Faith, Family, and Food
One of the best things to happen to a classroom was the SMARTboard. I love to have my ready in the mornings with slides with directions. This year I have created them for every month with a fun fact, quote of the week, and a holiday for the day. They’re fun for my students to read and give directions each morning.
You can grab yours here on Teachers Pay Teachers. You can find all my months on my store. Hope you enjoy!
If you’ve followed along with me for any time at all, you know that I love a holiday. I love the fun that it brings into the classroom, no matter how big or small. I love to add small things that my students can do to bring the holiday to light without taking away from the content that I’m teaching. That’s why I decided on this cute shamrock door crafts.
I love the idea of us being blessed versus lucky, so I want the students to think of ways they have been blessed. Last month, we focused on Black History Month and specifically Martin Luther King, Jr. We talked about how he chose love over hate. The students had to write in their hearts how they could show love to others. That will be a great segue into how we have been blessed by others, or more specifically how we have been shown love by others.
After the students write in their shamrocks and color, they will cut them out. I will display these on my door with the heading, “WE’RE NOT LUCKY, WE’RE BLESSED!” This will pull in St. Patrick’s Day theming while not taking away from our content. Once my students finish, I’ll post a picture here!
Grab yours HERE on my TPT store. Let me know other things you would like to see in my store!
One of the things my kids ask for almost daily is bookmarks. I feel like I am constantly giving them something to put in a book, and sometimes they ask for multiple bookmarks in a week. Sometimes it’s because they’ve gotten several chapter books from the library and other times they’ve lost the bookmark I gave them earlier. Then the other times it’s just because they want a cute bookmark. 🙂
You can snag these on my TPT store here.
Let me know what other products you want to see!
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One of the best things I’ve started this year is having morning slides for my students. Each morning announcements are displayed on the SMARTboard. Students know to read the board and complete the to do items listed. This year I have decided to make them fun with a fun fact, a weekly quote, and the holiday for that day. These have been fun for the students and make the mornings easier. Although the students still need reminders, I can always point them back to the board.
I love theming these for each month and finding all the fun facts and quirky holidays to add to them. You can snag your own set on my TPT store here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/March-Daily-Slides-15471207
I would love to know some other products you would like to see on my store. Thank you for all supporting me!
Holidays at school are always my favorite. I love to include them in anyway into my classroom. I also love the fun and simplicity that holidays bring. We spend most of our time trying to be rigorous in the classroom, but the holidays allow us to let loose and do something fun. That’s why I decided to create a fun writing activity for St. Patrick’s Day.
I thought this would be a fun way to engage students and let them be creative. You can snag this on my TPT store here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Leprechaun-Writing-15462314
Let me know in the comments some other activities you would like to see!
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We’ve been out of school for a week now because of snow. It’s definitely getting boring over here. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good snow as much as the next teacher. However, we’ve now been snowed in for an entire week and just heard today we’re out again Monday. I’m definitely getting stir crazy!
As we’ve driven around, these are what our side roads look like.
So, as I’ve sat here being bored, I decided that I should work on some school work. I decided to create a writing activity for my students for when we finally do return to school. Although this is a little elementary for my fourth graders, I just wanted a fun way for my students to write and be able to share what they’ve done over this impromptu break.
I think this will be a fun way for students to write about their break and draw a fun picture. They’ll also be great to hang up in the hallway to share with others. You can snag this on my TPT store at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snow-Day-Writing-15429172
Let me know what other resources you would like to see!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
When I went into teaching in 2007, I was going to change the world. I was really going to make a difference. That first year, though, was awful. I had no clue what I was doing, and no idea really how to improve. Long story short, health issues with my little girl kept me home for the next several years.
When I went back into the classroom in 2011, I met a teacher who took me under her wing and I slowly started becoming the teacher I wanted to be. At year eleven and back at my original school, I’m still no where near perfect. I try. I try hard. And I fail, miserably on some days.
Yesterday, I received a phone call from a parent that in all honesty made me feel like a total failure. In that moment I wanted to curl up and cry and frankly just throw in the towel. But I didn’t. I began to reflect on my interactions with this child. I began to think of the things I was doing to push him during times I’m not even required to.
We all have a kid like that don’t we? Or even multiple. Sometimes it’s your whole classroom. You do all you can. Most of the times, however, you don’t get that phone call.
It was hateful, and she had already decided I was the enemy. If you’ve taught any amount of time, you’ve experienced one of those. We’ve all been there. And even when we know the words spewing from the mouth are untrue, how do we get past that?
First, I believe we need to pray. No matter what is going on, prayer will see you through. Prayer is when you get to talk with your Savior. I promise he will give you peace no matter what.
Secondly, you have to continue to love the child. No matter what they may have gone home and said or you think they’ve said, you have to love anyway. I Peter 4:8 says, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’” It’s amazing what happens when we love anyway.
Thirdly, we have to keep fighting the fight. Teaching school is hard, and lawmakers make it harder. Most people have no clue what it’s like to battle all of the things we do with such little payout. Students who could barely sit still at the beginning of the year are showing tremendous growth in behavior and social interactions, but they are measured by a single test score. However, they can’t thrive until those things are taken care of first. No one sees those things or wants to measure that growth.
So, we keep fighting. We take our own time to plan and pull. We spend nights with family grading papers and struggling to help those behind. We do so many things no one sees. We try and then we try harder. At the end of the day, we just have to keep fighting.
Keep your head up high. Say a prayer for peace when it gets to be too much. Love anyway and just keep fighting. You are amazing!
Ribbons and Lace 