Please Take 20% Off!

Before all the back-to-school hoopla begins, I wanted to show my blog/TpT followers some appreciation and offer you 20% off my entire TpT Store!

All resources, including my Back to School Bundle, will be 20% off Tuesday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 20. Thank you for supporting me, and more importantly, your lucky students! WRITE ON!

Sprinkle Inspiration

I love the fact that I've had this blog for a few years now, and 90% of my posts have been written in the months of June, July, and August! What does that tell you about how busy we are as teachers?! Summer break is surely a well-deserved gift that bestows upon us the 3 Rs: relaxation, refreshment, and reflection. (I disregarded "rest" because I have a 2 year old son, and like many other teacher-moms, that "R" has been R-emoved from my life for now and the foreseeable future!) Anyway, as I spend some time reflecting this summer, it becomes clearer and clearer to me how ALL children, regardless of their home/family life, could benefit from more personal guidance and character education. Sometimes I have to think back to myself as a fourth grader to truly remember just how impressionable, yet insightful, they are at that age. They also thrive so much on structure and appreciate little classroom traditions that their teacher has in place just for them. I thought a sweet way to address both needs would be to post a different "Quote of the Week" in the same spot in my classroom this year. As I change it out each Monday morning, I want the words of someone else other than just me to motivate them. I want my students to do some reflecting of their own by simply looking in the same spot each Monday for a new, positive, thought-provoking message and be able to chew on it throughout the week and (hopefully) beyond. As I assembled my collection of quotes, I was sure to work in the ones that have always resonated with me, like my favorite teaching mantra:

...as well as a few words of wisdom that were quoted by current, recognizable-to-anyone role models. I even worked in Taylor Swift! Michael Jordan, Maya Angelou, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Abraham Lincoln are just a few of the greats that are included. Of course, I also had to throw in a quote that inspires the art of WRITING!

So, whether it's a "Quote of the Week," a set of writing nudges, decor for a peaceful classroom environment, or just a pick-me-up for you to keep at your own desk, I hope that you can use these posters, too, to sprinkle some inspiration into your classroom in the upcoming school year. Just be sure to get in your 3 Rs (or if you're lucky, all 4) first!

CLICK HERE to download all 28 posters!

If you've made it all the way to the end of this post, please build on the inspiration by leaving a comment with YOUR favorite quote! Spread joy!

Writing at Home

I'm very blessed to teach at a school where I get asked by parents, "What can I do to help him/her at home?" In regards to writing, this question is not always easy to answer. There are so many areas under the writing "umbrella" that it can get overwhelming thinking of just one place to start. Spelling? Grammar? Test practice? Starting sentences that don't begin with the word 'I'?" Parents don't need as much guidance from teachers on how to assist their children with more concrete concepts (math problem solving, memorizing, classifying, etc.) Writing is so much more broad and intricate. However, it is our responsibility to be able to answer questions such as these and provide a little inspiration!

Over the years, I've heard positive feedback on a handful of specific, effective activities that parents can do with their fourth graders (or any intermediate-grade child, really) at home. It was difficult to be concise enough to fit all my favorites onto one page, but I managed to do it!

CLICK HERE for the FREEBIE!

The most important thing to tell parents is that children should have daily opportunities to write, and writing should not stop when the school day stops. Now with this list in hand, we can give them a starting point to make that happen! Enjoy!