I have a freebie in the midst of my craziness!

Wow, this week has been PACKED with preparing for the beginning of the new year! Even though we had seven workdays this year, I feel like I'm not as ready as I usually am. Maybe I should have come in more over the summer...

I wanted to share a freebie that I put together. If you follow me on Instagram (@dalton_gang), you've already seen this, but click on the picture to take you to the file.

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My room is very small, and I debated having a word wall last year. It ended up that I put one up, but I didn't feel like we used it the way I wanted because of the layout of the room. I started to put it up again this year and decided it wasn't worth my time or the wall space it took up. So I decided to make word collector folders! They're very simple, but cute like I love. I'm just going to have two for each group I meet with, but you could easily print off enough for every individual. These are laminated, and I plan on using dry erase markers throughout the year as we read and find more interesting words!

Right now it's just on TN because I couldn't open the TPT website for some reason. I will add that link as soon as I can get it to work. All I ask is that you please SHARE it with your friends (Pin it!) if you like it and leave feedback!

Now I'm going to prop my feet up and prepare for one more day of running. Fortunately I'll be in my classroom most of the day tomorrow. I haven't even done my door yet!

Teacher's Notebook bundles and sale

Have you seen the Back to School bundles over at Teacher's Notebook?

Well, they are AMAZING deals, and I have a product in one of them. Go check out Bundle #16 where you can get over $100 worth of products for only $20.93 (a savings of $83.72)! If you're anything like me, and money's running a little tight, these are a great way to get some quality products based on your grade level. You can view all of the bundles by clicking on the icon above. 

And if you're just looking for specific items, many stores (including mine) are having sales running until August 18. Happy shopping!

Testing, testing...

I feel like I've been pretty MIA for the most part, but there hasn't been much to say. We're most of the way through testing, but there's one more week to go. Reading SOLs are over, and I'm nervous about the outcomes. They definitely increased the rigor this year! I'm just hoping our school did enough to not be under review. I hate to think of it that way, but I know our math dropped significantly last year after they increased the rigor, and it's just scary! I know most of my kiddos did their best, though, and that's all I can ask.

After this week's testing (math), I will start helping with final running records for the year. I love being able to see how far my kids have progressed! Of course, I've been doing them throughout the year for mine since they were already behind. But I haven't done many since March, so it will be nice to see where they end up.

Also, if you haven't already gone to TN and donated a minimum of $20 to help Moore, OK, I HIGHLY recommend it! I donated this morning, and there are over 500 products that came with the bundle! You have until May 28 to participate. And don't forget: 100% of the proceeds go toward helping Moore, OK. The products you are receiving have been donated by over 300 different sellers. It may take me all summer to go through the amazing items! Good thing I don't have to download and sort through every single one that way. My computer wouldn't have enough storage!

I'm Helping

Guys, I have been struggling with this whole Moore, Oklahoma story. I mean, anytime I hear about how a tornado (or any disaster) destroys an area, it touches me. But this one has gotten to me more than any other. When I heard about the school and those children, I just cried. And it didn't help that my little man is away from me at the beach all week. So I couldn't hold him tight like I wanted (and like I did after Sandy Hook).

I chose to donate a product along with MANY other sellers on TN. There's already almost $1500 worth of products that have been donated. If you donate, you will receive my Magic Tree House - Twister on Tuesday pack (along with a ton of other great stuff). I debated whether it would be appropriate to donate this, but I know that I would want to make my students more aware of tornadoes because you know that's what is on their minds right now. I hope you will donate!

Feeling Appreciated, sales, and a giveaway

I hope you're all enjoying Teacher Appreciation Day as much as I am! I have to admit that I was a little worried about being forgotten now that I don't have my own class. Not the case at all! I actually have one student who has brought myself and my aide a little something every day. Such a sweetie!

This morning, our PTO provided breakfast, which was delicious! Tomorrow, they're doing a baked potato bar for lunch. It's always nice when I don't have to pack a sandwich.

When I went up to the office at lunch today, I had these cute little flowers waiting for me. One of my parents sent them to the classroom teacher and me. 

When I got home, Steven and I went to our local Chick-fil-a for dinner since they were giving free chicken sandwiches with a Teacher ID. Since we're both teachers now (he teaches Criminal Justice in the building next to mine), it was a perfect deal! Plus we were able to let Keagan play in the play area, which he loved. He waved and laughed at all the bigger kids as they ran around screaming.

Aren't those curls just the best?

In all of this appreciation, I want to remind you that TN and TPT are having sales right now (TPT through tomorrow and TN through Friday). Be sure to stop by and empty your cart! I've been browsing during my free time and trying to decide exactly what I want. I may be spending a little more than I planned on!

I finished my literacy centers yesterday and posted them first thing this morning. They're in both shops for $4.80 while the sales are going on (actually a little cheaper on TPT with the 10% discount if you enter TAD13 at checkout). After the sales are up, they go back to $6, so get it now while you can! These would be great for end of the year review! I even added some context clues to this packet.

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Also my sweet bloggy friend, Holly, is hosting her 500 follower giveaway! There will be 4 winners, and there are tons of great prizes. I'm offering winner's choice of any item from my store. Go check it out! (And link up with her for Tried-it Tuesday - there's always so many great ideas.)

Everybody loves a sale!

Good news! My voice came back, and I was able to sing this morning without issues! That also means I can go back to work tomorrow and get my last week and a half of test prep in. We start testing May 16 and go through May 31 (all tests in VA are online with our new Technology Enhanced Items - do your states have these?), so this is basically the end for me. Once testing starts, I will be helping with that. Then after testing, we start end of the year running records. So my groups are almost done for the year. Seems crazy to think it's that close to being over!

Just wanted to quickly share about the sales going on this week for Teacher's Appreciation Week. The TN sale started yesterday and runs through Friday. Some stores are up to 55% off!

Then TPT is having a sale Tuesday and Wednesday! Be sure to enter the code TAD13 at checkout to get an extra 10% off, and most stores are adding 20% off all of their items. Go check out Mrs. Leeby's blog to see other stores participating, then start filling up that cart! I know I'm planning on buying a few items!

Plus, isn't this button just adorable?

What kind of deals are you hoping to snag?

Two Quick Blogger Tutorials and SALES!!!

As I've mentioned before, my real life best friend started her own blog a little while ago.

 Amanda teaches 1st grade in Macon, GA, although she is looking for a job in the Atlanta area for next year when she moves, so please go check her out and help her reach 100 followers!

Anyway, the real reason for this post is to help her with two recent questions that I think a lot of you might be interested in as well. I figured it was easier to just do a quick tutorial. Then you can check back to this post if you need it later.

Question #1: How do I add a link to my blog when I comment on other people's blogs?

You have to create a code for your link, which is actually quite simple! Mine looks like this:

<a href="http://dontlettheteacher.blogspot.com/">Don't Let the Teacher Stay Up Late</a>

To create your own, change out the red with your own information. Replace my blog url with your own, and then replace my name with your blog/website's name (or whatever you want the link to say - this is also how you can link to your TPT store).

Simple, right? The only problem I've run into is that you have to save this code somewhere on your computer and pull it up every time you go to comment. I save mine as a blog post that I never publish. Then I can pull it up wherever I am.

Question #2: How do I stop being a no-reply blogger?

This is a BIGGIE, and you may not even know you're a no-reply blogger. Quick way to be sure: Do you ever get emails back when you comment on someone else's blog? I get all of my comments sent to my email (as do many others), and I try to ALWAYS respond via email, but sometimes I don't even notice it's not getting to you because the email just says no-reply@blogger.com and goes back to who-knows-where.

Step 1: Sign into your Blogger Dashboard and look into the very top right-hand corner with your name. Click on the little arrow to go to your Blogger Profile.

Step 2: In the right-hand, there should be an orange box that says "Edit Profile". Click on it.

Step 3: Under privacy settings at the top, the second box should be "Show my email address". Make sure it is checked.

Step 4: Then look a little further down under "Identity" where it says "Email Address". Make sure you have an email address entered here.

If Steps 3 AND 4 are not completed, you are a no-reply blogger. 

That's fine if you want to be, but you will miss out on a lot of comments, and it makes us (or at least me) sad when I can't contact the person who commented on my blog. Go check your blog now to make sure you're not a no-reply blogger. I know I have a few who comment on here!

I hope you're still reading because the exciting news hasn't come yet. Teacher's Notebook AND Teachers Pay Teachers are having sales for Teacher Appreciation Week, and I'm participating (along with a LOT of other bloggers)!

The TN sale started today and runs until Friday, May 10. Everything in my store is 28% (20% from me plus the 10% that TN is giving everyone). Go check it out! I know a few already have!

 

Also be sure to click the link in my sidebar all week to enter the daily giveaway for a $100 gift card to Oriental Trading.

Then TPT is also having a sale soon. Keep your eyes peeled for it, and start filling up those carts!

Product Revamped - Candy Awards

One of my first products when I began my TPT store about this time last year were my Candy Awards. I had seen some that were cute, but they weren't exactly my style. Plus I wanted more options. So I made my first big seller (and when I say "big seller", I mean I sold about 10, which was awesome, especially right after I opened the store).

I've learned a LOT about making products look their best since then (the biggest being that Powerpoint is WAY easier to work in than Word), and I've been meaning to breathe new, more colorful life into these awards. Well, the end of school is coming quicker than I realized, and I've noticed these have started picking up in sales again. So I made it my mission to finish the upgrade. What do you think?

Before:

After:

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It's amazing how a pretty background and border came make a world of difference! I kept most of the images the same, but it needed an extra umph to make it stand out. I'm in love with them all over again!

Now if only I could motivate myself to finish my next set of literacy centers - anybody a fan of camping?

Case of the Missing Easter Eggs

I know I'm posting again, but the last one was mainly just to say that my sale is up until the end of the day. But I had to post about this new item that is also on sale today.

I made another one! These have been so much fun to create (I've always been a fan of mysteries anyway), and I've realized how desperately my students need help with their critical thinking skills. I mean, I've always known it, but we did the Case for the Missing Pot O' Gold last week in a 5th grade class, and I was a bit scared. It did provide for teachable moments about what constitutes as a fact and what you CANNOT use to prove guilt (I even threw out the term "circumstantial evidence"). For this one, I used some well known characters as the suspects to add a fun little twist. Hope you enjoy it!

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Lucky Seven AND another mystery packet!

I mentioned yesterday that I was working on a craftivity that was inspired by my newest linky party, and I was able to put the finishing touches on it this morning! I had to change the hair for the girl option so it would work with the leprechaun hat. Then I was having some trouble with sizing, so I had to keep printing and putting it together to make sure it fit and looked right.

Then I had my helping otter put one together as an example for my students. I need to run out and get some construction paper for them to do it, though, because I have learned that I have some slow and/or lazy colorers. Have you found this to be true in your class? When they did my Valentine craft, I actually had some 1st graders walk by and say, "Those are really ugly! They can't color." That's pretty bad. I teach the oldest kids, and 1st graders think their work looks bad. It did, though. I was a little embarrassed to hang it up, and I only left it up there for a few days. So I think I'm going to make it easier for them to complete this time. I'll take pictures (if they turn out right), but here's my helping otter's example (isn't it cute?):

I posted the craftivity on TN and TPT. Please feel free to pin away! I love finding my items on Pinterest!

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Don't forget to go link up if you haven't already!

Then I decided to make another drawing conclusions mystery after reading a request for more like my Case of the Secret Admirer. This one is a St. Patrick's Day theme as well, and I changed it up a little. This one includes a map of Ireland, and students have to use directional sense to help them solve the crime.

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I bought my clipart to start working on spring literacy centers soon, but those usually take a few days to finish, so I won't have them up until sometime next week. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day, so I think I'm going to head on to bed. I haven't had a full work day since Monday with my meetings and a delay this morning!

New products

We had yesterday off for President's Day, and there were great plans for the day. First, we took Keagan to Keagan's, this fun little Irish restaurant (we had the name picked out first). Then we were going to go to the Children's Museum. Keagan really deserved a chance to play and enjoy himself INSIDE so he wouldn't get sick anymore. But after we finished eating, it was too close to his naptime and we didn't want to waste $16 when he didn't even get to enjoy himself. Then I started feeling crappy. Still not sure what it was, but I went home and took a nap. THEN I went to bed at 7. I missed all of my Monday night shows, and I still felt kind of bad when I woke up this morning. No fever or anything contagious. Just really weak and feel like I can't eat anything. I had crackers and a banana for lunch. And lots of water. Hopefully whatever it is will pass. I hate feeling crummy...

Anyway, before Monday, I had a wonderful weekend and actually got a few things accomplished.

I finished my St. Patty's Day centers! This time around, I use graphics from Ashley Hughes. Aren't they adorable? Steven even read over this pack for me and was very impressed. Maybe that will help when I'm spending hours blogging or working on new products. At least he's now seen what I do and likes it! Just like the other packs, there are 4 comprehension centers (fact and opinion, cause and effect, main idea and details, and drawing conclusions) and 4 word knowledge centers (suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, and guide words). Please feel free to pin as well!

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Then I finally finished my literature pack for this book.

Have you read it? It's a great Roald Dahl book for lower readers because it's short and funny (like all of his books). Did you know that you can't include the cover in your units, though? I had no idea until Kate reviewed my unit for me. Thanks for letting me know, and now I'm working to take out the book images in any other packs I have. Oops!

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Hopefully I will be able to add a few more units soon. I'm working on another Magic Tree House unit: Leprechaun in Late Winter.

Then I have a writing activity planned. AND I even have an idea for my very first linky party! Can you tell I love St. Patty's Day?

School craziness and some St. Patty's Day fun

This has been a CRAZY week! How about we spread out a few holidays so we have time to do everything? Not only did we have Valentine's Day, President's Day, and Mardi Gras (well, I did a little something for that), today was the 100th day! Oh, and did I mention that not only was I out Monday, but I ended up being out again yesterday? This week might has well have been a wash, and it's a good thing that Monday is a holiday.

Then I come back today, and we have TWO big incidents. First, a kid gets hit by a bus. Really. A kindergartener. I don't know exactly what happened because I missed bus duty while trying to catch up with teachers about what we were going to do (I would've done this yesterday had I been here). He's fine, but he's got a big bruise. The parents let him stay at school though. But WHILE this is happening, a fourth grader started choking and they had to call 911. Apparently he looked really bad, and his teacher (my former neighbor and teammate) was in hysterics from everything. She had to go home. Everyone was pretty shaken up from it, so it must've been a big deal.

So I know everybody at my school is very ready for this weekend. If it decides to snow Monday night, we might even take that, too.

Anyway, I have been working on my next products, and I've got a few things coming! I want to do something for Dr. Seuss's birthday, and I'm leaning toward some activities with his very first book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street.

 

 No real ideas yet, but if you have suggestions or things you'd like to see, let me know!

My second favorite holiday is coming up soon, and that's what I've been working on this week. I finished my St. Patty's Day Literacy centers, and it's going through the editing phase right now. It should be posted by Monday. I think it's adorable. I used Ashley Hughes' clipart, and I love it!

I'm also working on two new literacy units. The first, Fantastic Mr. Fox, is one that I'm starting with one of my groups of kids. I LOVE Roald Dahl books, and this is a great one for struggling readers in the upper grades. It's a level P, but the story line is easy to follow, and the book is short - like 81 pages. I need short books with my groups because we only have 30 minutes (if that) AND mine check to see how much longer the book will take.

The other unit is related to St. Patty's Day again. I forgot I had a copy of Magic Tree House: Leprechaun in Late Winter. I emailed both of these to myself to work on this weekend, but we'll see how much I actually do. I am at least to chapter 5 for both, so it's possible! I'll probably ask for help reviewing both of these packets when I finish, so make sure you follow my Facebook page to get this chance!

Okay, now I'm going back to work on those packets some more. Steven's helping his dad, and Keagan's down for a late nap, so this might be the only chance I get to work on them this weekend! In case I don't get back on here this weekend, enjoy your long weekend!

By the way, if you want a chance at a free blog design, go check out Ruby Slippers Blog Design. She's having a giveaway!

Sick day, Fat Tuesday, and Valentine's

Today's a sick day for me. Poor Keagan has had a runny nose and a cough for the past week, but last night he woke up 4 times screaming! I went to check on him the first time, and he had a fever. So I called in sick and took him to the doctor this morning. He has an ear infection, so hopefully the meds they gave him will kick in quickly. I hate seeing him so miserable!

One of the nice things about my new position (well, for me) is that when I'm out, they don't give me a sub. So I don't have to write sub plans. The negative side is for the teachers I work with, I can't push into their classrooms or pull their students out for the day.

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, and my sweet friend, Andrea, from Reading Toward the Stars created this adorable unit that I plan on using with some of my kids. My favorite parts are the vocabulary cards (since everything about Mardi Gras is foreign to my kids up here in VA) and the main idea game. I think the kids will have fun with it. If I were in the regular class, I would have to also bring in a King Cake to see who found the baby. Mardi Gras is so much fun!

For the rest of the week, I'm going to be doing centers to work with kids on a smaller scale. At the writing center, they are going to work on my Valentine Writing Craftivity. I can't wait to see what they come up with!

You can buy this packet at my TN or TPT store.

I am also going to be using some more of my Monster Valentine centers. We've already done a few of them to go along with skills being taught in the classroom, but I'm going to have some of these out for students to practice with.

You can buy this packet at my TN or TPT store as well.

What are you using to celebrate Valentine's Day this week? And do any of you celebrate Mardi Gras?

Long week, testing, and a giveaway

Does anybody else feel like this week is just dragging on? I feel like maybe it's because we've been doing 2nd nine week benchmark tests, but I have been off all week. Today is my last day of testing kids (or maybe one more because I had one absent), and I'm SO tired. Although I'm glad I went ahead and did this now before SOL time rolls around. I know exactly which kids of mine need help with test-taking. I think I almost made a boy cry today when I fussed at him for not using ANY of the strategies I and his classroom teacher have been teaching him. He got a 39, and he's one of my higher readers that I'm looking at possibly releasing later this year. Oh well, I think he needed to hear it. I made sure to tell him I was so upset because I knew he was smart and COULD do it if he tried. It just frustrates me to see them just click and go. 

Speaking of, what kind of strategies do you teach your kids for test-taking? We do a lot of highlighting important information in the passages. I have them go back and find the answer, then they are supposed to highlight it to prove it. Some teachers at my school have students stop and jot for every paragraph. I know I would've HATED that as a kid, so I don't make them, but I know it really works for some kids. I'm actually still sitting with one of my 3rd graders right now because he's stopping and jotting for everything (Rebecca, if you're reading this, he's working hard!). We also teach them to "plug it in" for questions using context clues, etc, and we have them "slash the trash". Those are our major strategies. Any other tips?

Alright, some giveaway news:

If you love Valentine's Day and want some great activities for next week, go check out this giveaway! Four fantastic ladies are giving away items from their stores. Even this Valentine "grinch" (as my hubby has started calling me) is entering the giveaway!

Oh, and don't forget that I'm offering 15% off all the items in my Teacher's Notebook store through tomorrow. Go check it out!

Follow me at TN!

I took the plunge and started my own Teacher's Notebook shop!!

One thing I really like about Teacher's Notebook is that they give more back to the teacher (even with their free shop that's brand new). They've made some updates, and now they have a search feature that makes it a lot easier to find what you're looking for. That was my biggest problem with it and why I tended to use TpT more.

I'm slowly adding items to the store based on need first. All of my February activities can already be found there, and I should have any non-holiday activities on by the end of the day (or at least tomorrow). Go check it out, and please follow me!

Oh, and to celebrate opening my new store, I'm throwing a sale! 15% off all items until Saturday. Sorry, no graphics for now. It's time for some Zumba before heading home!!