The goal of an “All About Me” theme is usually to help classmates get to know each other better, but when your only student is your own child, that puts a bit of a different spin on things. For our All About Me theme we focused on emotions, family, and learning more about ourselves. Here […]

Learning vocabulary doesn't have to be boring! These are some great tips for making vocabulary meaningful in the intermediate grades.

Hello Friends! Oh my... It has been a LONG time since I have posted here! I guess I have been busy, but I can't think what I have been doing that has taken up so much of my time. It's amazing how each day can drift along and then all of sudden, you realize how much time has passed and you didn't even notice! One of my favorite units to teach is "Healthy Me." Little kids are always so interested in how their body works and although, I don't go into HUGE detail, we do have some lively discussions during this unit. We also discuss healthy habits such as hand washing, exercise, and sleeping. At the conclusion of this unit, all the healthy me pages are stapled inside a cute cover. This is a fun way for my kiddos to have a discussion about healthy habits with their families! If you are interested in my HEALTHY ME unit, click the image below.... Here is freebie for you to hang next to your sink to remind your kiddos to wash the germs away! Until next time! Blessings,

I am so excited to launch my first "series" of blog posts! It's making me feel all grown-up and blogger-like :)My first series is going to be on increasing student engagement in the classroom. Over

Words that start with the letter "P" have a special kind of magic - they're like little beams of sunlight on a gloomy day, spreading happiness and hope. These

1. All-or-nothing syndrome

This is a digital download. You can print it at home, or have it printed at your local print shop. You have lifetime access, so you can print the purchased files as many times as you want, whenever you want, and at any of the available sizes. When printing, make sure that you have the appropriate software, so that you don’t have any problems with your prints in terms of images and colors. In any case, if you have any problems feel free to contact me. I’ll be glad to help you! What is included? After your payment is confirmed by Etsy, you have instant downloading access to the files purchased. You get 2 files: 1 Word Editable File 1 PDF File Where are my files? All your files will be in your Etsy account, so don’t worry if you misplaced them or didn’t download them right away. If you want to find your files on your Etsy account, just click on your profile name, and choose “reviews and purchases”. Select your purchase, click download, and you will see all the files there. You can also use the link that you got on your email after the payment has been cleared. Make sure you check your spam folder. Can I purchase for commercial use? All the items are sold only for personal use You can print as many times as you wish. Decorate more rooms, or give them as a present to your friends and family. Just kindly note that ANY COMMERCIAL USE IS FORBIDDEN.

Congratulations! You have just visited the most popular post on my blog. Since this first post about drawing Celtic knots in 2014, I've continued to grow in skill and enthusiasm for drawing Celtic knots, and to explore Celtic Christianity. Will you join me for this Celtic creative & spiritua

Sweet mamas, you share God’s love with your kids simply by being there! By giving them hugs and kissing their booboos and not freaking out when they draw on the couch cushions (haha). You share God’s love with them when you pack their lunches and pray over them at night while they sleep. You share […]

When my man and I first started, I used words a lot to express my feelings, and trust me, he loved it. So, what are sweet words every man wants to hear?

Please note: Amazon affiliate links are included in this post for your convenience! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I don't know about you, but I am always looking for ways to make my life easier! I have been teaching for 12 years now, and I feel like I am finally figuring […]

Patterns aren't cheap. Seriously, I was browsing through through the look books at Hobby Lobby the other day and some of them were as much as $20. Tack that on to the price of fabric and other supplies and suddenly sewing your own clothing becomes very expensive. Thankfully, you can make your own patterns using your own clothing that you know to fit well. I'll show you how to make a simple blouse pattern using a top of my own. I used Scotch Postal Wrapping Paper as my pattern paper. I found it at Target for about $5. It gives you 30 feet of paper, so it will last a long time. I used paper because I like to lay my pattern piece down and trace the shape directly onto my fabric. If you think you'd prefer to pin the pattern to your fabric and then cut it out, paper may not be the way to go for you. Muslin fabric is another great material that would allow you to pin the pattern piece to your fabric. It's also nice because it can be folded up and stored away when not in use. Lay your garment down on the paper and determine the middle of the top. Mark right above the collar and right below the hem. Draw a rough outline of one half of the top. When you get to the sleeve, do your best to fold it back so that you just see the armhole. Sketch the curve as shown below. This first pattern piece I'm working on will serve as the back of the pattern. Sketch the outline of the slightly higher, back collar. Stop once you get to the half marks that you previously made. Now you'll need to sketch an outline outside the dotted line to allow for seam allowances. To determine how far apart the rough sketch line should be from the final outline of the pattern you'll need to take what materials you're working with into consideration. For example: The lace top I am using has a stretch quality to it. If I want to use this pattern to make a top with a non-stretch fabric, I will need to make the final pattern outline a good amount wider than my rough sketch. However, if I was using a non-stretch garment to make my pattern I wouldn't have to allow for as much extra fabric. It's always better to have a too big pattern and therefore a too big top than it is to go too small. Don't be afraid to be generous. Extend the outline by about 1.5 inches along the sides and about 1 inch at the armholes and collar. Extend the bottom of the top by several inches to allow for hemming. Cut on the line and fold the pattern over making sure that the crease is on the middle marks you made previously. Trace so that you have a perfectly symmetrical pattern. Repeat the same process for the front piece of the pattern being sure to trace the front part of the collar this time. Now for the sleeves. Fold a piece of paper and position it underneath the garment and the pattern. The fold should be parallel to the top of the sleeve. Trace the curve of the front pattern piece. Leave plenty of extra room for the sleeve to be hemmed. Remember it's better to go oversized than undersized. You can always take the shirt in if it is a little too big. Cut out all of your pieces and press to get rid of creases and you're done! *Update* I recently used this pattern to make this cute little top. Click on the picture for the full tutorial!

✨Welcoming Newcomers students into your classroom with this Essential Words Lap Book will be a sure way to help them start on the right foot and feel excited about learning English. This lap book will expose newcomer students to essential English vocabulary, including: ✅the alphabet ✅numbers ✅colors ✅body parts ✅days of the week and months of the year ✅survival phrases ⚠️Bonus: An English Workbook is included to help support the vocabulary and skills the lap book covers. ❤️It is the perfect activity for Newcomers to work on independently during class or at home with their family. ✍Related Products Interested in another resource for newcomers or the needs of your rising ELL students? Here are a few of my best selling resources: • ESL Newcomers Curriculum • ESL Writing Curriculum • ESL Speaking & Writing Activities • WIDA ACCESS Practice Test Prep • ESL Vocabulary Picture Dictionary ❤️Let's Connect! Sign up for my newsletter, which is filled with new ideas, activities, and exclusive freebies! Click here to sign up! If you have any questions or ways I can help, please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Have you ever made a list of things that make you utterly, ridiculously, jumping-up-and-down happy? Here are things that make me happy. I’d love to hear yours too.

Once you identify narcissistic traits in others you might suddenly think, wait am I the Narcissist? Learn the two ingredients a narcissist can never have.

Do you feel overwhelmed by data collection? You are not alone! Here are some tips that help me to streamline data collection in my classroom. 1. Start early - Set up your data collection system right away. I like to have all of my students’ goals and data sheets printed before the school year starts. I was on maternity leave at the start of this school year and didn’t have my data system up and running as early as I would have liked. This made it so much more difficult to take data on a regular basis. I definitely learned the hard way and won’t make that mistake again! I now make it a priority to organize my data sheets before the school year starts and keep it updated as my students’ goals change throughout the year. 2. Build data collection into your schedule - I don’t know about you, but my day is busy… crazy busy!! If I don’t have something built into the schedule, it doesn’t happen. Figure out who will be collecting data and how often it will happen. Write it down and stick with the schedule. 3. Consolidate your data sheets - There are a million and one data sheets out there. Some are great and others… not so much. Find out which data sheets best meet your needs and use those sheets as often as possible. My team and I spent some time last year sorting through all of our data sheets and agreed upon a few that worked well for everyone. I revamped all of these sheets to make them simple and easy to use for teachers and paraeducators. You can find them HERE. This leads us to tip number 4. 4. Keep data sheets prepped and ready to use - I keep 10-20 copies of each of my most used data sheets in a separate binder. They are hole punched and ready to be used. No more running to the copy machine or pulling up files on my computer. You can find a free copy of my data binder cover HERE. 5. Train everyone - Data collection is a team effort. Everyone needs to be on the same page and understand when, how, and why, data is being collected. Do you have any tips or tricks for streamlining data collection? Please share!

Good night messages for him are love messages you can send your partner at night before bed that will make him feel special and loved

So there's a fantastic graphic being peddled around Facebook that's making me laugh. Check it: I'd first love to correct several blatant misreadings of

Bucket List: 20 Things You Have To Try At Least Once in Your Life. Extreme Sports, Adventures, Trips and yes these are all possible!

Teacher, you always had faith in me even when I didn’t. Thank you for helping me through this year of school. I couldn’t have done it without you.

When my man and I first started, I used words a lot to express my feelings, and trust me, he loved it. So, what are sweet words every man wants to hear?

5 free templates for young children to help them discover and share with others how God made them SPECIAL! Print yours off today!

I didn’t know what to expect when my Mum died, but I didn’t expect it to be beautiful. And I knew I would miss her afterwards, but I didn’t expect it to be like this. Read these quotes about facing death with serenity and humour, and navigating through grief. Including this quote that eased Mum's pa

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

I recently had a opportunity to preview this adorable new book, Spoonful of Sweetness and other delicious manners by Maria Dismondy. Maria is an Award Winning Children's Book Author. She is passionate about her family, photography, charity work, public speaking, and about living life to the fullest each day. She shares activities, crafts, giveaways, and a ton of great advice/ tips for families and educators alike on her blog- hop on over and check it out! She has also written these other amazing books: While this book is recommended for children ages 0-3, I just had to share it with my Kindergarten class. It teaches responsibility, respect, empathy, kindness, friendship, and courage. Afterwards, we discussed what those words mean to babies, and what they mean to big kids like them. They had the cutest answers! One student said "to babies, friendship means sharing your bottle, and to us it means sharing your snack." Love it!! I hope this freebie is something you can use in your class.

When my man and I first started, I used words a lot to express my feelings, and trust me, he loved it. So, what are sweet words every man wants to hear?