Week of Giving Thanks...S is for...& Inspiration in the Workroom!

I have enjoyed this week of linking up with Blog Hoppin for their Week of Giving Thanks!  Click on older posts at the bottom if you missed what I am thankful for beginning with T, H, A, N, & K!
Today is S...

I am so very blessed to be this amazing girl's mom!  She is smart, energetic, talented, kind, goofy, genuine, and has a wonderful heart! {she chose the point [ballet] shoe font for her name above :-)}

I have so many great printable posters and I know I can always use inspiring words, so I have put them up in our teacher workroom...I plan to keep adding to it as I find more inspiring words!

Don't forget TpT is having a sale Monday & Tuesday!!! Click on this poster below to join or just see what others have as favorite products they have purchased or have on their wishlists!!!

Have a blessed weekend!

Thanksgiving Family Crafts, Thankful for K..., & Vocabulary

I had pinned this pin:

{If you click on image above it will take you to the original source of the pin.}
Last night we made our own:

My sister in law found this idea on Pinterest, I am guessing from this pin:

{If you click on image above it will take you to the original source of the pin.}
This is what she made for Thanksgiving! Great job Erin!!!

 Continuing with the week of Giving Thanks from Blog Hoppin' today is K...

I am so thankful for Kind Words...they can make such a difference in all of our lives!  

One of my favorite quotes is: "I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.  It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous.  I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.  I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.  In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or deescalated and a child humanized or dehumanized" Haim Ginott

Our words have so a powerful impact on others, may they be Kind!

Speaking of words, I wanted to share about what our class does for vocabulary.  We are currently using Storytown/Excursions Language Arts.  Each week we choose 4 words from the lesson one M, T, Th, & F.  We look the word up in the book glossary & in a dictionary as well.  We come up with a class definition...this shows last year's class book which is always available as a resource.

As the words are chosen I place them in the vocabulary chart and the students put the word, part of speech, & definition on a half index card.  They keep the cards on a ring on a hook at their desks.  During our daily silent reading time they will mark any current vocabulary words with a sticky note.  When I end reading time students who have found a word raise their hands.  When I call on a student, he or she reads the sentence the word is found in and then repeats the word.  The class says the word and the definition.  Then the student makes a tally mark by the word.  Once we have 10 tally marks the word is closed {the exception is if we reach 10 and another student found the same word that day...then it closes}  After the student has made the tally mark he or she goes to the sound buttons and chooses one to push...the students LOVE this part!!!  I love this activity because we get to discuss word forms, multiple meanings, and the words get cemented in the students' heads! {the sound buttons are from Hallmark...many I bought on ebay} 

Don't forget to stop by and join in on my 3, 2, 1, SALE! Linky!

Happy Thanksgiving, N is for New Beginnings, Turkey Disguises, & 3, 2, 1 SALE! Linky!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  It has been a good day, I hope it has been for you as well.  We did not have the money this year to travel to extended family, but went to our favorite local diner and had a great meal.

Every year my class does a Turkey Disguise project. These are some of the 'Not a Turkeys'...The speech bubble begins with, "I am NOT a turkey, I'm a..."  I think the kids did a great job!  I got this idea years ago at www.proteacher.net.  I wish I knew what wonderful teacher to give credit to, but I have no idea who first shared this idea!

Once again I am linking up with Blog Hoppin's Week of Giving Thanks!

Today is N...

I am thankful for New Beginnings!  Each day is a new start, each year we begin again, & every spring I am considering what I will try the next school year.  Every day we have the opportunity to have a fresh start, how refreshing is that! {I look forward to seeing what other bloggers came up with for N! :)}

Please join me for a TpT Sale Linky...click on the image below to go to the post about it!

Come join a Sale Linky & Thankful for....H & A

 1st things first...I am a day behind, but I am still doing the Week of Giving Thanks with Blog Hoppin' so here is H:

I think HOPE is such an important word.  We all face challenges and trials & hope keeps us moving forward.  I have shared some of the challenges and trials of the last couple of years here, but not all...hope has kept me going...hope that it will not be like this forever...hope that things will get better...I love that HOPE is a theme in my favorite tv show Once Upon a Time...even hope that a villain, The Evil Queen, can change and have a happy ending...but my MAJOR source of hope is in the Lord and the hope He has promised...I put my hope in You, Lord; You will answer, Lord my God.  Psalm 38:15....For I know the plans I have for you, this is the Lord's declaration~plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future & a hope Jeremiah 29:11 .And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that the affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.  This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 8:3-5... 

                   I am thankful for hope!

Andrew is my 15 year old son and he is one of the most amazing blessings in my life!  I love so much about who he is and who he is becoming!

Now the Sale Linky...TpT is having a sale December 1st & 2nd...many individuals, me included, will also host a sale at that time.  I thought it would be really great to share products that you have purchased and love, products you have had your eye on, & one that you want to highlight from your store. {if this is your first time purchasing, you don't have anything on your wishlist, or you don't have a store...get creative with the 3,2,1}  I had the idea for the linky in bed the other night, used all elements from the amazing Mel from  Graphics From the Pond, then wrote to her...I should have asked before I created, she usually doesn't give permission, but so graciously allowed me to use her goodies for this linky...she is beyond AWESOME!!!

1. I purchased this several years ago and my  students love it every October {TpT Link}

2. Mel's great Edge It Mega Pack let you add a little flair to worksheets & letters...100 of them! {TpT Link}

3.  I bought this last year and love all of the flaps & information tied to each math standard! {TpT Link}

1.  This looks AMAZING!  I love all of The 3am Teacher's goodies & I always need help getting more organized! {TpT Link}

2.  I am addicted to Mel's stuff!! {TpT Link}

 1.  I just developed this for my class and I am loving it!  The students know to pick up an apple pass when they are ready for a quiz & I can see who is ready. The log is working out great too! {TpT Link}

Please join in the fun and share what you love & want! Click on the picture below to get the 4 page pdf! :)  Happy Shopping!

Just a Quick Post...A Week of Giving Linky Party... T is for....

I loved this idea of sharing what we are thankful for using the word Thanks! {click on picture above to link up or just see what T words others are thankful for! :)} Since it is 10:30 pm this post will be VERY short, just sharing my T...back tomorrow for H!

This may seem a little obvious, but I really am so very thankful for teachers!  Some of the teachers from my childhood and beyond are Kindergarten~Mrs. Reagle, 1st~Miss Miller, 3rd~Mrs. Sullivan, 8th~Mr. Towsend, College~Sue McBride.

As a teacher I have been blessed to work with so many incredible teachers!

My children have been blessed to have such amazing teachers too!

It is not the easiest time to be a teacher and I so appreciate all who devote themselves to their students and their constant growth!

Five for Fraturday...A WHOLE WEEK OFF!!

I woke up to 2 awesome emails this morning!! :-D  I am sooo doing the happy dance!!!!

 I had to share these pictures of our two adorable dogs Snickerdoodle & Sparky!  They have given us a lot to smile about!

I have been reading Mark Hall's {lead singer of Casting Crowns} Thrive.  It is an amazing book and album.  This week I came across a line that really caused me to stop and ponder.  I am going through verses involving thanks this month {see here } but Mark Hall really made me think about what thanksgiving means.  He explains what abound means and 'it carries the connotation of action' {the root system is us being rooted in God's Word}  If anyone would like this as a printable poster, please leave a comment & I will figure out how to do the dropbox link here.

Ahhhh...the thought of sleeping in this week!!! DEEP sigh....ahhhhhhhh! {1st time our district has had the WHOLE Thanksgiving week off!}

I have been adding lots of Alphabet Poster Sets into my store.  I am trying to have both Cursive & Manuscript for all designs.  I know this may not interest anyone right now, but maybe you'll Pinterest it and think about it for next fall!

I will post more pictures of my Alphabet Sets in my next post.

Have a blessed day!