MEGA Giveaway: B2S Bash 2014



It's the week I've been waiting for…and keeping a big secret…until NOW! It's time for the 2014 Back to School Bash, and I couldn't be more excited about hosting it with some of my favorite teachers bloggers friends! Click on the links below to be sure that you follow all of these girls to stay up-to-date on what you can win over the next few days! 
                   
                   
                   
                   
            

Along with the 18 Bash Baskets that you will see in a minute, there will also be a GRAND PRIZE, but that won't be announced until…


Are you ready for some amazing giveaways and prizes? You will want to stop by all of the blogs above for you chance to win all 18 Bash Baskets.

Let's Talk Teacher {All About that PD!}
1. SDE: A two-day conference or seminar. 
2. The Ron Clark Academy: School visitation and signed copy of Crash Course by Kim Bearden

Classroom Essentials
1. Classroom Carpet from Kids' Carpet
2. The Quietest Pencil Sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies
3. Jumbo Classroom Timer from Lakeshore Learning Materials

What's in your teacher bag? 
1. Laptop Sleeve and Teacher Bag from Lilia Vanini 
2. Custom Phone Case from Cuptakes
3. Younique Fiber Mascara (because every teacher needs fabulous lashes) :) 

Classroom Must Haves
1. Personalized Pencil Decor from Yellow Bee Boutique
2. Chalk Talk Classroom Decor from Mardel
3: Teepee perfect for a classroom reading center from Ashley Gabby Designs

Classy up the Classroom
1. Pencil Decor from Young Love aDOORable Decor
2. Bebop Birdie Classroom Decor from Mardel
3. $40.00 TPT Gift Card

Classroom Swag Bag
1. $100 dollars worth of swag from Educational Insights
2. $100 Gift Card from Carson Dellosa
3. $50.00 TPT Gift Card


Decorate My Space
1. Dear Class Painted Canvas from JG Creations by Jenna
2. $100 Gift Card from Schoolgirl Style 

Accessorize Me!
5 Winners: 
$30 Gift card to design your custom case from Put a Case on Me! 
1 Winner: 

For the Love of Blogging
1. $125.00 Custom Blog Design from PJ's Design Laboratory 

All Things Monogrammed
1. Denim shirt and boot socks from Shop Memento
2. Monogrammed clutch from Social Manor
3. Monogrammed bracelet & necklace from Antebellum Baubles

It's the Planner in Me! 
1. $100 Erin Condren gift card to customize your dream planner

If the Shoe Fits!
1. $100 Gift Card to Jo Totes
2. $50.00 Gift Card from Tieks


Feed Your Marker Addiction!
1. A years supply of Scentos makers

Organize Me and More...
1. C. Jayne Teach Teacher Anchor
2. Decor Pack and $25 Gift Card from Teach Created Resources
3. Caddy from Land of Nod


Techno Savvy
1. HUE HD Camera and Animation Software from Hue Animation
2. $25.00 to MPIX (Print your instagram pictures)

Rock On with these Resources
1. 3  CD's from Kids Count 123
2. Jack Hartman's Science Songs All Day Long
2. Swag Bag from GoNoodle including a GoNoodle Plus Membership
4. ALLSTAR Ellison Machine from Ellison Education

Classy Up Your Resources
1. All Fonts Commercial License form KG Fonts
2. Lifetime License of Clip Art from Sarah Cooley
3. $35 Gift Card from Graphics from the Pond
4. $35 Gift Card from Melonheadz Illustrating 

The Teacher's Kid
1. Monogrammed Lunch Bag from Tin Tree Gifts
2. $50 Gift Card from Married in May
3. Back to School Dress from Round the Bend Again


As if all of that isn't enough…each basket will also include…



You can start the hop right here! 


Best of luck! XOXO! 

Maximize Student Engagement: An eBook Guide!

It's finished! It's finished! It's really finished! Now I can get off my couch, clean my house, do some much needed laundry, and be a wife! Balance? I'm sorry…what? Never heard of it! :) 

But it was all completely worth it because this might just be my absolute favorite resource that I have ever shared with all of you! No this is not your typical print-and-go activities and is completely unlike anything in my shop! Instead, this eBook is a collection of ideas that you can integrate into your own lessons and instruction to maximize the level of engagement in your classroom! 

I am so excited about this new little resources that places a complete focus on ways to increase student engagement and how you can empower young learners by making your your instruction an unforgettable experience. Warning: This is a lengthy post, so please excuse my babbling! BUT…student engagement is my passion, so I feel the need to elaborate! :) Feel free just to skip right on down to the pictures if you'd like. 



I have had numerous requests to create a pack that includes all of the ideas that I talk about in my workshop, “Setting the Stage to Engage..” So that is exactly what you will find in this little set. If you have followed my blog or my shop for any period of time, you will know how passionate I am about teaching in ways that will have my students soaking up the knowledge and dying to know more. It has always been my desire as a teacher to make my classroom the place TO BE rather than the place they HAVE to be each and every day.

I remember the years when I taught directly from the text book. I tried to dig into my students’ schema, and I would only hear crickets in the room. I felt like banging my head against the wall every single time. I couldn’t get through to them. I was frustrated. They were frustrated. We were on a one way street to academic meltdown. Then I decided to throw those texts aside and teach in ways that the kids couldn’t help but pay attention to. When I started having them create, get their hands dirty in the content, and explore all that learning has to offer, they seriously couldn’t get enough. They began excelling academically and behaviorally. Their standardized test scores went through the roof. As third graders, they were all achieving exemplary in every content area. They began seeking resources to learn more about topics. And let me tell you, there was no such thing as having to dig for prior knowledge because they were making connections across content like crazy. I don’t tell you all of this to brag on myself as a teacher, because honestly I am really not that cool. (AT ALL!) The answer to empowering students and getting them to reach levels that you never thought imaginable? Engagement. Kids have to buy into the fact that school is indeed one of the coolest places to be! 


Many people call things like turning your classroom into a safari or having the students create a food model of the United States fluff…and you know what…they are exactly right if the ball drops right there. They are right that turning your classroom into a safari isn’t going to teach your students for you. But when these forms of engagement are paired equally with rigorous content and high academic expectations, the results will be astronomical. My class and content was hard. VERY hard! I used my standards as guidelines, but I wasn’t afraid to stretch my students beyond those expectations. Where you set the bar is where your students will strive to land, and I wanted that bar to be as high as possible. But the best part? They didn’t care that it was extremely challenging and that sometimes they couldn’t grasp concepts right away. Why? Because I created an environment that was engaging, fun, and motivated them to keep on working and keep on trying until they got it. Boy, were the proud when they had more knowledge than their older brothers and sisters.

This is SO true! Thank you, Dave Burgess! :) 


In this pack, you will see how I flipped my classroom, used costumes, and caught my students’ attention. But you will also see the heavy content, high expectations, and level of excellence that was included and expected during each activity.


So, I hope these ideas can empower you, can inspire you, and can help you create lessons like your students have never seen before. Is it a little more work than the average worksheet? Of course! But the payout? Stronger work ethic, a significant reduction in behavior management issues, and higher quality work. I can’t even tell you how many teachers would constantly question how I was able to get my students to accomplish so many tasks in such a short amount of time. Well, since I couldn’t ever get my magical powers to kick in, I relied heavily on some educational magic…ENGAGEMENT!

Side note: I am planning on hosting a little blog series where I will be breaking each section down and collaborating with other teachers as we take a deeper look into how we can increase student engagement in our classroom. So this is not the last that you will hear about student engagement on my little ol' blog! But until then, here is a look at my newest baby! 

Everything is definitely not pictured. This unit contains 158 pages packed with ideas, lesson explanations, costume ideas, ways to transform your learning environment, how to use sound effects to set the tone, and more...



You will find these "play me" buttons throughout the unit. I love to use sound effects to completely change the mood and tone of the surroundings in the classroom. The best part? Sound effects are completely free, and I give you all kinds of tips about how you can download these directly to your computer! 





Let's make it an unforgettable year! 



You can go check out Set the Stage to Engage: A Guide to Teaching Outside the Box in my shop right now! It will be on sale today for $10.00 {Regularly $15.00}! 

XOXO! 

A First Week Paper Bag Book

It's done! It's done! I am so excited to share this super interactive project perfect for the first week of school! 

During this writing activity, your students will begin their first week with a BANG! Whether they are interviewing their principal, learning about classroom rules, completing a scavenger hunt, or hosting a fun "would you rather" interview with classmates, these activities are sure to break the ice and get your year off to a perfect start! All you will need to do is print the resource for you students and just add crayons! I love simple and easy! 

Check it all out below! Plus it is on sale for my final Christmas in July SALE! You can check it out right HERE




This can be used for grades 1-5. Resources included to accommodate the needs of different levels. 


My favorite part of this back to school activity is the interactive classroom scavenger hunt! The students must search for the answer to clues. Once they find each destination  there will be certain activities that they students will have to record in their book. Your students will love exploring your classroom and locating their resources for the year! 
 

Here is a look at the hunt for the youngsters! 

Plus, this book includes so many more activities! 











You can snag this in my TPT shop…and ON SALE…right now! :) 

XOXO!