😂 An Original Back to School Tip

What is it about dryers that makes items stick to other items, especially nylon material? One morning, I hurriedly dressed and headed off to multiple errands. Then I met my daughter for lunch and entered another place of business. I know, sounds kind of boring.

At night, I attended a Meet the New Clergy party with several friends and acquaintances. While visiting with others, something black fell off of the inside of my skirt and onto the floor. At first I thought it was a napkin but quickly realized it was a pair of my black undies. I snatched them off the floor and shoved them into my pocket. A couple of young people saw and had a good laugh.

The twenty-one-year-old told me she always worries about that.

"No need to worry." I chuckled. "I did it and survived," I said.

Moral of the story: Check yourself thoroughly before heading to school! You may survive, but getting your kids to stop laughing and focus on schoolwork is a little tougher.

Joyce

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Why the Dog Logo?

Whose That Dog on My Logo?

You may have wondered why my store and blog logos feature a dog and a dog paw. It started simple. I love dogs, and my granddog Ruby was cuter than me. We bought this fur ball for our son's 18th birthday, and she saw many years with him before passing around 2021. Ruby went to the College of Charleston, where she hung out with frat boys. She learned to burp and fart with the best of them.

She grew old with Daniel and helped ruin his proposal to his now wife (by rolling in something stinky as he was ready to pop the question), and became a big sister to their oldest son. Unfortunately, dogs don't live as long as we'd like them to. 😢

Dog Rescue

In the past few years, I've gotten into dog rescue and have hence grown into my logo. I spend most Wednesday afternoons at Memphis Animal Services attempting to get dogs adopted, fostered, or rescued. I take a lot of dog photos and videos, which get uploaded to social media.

I also spend money I earn on TpT to save dogs through donations. The more pledges a specific dog has, the better its chance of being taken under the wing of a rescue organization, especially dogs with heartworms or other medical needs.

With a pledge, I have promised to send the money to any rescue agency that takes the dog into their organization. The more pledges, the more likely a group will save a dog, so this is important. This is where I financially save most of my fur babies from resources you purchase: Critical Memphis Animals. If you feel inclined, pledge to a dog. If a rescue saves a dog, you will receive a notification about where to send money. If the dog is adopted or euthanized 😢, you will not pay.

So there you have it. If you are a dog lover like me, check out these dog resources. I also have a few more works in progress. 

Logic Puzzle Fun for Back to School or Year Round

If you've never used logic puzzles in your classroom, this is a great time to start! These engaging activities will engage your students as they work alone or in groups to solve these brain teasers. They will love it!

In each puzzle, kids are given a challenge, a grid, and statements to use to figure out a specific scenario. 

How to solve logic puzzles

Here is an example of a basic logic puzzle:

I treat the rows of the grid as ownership. For example, Aundrea owns all of the boxes next to her name; however, ownership is shared with the colors. Blue owns all of the boxes in the column below the word.

Next, I'll point to different boxes and ask, "Who owns this one?" Once the kids understand how the grid works, we move on to the symbols.

I say, "When you make a mistake on a paper, how does your teacher let you know something is wrong?" I am looking for the idea of an /X/ to show incorrect. Once that is understood, I introduce /O/ to show that something is right.

We will then work a puzzle or two together. Here is an example with a basic logic puzzle. I like to start easy, so kids get the idea of how the matrix works.

Practice with Lunch Boxes Logic Puzzle.

Once the kids know how to solve a puzzle, I will move on to a puzzle within their grade level or ability. Multi-grid puzzles work the same as single-grid puzzles, we just complete more puzzles at once. I tell kids to look at other grids they've solved to find answers.

What's New?

Back to Middle School Logic Puzzles

I just posted a new resource on TpT. This back-to-school logic puzzle includes a six-part multi-grid logic elimination puzzle and an enrichment writing prompt to push for higher-level thinking. The topics in these puzzles are great for back to school or any time of year.

Inside this no-prep logic puzzle pack, you'll find:

• 3 logic puzzles
• Enrichment writing prompt on each
• Pre-writing & story prompt page
• Complete answer key
• Printable PDF. file
• Link to Google Slides
• Easel worksheets

Check this new resource out on TpT at:  Back To Middle School Logic Puzzles   

Hurry! This resource is half off now until a day after TpT sends a mailing about it.

Read what teachers, like you, have said about logic puzzles from Catch My Products. 

Kimberley

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I used this as a supplement during a GT meeting in the first semester. The students LOVED that this was challenging but still achievable! My admin also loved this for a quick brain game. Thank you!"

Cassie A.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Logic puzzles are such a great thing for early finishers, my kids love to hate them, but can't stop until they're solved!"

SCP

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absolutely love your logic puzzles! You are a wizard Harry! Thank you brilliant as usual!"

Thanks for reading!

Joyce

Catch My Products

P.S.  Check out this FREE high school logic puzzle to practice with new puzzle solvers.