Author Tricia Goyer shares Free Printables for Writing Your Novel. Do you want easy-to-use worksheets to help novel writing? Grab these!

Being single isn't always a walk in the park, at first... but we've got the key to being so happily single, thanks to these empowering quotes about being single, so much you'll want to keep it that way!

Explore rocketrictic's 289 photos on Flickr!

6601 votes and 7464 views on Imgur: The magic of the Internet

There’s a ton of advice on things you should be doing in order to be happy as an empty nester. But there’s not a lot of focus on things we shouldn’t be doing if we want to be happy and successful empty nesters. Here’s a list of 10 things that happy empty nesters don't do. Are you still doing any of these things?

Once you become a mother, you may be surprised at the types of purchases that excite you. Bleach pens for tough stains, new carseats, and diapers that were on a…

I’ve been single a few times in my adult life: Once, I was single because I wanted to be, but twice, it was because it seemed no one wanted to date me. Despite the misery and confusion I sometimes felt during my time as a single lady, looking back,…

If you have followed the discussion over the past years about "21st Century Skills" or have been on this planet long enough, you know that the ability to work with others is just as important as any "content" knowledge that we, as teachers, can provide. That being said, working "cooperatively" is NOT natural for all people, especially young children, and we have to make sure we are thoughtful about how we help students learn this valuable skill. Today I thought I'd share three key things to keep in mind--and then offer a few suggestions to get your brain thinking about ways to incorporate more learning partnerships in YOUR classroom! Partnerships are the perfect "starting point" for cooperative work! Think about how difficult it is for us, as adults, to get 4 or 5 of us to agree and be productive! Young students simply haven't been around long enough to know how to do that "delicate dance" of sharing, contributing, listening, and more. Learning how to actively listen is easier with just one other person. Sharing with just one person is so much easier for student who are more shy--and it's easier to have a back and forth conversation than try to balance several people. As students become accustomed to working with pairs, then it becomes easier to add people to the group. When forming partnerships, be mindful of your students' feelings. Be careful about the "find a partner" direction--because that is SO difficult for so many students. Whether they be shy, slower thinkers, worried about other students' feelings--asking students to form partners on the fly is often a tricky situation. Think about those who struggle finding partners and make sure everything is safe for them. Ideas? Use a "people picker" like popsicle sticks or index cards. Premake partnerships whenever possible (in addition to avoiding popularity contests, this allows you to encourage students to work with MANY other students, not just best friends). If you DO have students pick partners at times, consider a disclaimer, "If you don't find a partner in 15 seconds, come to me." so you can quickly help pair off those last few students. My students get very used to working with EVERYONE in the class (males, females, tall, small, etc) and they actually REQUEST me to pick popsicle sticks to take the partnering process out of their hands. We need to explicitly TEACH partnering skills Before I ask my students to work in partners, we have a number of discussions where we talk about what partnering LOOKS like, SOUNDS like, and WHY working in partnerships is beneficial. Together we made a list that we continue to refer to as we refine our partnering skills. The students did a pretty good job, I thought! Consider making a similar list with your students to make sure they understand that partnering isn't always easy--but it's worth it! As students start to work in pairs, you may need to stop and review some of these...and your students may come up with different ideas as well. Students need to realize that partnering isn't easy--and they will have to work at it! For some students, understanding that "balanced power" means that BOTH people have to share and both people have to listen is key--they can all relate to times they have had someone try to take over a group...and trying to work with someone who is NOT engaged or on task. So when should I use partnerships? All day long! Think about all the different ways that "Two heads" might be better than one...try some of these! Creating a climate where students work peacefully together will help increase engagement, improve learning, and increase the amount of academic discourse in your classroom. Another added bonus? As students work well TOGETHER, you are free to circulate, coach, and get a better sense of what is happening with your students' learning. Buddy reading Whether your students read with younger students or with others in your class, learning to read so others can hear, taking turns, staying on task, and using an appropriate voice level are all easy to practice with buddy reading. Try making copies of a fun poem for students to experiment with--or have them partner read an article. If you really want to dig in, have students read a novel as partners where they have discussions and buddy reading over an extended period of time. They can even complete a culminating project together! Checking for accuracy One of the first "partner routines" my students learn as we start the school year is "check for accuracy". I start this with basic math problems, math homework, and other tasks--where students work alone, then compare answers with a partner. We then practice how to handle when answers are different...and learn how to re-solve the problem together to see who was wrong and how to "fix up" any mistakes together. This really helps create a climate for collaboration, not competition and is a great way for students to check homework, to check over practice work, or to test the spelling of a tricky word! "Turn and Talk" One of the classic partner activities...and a GREAT way to get all students involved in discussions--turn and talk is a way for students to participate more frequently. This DOES need to be explicitly taught as well. If you simply say, "Turn and talk to a partner", you can sit back and watch certain students immediately turning to a best friend, other students sitting back and waiting to be asked (often ending up sitting silent)--and this doesn't lead to productive talk. Teach students to turn and talk by first checking around them to "include" students (may mean creating a trio!) and to make sure that each partner has a chance to share their ideas. This is a great way to get everyone talking--especially when asking questions ALL students should have access to. Not all students will know the answer to all math problems...but everyone should be able to answer questions related to opinions...to read alouds ("What do you think Ally should do next?")...or other easily accessible ideas. Math games Math games are a fun and easy way to teach the give and take of partnering. When students struggle, you can sit with them and coach the fair play and sportsmanship...but with games, the turn taking part is more automatic and students can work on some of the other factors such as voice level, on task behavior, using supplies wisely and more. This is one of the games in one of my "Partner Play" resources! Partner journals One thing my students enjoy once in a while is what I call "partner journals". You can do a lot of different things with this--but essentially in involves "sharing a notebook" to reflect back and forth on a read aloud, an article, a math problem--anything. Check out THIS POST for more information. It is a great way for students to realize that they write so that others can understand--and if they don't, communication breaks down. Try it and see! Challenge problems Putting students in situations where they need to solve difficult problems can be a great way for partners to learn how to make suggestions, listen to ideas, and politely disagree. When the answer isn't immediately obvious, it becomes clear that "two heads can be better than one"...and students can take their learning to higher levels. What about when students WANT to work alone? This is when coaching might be important...students need to see that other students might have great ideas, might help them find errors in their own thinking--and can make the entire process more fun! My students did a great job partnering on this back to school shopping challenge! These algebra thinking cards were MUCH easier when partners started working together! The math discussions they had were fantastic--and they found lots of misconceptions and mistakes they were making as they worked! My favorite quote? "I knew I could never do math this hard by myself!" And so much more! These are just a few suggestions to get your students working in pairs--but there are so many more! Keep stressing how important collaboration is--and how it takes practice to get good at it...but when we ARE good at it, working together can be so much fun! Follow me on... Facebook Pinterest Instagram @Fourthgradestudio Twitter @FourthGrStudio Periscope @ FourthGrStudio Teachers Pay Teachers Store Blog

When it comes to writing our antagonist, we face a dichotomy: we want them to be bad, but we also want them to be three-dimensional, faceted human beings.

These 4th grade anchor charts reinforce concepts for reading, science, math, behavior management, environmentalism, and more!

How to talk to your spouse about being healthy Before you read any further, I would just like to put it out there for the sake of my loving husband, that I was not the one who had to talk to my spouse about being healthy. No, I was on the other side of this […]

What Have We Done? - World's largest collection of cat memes and other animals

The mind loves to think, and it never seems to want to stop. When you can't stop overthinking, remember these quotes to help you.

A huge thank you to the awesome crowd I talked to at the Innovative Strategies Conference about infusing growth mindset theory into your curriculum. I wanted to make sure to send you the video links that will be helpful in your lessons and also to understand this amazing way to teach your students how to

we lived in a hotel suite for 3 weeks while we waited to move into our new house. the entire time we were there, from the day we moved into the hotel room until we turned in our hotel key, i had a horrible rash covering my hands, arms, neck, feet, and knees. it was itchy and red and bumpy and gross. and it was mysterious. i had no idea what was causing it. there were so many changes going on in my life at the time, it could have been anything. new laundry detergent? yes, the hotel's laundry detergent. new water source? yes, in a new city. new bathsoap? yes, the soap provided by the hotel. dry skin? yes, suddenly it's winter. all the usual suspects could have caused my itching. i slathered on lotion, sprayed anti-itch remedies, and even sprinkled on cornstarch (weird). i made all the changes that i could to soothe my skin, but the rash didn't respond. it was stressing me out! and then it occurred to me: the most likely cause of my rash was anxiety. as soon as i realized that, and admitted to myself that i was indeed anxious, and as soon as i made an effort to address my anxiety instead of trying to address the rash, the itching went away. the best way i know to address anxious feelings stirring in my spirit is to whole-heartedly pursue God's Word. on a Sunday morning at our new church, i was gently reminded: Do not be anxious about anything (Phil 4:6) Do not worry (Matt 6:25) anxiety: (noun) A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. ...in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7) ...Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matt 6:27) When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy. (Psalm 94:19) anxiety steals our joy, robs our freedom, kills our happiness, destroys our ability to love fully, hampers our self-control, and keeps us from being able to enjoy God's peace. anxiety is an enemy. but God has promised to take care of me and my "what if's"! i am offered complete consolation, a peace that surpasses all understanding, and a heart that is guarded by my Heavenly Father. it's blasted on bumper stickers and bedazzled on tee-shirts...it's completely cliche, but it's true: we are too blessed to be stressed. do not be anxious. do not worry. pray and seek the Lord! take Him for His Word, and His Word is good. Lord, thank You for reminding me not to be anxious. Thank You, Father for being my source for comfort, consolidation, joy, and peace. Lord, thank You for Your faithful promises and Your unfailing Word! Stef Layton and i love to Pursue the Word whole-heartedly! go see the Word God put on her heart today.

a blog of all things teachery and me.

Today I want to talk about 'the Inspector' personality type; the ISTJ. ISTJs are one of the more common Myers-Briggs personality types, making up roughly 21% of the population. ISTJs have a plethora of strengths; they are practical, resourceful, logical, and responsible (at least the healthy ones are!). They believe in following through on their

A wife's emotions are most certainly connected to her desire, or lack thereof, in wanting to be intimate with her

Even when I was ready to start dating again, I was looking for someone "different" this time. Different from the others; someone more like me. Someone who cherishes family time, and being outdoors, and photography, and most of all, me. Yes, I wanted someone who wants to make me a priority because I would be willing to do that for them. There was no master list, with requirements and ultimatums, but I was aware as I met different men that while they may have had certain attributes that were desirable, I knew that I would be "settling" by putting up with other habits that would be problematic in the long run. I was hoping to find someone like me. I realize there may be some truth to the whole "opposites attract" thing, but this time I was willing to try someone more similar than opposite. Not identical, but someone who could understand and appreciate who I am because of who he is. Would it be asking too much to find someone who loves words, and understands the basics of grammar? Would it be possible to find someone who liked to read, and didn't watch TV every night and weekend? Was there someone out there who liked to hike, and liked to make plans, and could manage money? I don't need rich; just someone who can live within his means, and still enjoy life. My kids agree; Chuck and I are a good match. I wanted to find someone who could appreciate the wonderful human beings I created who became some of the best people I know. Yes, I wanted someone who would love my kids as if they were his own. I wanted a man who was a good father, and wanted me to be a part of his children's lives. I wanted someone who didn't drink or smoke. Someone who would choose uplifting entertainment for us to enjoy. Someone who likes music and art and theater. If that person could like to dance, even if it's just in the privacy of our kitchen, that would be awesome, too. Thanks to Chuck, my family includes three more sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and a darling grandson. I guess I was looking for the male version of myself, basically. That's no small feat...not that I'm that phenomenal, but the likelihood of my finding many of my qualities in a man would be pretty amazing. And yet, I did it. I found the male version of myself in Chuck. Last week I shared this graphic with him, with these words: "Somehow, I think we did." His response? "Pretty much." We have enough differences to keep things interesting. I am naively trusting. Chuck is more guarded, and hyper-vigilant about locking things up, double-checking doors and windows, and protecting our valuables. Where I tend to take a buckshot approach at tasks, Chuck is very focused and thorough, seeing each task to its end. I can get worked up into panic mode quickly, and Chuck tends to be reasonable and calm. I would like to think I'm pretty relaxed about most things, trying to minimize most ailments, and Chuck has self-professed hypochondriac tendencies. Our likes and dislikes are similar, with some big discrepancies. I never met a food I wouldn't try. Chuck has tried a few foods, and based on his limited previous experience, can predict that he wouldn't like much else. I like music from many genres, especially country, except opera. Chuck loves classical music, tolerates my country music, but does not like opera. (Whew.) We both want to try opera sometime, to give it a chance. I love water and coffee. Chuck loves Powerade Zero, only the blue kind, please. I love sweet snacks; Chuck loves salty snacks. This morning, I realized another way we are alike. And I also realized there can be drawbacks to being so similar. There was a mouse caught in the trap behind the microwave. I got everything ready for the trash to be taken out to the curb, and I left the room. "Honey, are you going to make me do this solo?" he called from the kitchen. "What, the mouse trap?" "Yes, the mouse trap." "Yeah, you can do that. You can do that, right?" Oh, please say yes. Please say yes. Bless his heart. He hates that disgusting chore as much as I do. He asked me how much the mouse traps were, and if I would mind if he just threw the trap away with the mouse, and we could buy more. ABSOLUTELY! I totally understand. I wanted to show him how much I appreciated his taking care of the rodent situation, so for the first time in several years, and the first time ever since we were married, I mowed the lawn for him after my walk this morning. Neither one of us likes to mow; neither one of us likes to clean house. Luckily, neither one of us likes to have the ugliest lawn in the neighborhood, and neither one of us likes to live in squalor, so we make sure chores get done. Chuck was so happy. He hates mowing the lawn. Not that I love mowing the lawn, we're very much alike, you see, but I figured I could use the extra exercise, and it made me so happy to do that small act of service for him. He sent thank you text after thank you text. We are quite the pair, he and I. I am the female version of Chuck, and he is the male version of me. It took long enough, but we finally found each other. Hmm...I just realized the new mouse traps are still in the package on the counter. I guess I'll have to take one for the team. Ew. I just hate this part of being a grownup. Tag, I'm it. I suppose I'm getting off pretty easy if the only thing I have to do in the mouse removal operation is bait the traps. I'm glad my handsome prince takes over when the traps work. He'll always be my hero.

Over time, I have come across many anger-related activities from websites, blogs, and more. I decided to gather them all in one place and came up with a list of 50. If you have any other tools targ…

My therapist: Hi. Me: *STARTS CRYING*

Here's a list of 27 things to do in Bellevue that you won't want to miss out on! This is my guide to all things Bellevue, based on personal experience!

Contemplating 'ikagai' over the weekend, plus the rest of the week's good reads...

I've been trying to teach my students to use appropriate voice levels during art. One of my schools uses the voice level terms school-wide. Another school has a few teachers who use it and I never hear it mentioned from teachers at my 3rd school. So...I made up a voice level chart for each of my schools to post in the Art Room and I'm going to work on students understanding what I mean when I ask for "voice level 0 - or voice-level 1...". You can get a digital file of this Poster Here