K5SKdDFLtgSbRfeyG153xPQYEWL9-1QX0z0n93PijRoGHmf5P2OuMPmQ/s1600/so-youre-telling-me-i-can-fail-a-class-if-i-dont-do-any-work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASyvhbu0M1-5jkJfGLIhkfOxhYsQFAQfCwJb0UAnza16P5qkJ-psYKcHYSg_FIlUfVdiqgqORqheU0t5npr-K5SKdDFLtgSbRfeyG153xPQYEWL9-1QX0z0n93PijRoGHmf5P2OuMPmQ/s400/so-youre-telling-me-i-can-fail-a-class-if-i-dont-do-any-work.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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All in all, I couldn't imagine teaching anything other than 7th grade... well, maybe college! 😉 For those of you take that giant leap, good luck! Middle schoolers are fun!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMWWFLQn3KblNcCjc8xCNxEz53inc1O1CCd8DvrEaCh53eejjpUe73axbXWmTR0FIdB10ii1UVZ_9UFS16qb3y2YrjAUcmerWxApma6xgsej1XpnhGWsMqJ_hHHkzI9ge-oKydM3zVu8/s1600/Elementary+School+vs+Middle+School+Blog+Post+Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A blog post about my experiences in both settings." border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMWWFLQn3KblNcCjc8xCNxEz53inc1O1CCd8DvrEaCh53eejjpUe73axbXWmTR0FIdB10ii1UVZ_9UFS16qb3y2YrjAUcmerWxApma6xgsej1XpnhGWsMqJ_hHHkzI9ge-oKydM3zVu8/s640/Elementary+School+vs+Middle+School+Blog+Post+Pinterest.jpg" title="Elementary School vs. Middle School" width="362" /></a></div>
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Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-16129106526468892242017-03-18T21:28:00.001-05:002019-07-24T15:27:16.693-05:00My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48pjss0ACmgr8HJvVMdnNmiHjNNtJhACvmRm_X7cdIodar16LG_c8Y4ymEAwrBRs6PlwZB1Jqf3O4ztcObmBbfzL0z046zOLpBu-2vAaa9bk97IGxRERuGaJ9YnihuyXK0fweevbSUEU/s1600/Updated+-+Top+Blog+Image+My+8+Favorite+Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite teaching supplies" border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1286" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48pjss0ACmgr8HJvVMdnNmiHjNNtJhACvmRm_X7cdIodar16LG_c8Y4ymEAwrBRs6PlwZB1Jqf3O4ztcObmBbfzL0z046zOLpBu-2vAaa9bk97IGxRERuGaJ9YnihuyXK0fweevbSUEU/s640/Updated+-+Top+Blog+Image+My+8+Favorite+Things.jpg" title="My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier" width="640" /></a></div>
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Teaching is a hard job!!!! The teaching profession has changed IMMENSELY since I began teaching in <strike>2000</strike> a few years ago! We teachers are expected to work miracles daily combined with lesson planning, meetings, the list goes ON and ON!!! Luckily there are tools out there that can make our job SO much easier and better! Here are just a few of the tools or supplies that I LOVE that help make my job easier (and sort of FUN)!! - Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links -</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZa4lhtPo43vGo98StESptNOuKPGo2oWct3ESp5X9t949cIO8rcBJL3TYpKgXJ6r0ekCdEfvigCMwwW_UPHqQPl6DMo8MknjCRij7eUhfOb-ueJfA39fpR6T3VT-YE5HfcPEzHRXsxIRE/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZa4lhtPo43vGo98StESptNOuKPGo2oWct3ESp5X9t949cIO8rcBJL3TYpKgXJ6r0ekCdEfvigCMwwW_UPHqQPl6DMo8MknjCRij7eUhfOb-ueJfA39fpR6T3VT-YE5HfcPEzHRXsxIRE/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
<b><u>At-Home Laminator</u>:</b></h3>
I have to admit that this was a difficult buy for me. Why would I spend money on a laminator when there is a FREE one to use at school? I can't tell you how GLAD I am that I did spend the money!!! I use task cards a lot in my classroom, and I like to laminate them so they last longer. I can print them out at home IN COLOR, and then quickly laminate them, cut them out, and voila... I'm ready for the next day or the next week, whenever I plan on using them. The only downfall is that I can't laminate bigger items, like file folders or bulletin board borders. If I'm in a pinch and need to print something quickly the night before and laminate it, I can do it WITHOUT having to get to school at the crack of dawn. The one I bought isn't very expensive and works like a charm:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIM_gn5KN_RfKK-uGRh0zB9zopVMSFlreur5Z25xmbg1-jyypwhJb5xNp3vRhZ7ckJjJebQnutOwjL8BhDFNdsxeZV19v-xCXirV82rpAr-5BWNnLjCG9NaYWim4ah9c31bu-6zbMxjQ/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIM_gn5KN_RfKK-uGRh0zB9zopVMSFlreur5Z25xmbg1-jyypwhJb5xNp3vRhZ7ckJjJebQnutOwjL8BhDFNdsxeZV19v-xCXirV82rpAr-5BWNnLjCG9NaYWim4ah9c31bu-6zbMxjQ/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM7vQ6SW9ntp-VZWTfF5PyJHIxiqzHvxTuXbTa4LXv6hcX-FyAtkmBLciW4l2iNgkJu857U2uFrRD8fqX2B4yyYJ4aZPvoZQdoa774L_mGmpMUUDaqrs7xp_TNSGZ13cmeOHORVa5UeI/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM7vQ6SW9ntp-VZWTfF5PyJHIxiqzHvxTuXbTa4LXv6hcX-FyAtkmBLciW4l2iNgkJu857U2uFrRD8fqX2B4yyYJ4aZPvoZQdoa774L_mGmpMUUDaqrs7xp_TNSGZ13cmeOHORVa5UeI/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Laminating Pouches</u>:</b></h3>
<div>
If you have a laminator, you MUST have GOOD laminating pouches! You might be asking, "Why in the world would she include it on this list if it's OBVIOUS that one needs pouches with a laminator?" Well, I feel like I would do a disservice if I didn't throw in my two cents. I've had experience with two different thicknesses (3 mil thick & 5 mil thick) when it's comes to laminating pouches, and there is a MAJOR difference between the two. Around Christmas time, Amazon had a FANTASTIC deal on 3 mil thick thermal laminating pouches, like almost half off!!! How could someone pass that up??? As it so happens, 3 mil thickness doesn't hold up to cardstock, even after running them through the laminator TWICE!! I've used both thicknesses with cardstock, which is what I laminate the most, and the thinner pouches don't stand a chance against cardstock. Don't get me wrong... they're great for laminating regular copy paper and printable vellum for my lightbox. BUT, I prefer the 5 mil thickness... and NOW I have an entire box of 3 mil thickness to use before I can buy the good stuff!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw-r_XL-vno9J_xzixCewsM43JwhsLpwaRch81FEvBo8NHJxodAn-VRESkqTGNxQE7l2P01XxalUM4Yw3T14EgFoPCBWYyOi6TAbp64TpyA-lobS9Rqhu2cpDH57jIc1w9-fAHewQGg4/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw-r_XL-vno9J_xzixCewsM43JwhsLpwaRch81FEvBo8NHJxodAn-VRESkqTGNxQE7l2P01XxalUM4Yw3T14EgFoPCBWYyOi6TAbp64TpyA-lobS9Rqhu2cpDH57jIc1w9-fAHewQGg4/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="297" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTY-6OICAu06-fVSOQ4zsaQtgUbg-uMGwst6fQNSBs36Xo56FMk6H3Uwj2zcSPIe_ljjTr3kfpbib8yU-h1v0aIurD0vi9wGtSs202sjsebbUl7kM4bhl0iqvtaFo9CR6GZ0E76Ntouz0/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTY-6OICAu06-fVSOQ4zsaQtgUbg-uMGwst6fQNSBs36Xo56FMk6H3Uwj2zcSPIe_ljjTr3kfpbib8yU-h1v0aIurD0vi9wGtSs202sjsebbUl7kM4bhl0iqvtaFo9CR6GZ0E76Ntouz0/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>HP Instant Ink Compatible Printer</u>:</h3>
<div>
If you haven't heard of HP Instant Ink, you're MISSING OUT!!! When I first heard about how great the HP Instant Ink program was, my initial thought was, "It must be a gimmick; nothing can be that good!" Well, I was wrong!!! Before I could join HP Instant Ink, I needed a compatible printer (see below for an explanation of the program). I had been <strike>nagging</strike> telling my husband for months that I NEEDED a new printer that was compatible with HP Instant Ink. <strike>He got sick of my incessant nagging </strike> Because he loves me so much he decided to surprise me with the new printer that I wanted. I thought for sure that this new printer would cost an arm and a leg because I would never need to buy ink again!! Again, I was WRONG!!! The printer cost less than $50. It prints in color, scans, prints BORDERLESS, and even double-sided!!! Did I mention it's wireless, so I can send a print job from anywhere? It's a no frills printer, but it works for me especially when I print my task cards double- sided. It's awesome... I don't even need to worry about turning the paper over; the printer does it for me!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEnnYnumOB9hygz64jDP_fptQY3jtQlkcNnNTi8AnhGuqI9SyEyQ3WrmOcvADoDaCKsqDZr8mo9dkHVRHArJ0vWqxQvaRyd2iLqSwXfLQXPhf2UjGZizz9OwV0mKCEG13XuSzRTWkk-0/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEnnYnumOB9hygz64jDP_fptQY3jtQlkcNnNTi8AnhGuqI9SyEyQ3WrmOcvADoDaCKsqDZr8mo9dkHVRHArJ0vWqxQvaRyd2iLqSwXfLQXPhf2UjGZizz9OwV0mKCEG13XuSzRTWkk-0/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBmXN8M_kOwP9YEB-d41-nZG7k-wlC2DltVfRpDogi5NbCcJHrA5xU2qypY_py45jIUk5M8g9XcOWVImB_zvwby88XOLbHC-epmYEV0fIeO6kPelpCJnJQXanaJetl4HFj47fMv6wUjg/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBmXN8M_kOwP9YEB-d41-nZG7k-wlC2DltVfRpDogi5NbCcJHrA5xU2qypY_py45jIUk5M8g9XcOWVImB_zvwby88XOLbHC-epmYEV0fIeO6kPelpCJnJQXanaJetl4HFj47fMv6wUjg/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>HP Instant Ink</u>:</h3>
<div>
Probably the one tool that has saved me the MOST money has been the HP Instant Ink program!! If you're anything like me, you print AN AWFUL LOT of pages, whether it's newsletters, worksheet pages, task cards, labels, and the list goes ON and ON!!! I also like to print things in color when appropriate. Before I got my Instant Ink printer, I could easily spend a couple hundred dollars a year on printer ink (and that was in my conserving state of mind). Let me give you an overview of how HP Instant Ink works:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bcKK_Zc7xahUEHDpb8qrEdQpPXMbUohZIUNfKmLi2pebcC4_BAL0PiBLWsAfSxyoNMBX69yv7b9bxip_37y3SnTPqSJpwP09IuKmF3mQHDMUYD_ZXMKzYcKgyusBJqEX_c3fhshsy9E/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bcKK_Zc7xahUEHDpb8qrEdQpPXMbUohZIUNfKmLi2pebcC4_BAL0PiBLWsAfSxyoNMBX69yv7b9bxip_37y3SnTPqSJpwP09IuKmF3mQHDMUYD_ZXMKzYcKgyusBJqEX_c3fhshsy9E/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are some stats I compiled from when I started the program in July 2016 to the present day:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3A5jxuxOkQkAjzPlUFwPSSs8CzRT2vOiOQSmlA7qyBET-cIlKEhblb4GOh30i3nXGvjZAVUeQl4Jc4mEOxRDptdtz-toUVbFRxK3U0ge-Nu0pta4OIP4CmeZwbUrYpAbZFfTuzwoJzc/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3A5jxuxOkQkAjzPlUFwPSSs8CzRT2vOiOQSmlA7qyBET-cIlKEhblb4GOh30i3nXGvjZAVUeQl4Jc4mEOxRDptdtz-toUVbFRxK3U0ge-Nu0pta4OIP4CmeZwbUrYpAbZFfTuzwoJzc/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't that AMAZING?!?!?!?!?! If you decide to join HP Instant Ink, my referral code can get BOTH of us a month free!!!! Seriously, check it out!!! Here's the link to sign-up using my code: <a href="http://try.hpinstantink.com/fBQGG" target="_blank">HP Instant Ink Referral Code</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDTiqF-jKBPUSSeZySeIINRxBbTJ920lwNPNy_AFxzMsDWiqpann1QnYOjuR331tZdv00sjT-6QahUdz-B-2HPEZQVh5-vu80PZqHbGUDtYo9YNTR8CifO4MhuSAMbiApoUjNHmDdSyk/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDTiqF-jKBPUSSeZySeIINRxBbTJ920lwNPNy_AFxzMsDWiqpann1QnYOjuR331tZdv00sjT-6QahUdz-B-2HPEZQVh5-vu80PZqHbGUDtYo9YNTR8CifO4MhuSAMbiApoUjNHmDdSyk/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u>Teacher Toolbox</u>:</h3>
</div>
<div>
I'm sure you've seen all of the pins on Pinterest showing cute teacher toolboxes. My initial thought was, "Why am I going to spend money on THAT when I can just put stuff in my desk drawer?" Well, obviously I've changed my mind, and here's why... Before this school year started, I wanted my classroom to be my home away from home because... well, IT IS!!! I wanted more organization and a more home-like feel to my classroom! Enter the teacher toolbox - I can't tell you how happy I am that I decided to buy one. My supplies are so much more organized, and I don't have to rummage through my desk drawers to find a binder clip or my staple remover! It's all in my beautiful toolbox all nice and labeled. I liked it so much that I bought one for my office at home. The picture below is the one in my office that is partially labeled (the labels need to be finished). For some reason, the toolbox looks like it's bowed on the top in the middle. It's perfectly straight; no matter how I took the photo, it still looks like that! Maybe my photography skills need work!!! HA HA!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP2qZSXLUn3Vxxr0Ywha7QwsGX3O6elCQKDielEAKXOMBhEqDc3GcGOQU3ocmIDV43u__tUhFUFnoa5RCyl6gf27YJYd6U21Wi_4QiqGu4jSeoqAqzvRa4nRna68BjoeMikKHCL3gS_M/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP2qZSXLUn3Vxxr0Ywha7QwsGX3O6elCQKDielEAKXOMBhEqDc3GcGOQU3ocmIDV43u__tUhFUFnoa5RCyl6gf27YJYd6U21Wi_4QiqGu4jSeoqAqzvRa4nRna68BjoeMikKHCL3gS_M/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vrqwY6Bfi5ox-EUIylar5JcfXR7tdAc9EDvj_4BNc5I-WCf-tuvh90tM_U1SiqRnb5UgX06vEnFLyOKwAfvFpw7UTAY_e_MYsCil_G6IW9J8GwHqObNaC9_qlz3Suwpb7nus_C6K0-w/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vrqwY6Bfi5ox-EUIylar5JcfXR7tdAc9EDvj_4BNc5I-WCf-tuvh90tM_U1SiqRnb5UgX06vEnFLyOKwAfvFpw7UTAY_e_MYsCil_G6IW9J8GwHqObNaC9_qlz3Suwpb7nus_C6K0-w/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Heidi Swapp Lightbox</u>:</h3>
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These lightboxes are super popular right now, and I happen to LOVE mine!!! My lightbox made it's first appearance on my son's 11th birthday! He absolutely LOVED it!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25-whkGs-VmjF6D1upcn1-pwwj8dA374FFmm8Z7U1TtyZlzPH53UN6b3Ke_RXRPw7rFeqIm6XBSvG_ELZcu-5RewTm7pPL1jqH8OmhWfo8whF-nAiBWHSmCOrfbk2eALXWynVvCsrj_4/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25-whkGs-VmjF6D1upcn1-pwwj8dA374FFmm8Z7U1TtyZlzPH53UN6b3Ke_RXRPw7rFeqIm6XBSvG_ELZcu-5RewTm7pPL1jqH8OmhWfo8whF-nAiBWHSmCOrfbk2eALXWynVvCsrj_4/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
I have many uses for my lightbox in my classroom: holidays, inspirational quotes, and birthdays. As soon as I saw my son's face light up when he woke up to this surprise, I knew that I had to do something similar for my students! For the top two sections, I made a generic 'Happy Birthday' with balloons for the whole year (like the one above). Then, for the bottom, I made generic chevron ends (like the ones encompassing 'Brodie' above). Next, all I had to do was add in each student's name and print them out. Anytime a student has a birthday, I showcase the 'Happy Birthday ___________'. I reuse the 'Happy Birthday' and give the student their name with the chevron ends at the end of the day! The students went bananas, and they LOVE taking home their name! Plus, the cost is VERY minimal! Since spring begins this Monday, I made a lightbox insert welcoming spring! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmaNvpzXEmFF2g5BHt-vbpZ3jUMV8jCGos61dwF-PT6fE5qdZU00HrjI16ek9KIxGccX2vymcUfa7cQsDdTJZJeMcxfD3FaY9_t8k8yWk2sI4xCc8LUa5dB60nmWEFNsvjTLHUX1iPLM/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmaNvpzXEmFF2g5BHt-vbpZ3jUMV8jCGos61dwF-PT6fE5qdZU00HrjI16ek9KIxGccX2vymcUfa7cQsDdTJZJeMcxfD3FaY9_t8k8yWk2sI4xCc8LUa5dB60nmWEFNsvjTLHUX1iPLM/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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I can't wait for the students to see that spring has sprung!!! If you don't have a Heidi Swapp Lightbox, get yourself one!!! The possibilities are endless!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHOIPwsUVg0NfqT6rZAighJVzMdrdaV44JkDmJDjd7mrKz2u-FWql99L5xhIyc7N34feK-9cAhGVYRkR-9GYh8jwtp6q2FSBRBn1wwBg8sxWeOySMYAMnmpuVyPXGdI5X6GFviqj8O6E/s1600/Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHOIPwsUVg0NfqT6rZAighJVzMdrdaV44JkDmJDjd7mrKz2u-FWql99L5xhIyc7N34feK-9cAhGVYRkR-9GYh8jwtp6q2FSBRBn1wwBg8sxWeOySMYAMnmpuVyPXGdI5X6GFviqj8O6E/s1600/Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u>Essential Oil Diffuser</u>:</h3>
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Yes, there's a lot of controversy about diffusing essential oils in the classroom because of allergies and asthma!! Believe me, I get it! This year alone, we have several students with severe allergies and asthma! However, those students spend about an hour in my room each day with my diffuser going full blast and NOT ONE issue with the oils being diffused!! The key to essential oils being diffused and not affecting the students negatively boils down to the purity of the oil (I'll get to that next)! I am a research-based person (I am a science teacher, after all), so I did a lot of research before investing in a diffuser. The one I bought has lasted me over a year, and I use it EVERY SINGLE DAY! During the summer when I brought it home to use, my son loved it so much that he asked for one for his birthday! We now have two diffusers at home, and I have one at school! I'm seriously considering buying another one for my classroom so the oils can cover every square inch of the germiness!! In the photo, you can barely see the mist coming out of the top!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ8YsLOwb567I-WoESUnun_7lanrRVuNjHKJyrpXZtCKQjVFemBqWWOCUNTZme4oUcb-SjC8j3ZoVEx_JF2E9s0YXXKAOGecfYxNr8GRAQymAJEgRO-Q7U3X-bFBgtyaKa4kuwPSRSe4/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ8YsLOwb567I-WoESUnun_7lanrRVuNjHKJyrpXZtCKQjVFemBqWWOCUNTZme4oUcb-SjC8j3ZoVEx_JF2E9s0YXXKAOGecfYxNr8GRAQymAJEgRO-Q7U3X-bFBgtyaKa4kuwPSRSe4/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="243" /></a></div>
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<u>doTerra On Guard Essential Oil</u>:</h3>
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This tiny bottle of heaven is the nectar of the Gods!!! I order this stuff like the zombie apocalypse is upon us!! Remember above I said that essential oils are controversial for classroom use. Well, I truly believe that those people have never tried pure therapeutic grade essential oils, like doTerra! I've sampled several different brands of essential oils that claim to be pure. I can tell you that the ONLY essential oils that I've experienced as being pure is the doTerra brand! No, I'm not a doctor, but I have personal experience where doTerra happens to be the ONLY brand that doesn't cause a negative side effect from use! I'm not going to get into the details on this post. 😎 Moving on... I will be the first to admit that doTerra is NOT one of the cheaper brands, but in this regard you really get what you pay for! When I first started using essential oils, my husband was outraged at the amount of money I spent! However, he changed his tune when he had horrible food poisoning and I rubbed peppermint oil on his stomach. He was very skeptical, but was amazed by the results! I've got lots more success stories where that came from! It really is worth the money because in the long run, you'll save money when you DON'T have to go to the doctor because On Guard has done its job!! My cow loves his On Guard... and LOOK I'm almost out! Time to re-order!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Nxn8E4jYZv9XkXu0mSsU26l9QTAi04ywuODa0LfsoP34bmeRrCVxQpT5-QX9W5Du2AIIWu2qEr_2J86YOgClbnguksbo481XOOO9X8sBrEwctebsAyB7YuBR2qTg9QVL_4k9FVHhmp0/s1600/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you as obsessed with teacher supplies as I am? Check out my blog post that highlights my FAVORITE supplies and tools that I use during the school year!" border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Nxn8E4jYZv9XkXu0mSsU26l9QTAi04ywuODa0LfsoP34bmeRrCVxQpT5-QX9W5Du2AIIWu2qEr_2J86YOgClbnguksbo481XOOO9X8sBrEwctebsAyB7YuBR2qTg9QVL_4k9FVHhmp0/s400/My+Favorite+Products.jpg" title="Fixin' to Teach - My 8 Favorite Teaching Supplies That Make Life Easier!" width="400" /></a></div>
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I could go on for days with teacher supplies that I love to use. What are some tools or supplies that you can't live without that you use for teaching? </div>
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Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-30319559828046295552017-03-14T21:02:00.001-05:002019-07-25T11:00:21.278-05:00A Classroom Economy System Your Students Will Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8fJ1XguVmD_yQ9zfF2fB7_PGonhmcA3nrCV7uvv6gFjZ7yNSyKCcAdhjYVO3ms7J81hYfapIEh8XThLEVgjnESqEMFIYXa1hDP-re8NjgQ0F4p57pHu2arBdz7LoXKX1j9iC61z3FJA/s1600/Updated-+Top+Blog+Image+Classroom+Economy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Take charge of your classroom management with a classroom economy system" border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1286" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8fJ1XguVmD_yQ9zfF2fB7_PGonhmcA3nrCV7uvv6gFjZ7yNSyKCcAdhjYVO3ms7J81hYfapIEh8XThLEVgjnESqEMFIYXa1hDP-re8NjgQ0F4p57pHu2arBdz7LoXKX1j9iC61z3FJA/s640/Updated-+Top+Blog+Image+Classroom+Economy.jpg" title="A Classroom Economy System Your Students Will Love" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do you sometimes struggle with finding a successful positive reinforcement system that gets your students excited? I did too until I found that my students went BANANAS over a classroom economy system! Add in some 'Funny Bucks' and some coupons that they LOVE, and voila... I had a classroom management system that the students could get behind!!! I see 5 science classes a day, which adds up to around 110 fourth graders passing through my classroom daily!!! I needed a way to get these students in and out of my classroom efficiently while teaching science to these kiddos!!! NOT an easy task... Students can earn 'Funny Bucks' by doing various tasks around the classroom or by working together in their group (and being the top points earner each week - stay tuned to see how I incorporate group cooperation into my classroom management). Let's take a peek at each aspect of the classroom economy system that I use:<br />
First, I use classroom money called 'Funny Bucks.' I usually give students a $5 bill or a $10 bill depending on the worthiness of the task. Before school started, I made a ton of copies of the $5 and $10 on colored copy paper. You could make the copies on cardstock and laminate them if you'd like; but I found that it's easier for me to just recycle the money during the year - more on this below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jrl-edCgfQlD4sy16moZYx4WxtzpU1xc-ERUySQ6-UFsFHGtjadwuTf-cwAfo9oD5M3NpOnOqTV2N9nnSo5BL7pqnh34NRFtEOU5rB8Yv8hR4tU9G_5L7mOs-wr9dvke-q0ZaDAX-_I/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jrl-edCgfQlD4sy16moZYx4WxtzpU1xc-ERUySQ6-UFsFHGtjadwuTf-cwAfo9oD5M3NpOnOqTV2N9nnSo5BL7pqnh34NRFtEOU5rB8Yv8hR4tU9G_5L7mOs-wr9dvke-q0ZaDAX-_I/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also had to make lots of copies of the coupons as well. I tried to make enough copies that would last the entire year. Here's just a few of the reward coupons I use that works with my classroom situation:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg1CYv5bEhoazKIsnnX7-8a313MhahdXooHjxxPkAJKCtTHHbR2UyYq0afQBpmtRFpEuWT-cmDtFm7KEorzlYo2hqNffl4lIK8GFg2In7wLgpVaaaGatcrVrzgtBMsfoQUzPLJOBDnS8/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg1CYv5bEhoazKIsnnX7-8a313MhahdXooHjxxPkAJKCtTHHbR2UyYq0afQBpmtRFpEuWT-cmDtFm7KEorzlYo2hqNffl4lIK8GFg2In7wLgpVaaaGatcrVrzgtBMsfoQUzPLJOBDnS8/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Roughly once a month I 'OPEN THE STORE' as my students call it! That means I pull out the coupons so the students can buy whatever coupon they can with their money. I had to come up with a solution so that all of those 110 students weren't rummaging through all of my coupons... Can you imagine the MESS?!?! Before school started, I assigned each coupon a price. My method to pricing was very simple... when a student used a coupon, if it was A LOT of work for me then that coupon had a high price tag. The cost of the coupon was based on the amount of work I needed to put in to honor that coupon! It's all about convenience and efficiency for us teachers!!! After I decided on a cost for each coupon, I made five copies of each one on colored cardstock, wrote the price on each one, and laminated them. Then, I cut them out, punched a hole, and put them on a book ring. I made 5 sets of coupons so that multiple students could 'shop' at the same time. Below are just two samples that the students look at to decide which coupon they want to buy:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31LMEn524ojYYU2HNJhL0UbbuDqcjBe2GacBDRl-g4Ie1bRo2iHfDEkBoTe7UhLHamkrKfT63Q9yV6t1gMcnIS9I9x7UW560h-TkoNPdwvLeDLvJNiCZVz-CR8ScsaIz8kQkaTxVXW0g/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31LMEn524ojYYU2HNJhL0UbbuDqcjBe2GacBDRl-g4Ie1bRo2iHfDEkBoTe7UhLHamkrKfT63Q9yV6t1gMcnIS9I9x7UW560h-TkoNPdwvLeDLvJNiCZVz-CR8ScsaIz8kQkaTxVXW0g/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once the students decide which coupon they want, I find the coupon in my organizer and we exchange money for coupon. The students can use the coupon any time they want as long as it's all right with their teachers (since they have FIVE teachers). Here's a few of the more popular coupons this year: This $5 coupon lets a student choose one item from my reward drawer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVmpx5Vddm0S37d1wDs5qGsMvHoFgHcOkRz7CFENIuI23_qbzHYPqW9KlCzkkECo9wY76rbteVmidPrUPhEV3rz1PfY0ASPQb6jxhFFQRRrO1YiZ-1zDr7gLYiCFKrGkPaERfXIop5IA/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVmpx5Vddm0S37d1wDs5qGsMvHoFgHcOkRz7CFENIuI23_qbzHYPqW9KlCzkkECo9wY76rbteVmidPrUPhEV3rz1PfY0ASPQb6jxhFFQRRrO1YiZ-1zDr7gLYiCFKrGkPaERfXIop5IA/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I haven't spent a single dime on supplying my 'Reward Drawer.' I have two drawers in my classroom that has books and trinkets (AKA junk)... one drawer contains books that my son decided he didn't want anymore as well as free Scholastic books that I get with my orders. The other drawer has 'stuff' in it that I collect throughout the year as well as 'stuff' from my son's hoarder collection... HE HE... This photo shows my son's hoarder status... This is actually a newer picture when his drawers HAD been 'CLEANED OUT'...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv1rSi_6XYxwRPOpJut3yfN8O05_xOspT2I6lORfjMuoHS0QUqkzf9638sl1n1NE58I7Z2rZ-eHD9H87mxcM713EvTwTNsd8Hz41waKmsnZjLP5ZZh-9qbIdL29t9mfAoz8R7GXQ6nxo/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv1rSi_6XYxwRPOpJut3yfN8O05_xOspT2I6lORfjMuoHS0QUqkzf9638sl1n1NE58I7Z2rZ-eHD9H87mxcM713EvTwTNsd8Hz41waKmsnZjLP5ZZh-9qbIdL29t9mfAoz8R7GXQ6nxo/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I LOVE my son to the moon and back... but I CANNOT stand his hoarding!!! So, all of the wonderful items he doesn't want anymore are donated to the classroom reward drawer. It has saved me a ton of money, and my students go batty when I restock.</div>
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The next popular coupon allows students to take off their shoes in class. Again, it's up to the discretion of each teacher, but most of our 4th grade teachers honor the coupons when the students want to use them. I gave this one a value of $5 because I really don't have to DO anything, except allow students to use it!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsQ851I_d1o31n2VhdsZLhzjyOYakpefRVnbOfJZmD2MrnNuB1_2QVxTwmq1XPjSmrMImb-GVSPUZ2TjinQiG8makTMB9oafYaxmEptWyLlpPaIbba9rwb_-Nu4rdZg9Ay6nx3ug2TBk/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsQ851I_d1o31n2VhdsZLhzjyOYakpefRVnbOfJZmD2MrnNuB1_2QVxTwmq1XPjSmrMImb-GVSPUZ2TjinQiG8makTMB9oafYaxmEptWyLlpPaIbba9rwb_-Nu4rdZg9Ay6nx3ug2TBk/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This 'Technology Time' coupon is VERY popular... most of the time when the students use this, they want to get on the computer. I think most of the games that they want to play require Flash, or they are easier to play on the computer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsM56k0i0VhQHJm4LDVqZezvwGm8ICQDLEAvJN7thRbS0ebJoShGgTiea3BGQraRv4ZuT4ecD6QXE8otvQ6finh_AE9PvlZvQAMhnZ3POL7f3XMnng2Vq1Z4puwGwbhT3GCd7Ffhx89Sk/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsM56k0i0VhQHJm4LDVqZezvwGm8ICQDLEAvJN7thRbS0ebJoShGgTiea3BGQraRv4ZuT4ecD6QXE8otvQ6finh_AE9PvlZvQAMhnZ3POL7f3XMnng2Vq1Z4puwGwbhT3GCd7Ffhx89Sk/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This next coupon is extremely popular with the girls... AND some boys as well. Students LOVE being able to bring stuffed animals to school with them. They will take their cute, beat up, old stuffed animal to every class... It's so nice for your kiddos to be able to bring a piece of home with them to school.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviQ7QlRT1qGyq8HhqOK4__51da2OkC4uRCwKgAhkytXz4UVieauxnHd6FQ5oIRv58Uph6EsmxGpFmFrFgBtiOdIo7PjZ9FnEIW7oD2MYf-0pvn3LHtvjGdmswkWXCQEqaQqUgkI8X_hY/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviQ7QlRT1qGyq8HhqOK4__51da2OkC4uRCwKgAhkytXz4UVieauxnHd6FQ5oIRv58Uph6EsmxGpFmFrFgBtiOdIo7PjZ9FnEIW7oD2MYf-0pvn3LHtvjGdmswkWXCQEqaQqUgkI8X_hY/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm not a huge fan of this next coupon, but my students seem to LOVE it!!! This coupon is PERFECT for independent work. However, being a science teacher, I don't have my students do a great deal of independent work. The students are either working in their groups completing an activity or working through an investigation. That doesn't provide a lot of time for listening to music on their phone, iPod, or the like. But, I still offer it because there are times in other classes when they'll be able to use this coupon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXtu9kPyvR0wBxO-93MbYETpue2-cEAC1GZsFAp7BAv4xwRFA0GgYkeS6bvtpL4K8IMVQyiXEU9ufBXdhRd8meh-AUwdpHjayeLQl2wGijHykL63v8vlDZQ3pL2Cg5RU80s4A8q7AgX8/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXtu9kPyvR0wBxO-93MbYETpue2-cEAC1GZsFAp7BAv4xwRFA0GgYkeS6bvtpL4K8IMVQyiXEU9ufBXdhRd8meh-AUwdpHjayeLQl2wGijHykL63v8vlDZQ3pL2Cg5RU80s4A8q7AgX8/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am ALWAYS looking for ways to save money on gifts for my students. This past Christmas, I got smart... I always get my students a book from Scholastic, but I couldn't think of something else that was good, yet cheap. As I was brainstorming other gift ideas, I received a sign from up above (just kidding... what I meant to say was... my brain started working)!! Why not pick a coupon that my students will love and give that to them as part of the gift?!?!? Those are FREE!!! You can't get much cheaper than that!! So, I copied the coupon on special paper and wrote a special message on each one! THEY LOVED IT!!! It was like I had given them a thousand dollars!!! I have to admit, having students sit at my teacher desk is a pain, because WELL... my desk is rarely clean!!! That's why the price to buy the coupon is so much!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrFftJiFCHJWcXB0d5oz_MpQkpvhYPsemS686J533q11OBHUfkvnI93WNjQu8htf8Jq5W3bSXbxfwROuzQTSTxW1yCZRFQSOl3MltdWW2gBJLMgXNhnQd3JItzzYfShyphenhyphen3fk5D5iJ_wME/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrFftJiFCHJWcXB0d5oz_MpQkpvhYPsemS686J533q11OBHUfkvnI93WNjQu8htf8Jq5W3bSXbxfwROuzQTSTxW1yCZRFQSOl3MltdWW2gBJLMgXNhnQd3JItzzYfShyphenhyphen3fk5D5iJ_wME/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the end, I saved a lot of money by not buying my students another gift and instead giving them a coupon that they loved. Everyday the students would rush into class in the morning to give me that coupon to sit at MY desk for the day. My policy was first come, first served... They felt SO special sitting at my desk while they were in the classroom. </div>
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The next coupon is the by far the MOST popular... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-QQW1SIwh_vbNaRXwnmf0RAfec5RgRFRDMYCMtRAL-o8tz4hQESE-3C7kgTtxxkmmTzUZs-wh4ELhrrjUjaErwQ_68B8PcNicdX18bBzFwEm8ScHYQY-1OR__pmLGS8VOdWLG-pWwpc/s1600/Money+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-QQW1SIwh_vbNaRXwnmf0RAfec5RgRFRDMYCMtRAL-o8tz4hQESE-3C7kgTtxxkmmTzUZs-wh4ELhrrjUjaErwQ_68B8PcNicdX18bBzFwEm8ScHYQY-1OR__pmLGS8VOdWLG-pWwpc/s400/Money+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The students LOVE eating lunch in the classroom with a friend. Every Tuesday, the 4th grade teacher across the hall from me and I allow students to eat lunch in the classroom with a friend if they have a pass to do so! When the students finish eating lunch, they can play on a computer with their buddy. </div>
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Just one more tip: In order to save paper, I choose to recycle the 'Funny Bucks' and coupons. Any time a student uses a coupon or pays me, I put them back in my drawer to use next time. That recycling has saved me quite a few copies and loads of colored paper.</div>
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These are just a FEW of the many coupons from which students can choose! This classroom economy system is a great way to influence positive behavior in the classroom while teaching students that you have to WORK hard to see REWARDS!! If you'd like to snag this classroom economy system, click on the photo directly below:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Economy-Reward-Coupons-with-Money-2508453" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG50TmkYTpq6rZKEgEhxYKcXEV3AckW5Jc7sB1yZEa5y8QqsOx2axWgE49RjiZbv8Qf2Xtu-4lOJZ4bVkMQwoRUoofTZwiuXSyCRrr9Ct7m_qs4vF2aW_VPyFYIGIUI3N9BFF1jh_Sz8A/s200/Reward+Coupons_8x8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9WsfaKYfgOaYDQshwBQSXfmQG4Kju2P8LQ1Igz8EFBcLrA3wxTnn8_FRe2gRnyblzpXE-azSHJJWggPs7B6vbFi0nK0zBdkX86neM3Dp9_lmeyUuX-IO0_y4MioiUjxLOSkYw6-dSok/s1600/Classroom+Economy+Pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Take charge of your classroom management with a classroom economy system! Check out my blog post on how I use 'Funny Bucks' and coupons to motivate students to make good choices." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9WsfaKYfgOaYDQshwBQSXfmQG4Kju2P8LQ1Igz8EFBcLrA3wxTnn8_FRe2gRnyblzpXE-azSHJJWggPs7B6vbFi0nK0zBdkX86neM3Dp9_lmeyUuX-IO0_y4MioiUjxLOSkYw6-dSok/s400/Classroom+Economy+Pin.jpg" title="" width="261" /></a></div>
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Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-54964793136683336152016-12-30T15:51:00.004-06:002022-11-11T14:19:47.175-06:0010 Tips for New TpT Sellers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC4ECqRINp8qAzvt6e0W-5Xl1ZlgNfrJfZZsP3Z_HgfNbXOyrwvDnUwSNMr6OxaExfI5-zLlAZtdsarVpzON_LyCqRRbxV7NkUiwRMEkfnKhKq9fV7L8PrlY05r2oCy_J3zpyXp-iydw/s1600/10+Tips+for+New+TpT+Sellers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Are you new to selling resources on TpT? Check out my blog post for 10 basic tips on starting your teacherpreneur journey!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC4ECqRINp8qAzvt6e0W-5Xl1ZlgNfrJfZZsP3Z_HgfNbXOyrwvDnUwSNMr6OxaExfI5-zLlAZtdsarVpzON_LyCqRRbxV7NkUiwRMEkfnKhKq9fV7L8PrlY05r2oCy_J3zpyXp-iydw/s640/10+Tips+for+New+TpT+Sellers.jpg" title="10 Tips for New TpT Sellers" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Since I began selling resources on TpT last April, I have learned SO much!!! I often see new teacherpreneurs asking questions on various social media outlets as well as the TpT forums. My first thought when I see a newbie question is, 'I am so GRATEFUL that I know the answer to that NOW.' I literally spent HOURS upon HOURS studying and researching how to do this, that, and everything in between before I even considered listing any products on TpT! I'm am perfectionist... so I wasn't about to upload something to TpT unless it was going to be PERFECT! This quote by Abraham Lincoln perfectly describes how I live my life:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cbpe56LTihYPZh7itXj_AphUGjzujylZpglU3JMABvoEU2KhV3OIOPM6AEQtYVgNgMfvFzIc90XwYR77sx1vhFeFMPDLWExFtiIcbcQcW032QWlmtWGNwPZLNhz-uW6YNwtCUVZjx4o/s1600/513392666-Wall_20Quotes_20-_20Abraham_20Lincoln_20-_20Give_20me_20six_20hours_20to_20chop_20down_20a_20tree_20and_20I_20will_20spend_20the_20first_20four_20sharpening_20the_20axe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cbpe56LTihYPZh7itXj_AphUGjzujylZpglU3JMABvoEU2KhV3OIOPM6AEQtYVgNgMfvFzIc90XwYR77sx1vhFeFMPDLWExFtiIcbcQcW032QWlmtWGNwPZLNhz-uW6YNwtCUVZjx4o/s400/513392666-Wall_20Quotes_20-_20Abraham_20Lincoln_20-_20Give_20me_20six_20hours_20to_20chop_20down_20a_20tree_20and_20I_20will_20spend_20the_20first_20four_20sharpening_20the_20axe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://quotesgram.com/" target="_blank">QuotesGram</a></td></tr>
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I'm hoping these BASIC tips will help anyone beginning their journey as a teacher-author - because it's a HUGE, yet rewarding undertaking!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WTtU3_0WReFU8YSLLmxgYnta8TFgsu0yciO-NtEiYxrYStl3FMxloFGO0zOt0oRxBykAOZcjX9DKlTV2dDqvi6j5M15TrWTn-_fHZmPxAte8Vm6mupuLFUKGI0ElkNXWt1DOWMsF8EI/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WTtU3_0WReFU8YSLLmxgYnta8TFgsu0yciO-NtEiYxrYStl3FMxloFGO0zOt0oRxBykAOZcjX9DKlTV2dDqvi6j5M15TrWTn-_fHZmPxAte8Vm6mupuLFUKGI0ElkNXWt1DOWMsF8EI/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PowerPoint is your FRIEND!</b> </span>Until I began creating resources for TpT, I had NO idea how versatile PowerPoint could be! It is so easy to add clip art, rearrange text boxes, overlap clip art and text boxes, add backgrounds, change slide size and layout... I could go on and on! I know there are people out there that swear by Microsoft Word or the Mac equivalent. But, honestly, I don't think I will EVER use Word again! I ONLY use PowerPoint now, even if it's for a short reminder letter to parents or a vocabulary quiz for science!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzxJa6KUYmrgf4haUyP2gucsHg_FuBfUAmDK6W2EU0SCMiMlF92JrOneeZc6ZZSx7fNrAa9RSIoLfEHAph6jjdtRMjbTC7ASoFSXBGOGrICEJ_8BjWnT7WLT-azdD-MTjHr1XgIVFfrs/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzxJa6KUYmrgf4haUyP2gucsHg_FuBfUAmDK6W2EU0SCMiMlF92JrOneeZc6ZZSx7fNrAa9RSIoLfEHAph6jjdtRMjbTC7ASoFSXBGOGrICEJ_8BjWnT7WLT-azdD-MTjHr1XgIVFfrs/s200/Slide2.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Find & use unique clip art & fonts.</span></b> There are LOTS of free resources out there. That's great to start out with, but you'll find that SO many TpT sellers use free clip art. Your goal is to be unique so you stand out among all of the TpT teacher-authors. Some of my favorite clip artists are... <i>(click on the logos to visit their stores)</i><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Digital-Dollface" target="_blank"><span id="goog_171445341"></span><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSiANOby5GcbknNuyTkP2Sy-CoecrB8T0xbVyX_8rJ90oqPrSlZyCs4sB-kk8nMw68PHgTQW7URzMH6f6Oil87HJws5O9tbZPcy6WyzO3lKP9_qUI87Hu7Tb7fveBSX8ztWRtwRcxdsU/s1600/3082068.jpg" /><span id="goog_171445342"></span></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Educlips" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwTJ_vQMDVaIWiGwJsa_kjlygAY6NcRYQ3ROBgG_j5jnQ3TXXHkmZVlSFNZrO_wniHe5eS19W4a7Ay_5UrB7lcG2kRIubN907X13OVyAHyXa5LZg0VZyJa3iPqMMChS6yylD3G-5RvTA/s1600/1173726.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Wallden" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTAiqbsw6wdw7Npwl2DiBC5ENkqG6k-QxErLpYr14s8jXkpAw_zuDVuVBSYkfZyFOU1jMN398sHju8OD2MtNqCph3QpRUrZLYaFWLkf2WFO0uPLCHphV-VTCKOiDTtncewskJIHo9k3s/s1600/223351.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Graphics-From-The-Pond" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P1Kn9q08Jd1vOuwQzV5VQdFRvAmnGPnpTEyOLaiYSfE3T7OPK_3x_Ps7jfU83rOZKf6a8Z9blAaLpMhWRt4_DpGIDbOr_QKeU4hG8h37uE60vZSW0cxsKKTvYqTrjsesKJ-RtyWjxD8/s1600/226616.jpg" /></a><br />
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I might be considered a font snob... I think most teacherpreneurs are self-proclaimed font snobs! 💗<br />
One can never have enough fonts!! Here are a few of my favorite font authors...<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Khrys-Greco" target="_blank">Khrys Greco</a> </b> <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kimberly-Geswein-Fonts" target="_blank">Kimberly Geswein Fonts</a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kb3teach" target="_blank">Kb3teach</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDLl3nNRcQQCEASAAtjOIbYjbOdGkDvypv1ZknUlMQzeT0nimWoJ09B4-a0FoLCVOoHotJQv1mYS5WDOjDZysSFTr0AYh3FkxqzSzsGs2Uhn3V3C3fa9RrjXXLmME-Ec9wP3TNHxKii0/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDLl3nNRcQQCEASAAtjOIbYjbOdGkDvypv1ZknUlMQzeT0nimWoJ09B4-a0FoLCVOoHotJQv1mYS5WDOjDZysSFTr0AYh3FkxqzSzsGs2Uhn3V3C3fa9RrjXXLmME-Ec9wP3TNHxKii0/s200/Slide3.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GET ADOBE ACROBAT PRO!!! </span></b>This seems to be a much debated topic... do you really need it or can you get by without it? I strongly recommend buying it. Yes, it is expensive. But, it secures your clip art, which allows you to comply with clip artists' terms of use. Adobe Acrobat Pro is SO easy to use. At first, I was completely lost until I found a tutorial on <a href="http://teacherink.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-to-flatten-and-secure-adobe-pdfs.html" target="_blank"><b>Teacher Ink</b></a> by Renee Dawn. She also has the downloadable resource for free in her store <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flatten-and-Secure-Files-2626350" target="_blank">{HERE}</a></b>. Her tutorial is wonderful and REALLY helped me with the process of securing and flattening my resources. <i>Click on the photo below to buy Adobe Acrobat Pro on Amazon</i>.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Acrobat-Student-Teacher-Download/dp/B00VGR1LHM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482464335&sr=8-1&keywords=adobe+acrobat+pro+dc" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffMWFIwp4wpvqZYiez6BLkDGNX7C5rBe1PTfHmSkNpQW20mkv3U0ovdG1Ao6ipYz6UZsp9zHwoK282R457kwX2PU2Bd7dWmweDdGI1ipm7gv2_5D2UXxWhyFWLIGs5EM-vy4MGKOf_MY/s320/41VgWOa0JHL.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfg5PNEhqPu0qamdgACRmVGWOX0S9wWvCbWUbKkg-UqI_41s8pvz8Gg12JOptZbGRDOhYmpWaZuY3rPpgXW_eTQD3aAeh-KeYu9E3hJXJ5GlUS3V1-YM963_ClnKQW5-eYbFeIHaqAAE/s1600/Slide4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfg5PNEhqPu0qamdgACRmVGWOX0S9wWvCbWUbKkg-UqI_41s8pvz8Gg12JOptZbGRDOhYmpWaZuY3rPpgXW_eTQD3aAeh-KeYu9E3hJXJ5GlUS3V1-YM963_ClnKQW5-eYbFeIHaqAAE/s200/Slide4.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Find REALLY good resources where you can learn lots of useful information.</span></b> Here are some great places where I gathered lots of VERY helpful information:</div>
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* Misty Miller at <a href="https://justathoughtortwotpt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Just a Thought or Two</b></a> has a blog dedicated to helping TpT sellers. She also started a Facebook group as well that I have found has invaluable information. Misty has helped me so much, I cannot imagine where I would be had I not had her assistance!! She is a wonderful resource for TpT sellers. Her blog post about her FB group can be found <b><a href="https://justathoughtortwotpt.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-facebook-group.html" target="_blank">{HERE}</a></b>. </div>
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*Of course, the TpT Seller's Forum is also a GREAT place to find answers to your questions. I have asked many questions that were answered in a very professional manner! I LITERALLY spent months there before I even started assembling resources to add to my store!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4vWMuOCnAY49m-9axm9L6Yfs2CMzcUeziHeGMkyV8ILq9OYziZyXT2FvGfEDkYZj8J51Q9bSDSGy6Ww1mCOp73LM8sOtuvE19n7Y7OBrWTP45ugNIhHryahkogWSNNs_sQvGQBfqvK8/s1600/Slide5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4vWMuOCnAY49m-9axm9L6Yfs2CMzcUeziHeGMkyV8ILq9OYziZyXT2FvGfEDkYZj8J51Q9bSDSGy6Ww1mCOp73LM8sOtuvE19n7Y7OBrWTP45ugNIhHryahkogWSNNs_sQvGQBfqvK8/s200/Slide5.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Two words... SQUARE COVERS!!!</span></b> I love creating covers for my resources! When I first began putting my products together to add to TpT, I had read all about how square covers were the next big thing. I kind of blew it off because I was just putting one foot in front of the other just to get resources added to my store. Well, after about 5 resources, I figured, 'What the heck? I'll see if it makes a difference.' Boy, was I hooked. I wish I had before and after photos of my covers, but... I don't, because I deleted all of those sorry looking things! Square covers are so much easier to work with, and they look SO MUCH nicer! Some people say that there is more 'real estate' with which to work. I don't even care about that... I just think they look better! Take a peek at TpT and compare the different covers. Here is MY favorite cover from my store, and YES, it's square! </div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMOF_GcMFME2-P8jinKH-WyhcmNmiRsk1YQb-4qPWIAq2Gy4uqOAWmdywvxHhTUG_vrnrKtb6pdzIqE_XF7q_tv30vEDyL7mvrzF0XWEMozIbGI8S27XNkHGqDy55cDeJ5qmbtZx1pTs/s320/original-2589362-1.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCTA7XW3w_Is0awEACKOBZA-NG51CUa9PljS3V54DADvILUxNLjsT-anfKoBnp-AfImdoMv-UP4e0RmVcf9UDbkZRIWl8Fhe4iGvktWi1QPwiloAtxZWaDGLWkjS1Ed7XWAtQQdQjzR4/s1600/Slide6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCTA7XW3w_Is0awEACKOBZA-NG51CUa9PljS3V54DADvILUxNLjsT-anfKoBnp-AfImdoMv-UP4e0RmVcf9UDbkZRIWl8Fhe4iGvktWi1QPwiloAtxZWaDGLWkjS1Ed7XWAtQQdQjzR4/s200/Slide6.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Brand yourself... NOT literally!!!</b></span> Create a <b>UNIQUE</b> store name. I chose my name based on my FAVORITE Texas saying 'Fixin' to.' You can read the long version of the reason behind my store name <b><a href="http://www.fixintoteach.com/2016/04/welcome-to-my-blog.html" target="_blank">{HERE}</a></b>. PLEASE don't take someone else's store name and twist it just a bit to make it yours. THINK UP SOMETHING <b>UNIQUE</b>!! Once you have your store name, make sure you search TpT to see if anyone has that name or anything CLOSE to it! Once you have your store name, it's time to decide which outlets you want to pursue... blogging, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I went all out with getting a logo and branding my name. I used Jolene Ray from <a href="http://paisleynpolkadotsdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Paisley n' Polkadots Blog Designs</b></a>. She did a <b>PHENOMENAL</b> job. Unfortunately, she returned to work full time this school year and is not currently scheduling blog designs. If you can get on her list for when she does start up again, I really recommend her!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInDkXSAZWrBNmMB-gTx0w-6xn85YASFJtrdBN2k1TDng2xur9s5gboT-CMlChcOFiblZsGdZOaoLTFNAo6XeNjlsAcKBRlrtZYaWDKOlIID3SX0v_AhPc7dhfu_54EKX_aCiOxsCN2J8/s1600/Slide7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInDkXSAZWrBNmMB-gTx0w-6xn85YASFJtrdBN2k1TDng2xur9s5gboT-CMlChcOFiblZsGdZOaoLTFNAo6XeNjlsAcKBRlrtZYaWDKOlIID3SX0v_AhPc7dhfu_54EKX_aCiOxsCN2J8/s200/Slide7.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Get on social media!!!!</span></b> Now that you have your brand, you can decide which social media outlets you want to become active on. Every bit of research I have read suggests that Pinterest is the BEST at driving customers to your store. Before I started on TpT, I was an avid pinner. However, there is a bit more strategy in pinning for business purposes. The one thing you should know before venturing into Pinterest for your business is to GET A BUSINESS ACCOUNT!! You can track a lot of information about what pins are working for you, how many repins you have, etc. Some techerpreneurs choose to keep their personal accounts and just convert those over to a business account. Since my personal account was loaded with many personal pins, I just decided to open a business account under my TpT store name. Yes, I have 2 Pinterest accounts... I just don't get on my personal account anymore. I just don't have time! The link to join Pinterest Business can be found <b><a href="https://business.pinterest.com/en" target="_blank">{HERE}</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDYLJA7Nh4H-Tn_VgzlBMESPUJycw0oMx65YCDYYJTjHdExG4yIkpLkGdSoch29_rvitL4-OqW5G4pfF2Ylk22u0Xpo1C4pm_51SQhVL6dHvNNe-CqzprQSALaGWpy9sxVBc3vHbtNlQ/s1600/Slide8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDYLJA7Nh4H-Tn_VgzlBMESPUJycw0oMx65YCDYYJTjHdExG4yIkpLkGdSoch29_rvitL4-OqW5G4pfF2Ylk22u0Xpo1C4pm_51SQhVL6dHvNNe-CqzprQSALaGWpy9sxVBc3vHbtNlQ/s200/Slide8.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Upgrade to Premium Seller status ASAP!!!</span></b> Here's why!! Say you sell a resource for $3.50, and you sell 10 of those. This is what the difference looks like between a 'Basic Seller' VS a 'Premium Seller':<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIE55Pn0GTuO1db-Jd4Xl2vlaRMNaQ0W0fwHvIymBvXx9aYHqS1AOT0xWka3WgUmbvogUmkr3I9SJisAd81Cv3tbTZkm4HshK5aduoAHA_-g09LMEm5ncti0Ho0-vvFHyEUboSNUg7V4/s1600/Premium+vs+Basic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIE55Pn0GTuO1db-Jd4Xl2vlaRMNaQ0W0fwHvIymBvXx9aYHqS1AOT0xWka3WgUmbvogUmkr3I9SJisAd81Cv3tbTZkm4HshK5aduoAHA_-g09LMEm5ncti0Ho0-vvFHyEUboSNUg7V4/s400/Premium+vs+Basic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
WOW!!! Look at how much more money you would bring in by JUST spending the $60 to become a Premium Seller! IF you have ANY thoughts at all about becoming a serious TpT Teacher-Author, upgrade to premium from the get-go!!! You can find information about upgrading to a premium seller <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Help/Membership-Levels?aref=8cd2i1dv" target="_blank">{HERE}</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6ME3h44tof5GHnFV8wIO3U0mfDIQp__9sfeuW5xGEesjnKGYo5AV6vaPkIuS-2bUendDYvo38FteEz0cbIC7HY0TWZ0V-5MXQ2MFgE_lqhhvIT_b4DeiePJmLMu4T760d6OUyd4-dJo/s1600/Slide9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6ME3h44tof5GHnFV8wIO3U0mfDIQp__9sfeuW5xGEesjnKGYo5AV6vaPkIuS-2bUendDYvo38FteEz0cbIC7HY0TWZ0V-5MXQ2MFgE_lqhhvIT_b4DeiePJmLMu4T760d6OUyd4-dJo/s200/Slide9.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">CHECK & DOUBLE CHECK YOUR WORK!!</span></b> TpT is a professional institution... so teachers depend on teacher-authors selling resources on TpT to create professional looking products. When I was creating my science task cards last summer, I read and reread every single thing I wrote! I even had my son (who had been in my class two years prior) answer each question and make sure it was stated properly. I can't stress enough that you should get others to check your work or even have your class complete the activity or what not to make sure that EVERYTHING is clear and understood by others! I'm sure most of you have seen this, but it is SO true!!!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFDB449Q8PQ4CBs_zsSIWbqOUy2yTpVuHQjAYV0RAnPu8Tmquu12TeVkYUqckZto2b4Nn8HEbKa7MxeBnY4GBYbfRYi8ha48vK15vV2oUjcCn2kSTU6jmzRjJ7h-mealAylfxgkgAy9w/s1600/slide_53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFDB449Q8PQ4CBs_zsSIWbqOUy2yTpVuHQjAYV0RAnPu8Tmquu12TeVkYUqckZto2b4Nn8HEbKa7MxeBnY4GBYbfRYi8ha48vK15vV2oUjcCn2kSTU6jmzRjJ7h-mealAylfxgkgAy9w/s640/slide_53.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvULD47iJbkR5GKeSZ31bg8AAb6ceBae2pkzf5B0fF3YvEZR7Q-UpjsO1HnfAgZhGdrGBl4C0LvtHywHcTGy9UpSI0DvyeQEdYYr8VlxlFaYwDuvRwE0AxUOO8elivhk_c1ndd5iiGO8/s1600/Slide10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvULD47iJbkR5GKeSZ31bg8AAb6ceBae2pkzf5B0fF3YvEZR7Q-UpjsO1HnfAgZhGdrGBl4C0LvtHywHcTGy9UpSI0DvyeQEdYYr8VlxlFaYwDuvRwE0AxUOO8elivhk_c1ndd5iiGO8/s200/Slide10.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">PRINT YOUR RESOURCE!!!</span></b> Make sure you see what your products will look like once someone buys and downloads them! Here is my MAJOR OOPS story.... I had listed 3 sets of my task cards (all of my task card sets have QR code answers on the back). I didn't print ANY of them because I didn't want to waste precious ink - I was on a roll!!! I decided to take photos of my task cards, so I printed a copy of one set of my task cards and began cutting them out. OH...MY...GOSH!!! The backs of the task cards didn't match the fronts. When I was creating them in PowerPoint, I made the mistake of forgetting to account for the front and back printing. Long story short... I had to completely fix ALL of the QR codes my task cards that I had listed so far! It was a huge pain because I had to upload them to the store again and notify buyers that I was a complete moron! he he!!!!! My solution to my printing problem was to buy an HP Instant Ink compatible printer and sign-up for HP Instant Ink! What I'm about to tell you changed my life!!! It seems way too good to be true, but after about 5 months into HP Instant Ink I can say that it is really a dream come true! If you haven't heard of this, run to your nearest Target or wherever (Amazon perhaps) and get an HP Printer compatible with Instant Ink. HP communicates with your printer so when you are about out of ink, they will send you more. There are various plans ranging from $3 a month to $10 a month, but you NEVER have to buy ink again!!! I currently have the $10 a month plan. I can print up to 300 pages a month; unused pages are rolled over to the next month! Since I started using HP Instant Ink I have probably used 4 black and 4 color ink cartridges, which would most likely have cost me close to $300. With this program, I've only spent $50. The printer that I bought is VERY basic, but it works wonders - HP Envy 4520. I bought mine at Target when it was on sale, but on Amazon the price is even better. <i>Click on the photo below to see the printer:</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/HP-Wireless-Printer-Printing-F0V69A/dp/B013SKI4LU/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1483120617&sr=1-1&keywords=hp+envy+4520" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwV1J3DKmRfUKAQI404xSOKVXSk3zafagiAwUma_mKhnipbVbCRbdZPoUSF2b7IgRZ0IdvLNM8jvMh_rJ1c-HarjB9CcHhvwqNTPwbKfaNSy2Z4AnqCsQ5qma1cEWFt2HkOQj2wu3991k/s400/81m8iM2EC7L._SL1500_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you enroll in HP Instant Ink by 12-31, you get <b>THREE</b> months <b>FREE!!! </b><i>Click on the photo below to see an overview of HP Instant Ink:</i></div>
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<a href="http://www8.hp.com/us/en/instant-ink/overview.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTStJGOeM8YEM-cfFW502-IjEMekxN3RAnhOu2_BYun6cMkn6RJTuf3_V7xNXVqw8SHnfQvyVBIPRW_f7_1LV53nE-vmRvTpXVTUj_0SVpK7dBJDpK3hK8EsQVtjK4LFvpZtr7b3rMLMs/s400/2016-12-30.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you decide to make the jump to HP Instant Ink, you can sign-up using my referral link <b><a href="http://try.hpinstantink.com/fBQGG" target="_blank">{HERE}</a></b> to get ANOTHER month FREE!!! </div>
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I really hope that these tips have helped you get started on your incredible journey into TpT! If you have ANY questions, please contact me! If I missed any important tips, leave me a comment! I am constantly learning!!! Thanks so much for reading!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlABL4YRkVhYtYnS8Z9ILIBlrMebyWyK38dBgz_JIU64S3UsT90vM9F6_1SaFlDaBFkhd5bZ3sjnsS_6Bqk8zAp2u-Dwq-AXMxV6xQUEj_xmIjJNN3PKx7Pk9DLjSoCN4gmmAppuN2SUU/s1600/10+Tips+for+New+TpT+Sellers+-+Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you new to selling resources on TpT? Check out my blog post for 10 basic tips on starting your teacherpreneur journey!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlABL4YRkVhYtYnS8Z9ILIBlrMebyWyK38dBgz_JIU64S3UsT90vM9F6_1SaFlDaBFkhd5bZ3sjnsS_6Bqk8zAp2u-Dwq-AXMxV6xQUEj_xmIjJNN3PKx7Pk9DLjSoCN4gmmAppuN2SUU/s400/10+Tips+for+New+TpT+Sellers+-+Pinterest.jpg" title="10 Tips for New TpT Sellers" width="260" /></a></div>
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Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-31650003399069217642016-11-25T08:27:00.003-06:002016-11-25T08:27:40.559-06:00Five for Friday - November 25Wow! Thanksgiving has come and gone... I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I've had a blast this week spending time with my family! Today, I'm linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/">Doodlebugs Teaching</a> for...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqZdDZ6FNY4iSW49vM-8KVWTID4QHkfNB_tZ9yqLkaYdbxDEpV0NAfN8JmL3oLLetkC-qdDj_9C_thFwpoEqUks-kWTw_D94BOwvKL7oeWj4Dua21S7QwaSuWtpoyDZb9Roo80zKrdzI/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqZdDZ6FNY4iSW49vM-8KVWTID4QHkfNB_tZ9yqLkaYdbxDEpV0NAfN8JmL3oLLetkC-qdDj_9C_thFwpoEqUks-kWTw_D94BOwvKL7oeWj4Dua21S7QwaSuWtpoyDZb9Roo80zKrdzI/s400/Picture2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are some FUN happenings from this glorious week off!!!!!</div>
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My sister and her family and Brodie and I went to see <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. </i>The movie was, well, fantastic!!! I LOVE Harry Potter, so when I found out this movie was in theaters, I was there. I'm trying to get my son to read the Harry Potter books, but haven't been successful! Here is a picture from the photo booth at the movie theater!</div>
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My husband and I got married on June 1, 2002! After the big day, my wedding dress was professionally cleaned and properly packed in a box to last forever! That dress has been through a few moves, including our big move from California to Texas. Well, I got to the point where I was tired of it taking up so much space (the box was HUGE)! I wanted to donate it to a good cause. The charity organizations I looked at either weren't accepting dresses or only wanted dresses that were less than 5 years old! So, to make a long story short... my mother-in-law knows someone who makes burial outfits for angel babies. My prayers had been answered!! That was exactly how I wanted my dress to be used!! I couldn't imagine the heartbreak of losing a child, so I wanted to help those families just a bit by providing them with a beautiful burial gown for their angel! Below is a picture of the gowns made from my wedding dress! They're gorgeous!</div>
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WE GOT A NEW CAR!! Even though this happened a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to include it now since I am super excited! We went from a 2007 Ford F150 to a brand new Subaru Outback! It's top the line with eyesight, heated seats, you name it... we absolutely LOVE it! Our truck had 137,000 miles on it and was basically a ticking time bomb! </div>
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This week has been amazing... I have been able to work on TpT products. I can't wait until Christmas Break now so that I have a lot of time to work on my fun ideas! Here are two that I listed this week, and I have to say I'm pretty proud of them! Click on the photos below to snag these labels!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Labels-Editable-Quatrefoil-Pattern-2887945"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6P94DvZDTtb8Z3lnYEdw2ZDZQOXoJ3MupA2IqPfa3QDdFaCjy-xAUx9tN4DlcdfhVXhTpv9BZjpCvx1amrMNAL0Uf6frwTyvhj1LUPU8u1thLex4f4lVj7TK459RuTAto-Udwu-MKlk/s320/Labels+Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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AND... to top off my wonderful AND exciting Thanksgiving Break... I got a REALLY great deal on an elliptical machine that my principal happened to be selling! I like to catch up on my favorite TV shows (or even re-watch old shows that I LOVE) when I have a few extra minutes. So, my wonderful husband put up one of our old TV's and bought a Roku for me to watch TV while I'm on the elliptical. Killing 2 birds with 1 stone... I love it! (For all you out there with OCD, the TV is off center because that's where the studs were - YES, it bothers me and my husband, too...he he)!!</div>
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I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! It's about time to prep for next week!!</div>
Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-90811992419321935052016-10-24T18:13:00.002-05:002019-07-24T14:19:06.125-05:00The One App I Use in Science That I Couldn't Live Without<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Y'all!!!<br />
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It seems like forever since I have written a blog post... Apparently my teaching has been getting in the way! LOL!!! Even though this post title says, 'science', you don't have to teach science to use this wonderful app. It is an amazing and fun way to teach, reinforce, or review content. I am SUPER lucky to teach in a district where all 3rd-5th grade math and science teachers have their own iPad cart. Let me tell you... I USE the heck out of my cart. Any time I can integrate technology into science, I do it! I use many apps in my classroom, however, this one is a staple!<br />
The app is called <b>Nearpod</b>. If you've heard of it, then I'm sure you know how wonderful it is. If you don't have experience with Nearpod, I urge you to check it out ASAP! It can be used with ANY subject and ANY grade level!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://app.nearpod.com/home"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-9Z-2vpZmaXlH49aly2FW8AWfzEYCP_JLb3bVbhq1gadsPWZYY4ln800lZj1pYzie6yLzHPhp7eZPZMJMaL5LKUtdtdmodXDgH-UmdbzQ2nIVFnABsdDovxgBXky8i-3jCQ5585NuqU/s640/2016-10-24.png" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the above image to go to Nearpod.<a href="https://app.nearpod.com/home"><br /></a></td></tr>
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There are two different ways to use Nearpod: <b>1.</b> you can shop on the Nearpod website and purchase pre-made presentations (think TPT but for the Nearpod app) or <b>2.</b> you can create your own presentation in PPT, upload it to Nearpod, and add the extras there.<br />
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There are pros and cons to using a pre-made Nearpod vs. creating your own.<br />
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The one thing that REALLY matters to me is being able to create my own content that aligns to the 4th grade science TEKS (Texas Standards). Once you sign up for an account (it's FREE), you'll see this screen:<br />
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If you want to check out the pre-made presentations, click on 'Explore.' There are so many ways to search using as many filters as needed. You can filter by subject, grade, free or paid, etc. Below you can see the rotating current 'hot topics,' which can be really helpful is you teach about or incorporate current events into your classroom.<br />
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Since purchasing or adding pre-made Nearpod presentations to your library is pretty self-explanatory, let's talk about creating your own presentations (there's a much steeper learning curve with this). If you begin creating your presentation in Nearpod, it's going to look UGLY (trust me on this one). :) You want to create a PPT first. That way you can add your own digital paper, clip art, and fonts. I start with the title page, then add slides and content as desired. Because Nearpod has lots of activities, etc. that you can add to your PPT, I keep a running tab of what slides I have and what activities I want to add to the presentation and where. Below is what my PPT looked like before I uploaded it to Nearpod (This presentation was shorter because we weren't going to have a lot of time in class to work on this). I will NOTE... if you upload your PPT into Nearpod like this, the fonts are going to be boring. I guess it doesn't recognize certain fonts and defaults to a boring font. I finally got smart and saved my PPT as a JPEG, and then reinserted it into a new PPT.<br />
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Once you are ready, you can go to the Nearpod website to upload it. You can use the app to complete your presentation, but the Nearpod website is WAY more user-friendly when it comes to uploading your PPT and adding activities. Upload your PPT and you're ready to insert activities, videos, quizzes, etc. You have the choice to 'add content' (like a video), 'add web content' (website), or 'add activity' (quiz, draw-it, memory game, etc.). There is SO much that is possible for you to include in your presentation. This is my FAVORITE part, y'all!<br />
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Here is what the final Nearpod presentation looks like -<br />
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You can see that I added lots of different activities, a video, a couple drawing activities, and more. Now, you're ready for your students to get their NEARPOD on... There are two different ways to do this... student-paced and live lesson (teacher-led). Most of the time, I use student-paced because I have already taught the concepts. This is more of a fun review/reinforcement of previously taught concepts. No matter which method you choose, Nearpod will provide a code for the students to enter on their device. From there, the students will either continue on their own or wait for you to begin instruction. When students finish, Nearpod provides FANTASTIC reports for you to gather data on your students. These reports can even be sent home for the parents to see what the students have been doing. Nearpod has been a GAME CHANGER in my classroom. I love it as a fun way to review and reinforce concepts. I would be happy to share this Nearpod with you via email. Just leave your email in the comments!! Take care!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjQr5aX4A2qa6xnV8249IAknr_6Awdxe7IJEUUwCThptUlwvcDnPxo0tKYVkic1UZgYep5CqQYwsnOmGZ-tjiIZd5VvVf-idjgEi-faBPQLyJIIPfkRgNKpyzJLplgzU4nVL70SvmTx4/s1600/Nearpod+Pinterest+Blog+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjQr5aX4A2qa6xnV8249IAknr_6Awdxe7IJEUUwCThptUlwvcDnPxo0tKYVkic1UZgYep5CqQYwsnOmGZ-tjiIZd5VvVf-idjgEi-faBPQLyJIIPfkRgNKpyzJLplgzU4nVL70SvmTx4/s400/Nearpod+Pinterest+Blog+Pic.jpg" title="The One App I Use in Science That I Couldn't Live Without - Fixin' to Teach" width="261" /></a></div>
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Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-78632795572943811692016-09-05T19:26:00.002-05:002016-09-05T19:26:31.965-05:00Take a Peek Inside My Classroom 2016-2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQdN3uttpJ8r2xm4rBpkC9BWHrufrZSj_QkQeAfsegdXAn7NIUKWGJKNALrsUjlNPy4tnWx7k-5rtW45UI8hR9cL3QrWIAI79CoXLb0-8IO0TPU5z0YfYlYebFZTCzxzirQOKLLsBwGk/s1600/Classroom+Reveal+2016-2017+-+FB+Blog+Post+jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQdN3uttpJ8r2xm4rBpkC9BWHrufrZSj_QkQeAfsegdXAn7NIUKWGJKNALrsUjlNPy4tnWx7k-5rtW45UI8hR9cL3QrWIAI79CoXLb0-8IO0TPU5z0YfYlYebFZTCzxzirQOKLLsBwGk/s640/Classroom+Reveal+2016-2017+-+FB+Blog+Post+jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a peek at my classroom (AKA Classroom Reveal)! In my fifteen years of teaching, I've NEVER decorated my classroom with a theme or even decorated it how I wanted it. This year, my 16th year, I wanted my classroom to feel like a home away from home... Because, let's face it, I spend enough time there! In Lubbock, we have 2 teacher stores, one of which is a Christian bookstore/education supply store (it's called Mardel). Believe it or not, I didn't do ANY of my back to school/teacher supply shopping at the other teacher store. I have one person to blame for my 'theme' madness, and that is my coworker/teammate! She decided to theme up her room and redo everything! I couldn't resist; this was going to be 'MY' year! Mardel has the cutest themes, and when I started looking for what I wanted, I had SUCH a hard time deciding which theme I wanted. If you're not familiar with Mardel, you should really take a look at their wonderful themes <a href="http://www.mardel.com/classroom">{HERE}</a> (they will even ship to you). The theme I decided on is called #TooCute Classroom Collection! I can't even tell you how cute (or #TooCute) this theme is! Here is a picture of my FAVORITE border from this collection:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpoRpPaV3GNwF_j63HIVzTKavTqltG-gQ7RDA1VRGSNGlehsA6yxeDxMLDE3_e7yTjg31_wtSiz2miO3d3xjytUlyyAqvonLe8r3YBVzuYHRV25xxM2SJAuDv5PDaBJjVtb0ERUY8b9A/s1600/%2523TooCute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpoRpPaV3GNwF_j63HIVzTKavTqltG-gQ7RDA1VRGSNGlehsA6yxeDxMLDE3_e7yTjg31_wtSiz2miO3d3xjytUlyyAqvonLe8r3YBVzuYHRV25xxM2SJAuDv5PDaBJjVtb0ERUY8b9A/s200/%2523TooCute.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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Isn't it adorable? Let's get to my classroom: </div>
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Almost one entire wall in my classroom is covered in carpet for bulletin boards. Next year, I'm planning on covering those in all black and adding more of my themed items to that. This year was a bit crazy... SMALL baby steps!! The left board is my objectives, my 'We Will...' and 'I Can...' statements, and the jobs I use for science (more on that in a bit). In the middle, there are posters of various scientists from different branches of science. On the right bulletin board, there are various quote posters and 'Tiger Pride' saying (more on that in a bit). Those mailboxes to the far right under the pink bulletin board are so handy! Since 4th grade students at our school switch to 5 classes per day, our students have numbers. The mailboxes have my homeroom students' numbers on them (I use #'s on the mailboxes instead of names so I don't have to change them each year), and all of their papers go in there for Tuesday folders. The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009JY009E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">File Organizer from Amazon</a> was about $70, but it has been so worth it not to worry about the crappy cardboard organizers that I've used in the past.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAotsivP83_nqDY3WQCyhwUu9sVoIM6t5tUq3pXg7YERtWEoQj_iUg-Az7l6iJM_a6Btx6kKRqQS8rhzqm6K2Te9Tsi2MhmonnB9jP8hKZUSwCuDuOBiupEXEA1M2EUwYVzSXjU43IECQ/s1600/Classroom+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAotsivP83_nqDY3WQCyhwUu9sVoIM6t5tUq3pXg7YERtWEoQj_iUg-Az7l6iJM_a6Btx6kKRqQS8rhzqm6K2Te9Tsi2MhmonnB9jP8hKZUSwCuDuOBiupEXEA1M2EUwYVzSXjU43IECQ/s400/Classroom+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took most of these photos during our Meet the Teacher Night, so that's why there's neatly stacked papers on their desks. This is just a view of the front of my room. I LOVE my lanterns and group numbers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccs90I3UwT-twIzmgaV6yJeYR8giVCctu3ByOoicK3ZtF9aiRcHc4cLdZXXkrAVpaklj2UwgsMOOOepihbwfm7gV6c8p2tDoHPhBLnrluHz83u0CgKyuzP3GR1K2TfGEonvX6zVO6IDA/s1600/Classroom+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccs90I3UwT-twIzmgaV6yJeYR8giVCctu3ByOoicK3ZtF9aiRcHc4cLdZXXkrAVpaklj2UwgsMOOOepihbwfm7gV6c8p2tDoHPhBLnrluHz83u0CgKyuzP3GR1K2TfGEonvX6zVO6IDA/s400/Classroom+2.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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This 'Fourth Grade Stars' board is where I hang the students' 'Star of the Week' posters after they've been the student of the week. The decorations are all from the '#TooCute' theme from Mardel. I LOVE the lights.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI3eF4jZR4DmKy1L_nV8y9uVpcu2HvgSIVCpDOAtr94gK27oatYLI-Z-kE8c2sP3ofeuwUMBNob5ULXmd2PHhVMVjXR8aa9gU_NxnWZH3oZcjqGRNMHcfJA0krgDp7JbQFIm3HmAk04U/s1600/Fourth+Grade+Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI3eF4jZR4DmKy1L_nV8y9uVpcu2HvgSIVCpDOAtr94gK27oatYLI-Z-kE8c2sP3ofeuwUMBNob5ULXmd2PHhVMVjXR8aa9gU_NxnWZH3oZcjqGRNMHcfJA0krgDp7JbQFIm3HmAk04U/s400/Fourth+Grade+Stars.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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At the left, in the picture below, is where students will 'sign out' when they use the restroom, library, or the computers. They move their number up when they leave or use the computer. It really helps see who is out if there is a fire drill or what not. The 'AR Stars' board is to help students keep track of their percentage each week. The 4th grade reading teacher takes the students' pictures using themed props (this year it's western) while they pose. Then, we laminate the pics and cut them out. The students start out at zero - or the bottom - and will move their person up each week based on their goal. At the right is where I hang the lunch menu, the AR reward parties and dates. There is a small bookcase under the lunch menu board where the students mark their lunch choice and pick up morning work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnL1zVNcCJLWJ17SLwa42cnEZ38S7Yn4SwW_bM2i5FuyrkuItnWdi2UdoPVdCIQ3Azv0RLsHg4OXD4glyZMkJGhjFMxem7cN8Q3gVbe1N2ZncIMthGrYHBHRCZdZcEWCDvTuEpXznRdaI/s1600/AR+Board.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnL1zVNcCJLWJ17SLwa42cnEZ38S7Yn4SwW_bM2i5FuyrkuItnWdi2UdoPVdCIQ3Azv0RLsHg4OXD4glyZMkJGhjFMxem7cN8Q3gVbe1N2ZncIMthGrYHBHRCZdZcEWCDvTuEpXznRdaI/s400/AR+Board.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is something that I REALLY don't like. It's just too blah!!! I wanted to change it this year and make the objectives cuter and the 'We will' and 'I can' posters match my theme. However, I found out that our science TEKS (Texas science standards) are changing next year. So, I might as well use them for one more year, and next year I'll be able to make the objectives super cute to match my theme.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0h16SiY5iZ0rdvfWZAmmP49fgabj6heJkE4wZqfg-9YYoJplbT-I4FMwU0zHNomgPRROG3_dxIkspNMtSULLvEJZzcJE0BPF9TI1CvN4TMNRy3SWrtyixRH9BRzB_FPzl3rJrrFkB8g/s1600/I+Can%252C+We+Will.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0h16SiY5iZ0rdvfWZAmmP49fgabj6heJkE4wZqfg-9YYoJplbT-I4FMwU0zHNomgPRROG3_dxIkspNMtSULLvEJZzcJE0BPF9TI1CvN4TMNRy3SWrtyixRH9BRzB_FPzl3rJrrFkB8g/s400/I+Can%252C+We+Will.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love these jobs that I revamped for this year. I did a lot of research and mixed and matched some jobs I found online that other teachers use, plus I added my own touch to the jobs to make them work for my class. The desks in each group are numbered 1-4 (I'm using a lot of Kagan in my classroom this year), so each week, students have a different job when they come in to my class on Mondays.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7ASAQjPyfIozIwqI3Lm4dasozabP36wh6C7iNVPd5NeKAVdre3eDWw5trS5mTXhBEa_3vxpIOZapEnR3XsVDMUXGGuVIpBZGaWfzIq2u3XHDQWHpLGExEVAQKuIR0afZJeDxwlj4IvU/s1600/Science+Jobs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7ASAQjPyfIozIwqI3Lm4dasozabP36wh6C7iNVPd5NeKAVdre3eDWw5trS5mTXhBEa_3vxpIOZapEnR3XsVDMUXGGuVIpBZGaWfzIq2u3XHDQWHpLGExEVAQKuIR0afZJeDxwlj4IvU/s400/Science+Jobs.png" width="251" /></a></div>
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Since education is moving toward emphasizing a growth mindset, my coworker, who happens to be the wonderful <a href="http://rowdyinroom300.blogspot.com/">Nicole from Rowdy in Room 300</a> (she's also our 4th grade writing teacher) made these 'Tiger Pride' reminders that fit with our district and school motto (our district's mascot is a tiger). They are SO cute! Thanks, Nicole for your creativity. She really does ROCK, y'all!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqcdZVjtPq4lpb0uk7kmSjAb_k19a7GoHOMXs7C6nc2EVWDOWYoionxhupFNul9MgpSq-oru4JmzcammzzzW1asiZHV8P8DIjZFxGIvppE9nddVq4LUoBnWCesFJ_DqZNxlC4EPGhE9w/s1600/TIGER+PRIDE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqcdZVjtPq4lpb0uk7kmSjAb_k19a7GoHOMXs7C6nc2EVWDOWYoionxhupFNul9MgpSq-oru4JmzcammzzzW1asiZHV8P8DIjZFxGIvppE9nddVq4LUoBnWCesFJ_DqZNxlC4EPGhE9w/s400/TIGER+PRIDE.png" width="228" /></a></div>
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Well, that's it! Thanks for following along!!! My classroom is a major work in progress. It is starting to feel like my home away from home, and the school year has started off wonderfully! Have a great week, friends!</div>
Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-45554219730987393902016-08-26T06:18:00.001-05:002016-08-26T06:18:28.244-05:00Five for FridayOH EM GEE!! That about sums up my first week of teaching!! Anyway, I'm linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/">Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching</a> for...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp0QAIdS_uieSPH90MbhvIweEe5B6xSsPXuV25qs9gKHC4GeRZM4EVLKVIDRdJiw2TgAp2as8e5l90fYzfiCnqX2puA7ICF389-XgNkTxBH-WGOcghH34WJfhM5z-YVOrjocQY4oFC3Q/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp0QAIdS_uieSPH90MbhvIweEe5B6xSsPXuV25qs9gKHC4GeRZM4EVLKVIDRdJiw2TgAp2as8e5l90fYzfiCnqX2puA7ICF389-XgNkTxBH-WGOcghH34WJfhM5z-YVOrjocQY4oFC3Q/s400/Picture2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Back in June, my coworker and I applied for a grant from the foundation associated with our district. My coworker (I'll call her Jessica- J/K- that's her real name) teaches 5th grade science, and I teach 4th grade science. We were seriously lacking science materials that the students need in order to be successful in demonstrating scientific skills. We included items in our grant such as triple beam balances, hot plates, glass beakers... It's really hard to teach kiddos how to read a triple beam balance by just watching a video. They need hands-on experience, and NOW they can get that! Because... TODAY we found out that we were awarded the grant! We are so ecstatic!!! WOOT WOOT!!! They messed up, and I will be getting my check soon! HE HE</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hae1AL2G4xhQuVgaoM0NwufT0syro2vooJhyphenhyphenqHPK0ZuM6LFSe3l9ma_zxSS03mrF2rTTFI5neSig6OymxurVM-XaQSABj19ACgLLns7puqCIJRVSu1CZb8ma4qbb0QcFy0PAeqnYBok/s1600/01ab55b7f02f8c3212c7151ac114d4b53126212c98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hae1AL2G4xhQuVgaoM0NwufT0syro2vooJhyphenhyphenqHPK0ZuM6LFSe3l9ma_zxSS03mrF2rTTFI5neSig6OymxurVM-XaQSABj19ACgLLns7puqCIJRVSu1CZb8ma4qbb0QcFy0PAeqnYBok/s400/01ab55b7f02f8c3212c7151ac114d4b53126212c98.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My ONLY child started middle school this week, too!!! WAAAAAA!!!! I can't tell you how sad this makes me! He has gone to the same school that I have taught at since he was 3 years old!!! Now, he is riding the bus and having to be responsible for pretty much everything! I'm so used to just talking to his teachers when he forgets his homework or is having a problem with something. It's been a huge transition for all of us!! Here's my 'BABY'!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0rjD4qJjeraZV5LTjy8pN03mHJFcHCdTG3LyUi_VuK0g0f2Q_gW8G-wXA47dvqGA0brc61fJNyxSZ8yIaCOe3Fv4fpgGxl-OqCpJJR-6R0y5i1m-SSobBK03NC1-0XCJ_M0rdTVvToE/s1600/Picture5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0rjD4qJjeraZV5LTjy8pN03mHJFcHCdTG3LyUi_VuK0g0f2Q_gW8G-wXA47dvqGA0brc61fJNyxSZ8yIaCOe3Fv4fpgGxl-OqCpJJR-6R0y5i1m-SSobBK03NC1-0XCJ_M0rdTVvToE/s200/Picture5.png" width="141" /></a></div>
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I started my 16th year of teaching this past Monday!! Seriously... what happened, y'all? I am exhausted! It was a pretty productive week! I just hate the 1st week... with going over the rules, collecting supplies, and what not. I want things to get to 'normal,' less talking and coaching and more DOING! I can't be the only one that feels like that, can I? Anyway, here's one of many pictures of my room (a peek into my classroom is coming up). I changed my classroom A LOT, and I'm super excited to show y'all!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnODIB1AsJ3pYyMOLR-zXLPYYyTv_y2HlxqOZ1lpKG4Tklom2EStcWKQNvM329pHXWY_D7pGDJs39M4Rav_bqp8hv-TP2BLFnvgZTSbD8TVGap6XkbDjwueiJdRR58SY6kt-qveRVu1R4/s1600/Classroom+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnODIB1AsJ3pYyMOLR-zXLPYYyTv_y2HlxqOZ1lpKG4Tklom2EStcWKQNvM329pHXWY_D7pGDJs39M4Rav_bqp8hv-TP2BLFnvgZTSbD8TVGap6XkbDjwueiJdRR58SY6kt-qveRVu1R4/s400/Classroom+3.png" width="282" /></a></div>
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Our district was fortunate enough to bring the wonderful George Couros to speak as the keynote during our technology convention. He is amazing and hilarious! Well, that convention was a couple of weeks ago. The point of all of this (I feel like I'm droning on :)) is that he wrote a book called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Mindset-Empower-Learning-Creativity/dp/0986155497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472175191&sr=8-1&keywords=george+couros">The Innovator's Mindset</a>. It's about teaching students to have a growth mindset while incorporating technology. I just started the book, and it is phenomenal! Y'all should check it out!</div>
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It's the little things in life... The fourth grade teachers go out to eat on Fridays for lunch. Yes, we only have 30 minutes, but it's so nice to look forward to... even if we're shoving the food in our mouth as we pick the kiddos up from the cafeteria! This summer, a wonderful pizza place, called Dion's opened right down the street from our school. Tomorrow will be our 1st 'Lunch Friday' of the school year, and that's where we're going!! We can call in our orders and go through the drive thru to pick up our food! We're SUPER excited!!! Like I said... IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS! </div>
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Have a great weekend, friends!!</div>
Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-77385660089582241412016-08-09T22:19:00.000-05:002017-01-21T10:26:51.851-06:00Take the Hassle Out of Preparing for a Sub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm
sure you're asking yourself...Why plan for a sub BEFORE I actually need one? If
you're like me, you probably HATE missing school! Best case scenario... you
have a workshop that was planned weeks or months in advance! Worst case
scenario...you're sick as a dog or you have a child who is ill, and you're
scrambling at the last minute to get sub plans ready! No matter the reason for
needing a sub, making sub plans are THE WORST... <span style="font-weight: bold;">I MEAN THE ABSOLUTE WORST!!</span></div>
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So,
back to the question... Why do you need to plan for a sub before you actually
need one? Let's travel back in time to last school year... To make a REALLY
long story short, I had to get a sub unexpectedly for a week due to surgery
complications. Then, after returning to work for a week, had to get a sub for
ANOTHER week because of the flu! It was SO difficult to make sub plans from
home when I didn't have any of my teaching materials with me.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://createinnovateexplore.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_7448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://createinnovateexplore.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_7448.jpg" height="320" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of <a href="http://createinnovateexplore.com/">createinnovateexplore.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
UGH!!!
Look at that paperwork! I am tired of coming back to school after a sub has
been in my room and having to deal with this! My back to school resolution was
to create a sub binder that I could complete at the beginning of the year with
policies, procedures, etc. and not really have to worry about it again. I would
only need to update it when something changes in my room. Honestly, the hardest
part of making a sub binder is remembering to include ALL of the important
details in your classroom, schedule, etc. Well, do this at the beginning of the
year, and the hardest part of making your sub binder is complete! YAY!! To make
my life easier, I created a sub binder. AND... it's available in my TpT store!</div>
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This
sub binder is editable to fit your needs and has LOTS of sections from which to
choose. It is filled with 75 pages of templates and various formats to ease the
burden of preparing for a sub. The table of contents is editable as well. Don't
like the lines with the numbers? That part is editable!</div>
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I
can't wait to prepare this bad boy once I get this year's schedule and updated
policies and procedures! After 15 years of teaching, I feel like this has been
a LONG time coming. This welcome letter can be customized to suit your style or
leave it as it is, and just change the name.</div>
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There
is also a page where the teacher can write special notes to the sub. Is there
an assembly or a party the day you have a sub? Include that in this section.
Are there any students that you KNOW are going to need extra help? Include it
here.</div>
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The section below is probably my favorite because I don't have to type it out EVERY TIME
I have a sub! Before, I would always include the students' specials classes or
my teacher duties in the actual lesson plans, but NOT anymore.</div>
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There
are also super cute dividers for the sections. I could go on ALL day about
everything this sub binder includes. But, you could just check it out for
yourself <span style="color: purple; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Substitute-Binder-EDITABLE-2687914">{HERE}</a></span>! It's going to make my life so much easier, and I hope it makes yours
easier as well!!!</div>
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HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!!<br />
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<br />Fixin' to Teachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00004989166242521497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-55450388903606263812016-07-29T17:14:00.001-05:002016-07-29T17:14:18.901-05:00Five for Friday: What Happened to Summer?!?!I'm back linking up again with Kelsey at <span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Doodle Bugs Teaching</a>.</span> </span><span style="background-color: white;"> I can't believe summer is almost over y'all!! What have I been up to this past week??? Well, here's another...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSno0Y-TL3ZBIUNnMsKvQY5jw8SEIwhRpMIC__IPGknNm3-t8XcqQmIBDdmLAuH5RHS-Fap6O4iFrbuPjRWcyUX5575bThvLwn1SJ_U3yCR7_ECvOCDWaXQ93SXdENfJJnbQ7kq1SKCTo/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSno0Y-TL3ZBIUNnMsKvQY5jw8SEIwhRpMIC__IPGknNm3-t8XcqQmIBDdmLAuH5RHS-Fap6O4iFrbuPjRWcyUX5575bThvLwn1SJ_U3yCR7_ECvOCDWaXQ93SXdENfJJnbQ7kq1SKCTo/s200/Picture1.png" width="141" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">After seeing all of the cute designs for the Heidi Swapp Lightbox, I had to get myself one! I can't wait to come up with so many cute designs to show off in my classroom! I was hoping to have a picture of something I made, but my printer is out of ink (more on that in a bit)! Here's something I created for my son's 11th birthday that is coming up on August 3rd. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKpEFxPW4UHV5bfPMLFSW_h3gHVvVkquGDdGrqprlP6sGfm4VQKkzEl-TEaeSetp27XH0oCCgDYXum2-066Tz0GBq5KHPZJUdKTKb8lYgIErTh9-Srl7pk3kimYr5rrfWx4L618gbxZaX/s1600/Lightbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKpEFxPW4UHV5bfPMLFSW_h3gHVvVkquGDdGrqprlP6sGfm4VQKkzEl-TEaeSetp27XH0oCCgDYXum2-066Tz0GBq5KHPZJUdKTKb8lYgIErTh9-Srl7pk3kimYr5rrfWx4L618gbxZaX/s320/Lightbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I'm not sure how it's going to look in the lightbox, yet. He loves chickens, so I think he'll LOVE it! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu51wg4hKaggCCrazMqm5GvVCfVBybs3wThqbBRJZtTc5DjPus_dNVGcrI1PZfn6z6npUXabDmjNI-d22I36xgsAYUujVvSnPaVX2RoIcLTWou6LZ8YWWPbIWCdWk7iRVeOvwxqK6_WBjh/s1600/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu51wg4hKaggCCrazMqm5GvVCfVBybs3wThqbBRJZtTc5DjPus_dNVGcrI1PZfn6z6npUXabDmjNI-d22I36xgsAYUujVvSnPaVX2RoIcLTWou6LZ8YWWPbIWCdWk7iRVeOvwxqK6_WBjh/s200/Picture3.png" width="141" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So, remember when I said that my printer ran out of ink. Well, that's a GOOD thing; actually, it's a GREAT thing. As I was trying to print out my new TpT resource (more on that in a bit) to see how it looked, our printer decided to stop printing properly (LONG story). I had told my husband a while back that I wanted an HP Instant Ink capable printer. Well, he decided to surprise me with one!! He's the best! It was on sale at Target. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/hewlett-packard-hp-envy-4520-all-in-one-printer-black-f0v69a-b1h/-/A-49155595" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAg9kPSPvUF9Ht-dnPu0ysQ8VPJruuqVu2Pi8MZQaqkm1XbjAs6a4qfBvqv5TAshUIZvh6UJ1oGmv7Due4FzlCHj2EjwIVhZvxPMj9BU0vX7qL8tilRK5Swu7vWQ_vBa1LVrswg0SYQCZ2/s320/Picture4.png" width="232" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So far, I LOVE it! I signed up for HP Instant Ink and got 3 months free with the printer. I absolutely LOVE that I can print 300 pages for only $10 a month... SO much cheaper than buying ink cartridges. AND... they ship ink cartridges before you need ink. GENIUS!!! But apparently, I should've waited a few days to start printing, because I ran out of ink by day 3. I knew that the cartridges that came with the printer were small, I just didn't know how small they were. Anyway, my 'Welcome Kit' should be here on Monday with new ink cartridges. If you're interested in HP Instant Ink, you can use my referral code to get an extra month free: <b><a href="http://try.hpinstantink.com/fBQGG" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">Try </span><span style="color: magenta;">HP Instant</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: magenta;">Ink</span></a><span style="color: purple;">. </span></b></span></div>
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This week I also finished up my 1st editable product for TpT...a sub binder... YAY!!! It seems like it took me FOREVER to complete this resource! I'm just glad I'm finished. I wanted to do an entire blog post about it, but my fancy printer is waiting for some ink. For now, I'll have to settle with a less than impressive picture!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Substitute-Binder-EDITABLE-2687914" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcvMeQc3Dsuf5GVeC19G22pDS_zu1kgn1CH7rqh4vVb-q-w7Gi1uxCl4QMi0o-bPaGCI-L_4lRXqa1n8ukcKMF_8zZksCAEMaIWBlq7iLxsZCA4DovAapOFbLfSy34kbTp7rM02aeOujb/s320/Blog+1.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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I am so HAPPY to be able to have something super easy to put together for when I need a sub! If you're interested in my editable sub binder, click on the picture! I KNOW it's gonna make my life easier!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJwautOYeqITlhUZOo57V8NSZfkxLGhzUYrokDfcebqxjpzInibTebp5IR6Z38SZoeJhk8Kw0KK5kntKVJMhy1l1GOfMpBedocciNGyyHs61EzUkIYtuBm6beh87eEBzK12HKBTMr0RsJ/s1600/Picture8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJwautOYeqITlhUZOo57V8NSZfkxLGhzUYrokDfcebqxjpzInibTebp5IR6Z38SZoeJhk8Kw0KK5kntKVJMhy1l1GOfMpBedocciNGyyHs61EzUkIYtuBm6beh87eEBzK12HKBTMr0RsJ/s200/Picture8.png" width="141" /></a></div>
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You might remember me talking about TrafficWonker on my last Five for Friday. Well, I decided to switch to Tailwind the next day! LOL! The first day that my pins were set to be pinned, only <b>1/2 </b>of them were actually pinned! WHAT?!?!?! I spent so much time curating pins and creating beautiful long pins for my products, and only 1/2 of what was scheduled actually went to Pinterest!!! That's a problem! From what I have been told, TrafficWonker is going through some growing pains, and it should be resolved soon! I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but in my opinion, Tailwind is the WHOLE package! I figured I would give Tailwind a go to see if I liked it, and BOY was I hooked. I LOVE Tailwind! If you would like to give Tailwind a try, here's my referral code to get a month FREE: <b><span style="color: magenta;"><a href="https://www.tailwindapp.com/i/fixintoteach" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">Try Tailwind</span></a>.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIFZ-uz6RYJ4wVcGUkR617ih7QS3rSqojac0nPXOXHGJvCrFQRXc-nZxOSxKOA4dnBeRmhE1F9ZxGdaTAI_YpyT4J3bKpwcZfEIrRnPx0kXoeaLUxAcywCr811SOUNoCUCYX8KDTS_nrn/s1600/Picture9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIFZ-uz6RYJ4wVcGUkR617ih7QS3rSqojac0nPXOXHGJvCrFQRXc-nZxOSxKOA4dnBeRmhE1F9ZxGdaTAI_YpyT4J3bKpwcZfEIrRnPx0kXoeaLUxAcywCr811SOUNoCUCYX8KDTS_nrn/s320/Picture9.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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In fact, I watched one of their FB Live videos where Kevin (he presented at the TpT Conference on Tailwind's behalf) discussed TpT and Tailwind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaKLw3G03gJXb9RcN30YsG5OZKJPeKGHzqo9fwp6U9OA38IBYLQ4TSZ8zN9KBrYwuseXmstM9wqcomLX_M9IlCDkPmWc9oe6RfmUsNQ9VqcRo7wYvbhwT0QrAm54hTP4vsZQSqFatxE-h/s1600/Picture10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaKLw3G03gJXb9RcN30YsG5OZKJPeKGHzqo9fwp6U9OA38IBYLQ4TSZ8zN9KBrYwuseXmstM9wqcomLX_M9IlCDkPmWc9oe6RfmUsNQ9VqcRo7wYvbhwT0QrAm54hTP4vsZQSqFatxE-h/s200/Picture10.png" width="141" /></a></div>
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As I was saying, I also caught the FB Live video with Kevin and Madison (from Tailwind). They talked about the size of pins (7 1/2 x 12 is best) as well as gave some great tips about Tailwind and TpT. It was amazing! Here's a link to the FB Live video: <span style="color: purple;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tailwind/videos/1171734689564562/" target="_blank">Tailwind and TpT FB Live Video</a>.</b></span> <span id="goog_652700890"></span><span id="goog_652700891"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> Also, if you missed the TpT Conference in Orlando, Kevin put together a webinar (it was taped, not live) that highlighted some of the more important points of his session at the conference. It was super informative and I took LOTS of notes. One thing that I really loved was he shared a Google Docs form with the TpT sellers who watch the webinar. Included in that is a 30% Tailwind discount (must be used by July 31). At that point, I went straight to the Tailwind website and signed up for a GIGANTIC discount!! If you watch the FB Live video, there is a link in the comments to the TpT Toolbox (Google Docs links). Kevin also talked about using Canva to make pins. I have always used PowerPoint, BUT he made some good points about how easy and flexible Canva is. PLUS... there is a Canva Design School!!!! YES....I am so excited to start working through the courses they offer!</div>
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Now, IF we only had more vacation time!!!!! Take care, friends!!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-72892222259134519742016-07-08T20:44:00.000-05:002016-07-08T20:44:01.011-05:00Five for Friday Link UpHappy Friday, y'all!!!<br />
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Today, I'm linking up with Kacey from <span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Doodle Bugs Teaching</span></a> </span>for my very first link up!!! YAY!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg54ycFs8w-oFn3o_ThEjVhqVUj_bwGV_HdlmlAhToCA83x5R0-QSMTvwX85NeVtkyADm5EF2m5YVOy98piaJowCR7AdOIq854FUUnBfRAdj0QiVp47h2BUT765D-GtvHAVH0KYGFk13ok/s1600/Blog+Linkys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg54ycFs8w-oFn3o_ThEjVhqVUj_bwGV_HdlmlAhToCA83x5R0-QSMTvwX85NeVtkyADm5EF2m5YVOy98piaJowCR7AdOIq854FUUnBfRAdj0QiVp47h2BUT765D-GtvHAVH0KYGFk13ok/s320/Blog+Linkys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am super excited about my NEW lightbox to help me take better quality photos of my products 'in action.' My husband and I (well- mainly my hubby) built a lightbox after I got tired off fighting with horrible lighting! In my blog post, I give step-by-step procedures for how to build the lightbox! It was super easy, and it cost <b>LESS THAN $40</b>. Check out my blog post on <a href="http://fixintoteach.blogspot.com/2016/07/diy-lightbox-for-tpt-products.html" style="color: magenta; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">How to Build Your Own DIY Lightbox</a>.</div>
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We had a fantastic time on the Fourth of July!! My son LOVES building random things out of PVC pipe. In fact, two years ago for his birthday, he wanted PVC pipe!! A day or two before the Fourth, he bought bigger PVC pipe and made a gigantic bazooka. My husband got this BRIGHT idea to put a smoke bomb in the bazooka. As you can see above, my son had a blast with it (but now the inside of the bazooka is a jumble of nasty colors)!<br />
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I FINALLY finished 'The Fifth Wave' series. If you haven't read the trilogy, you're missing out! There are lots of books on my wish list to read, but there's not enough time in the day!<br />
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I just signed up for <span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://trafficwonker.com/" target="_blank">TrafficWonker</a> </span>which is a lot like Tailwind. I just started adding pins to the scheduler, which starts pinning this Sunday. I am super excited to see how it saves me time as well as how it helps with gaining followers and repins. OH YEA... I almost forgot to mention... It's FREE!!!<br />
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Last, but not least, I posted my first BUNDLE on TPT!!!! Woo Hoo!! I have been working on science task cards that I can use with my students this next school year! My students are absolutely going to love using these task cards because they can use a QR code reader to check their answers. AND who doesn't love using technology!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BIG-Bundle-of-Science-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2622894" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOFFz8JGg_QXiFqAwQiXqe0add2k6RpLvWyLXVzfIJFK4hIXmmOJreqpB_FFnglYYL4HZ08VxAQHFu6gUYcuB-iCj2BnM7GDH3pWv6YyvhM64Rl7sfdFbBJLiJu5lgnGsyOPyXLXkt1KX/s320/Linky+Purchase.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
Thanks for reading, friends!!! Have a fantastic weekend!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-54911512141445506362016-07-06T19:31:00.002-05:002022-11-11T14:20:16.091-06:00DIY Lightbox for TPT Products<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSe8DffDx2Z6Z9EGXTnEwRX03O9pUMMtTPoUZLS8ZJ7Jw2ioozK60hVAUpuA0KzvMVG06moK7wNwUbhNX7PIbK-NofwjBCoTUIfkyj0ruGwpg1GbMxkyTdsooeMTTCQ6Ptt8qOEfH_uc/s1600/There+is+always+something+to+be+thankful+for..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSe8DffDx2Z6Z9EGXTnEwRX03O9pUMMtTPoUZLS8ZJ7Jw2ioozK60hVAUpuA0KzvMVG06moK7wNwUbhNX7PIbK-NofwjBCoTUIfkyj0ruGwpg1GbMxkyTdsooeMTTCQ6Ptt8qOEfH_uc/s400/There+is+always+something+to+be+thankful+for..jpg" title="Do you wish the pictures you took of your TpT products could look amazing?" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm just going to start this post off by saying - '<b>I am not a photographer; I'm not even good at photography.'</b> Just so y'all know that the lightbox we made is some SERIOUS cracker jack box style!<br />
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After reading the Teachers Pay Teachers Forum, I came across a post about taking better photos of products. After lots of research, I discovered that product 'action' photos are better to pin to Pinterest and put on your blog than just using the product cover. I really didn't want to spend over $100 on a lightbox, so I turned to my husband who is the King of '<i>Southern Engineering.' </i>Here are the directions for the one that we made, which cost us less than $40 (the lights were the most expensive items):<br />
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<h3>
<b>Supplies:</b></h3>
1/2 inch PVC pipe (we used two 8-foot sections)<br />
Two 45 degree elbow connectors<br />
Ten 90 degree elbow connectors<br />
Eight T-connectors<br />
Three clamp lights<br />
Light bulbs for each of the lights (we used 75 watts- but there are others I think you could use)<br />
One roll of 1-mil plastic drop cloth (like what painters use)<br />
White masking tape (not sure if blue would work or not)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrDYjbOMKLn5aGAVGDF9V1lnSJJHefsiah1kGJ7F5-bOnXYx7d0CcfsNA3Z7QgH6stFqHfBhB22VU7mTV2U7nbKldE_bpLYg2Fnmy6wXcRY1mqOQx2YXS_goqNdwXxARyK5kn7gaVYG6u/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrDYjbOMKLn5aGAVGDF9V1lnSJJHefsiah1kGJ7F5-bOnXYx7d0CcfsNA3Z7QgH6stFqHfBhB22VU7mTV2U7nbKldE_bpLYg2Fnmy6wXcRY1mqOQx2YXS_goqNdwXxARyK5kn7gaVYG6u/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's an example of what the connectors look like!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhzxV8tbewSKy0iowu9KVXhfaVtF8yNlCAVHghmIsFtmfJ_rauE8Y6Q8hlXgnV7pDYq88_UxJQiO480_MLl3BQQAmEDZAERd4qe2owNOCT1sdfZn0MlpgSxHqVgYVJzJMZlTNn6mJDmZt/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhzxV8tbewSKy0iowu9KVXhfaVtF8yNlCAVHghmIsFtmfJ_rauE8Y6Q8hlXgnV7pDYq88_UxJQiO480_MLl3BQQAmEDZAERd4qe2owNOCT1sdfZn0MlpgSxHqVgYVJzJMZlTNn6mJDmZt/s320/Slide2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's a close-up of the lights and plastic drop cloth!</div>
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Construction:</h3>
<h4>
Top Piece:</h4>
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The first step is to construct the top of the lightbox, which is shown below. My husband just eyed and measured everything. The final dimensions of the top base are 32" x 20". But, you can make the lightbox as big or as small as you want.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaI67CUXttWe-0K-J9NKZY0afRZN0xrPuG7w7pMfR8gep5WJyuS5XziDxRKxWhcHDPyGixSv_OGhcwSX1ujzDISRYwKTwbOz75AQxB6OQyfKQ7FPENWMaNAKp6VLBXg-BcXELx_7WtnyN/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaI67CUXttWe-0K-J9NKZY0afRZN0xrPuG7w7pMfR8gep5WJyuS5XziDxRKxWhcHDPyGixSv_OGhcwSX1ujzDISRYwKTwbOz75AQxB6OQyfKQ7FPENWMaNAKp6VLBXg-BcXELx_7WtnyN/s320/Slide3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bottom Piece:</h4>
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Once the top is finished, then you can start working on the bottom. Below shows 2 separate angles of the bottom piece. The measurements for the bottom part are 30" x 22" x 15".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibQPrYY5-kqprASecq3qOs4h31lVEYQji3mAqKAICXem80rOexywgIJwWBU3QljfwBeLBI-qO9LRAo18QKOYfA27DwoeIQ8Oev_Rw7GMc1VNbUzROCtBbMISiBWdmiSYBMrZS6SYbuMc2/s1600/Slide4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibQPrYY5-kqprASecq3qOs4h31lVEYQji3mAqKAICXem80rOexywgIJwWBU3QljfwBeLBI-qO9LRAo18QKOYfA27DwoeIQ8Oev_Rw7GMc1VNbUzROCtBbMISiBWdmiSYBMrZS6SYbuMc2/s400/Slide4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The above photos show two separate angles of what the finished bottom piece looks like. <b>*NOTE*:</b> instead of the 90 degree elbow connectors, we used T-connectors with a small piece of PVC pipe sticking out from each side. I was super confused at first as to why my husband did that... WELL- it is so the top piece can slide forward more. The tiny pieces of PVC pipe sticking out actually give me more wiggle room to position the top light.<br />
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Assembled- almost finished:</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-mFCoX3V9ltFyHht1KzpLtxrd_Zo5AX5rUDSTxlfzGhF9cF-FdpD9sp6g4rB4YdUU0L6mAR_pOSHMEkySS9Dra83FEox5u0lpfQ7KEbi5Y0ELpgK9kGYDmNc7cZDfQqWxzfChQNsBBvd/s1600/Slide5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-mFCoX3V9ltFyHht1KzpLtxrd_Zo5AX5rUDSTxlfzGhF9cF-FdpD9sp6g4rB4YdUU0L6mAR_pOSHMEkySS9Dra83FEox5u0lpfQ7KEbi5Y0ELpgK9kGYDmNc7cZDfQqWxzfChQNsBBvd/s400/Slide5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is what it looks like with the top and bottom set on top of one another. These should be kept in two parts for convenience (I'll get to that in a minute). The next step is to attach the plastic drop cloth.</div>
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Cutting and Securing the Plastic Drop Cloth:</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPezGmmgGOFfmaVKVu4kuGF3msci0z_JcrFU3pGyBEh2VVjbsMltqWibH5BUKmXYEYshAwgA198QvyEkcgDNodw_nkHKg8aqjqqBJVJy4zwVB-S6uazf9iVuT_E7RahkOpioniEOcEOg3/s1600/Slide6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPezGmmgGOFfmaVKVu4kuGF3msci0z_JcrFU3pGyBEh2VVjbsMltqWibH5BUKmXYEYshAwgA198QvyEkcgDNodw_nkHKg8aqjqqBJVJy4zwVB-S6uazf9iVuT_E7RahkOpioniEOcEOg3/s400/Slide6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This next step is probably the most difficult part. First, unroll the plastic drop cloth (we only used a single layer for the top piece). When you're cutting the drop cloth to fit, MAKE SURE you leave a lip so you'll have something to attach the tape to when you secure the drop cloth to the PVC pipe- as shown in this photo below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqsBw5TjSwXGDjUeOUKtWSXLs-YyIWxfczGeVhQ2LcnE9J0ePqhHT0pt4SDJ_W9FdjqiJ8AxMnrlWJ8dJ6cuyIrxdzFbB1F8iqp1kKDTGJ09baiT0jzt4M2ahtIOPSsPepTw6S05Xb_-M/s1600/Slide7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqsBw5TjSwXGDjUeOUKtWSXLs-YyIWxfczGeVhQ2LcnE9J0ePqhHT0pt4SDJ_W9FdjqiJ8AxMnrlWJ8dJ6cuyIrxdzFbB1F8iqp1kKDTGJ09baiT0jzt4M2ahtIOPSsPepTw6S05Xb_-M/s400/Slide7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>(Now- this is where you'll see some <i>'Southern Engineering' </i>at its finest)!!</b> Use masking tape to attach the drop cloth to the PVC pipe. There is no rhyme or reason to how or where we put the tape- just secure it so there aren't any gaps. In the bottom picture above, you'll see the finished top part! Now to the bottom piece! I have included lots of photos for this step because it was probably the most difficult.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesGwKlUc3CftcRwxLslrJ4nMgtAPi_guMO0KoH7MQW915dDAIj43xRUHlNop2ocsN_EytfaMLTZNnG-mjSYj4T8OP9uBmBL9rKWgG1bZFaSjeAN-UAD8ElPDL-J1f6P8ODD09nboryIWB/s1600/Slide8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesGwKlUc3CftcRwxLslrJ4nMgtAPi_guMO0KoH7MQW915dDAIj43xRUHlNop2ocsN_EytfaMLTZNnG-mjSYj4T8OP9uBmBL9rKWgG1bZFaSjeAN-UAD8ElPDL-J1f6P8ODD09nboryIWB/s400/Slide8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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For this step, we laid out the drop cloth in one long piece and doubled it. There was no particular reason we did that. So, that is totally optional. We fit the drop cloth to the frame, cut it, and taped it on each side, repeating those steps for all 3 sides of the bottom frame. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2BjJrv448yBFmYsum9a96AoBPYWq1JTBHINHmgGqkackPKySyuU2DWcBEouZ8HiU-GqujLGYOPW0OVFCm5cSCi_IBcMExvLv90vDPcr5iqiUl1-9-JgPvFIhR21WtMLgIFUrfcLaTR9d/s1600/Slide9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2BjJrv448yBFmYsum9a96AoBPYWq1JTBHINHmgGqkackPKySyuU2DWcBEouZ8HiU-GqujLGYOPW0OVFCm5cSCi_IBcMExvLv90vDPcr5iqiUl1-9-JgPvFIhR21WtMLgIFUrfcLaTR9d/s400/Slide9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then, we rolled the frame along the length of drop cloth, trimmed the edges, and taped as we went.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZYB0DF6DEaqVDwT6AX0-0BFUTKT_D3ou1MoQrw3Ja1UGsW3qMF1DVc50oXVu2BbO8ELd3g98r-d4klkfrKCCn4VXWlqIwHBcPKC6LWd8C2wb_-ajQnlrCRhTv9lJBybYpsyD9gMP-GFH/s1600/Slide10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZYB0DF6DEaqVDwT6AX0-0BFUTKT_D3ou1MoQrw3Ja1UGsW3qMF1DVc50oXVu2BbO8ELd3g98r-d4klkfrKCCn4VXWlqIwHBcPKC6LWd8C2wb_-ajQnlrCRhTv9lJBybYpsyD9gMP-GFH/s400/Slide10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is the finished bottom piece. The plastic drop cloth wraps around the outside of the bottom frame. Now, to join the top and the bottom. We kept the two pieces separate so that it would be easy to add backgrounds as well as the ease of moving it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBBAxgqvZIcWSPjBJfTUPl-6kb0X1UzILX7oi4WXl3_yXPyOxeAW0mC7sxyGgxjuPK9B3mQlaKo7ix6Els-ldQOfNl7M7ZJhsl-lj2_jidgtWx07d-ipS6g6Md_z7_FHoQ8GMUMjWloOn/s1600/Slide11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBBAxgqvZIcWSPjBJfTUPl-6kb0X1UzILX7oi4WXl3_yXPyOxeAW0mC7sxyGgxjuPK9B3mQlaKo7ix6Els-ldQOfNl7M7ZJhsl-lj2_jidgtWx07d-ipS6g6Md_z7_FHoQ8GMUMjWloOn/s400/Slide11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the ENTIRE lightbox sitting on our floor! The cord of the top light is wrapped around the top PVC pipe. We bought two larger clamp lights and one small one. AGAIN... no rhyme or reason- We were flying by the seat of our pants! The disadvantage of using a small 'clamp' light is that there is NO clamp. Good thing my husband uses zip ties like teachers use Flair pens! HA HA - He just zip tied that sucker to the top of the PVC pipe. <b>LOOK AT THE FINISHED PRODUCT!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSG3vdVKxmGgW9gBDBQIH-SV7-MZbXgssF0uJyA2d7bz4MwqkMilctwUDKORZoXT92IyXC17x8FGSJT5u08dGj6HbLqeTbDUioSeAlCefKpt59Rl1mIDORDvZ_fRe8Z0Bgih-_STNvHFE/s1600/Slide12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSG3vdVKxmGgW9gBDBQIH-SV7-MZbXgssF0uJyA2d7bz4MwqkMilctwUDKORZoXT92IyXC17x8FGSJT5u08dGj6HbLqeTbDUioSeAlCefKpt59Rl1mIDORDvZ_fRe8Z0Bgih-_STNvHFE/s400/Slide12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am still experimenting with the best background color and material. You're probably thinking- Yea, that's great and all, but DOES IT WORK? Yes, it does! Check out the before and after photos below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRXiI-H5u9df-yjgercqomlRoBO_VFSDI-4PnwhPNbJX6SEUy274aG4tFwzA3pzc7PCQbuneBTdgjCg7KdIeJJPwhkTxOfTMiN-ZVHi3jyFksm3qQol4txWgM0rUOhKY6arPIeKIHUEM2/s1600/Slide13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRXiI-H5u9df-yjgercqomlRoBO_VFSDI-4PnwhPNbJX6SEUy274aG4tFwzA3pzc7PCQbuneBTdgjCg7KdIeJJPwhkTxOfTMiN-ZVHi3jyFksm3qQol4txWgM0rUOhKY6arPIeKIHUEM2/s640/Slide13.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The 'Before' photos are the reason I wanted a lightbox! Those shadows are HORRIBLE and the photos are too dark. The 'After' photos are by no means 'professional' and look much better in a larger format! But, you can see a huge difference in the photos before the lightbox and after. I can also take product 'action' photos any time of day, and I didn't spend over $100! I can tell you that the lightbox my husband and I made is VERY amateur-ish, but it works for me at this point in my TPT journey! For all of the photos, I used my iPhone 6 Plus. AND... before I go, I'd like to show you my husband's 'shop chair' (AKA- the chair he uses in the garage)! I just want you to know how much of a <i>'Southern Engineer'</i> he is. I will warn you- it is the UGLIEST chair you have ever seen, I'm sure! But, I still LOVE him!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw_xgyicJ_BTMueXP7tG1i09o4pvlU4WRlIwzr1LtUeyGf_wsKvfRoPrq9BOcJVbiXhWu0HUHxony4cOak-Tt_T1KDnI1bGtt3M9Z2cvWyT4wKC0dOjbzMtWO-5I7FGyYwBvwXXfc8B4C/s1600/Slide14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw_xgyicJ_BTMueXP7tG1i09o4pvlU4WRlIwzr1LtUeyGf_wsKvfRoPrq9BOcJVbiXhWu0HUHxony4cOak-Tt_T1KDnI1bGtt3M9Z2cvWyT4wKC0dOjbzMtWO-5I7FGyYwBvwXXfc8B4C/s400/Slide14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you have any questions, feel free to email me or leave me a comment! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-48222133911850551092016-07-05T21:33:00.002-05:002019-07-24T14:29:37.544-05:00Science Task Cards Sampler {FREEBIE}Hey Friends!!<br />
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In the last post I talked about using task cards in the classroom, specifically science. Well, I FINISHED my task card sets!! Yippee!!! If y'all haven't tried task cards and want to take them for a test drive, feel free to grab my sample task cards FREEBIE. If you love using task cards in your classroom as much as I do, download the sampler for yourself. I would love to hear the ways in which you guys use task cards in your classroom! Just click on the photo to grab the task card FREEBIE.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Task-Cards-Sampler-FREEBIE-2622830" target="_blank"><img alt=" Science Task Cards Sampler {FREEBIE}" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIph4gXaWEpBh8xwfCOYF5RfBnQJULhx68SRLfZ7xR6Ki_N5o_HWOfQKlyHp_ozwVzdFdZYX44BLQ1vUR5EdRoqaO1aB0YJcgSJEFNnV9mzCYKCpyAZ1H3CUIBkZmTM4y95Wh4X3cA56c/s400/Task+Card+Freebie+Cover_8x8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hope y'all are resting up this summer!!! Happy July!!!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-26126883387868272142016-06-16T18:18:00.001-05:002016-07-06T21:33:59.265-05:00<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14884233/?claim=y4m44w7rnug">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211005183610386890.post-13874420854343021922016-06-05T21:52:00.001-05:002016-07-06T21:33:07.872-05:00Task Cards: Reviews Made FunMy name is Courtney, and I'm addicted to task cards. Two years ago I had no idea what task cards were. Boy was I missing out!!! Once I learned about task cards and what they could do, I was eager to try them out in the classroom... I was HOOKED!! Not wanting to overwhelm myself, I slowly eased into implementing task cards in my classroom. This past year, I really started experimenting with ways to use task cards while keeping students engaged. Day in and day out, I try to throw anything and everything I can at the students to keep their minds fresh! Being a science teacher allows me to have fun while still teaching relevant content. This past school year was rough for me (see previous post), and I REALLY tried to implement as many new teaching strategies as possible. I tried Nearpod and LOVED it (maybe that will be my next post). My district is trying to get more technology into the classrooms, which means I got an iPad cart for my room in January. There are so many different ways to introduce and practice new concepts, especially with technology. The one that I always come back to is using task cards as a review. Task cards are an amazing way to review and practice concepts and an easy way to get a grade. There are lots of different ways to implement task cards. My favorite way is for students to get up and MOVE!! I hang the cards up around the room, give each student an answer sheet, and assign them the number task card where they start. There are five classes of 4th graders at my school. We have 50 minute classes, and YES... everyday I see all 100 students. Each student has a number for their homeroom, and usually it is based on their last name. For example, Mike Adams would be #1 and Colbie Anderson would be #2. So, there are five #1's because there are five classes. It does make it easy, especially when task card time comes around. The #1 students in each class start at task card #1, and so on. When I give the signal, the students go find their number task card, and they answer it. They wait until I give the signal (I usually give them about one-two minutes to answer the question); then they go to the next number card. For example, student #19 will go to card #20, and student #20 will go to card #1 (there's 20 cards). When everyone has visited all the task cards, I collect the papers and grade them. Here's a sample from my Properties of Soil Task Cards: <b>(Click the images below to grab a set for you)</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Properties-of-Soil-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2580952"><img alt=" Properties of Soil Task Cards" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKRhpXPOWZjeM9X_tYjCr4eiDZrAXuEQs7sEyW-0gFbYuzQwsYdPck-7C-UP5evhFenW3VsdOyF53MgmylV3auYAWmkqGAQWujDKqXAvzLSpeVC_2mBnjRv4MXLMN-jnlLuBUX9hP7zua/s400/Slide8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love having colorful task cards with pictures. It's also a plus to have higher level thinking questions! This is a sample from my Slow Changes to Earth's Surface {Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition} Task Cards:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Slow-Changes-to-Earths-Surface-Weathering-Erosion-and-Deposition-Task-Cards-2578189"><img alt=" Slow Changes to Earth's Surface" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNLMyxR__E9syXzyquCiGBNsKcG9DKHOuZxMutplBjTP8hR3NNtMGHSp3D9YRthYmb-r5MqB_ybAP77hGIo93WkSb-MU7gpvmqPmBOsfwvOkTkZruDCc1RQmQwgflJr9g0cKNrcjWVUZF/s400/Slide10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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An even better way to use task cards builds off of my previous example and uses every students' favorite thing... TECHNOLOGY. Instead of collecting the answer sheets after all students have answered, have them go around one more time and use QR codes to check the answers. With this way, the students go around once to answer all the questions. Then, the students grab a red pen (this is what our students use to correct their work), put their pencil away, grab their iPad, and they go around again to check their answers. Yes, it seems rather monotonous, but the students LOVE scanning the QR codes to see if they got the correct answer. Plus, they are using a red pen to correct which means they can't change their answers. So, they are basically doing the correcting for you! HE HE - DON'T TELL THEM THAT!!!! I have implemented task cards other ways as well. One way was doing the exact same thing as above, but the students put their chairs in a giant circle around the room- they have to spread out enough so that they can't touch the students' hands on either side of them. I do this so that they can't cheat since my main goal is to see what they know individually. It's like a fun formative assessment. Here's an example of how the QR codes look. Just copy the task card page and corresponding QR code answers front to back, and you've got yourself some FUN and ENGAGING task cards!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhl1gj0oyYV4dszpVhJUEeVn2_DV8Afwv7oeCKfObQ6YznSFhowhofvdHR7c1UL6v_tGC2VZPKED3vhP-5bxmoDa56EqZm1F5K9NTTVk2XIq3u5Pd83vTwkAGBSupKhApdsM40kc-QUpv4/s1600/Slide5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhl1gj0oyYV4dszpVhJUEeVn2_DV8Afwv7oeCKfObQ6YznSFhowhofvdHR7c1UL6v_tGC2VZPKED3vhP-5bxmoDa56EqZm1F5K9NTTVk2XIq3u5Pd83vTwkAGBSupKhApdsM40kc-QUpv4/s400/Slide5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Back to what I was saying at the beginning... I LOVE TASK CARDS!!! Seriously, y'all- if I could teach exclusively with task cards I would. Since I'm a fairly new seller on TPT, I thought I would get my seller's feet wet with creating task cards that can be used with the Texas TEKS, since I'm a Texas teacher (it still feels strange to say that, even after 2 years). There are two different ways to prep these task cards: one way is to copy the front of the task card (like the traditional way) and the second way is to copy the QR code on the back of the task cards and have the students check the answers with a QR code reader. If you're not lucky enough to have one iPad for every child, you can have them work in pairs or even include it as a station. There are so many possibilities!! If you love using task cards as much as I do or have never used task cards and want to try them out, just click on each link to check out the various concepts covered :<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Force-and-Motion-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2575608"><img alt=" Force and Motion Task Cards" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ90IvE0fbQT4X4SfGo9NVCUtLqLmyc0pAbLMNHUrl4c1JP39wgsgDt7-GpWRWBOUFzP0k5ABbZvgCQ1WnrgjyYyo2CTElkcSR4tzqIQ3BTetc3g59mcdgdhwzwPH_UcIiYdbXph_Ji-9n/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Forms-of-Energy-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2574216"><img alt=" Forms of Energy Task Cards" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3k3OBWGgedBUc41VQvx7l8xTmW5pUdZ02bvlwozzeJpYboqoPt7JxtEZ2iERzaHLeGj7aFrZ37H97Csse09RaHlEkJlqrQ9cmTKJ_e8V7HOGftjtVv7UIjYkoCOIztaOIS6M6zBjgv8Ph/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mixtures-and-Solutions-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2571873"><img alt=" Mixtures and Solutions Task Cards" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmoXg8yvi9fpHytOdO2hRvmWOlT8doA7EFM2DDP7wd_qkSN9QvDw4OZZB-Zz4WWnyEk5-fCqkZYHJ0B9BAsrbcNWOLEZoPJ5leoP5d2iQGJ-uBJ_rjw9Z5yXXoClkW0bXCmhSXIOed3Kc/s320/Mixtures+and+Solutions+Task+Cards+Cover_8x8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Properties-of-Matter-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2570874"><img alt=" Properties of Matter Task Cards" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgjsELk-Ut2FFSkhfDJye4vQYy0x285LrUh6CQsM1q1xM-x3NNWDbEvxjjCgt5YlTEuJPzx2urembYrACg82i8k4lhqfsPOg-gi9lUVsMVmz7cWbi8eH5PFdWyCAOoWxydTshdJLFuvtb/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Tools-and-Science-Safety-Task-Cards-QR-Code-Answers-2569793"><img alt=" Science Tools and Science Safety Task Cards" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqzG3krpVJwfkHMEXsQeY3Y4sRa6DPJuib4xRi1EhAGdnT0twtniYQK2vIKGm8_cLTZ5MX_IPbbNQH46_MyHUtC_WYdOMuuq7dSQM_yTDMPhUh678G3iI5Wm3H_0OOqaKUj6Wodt5G1Z9/s320/Safety+and+Science+Tools+Cover_8x8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm adding more task cards each week... I hope y'all will check them out!!! </div>
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Bye friends!!!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0