Thursday, October 8, 2015

31 Days...Staying Afloat...Some of my ALL TIME favorite TpT SELLERS

Today let's talk about something that makes me extremely happy and sad at the same time..

I LOVE Teachers Pay Teachers...however my PayPal account does not! But that is another story for another day....

Here are my TOP, my FAVORITE TpT stores: (in no order, I just love a COUNTDOWN)

13.  Jamie Rector...was my 2nd grade Writing Coach, but she never knew that! Thanks Jamie for
       always being there with the "write" stuff!

12.  Young Teacher Love...Kristine Nannini saved me from assessment hell. This girl has dedicated
       her life to ELA assessment and classroom data organization! If you need help with that, go now
       quick!

11.  Amy Lemons ...I used to grab all her goodies, but then I got moved up to 3rd grade, she is a
       Second Grade guru!

10.  Head Over Heels for Teaching...Joanne Miller...are you looking for ELA stuff? she is your girl!
     Joanne is Awesome and her stuff is 3rd grade and higher...(some 2nd too)

9.  Deb Hanson...WOW and oh boy...she is G O O D...PowerPoints and reproducibles that match the
     PP's and games plus tons of "Craftivities" equals one of the masters...she is upper elementary for
     sure!

8.  Ashleigh's Education Journey...Ashleigh is heaven sent...she has writing, math , reading..she is the
     SCOOT/Task Card master and her assessments are perfect!!! She is 3rd grade and higher , but has
     some lower elementary stuff too!

7.  Bunting, Books ad Bright Ideas....Christina Bainbridge is my teacher crush..OMG this woman! I
     used to read her class webpage and steal ideas, then found her again on her blog which steered
     me  to TPT...she has it all! For all of Elementary!

6.  Mariela Santillana...I L O V E Mariela, plus I used to work with her! She is my TPT HERO! she
     does a lot of 3rd-5th grade Math and "Wonders" series stuff...she is fantastic and easy to follow
     along! I love all her creations!

5.  Sunny Days....Denise is another one who I used to stalk her class web page, then her blog and then
      again on TPT...she is a Florida Girl, like me, so I LOVE her stuff...she is mainly a 2nd grade
      supplier! Check her out, you will love her creativity!

4.  Science Penguin...Ari has the BEST stuff around! Her Weekly Science Centers have kept me in  
         the clear for YEARS!!! Thanks girl, if you haven't seen her stuff, download all the FREEBIE
          stuff first so you know what to do!

3.  Teacher's Clubhouse.....Amanda Madden is one of my all time favorites! She is mainly lower
       elementary, but I find myself adapting her stuff in my 3rd grade curriculum! She is great! I am
       not sure but I think she used to have a partner in the Clubhouse, Jessica Winston, but I don't
       know if she is still in it? I adore Amanda's blog and her creations are just what you need to keep
       you on track!

2. The Third Wheel...ah Mrs. D...you are one of my newer TpT follows. She is exactly what I need in
        3rd grade. Her stuff is CLEAR, and CUTE, plus it is easy to integrate right into what you
        wanted to do! Thank  you for showing up in my life!

1.  Blair Turner.... My MATH guru, what would I do without you??? this woman has kept me alive in       Math for the past 3 years! She is all about the Math and interactive notebooks..I love Blair, I have        a celebri-crush on this woman! (Tell her that!)


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

31 Days...Staying Afloat.., Teach Happy Friends

What did I do today to make it....

I joined "Teach Happy Friends" I HAD to!

On this web site I have made teacher friends, and gotten some daily dose of encouragement, plus some great tips and things to smile about.

Why do I need this you ask?....

Well,... I LOVE my career, it is my passion... I love my kiddos, they keep me young, I love my teacher BFF, she makes collaborating fun and valuable...however...I want to teach MORE. I want to teach BETTER. I want to teach WISELY. I need FRESH ideas. I need POSITIVE feedback. I need VALIDATION.

So today I joined Teach Happy Friends. At first I just "liked" and joined the group on Facebook, then I lurked in that space for a week, before I decided it was worth it to be INSPIRED on a daily basis.

It is nice to know that I am not alone on this journey. So many teachers are feeling my feelings, are just as frustrated with things like me, are trying to be happy when so many are unhappy. Together we can make it....SO if you too are dragging, lagging, "sadding", and negating...go visit Sheila J and her great idea...you won't be sorry!

Monday, October 5, 2015

31 Days...Staying Afloat...Periscope

"Periscope is a live video streaming app for iOS and Android developed by Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein. The startup behind the app was purchased by Twitter for a reported $100 million in March 2015. On March 26, 2015, Twitter officially relaunched the application on iOS under its own App Store account. Later, on May 26, 2015, Periscope was released for Android."  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Periscope/902825306425322?fref=ts#

That is what the internet has told me about Periscope.
Here is why I LOVE it!

1. You get to SEE your favorite TPT teachers and bloggers.

2. You get great advice from teachers all over the place.

3. You LAUGH out LOUD for real at the craziness that is some other teacher's reality...instead of laughing  crying about how your teaching life is cuckoo !

4. You get to comment (if you watch it live) and send hearts to them when you are rolling on the floor.

5. If you can't catch it live, you have 24 hours to catch it on a replay. You still can send hearts at the funny parts.

6. You don't need to make a scope to join, you can lurk in the shadows and watch and learn without getting "involved" if that is your thing!

7. Find your teacher twin and stalk  enjoy their company laugh at them without them knowing.

8. If you decide to make a Scope, play with the camera before you post....and comb your hair!

9. If  you hate your Scope you can delete it.


and the last reason I LOVE Periscope is because you can....


10. Watch it in your PJ's and with a glass of wine, and no one can judge!

Sunday, October 4, 2015

The GOAL here is 31 Days..ONE Topic...Wish me Luck!

I haven't been very faithful to my blog. I am a bad blogger!
The new year has started and so many new things going on, both at school and at home, not sure where I will end up in the end.
I have discovered Periscope this summer and totally love it! I actually made a Scope and NO ONE watched it live, which I am so glad, because I have no idea how to turn the camera around, so I would have NEVER even seen your comments! I am really enjoying watching the Whimsical Teacher, she really cracks me up. I also joined the Facebook group Teach Happy Friends by Sheila J. These two things have helped me stay a little more focused on the real point of my job.
 I have come to realize that Facebook is the enemy of the Common Core...people just don't understand and because all change is bad, so is the Common Core. Well, mainly it's the Math portion of the CCSS that is taking the hit. Most parents and teachers don't get the point that all the CCSS is doing is breaking numbers down into small digestible bites, even if they don't need to be broken down that small. I don't break them down unless I fell they need to. 12-3 will always be 9, not broken into 12 is really 9 and 3, so therefore 3-3=0 and the answer is 9...because that is cray cray....if your are teaching it and it doesn't make sense to you, why confuse the kids? Teach it the right way, not just because the NEW series you are using says  you must teach it like that! Don't do it! Teach it the way it makes sense, stop trying to be a martyr for the CCSS....okay I'm off that soap box....

How did I end up here? Okay, I love Periscope and the Happy vibes from new teacher friends and I am not digging the negative views on our new curriculum...and to tell you the truth this year so far has been uneventful, new Math curriculum, new computer programs, that are pointing  us to what  skill needs to be taught  in order for achievement to happen... Now if only I could find the time to squeeze in a really good writing lesson? Always a challenge!

I am going to try to blog every day in October, and look I am already 4 days behind....I am suppose to pick ONE topic to blog about and write about it everyday, so my topic is...Things that are keeping me afloat this year! Tomorrow I will discuss Periscope as I know it! (If I remember to blog or have time.)