Lovin-Life Teaching: February 2015

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

The TPT sale is happening NOW!

My store is an additional 20% off February 25th and February 26th!!

GET YOUR WISH-LISTED ITEMS NOW!

Click Here for an AWESOME SALE!

Thank you for your continued support!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Never Stop Learning

Teacher Tip of the Week

(Featuring a FREEBIE of the WEEK-Posted at the end of every blog)

Several times I hear teachers talk about retirement. Of course, we all dream of retiring on a deserted, tropical island! I have been asked a few times when I would retire, and I often wonder that myself. My thoughts are always the same.

"I will retire when I stop loving what I do and stop learning how to do it better!"

Never stop learning! We are surrounded by truly amazing individuals. Those individuals that can make children smile, make them want to be the best they can be, and teach them the most complicating concepts all in one day!
We have the ability to learn so much from one another. I can think of many times I have simply walked in a colleague's classroom and learned at least one new idea!
Most importantly, we have to remember our goal, which is to educate our students. We are not in this to shine as individuals, but to work together as a team to help students. So, I challenge you to learn something new every day!

Click Here for the FREEBIE OF THE WEEK!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Conjunction-Race-FREEBIE-of-the-WEEK-Please-Rate-me-1723987

Follow my blog, my TPT, and my Facebook for new ideas every week!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Writer's Workshop

Do you need a way to organize your Writer's Workshop?

Here is the solution! I presented an idea to "The Mailbox Magazine" years ago on how to organize a Writer's Workshop. This idea was published in their magazine! Years later, I turned this idea into a reality for me in my classroom. Only this time, I made it appealing to the students and to me!

Click Here to VIEW and purchase!

This item has been a best seller for me! There are over 200 people who have wish listed it, so I am reducing the price for one week to $8.50! Get it while it's on sale!!!

Thank you!

Don't forget to follow my blog for the TEACHER TIP OF THE WEEK and the FREEBIE OF THE WEEK! Both of these are posted every Sunday!

Have an awesome day!

Quotation Mark Hunt and Conjunction Detective

New and Improved

I have been steadily working to update some of my postings in my TPT store. I started first with my best sellers, of course! Here are some NEW and IMPROVED postings! If you already purchased them, you get all the extras by just downloading the revised version.

ENJOY!

Don't forget to follow this blog for the Teacher Tip of the Week and the FREEBIE of the WEEK posted every Sunday!

Click Here to Purchase!

Thank you so much for the continued support and for making the delivery of our lessons special for our students!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Step Up and Be a Leader, Mom!

(Featuring a FREEBIE of the WEEK at the END of EVERY Post)

Boy, children really do put us in our places! I was sitting in a faculty meeting when our precious counselor told us that she would be needing a volunteer for the parent workshop that would be held in March. Immediately, I began thinking of soccer, laundry, sleep, everything but waking up at 6:00 on a Saturday to go to a workshop! Then, it dawned on me that I would be helping out at the Walkathon the night before. Goodness, there was NO WAY I could do this!!!!! There was no thought of the hours that went into those that had covered these situations before!

NEXT, it happened! As I was talking to my husband about all this, I was not taking into account that the boys I had raised were listening. They were intently playing on their IPads. My husband did not have a negative thing to say. He simply was listening to me. BUT, someone had a lot to say!
My oldest son said, "Mom, why don't you step up and be a leader?"

WHAT? Oh my goodness! Yes, my son had finally applied what we had been telling him for years. "Be a leader, not a follower! Do something extra to help others. Go above and beyond!"

Boy, it is super when we learn from the ones we teach. It happens in the classroom many days. How incredible that it happened at home for me!
In conclusion, I will be volunteering for the parent workshop in March with a very proud smile on my face! Thank you to my child for putting me in my place!

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK- Just added today!!

Verb Tenses Game- NO PREP Printable

Please follow me on my TPT store page at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lovin-Life
Thank you for your continued support as I take on this awesome adventure!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Boring! 

Teacher Tip of the Week #2
FEATURING A FREEBIE OF THE WEEK
(Posted at the end of every blog!)

  Have you ever wondered what students are thinking while you are delivering a lesson? This is what I began wondering as I was trying to teach government to a classroom full of third graders. I can imagine they had no idea what I was talking about! Most adults do not understand our government, so how can I expect third graders to! Well, if I cannot do anything about the curriculum I have to deliver, then I MUST think of something else. Oh, I know! Change the way I deliver it!!!

  First, I decided to begin making lapbooks for the students to assemble while I am teaching. They are more engaged in the learning process, and they have something to refer to when studying or looking back on a concept. If you click on the lapbooks tab to the right, you will be taken directly to the government lapbook we did just this week. Every student said that making the lap book helped them understand the levels and branches of government better.

  Next, I decided something had to be done about the way I deliver the vocabulary to the students. They write the definitions as I teach about the words. NO GOOD! This is basically a wasted 30 minute lesson! NEW IDEA- Teach the new terms, but have students come up and act out the words, kind of like charades! They can play this, and I can relate the vocabulary to what we are studying while the students are more engaged. Who cares if they have a list of words with written definitions to take home? I can type up a list of these words with the definitions for them to study at home. Then, I would be able to use my class time more effectively. No time is wasted copying definitions from a book or from the board. Which essentially means, wasted time!

I thought about the new idea of more movement in the classroom. I know students need to move, so it is my job to provide more lessons where they are able to do this! I listed activities I have created to engage my students more in their learning where they can move around the classroom while doing so.

Math Review Scavenger Hunt

Games are always engaging!

Write Around the Room Text Features!

Perfect for Teaching Economics!!

So, I guess the challenge is on for you and me! Let's start engaging our students more while we are teaching. I know we will see more learning taking place! I will be in the process of making more movement activities and coming up with more ideas to engage our students in learning! In the meantime, happy teaching!!!

Lapbooks GALORE! Visit my store for MORE!