Let's Get Acquainted Linky

I am so glad Latoya has these linkys because I have been in a major slump lately when it comes to blogging. I am trying to get my exhaustion under control but it just isn't happening. I am hoping once school is out I can get things back on track. 7 more days with students, 1 admin day, but who is counting?! Anyways...

This week's linky is short and sweet...three questions

1. What made you decide to become a teacher?
When I was in first grade I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I had an amazing teacher and I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I strayed away from teaching for a semester in college and was majoring in communications, but decided it wasn't as valuable and rewarding. So I went right into education after that first semester.

2. What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher?
I don't have one specific moment that stands out that much to me. Maybe that makes me weird, but I feel like everyday there is SOMETHING rewarding. Whether it is big or small, you will see something positive in your day as a teacher. I think overall the fact that we have such a rewarding profession daily IS the most rewarding experience.

3. If you were not a teacher what would you be?
Something that pays me to read. A book editor/publisher? Or... somebody pretty important in Disney World. Working in the happiest place on earth would be pretty darn cool if ya ask me.

Be sure to click the image above and link up with Latoya!

A little more appreciation

I hope that you have felt very appreciated this week! I am teaming up with some of my friends to show some more love!

One lucky teacher will win all of these FABULOUS prizes!

Stephanie's TPT Shop

Amber's TPT Shop

Elisabeth's TPT Shop

Elizabeth's TPT Shop

Lisa's TPT Shop

Christi's TPT Shop

Lindsay's TPT Shop

Julie's TPT Shop

Gina's TPT Shop

Kristen's TPT Shop

Wow! I wish that I could win! :) 

Enter below with the Rafflecopter! Contest ends Sunday night at Midnight. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teacher Appreciation

I know I have been slacking with the posting lately, but I promise I am working on getting back into things. I have a lot going on with having to pack up my room and end of the year other things and a mile long to do list, that blogging has been taking a back seat. I am reading blogs every few days but just not posting. I will get it together I promise. But that isn't what this post is about. It is about teacher appreciation.

Does your school do anything special? We used to get a box of printer paper. I know that might sound weird but it was probably the best thing ever- that stuff is scarce and expensive when you use it all the time! Then last year our PTO did something different. We had a lunch (we do every year, though I haven't heard about one for this year) and a chair massage. They are having a chair massage again for us this year on Friday, which also happens to be my birthday! Double bonus for me! But it isn't often that students or parents do anything for us. The PTO has tried sending notes home but it hasn't been successful.

But here is a way for all teachers to feel appreciated... TpT is having a HUGE sitewide sale  on May 7th and 8th where you can get up to 28% off your total! I will be putting all my items on sale for 20% off plus using the code TAD13 will get you the extra 8%.

Graphic from the lovely and talented Beth at Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs

I have already started loading things into my cart for the big sale. I hope you are getting ready too! Here are some of my favorites from my store.

This is my top seller and my kids really loved this one!

This is another top seller and another my kids really enjoyed. 

This is my newest creation. I haven't even posted about this one yet.  

This one is one of my favorites. It could be because of the candy theme. 

And this is going to help me get organized this summer :)

Now, if you made it this far.... I am asking for some help. My daughter has 3 teachers at her day care (well 2 and the director) and we LOVE them. We want to give them something that won't cost a fortune but still shows that we love them and appreciate them. I would appreciate any and all ideas that are budget friendly. And anyone that leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing. I will choose one winner to win an item of their choice from my store.

Oh and don't forget to leave feedback for all your prior purchases to get TpT credits!!!

I am also linking this up with Mrs. Leeby. Click the image below to be taken to her post with links to other teachers/bloggers participating!

It's MAY

and that can only mean one thing... ok well two things. 1. My birthday is coming up (on the 10th) 

AND

This is pretty self explanatory but I will give a little detail for ya..

It is silent because I am in my classroom early and decided to work on this before school starts.

I am loving that school is almost over. I love my kids this year and will be sad to let them go, but I am ready for summer.

I am sick of being tired. If you noticed, my blogging has slacked lately. Because I am exhausted. Always. I went to the doctor and I have a vitamin d deficiency so I am on vitamins (and am hoping to get some sun soon to help this situation) to see if that helps. But needless to say, all I ever want to do is sleep.

I want a new purse but can't decide which one I want. I haven't found one that I love and must have yet, so I haven't bought one. I also want my very first Erin Condren lesson planner. I will be ordering that this weekend though.

I can't get too much into what I need, but I have a lot of questions and things up in the air that I need answers to.

Summer bucket list- 1. Create- I have a lot of ideas on my list that I want to make but haven't had time, so I am hoping over summer I can get them done and start with a blank notebook again. 2. Read- I love to read and I have a TON of books already purchased and a ton on my wish list. I just want time to read them. 3. Enjoy Payton- this school year has been draining and I haven't had nearly enough time to spend with Payton so I can't wait to have summer break to take her outside and play all day!

And now, my quiet time is ending... be on the lookout because my BBFF Jenn from Rowdy in First Grade and I are going to be hosting a summer book study on the book Teach Like a Pirate. I have already started reading it and LOVE it. If you want to join in on the discussions, pick up a copy of the book. It will start in mid June.

Head on over to Farley's blog to link up!

The Magical Product Swap

This is my first time participating in this and I have to tell you I was so excited to be paired up with Gina from Beach, Sand, and Lesson Plans for the product swap.
I mean first of all, she has a phenomenal name! Second, we teach the same grade. And third, well maybe I am just a little jealous that she lives so close to the beach and my all time favorite place in the world (Disney). But she is extremely nice and supportive so I suppose I could let that jealousy go. I know, I know, this isn't what you came here to hear. You want to know all about the AMAZING product I was able to test out in my class. We are right in the thick of TCAP test prep and so I decided to test out her Multiplication Scoot Cards. My kids LOVE scoot. And what better way to make testing review fun than to turn it into a game?!

We have played scoot in a variety of ways. We have done it with cards on the desks where we physically scoot. We have done it where students stay put but "scoot" the cards to the next person. We have even done it in the hallway where they go around finding cards and answering questions. THIS I think is their favorite but it takes a bit longer because there is a little more freedom. This time, I decided to try something a little different. It was a beautiful day outside and since I teach in a double wide trailer portable, we took advantage of the nice weather and went outside for our game.

I sat the students in a circle, alternating facing each other or back to each other. Then each student got a card or two (there are more cards than students and for something like multiplication that is fairly quick, I use all the cards) and got to work. When I said scoot they passed their cards clockwise to the next person.

I LOVED that there was such a great variety of multiplication problems on the cards. There were cards for:
Finding the product
Writing repeated addition sentences for given multiplication sentences
Identifying the multiplication sentences a picture represented (arrays and groups)
and
Writing multiplication sentences for given repeated addition sentences

I also appreciated that they were simple enough for my kids to do without support, but challenging enough to make them think, especially since there were so many different questions. Now would I do it outside again? Who knows- it was a little slower than I would have liked. But THAT has nothing to do with how much I loved these cards. Thank you Gina for such an amazing and teacher friendly scoot game! And the biggest thing for me...they were super easy to cut! She had all the cards connected which makes cutting them out so much easier!

Gina also has a division set in her store!

A Place for Peace

I am taking a day off from my regular blogging to share with you something amazingly generous my friend Abby over at Third Grade Bookworm is doing. She is hosting a fundraiser to help raise money to give one of her sweetest students a headstone. Ruby lost a 5 year battle with childhood leukemia last year and Abby is doing all she can to raise enough money so that her parents can have a proper headstone for Ruby. On top of helping the family out, with your $20 donation you will receive $130 in teaching products. Click the image below to go to Abby's blog for more information.

Test Prep Tuesday... er Thursday- Math edition

I know I have been slacking and I am sorry. I really wanted to do this every week but things have just been C-R-A-Z-Y over here. So today I just want to share with you a couple amazing resources I have been using to help prep my kids for the big test.

First of all, Ashleigh has the most AMAZING resources. I have bought so much from her it is unbelievable! And I am NEVER disappointed when I shop in her store. I bought all 3 sets of her test prep task cards(set 1, set 2, set 3). I project these on the smart board and let the kids put their answers on dry erase boards. To make it fun (and work on time limits) I give stickers for the first 3 to get it correct. They put their stickers on an index card and then when they have 25 stickers they can trade it in for a prize box pick.  I also bought her test prep math assessments. I love that these are organized by standards and they will come in handy next year when we fully switch to common core. I have given these as practice, homework, and we have even done some together on the board.

Another amazing resource that is common core aligned and done by standard is Jamie's Math Quick Assessments. She just recently update the entire file and it is super amazing! I typically pull these up on the board and we just go through them together. It saves on copies (we have limits ya know).

And my final go to for math review this past few weeks is from Melissa at Common Core and So Much More. They are her Math Assessments and are also done by standard. These I have sent for homework. I send home one or two sheets based on which skills we have been reviewing.

These products have saved me in so many ways and made planning for review so easy that I couldn't keep them to myself. I would recommend any of these products to anyone looking for common core aligned math assessments or review. My favorite thing about them is how they are done by standard. I can take a page from each file for any given standard and have a great variety of practice!