Teachers Pay Teachers Sitewide Sale May 5th & 6th

Start shopping, now here!

As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, TpT is having a sitewide sale. Everything in my store will be listed at 20% off, with the exception of my newest resources:

• Logic Puzzles for Teens About Female Pop Stars (High School)
• Transition Words in Google Drive for Grades 2-4 
• Historical Fiction in Google The Sultana (4 - 6)
• Harry Potter Puzzle Pack

that are currently marked at 50% off until the end of sale.

However, if you use the promo code: THANKYOU20, you will get an additional 5% off of your purchase!

Because so many teachers are teaching online, I've added a lot of resources to Google Slides. Of course if you'd rather have PowerPoints or printable resources, these are available in other formats, too. Check these out!

Primary Resources

• Challenge Puzzles in Google
• Logic and Sudoku in Google
• A Bad Case of Stripes in Google
• Grammar Lessons in Google
• Math Pattern Fun in Google
• Adjectives and Adverbs in Google

Elementary 

• Making Inferences Reading Passages in Google
• Order of Operations in Google
• Historical Fiction Irish Castles in Google
• Multiplying Decimals in Google
• Writing Dialogue That Rocks in Google
• Great Depression Historical Fiction in Google

Plus, you can find my complete novel with activities in Google Docs!

Middle School

• YouTube Stars Reading Passages in Google
• Brain Teasers and Logic Puzzles About Sports

High School

• Reading Passages on Coronavirus and Other Pandemics in Google
• Alice & Freda Historical Story in Google
• Reading Passage Martin Pistorius in Google
• Reading Passage Horror Movies in Google

I also have a lot of book studies for sale. Link to Book Studies A lot of teachers have been buying these, probably because they are on PowerPoint, so they are easy to use remotely.

Good luck with remote teaching!

Joyce

Catch My Products

The Gifted Department Store

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Memories Before Quarantine

Being stuck at home leads to chats about the good old days. Here is a conversation that took place in our family's chat text group.

Text Chat with Kids

J: Mom how did your parents meet

Me: At a waistline party! They measured everyone's waist and charged the number of inches found in order to go in. My mom used to brag about paying 24¢.

J: Oh ya hahaha

Me: Different time period, right?

D: You mean the going to a party part?

E: What's a party? I forgot.

D: Dang, maybe you should go back to school if you've forgotten your entire job

E: You make a good point

Monday Music Moves Me Freebie

Since my parents met in the forties, I've decided to post a few good old songs from their era (okay, they met in the late forties, but close enough). I still love Glenn Miller, so here is a tribute to him.

First up is one of my favorite songs by Glenn Miller, In the Mood:

Next, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy:

And finally, this masterpiece of music, singing, and dance in Chattanooga Choo Choo:

Dollar Sales are Here!

Hi, y'all!

I'm participating in TWO dollar day sales that I don't want you to miss out on, so check these out:

1. Today, April 28, One Day Only 

Save lots of money with our Dollar Day Sale. Click here for a list of all products on sale and see all the bargains. But this sale ends at midnight so don't delay. 

My two products are only $1 for today:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Making-Inferences-Reading-Passages-Google-Slides-4691199

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-in-Google-Slides-4722279

   2. At Home Educators' Sale

At-Home Educators, we are here for you! Take a look at these distance resources for only $1.00 today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday). Go HERE for tons of resources to help you out! You can find my resources at:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Dialogue-Practice-for-Google-Slides-4754385

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Google-Docs-Activities--5004015

Also, feel free to Catch My Products!

Distance Learning Giveaway Starts April 23!

We understand how difficult times are with distance learning. We want to help by offering you a variety of products you can use with your students.

You’ll get:

• Boom Cards
• Google Classroom/Slides
• Printable Packets

Check them out here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:DISTANCELEARNINGPRODUCTSGIVEAWAY3

⭐It’s EASY to Enter⭐
Comment on this blog post by answering this question:
•How are things going for you with distance learning?
Enter the raffle here: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54bb8f9830/?
We’d love it if you’d share with your colleagues!

🍀🍀Good Luck!🍀🍀
Raffle ends at midnight on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
The winner will be announced on April 27th .

Our Terms:
You must be a teacher, paraprofessional or education administrator to win and provide proof by providing your school name and grade level within 48 hours after contacted or a new random winner will be selected. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, or Teachers Pay Teachers. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this page and not to Facebook, Instagram, or Teachers Pay Teachers. No Purchase Required.

Funny Moments in Teaching and Great Music

Humor First

Art by Ron Leishman Digital Toonage

Since we're all at home, I figure it's time for a little humor in our dark days. Here are a few teaching situations to make you chuckle. One of my favorite stories was of the seventh grade teacher who came to class without her glasses. She had a most persistent student in the back of the room who kept his hand raised but refused to answer when called upon. After repeatedly calling on this silent student, she became angry and yelled at him, until one member of the class told her that her "student" was the overhead projector.

I also recall the teacher who went to the theater. Periodically throughout the show, she waved to a man who continually waved at her. At the end of the show, she approached the man to learn that she didn't actually know him, like she thought. He was merely flirting with her. She said, "I'm sorry. I thought you were one of my children's fathers." The man turned red and abruptly took off.

Stories are best told in three, so here is another favorite from my gifted and talented classroom. We were partaking in a Jeopardy Game in honor of Black History Month. The following conversation gives you a peek into the bright students that I've had the pleasure of teaching.

Girl: Who was Collin Powell?

Boy: His name is Colin!

Girl: I don't like names that sound like body parts.

Boy: Really? I have an Uncle Pancreas.

I hope you enjoyed the laughs and find ways to make new ones, even in our at home situation!

Distance Learning

If you are stuck at home, here are my newest resources for distance learning. All of these are being offered in Google Applications for student downloading.

I just love David Shannon's picture book, 

A Bad Case of Stripes! 

Your students will be able to complete distance learning with this resource!

Inside this easy to use resource, you'll find:

• Introduction to Story
• Meet the Author
• Vocabulary Activity
• Vocabulary Fill Ins
• Critical Thinking Questions
• Book Review Directions
• Answer Key

You need to give students grammar practice whether online, at home, or in

school, but you do not have an easy resource to capture kids' attention. Find this beautiful and useful resource right at your fingertips in Google Drive!

Inside this easy to use Google Slide presentation, you'll find:

• "I can" Statement
• Core Standards
• 38 Lessons
• Practice Identifying Basic Parts of Speech

1. Nouns
2. Verbs
3. Adjectives
4. Pronouns
5. Prepositions

• Practice Writing Sentences with Specific Parts of Speech
• Complete Answer Key

Are you looking for an easy to use historical fiction passage with vocabulary work and questions that can be shared through remote learning? Look no further. This resource in Google Drive will motivate your students through a reading passage just for them!

Inside this easily shared Google document you'll find:

• Six page historical fiction story
• Twenty vocabulary words
• Fifteen vocabulary fill in sentences
• A word search puzzle
• Eleven high level discussion questions
• Complete Answer Key

Musical Monday Moves Me

Now, it's time for some musical selections. This week is a freebie. During the lockdown, my daughter, husband, and I were painting Erica's old bedroom. Since my husband hadn't painted a room since 1966, he put on the oldies station to reminisce those times. Here are a few of the songs we heard from the 1966 countdown.

First up is a timeless classic from The Mamas & The Papas, "California Dreaming."

Next, enjoy Simon and Garfunkel with, "Homeward Bound."

Finally, The New Vaudeville Band with "Winchester Cathedral" was a fun song of the past!

Monday's Music Plays the Fool

It's Monday, again, and I have a few things to tell you. First off, our music theme is songs with "fool" in them, but I want to wish my husband a Happy Birthday. I guess he's the fool for marrying me.

Happy Birthday, Mitchell!

First up is Beatles related, and the Beatles are his favorite band of all times. Here is Paul McCartney with Fool on the Hill.

Next up is a foolish little video of my grandchild. You read that right. Great times are coming in October with a wiggle, wiggle, wiggle! Here's something put together by my son, the future papa. In honor of becoming a grandmother, I will be sending out a great free resource to my mail group. If you want it, you have to sign up before I send out the mailing, soon. You can join my group HERE.

And finally, keeping up with the "Fool" theme is another homemade film. My daughter made this movie and mastered it to great music. It was for a movie quarantine contest that she won! The music in this is fun so have a listen to this original piece called The Bearded and the Restless.

Distance Learning & TpT Sale Starts Tomorrow!

This morning, I listened to my daughter teach her third grade religious school class through the computer. The kids sounded cute with their little voices, and I saw that she really is a good teacher. At one point, I started recording her on my phone, but she saw me and got angry. Another stressor of this distance teaching is not only is Mom listening in, but she had the administrator pop by, too. None-the-less, I am happy that she is still getting paid her full amount, even though school was closed for several weeks, and she is only teaching half hour classes with half of the kids, present.

Now, this is not "real" school, so I'm not surprised that not everyone showed up. I have to ask, how is attendance for a "normal" remote learning session? Do the kids show up? 

I always told my students that the best thing they can do is read, read, read. I also recently learned that Scholastic has loosened their copyright so that teachers are now allowed to read books to their class online. If you decide to do this, I have a lot of book studies for sale. Link to Book Studies A lot of teachers have been buying these, probably because they are on PowerPoint, so they are easy to use in class.

Good luck with remote teaching! Also, to help you out, TpT is having a sitewide sale starting at midnight. My entire store will be on sale for 20% off, and you can get an additional 5% off by using the promo code: ForYou

Primary

• Pirates Past Noon
• Berenstain Bears Trouble with Money
• The Truth About Bats
• Frog and Toad Activities
• Katie Woo No More Teasing
• And More  Primary Book Studies HERE

Elementary 

• Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days!
• The Indian in the Cupboard
• The BFG
• Mrs. Zimmerman's Donuts
• The One and Only Ivan
• Frindle
• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Francis E. Frankweiller

Upper Elementary or Middle School

• Savvy
• Refugee
• Bull Run
• A Long Way From Chicago
• Streams to the River, River to the Sea
• Number the Stars
• Among the Hidden

Good luck with remote teaching!

Joyce
Catch My Products
The Gifted Department Store

If you don't already follow my store, you are missing out on notifications for half price deals on new resources. Click HERE to follow me. Thanks!

Monday Music Moves Me

COVID 19 parody songs

And I think this last one is my favorite.

And, here are two additional songs in honor of 

my son's 32nd birthday! Dang he got old.

Teacher Help

Ron Leishman's art reminds us
to keep six feet apart!

As COVID 19 sets in, some teachers have been asked to teach remotely. Wow! That sounds like quite a challenge. Furthermore, I was dis-hearted to learn about a Florida teacher who was expected to come in to work, with the entire staff, to train on how to teach from a distance. That sounds about as right as the carpet shower on television.

Another tough situation is the poorer school districts where the kids don't have computers to learn from. In our city, many of the kids receive free breakfast and lunch. Without school, there is fear that some kids could go hungry. Luckily our city is back on track to feed these homebound students. The program was put on jeopardy when a worker tested positive for the new Coronavirus.

Kids LOVE logic puzzles!

To be helpful, I'm linking to my many free resources HERE. Whether you're a teacher trying to teach remotely or a parent who needs something for your kids to do, hopefully you can find something you need.

If you are looking for paid resources, I have plenty of those, too. My store has resources for everyone K - 12 in multiple subject areas. Recently, I've sold quite a few directed lessons in PowerPoint. With these you don't have to be a teacher to guide your kids. Here is a link to my PowerPoint Lessons. I only have 370, though.

                           Here's an inference lesson for 3rd - 5th graders.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Making-Inferences-Passages-1806477

High Interest Reading for Middle School Kids

Printables have been popular, too, especially my Reading Passages. But mostly, I want to give y'all a virtual (((hug))). One way or another, we will get through this! If there is anything you need for kids, feel free to email me at jlanskyATcomcastDOTcom. I'm ready to help!



Joyce
Catch My Products
The Gifted Department Store

Monday Music Moves Me is About Walking

Since I live in Memphis, this is where I walk. Here's a song about it.

Here's another song about going for a walk. Ready to go with The Brady kids?

Giveaway for Teachers and Teacher Sellers!

🍎❤️🍎Teachers, Homeschooling Parents and TpT Authors, we are giving away this BIG Bostitch laminator. It's the perfect time to win this to use for all of your at home teaching or product creation!

This Big Bostitch Laminator is a FABULOUS resource to have at school or at home. It heats up super fast, laminates fast and will handle a lot of big jobs that your small, handy laminator just won’t. And… we are giving it away!

It's EASY to enter, but you must have a Pinterest account to do so.

The winner will receive:
• Big Bostitch Laminator - $100
• 9 X 11 200 Letter Size Laminating Pouches - $18
• 12 X 18 100 Big Laminating Pouches - $38
• KaBoom Colored Card Stock (40) - $9
• Kaboom Colored Paper (100) – $16
🍀GOOD LUCK!🍀

Enter the Rafflecopter here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54bb8f9827/?

Our Terms:

You must live within the continental United States.

You must provide your shipping address if chosen as the winner.

We will check to see if you have followed and pinned.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Are you Stuck at Home?

COVID-19

This month, I've been blogging about classroom community, but ironically, many of you are not in the classroom due to concerns over the Coronavirus. Some used to say it was overhyped, but not anymore, do they? How else does the world stop the spread of a pandemic if not for social distancing? I believe the entire country needs to shut down, NOW, before this runs rampart in the midwest and other lightly hit areas. On another note, my husband and at least one of my kids is upset with me for giving two ghost tours, over a week ago, before our little adventure shut down for the month. My daughter reminded me that I'm over 55 years of age; however, I've been in great control of my Diabetes, recently by dropping almost twenty pounds and keeping my sugars at ideal levels.

Hand Washing

I thought I knew all about this topic as I sang "Got a fever of 103˚" in my head while washing, but there is a lot that I just learned. I never washed around my thumbs or between the fingers. This is really important, too. If you scrub every area of your hands front and back, it really does take a good twenty seconds. I had just been scrubbing the palms repeatedly rather than the entire area.

Health

One of my favorite things to do at home is to turn on YouTube and dance to Zumba tunes. I'll post my favorite Zumba dances in my Musical Monday Moves Me post, so you can join in. I'm also trying to eat healthy, via Noom. My 19 pound weight loss is due to enrolling in this program and becoming more focused on how I'm eating. My mind has been more at the table as I enjoy each bite and am better able to cue in to signs telling me that I'm full. If you want to join, I'll drop my referral code that gives you a free trial and 20% off. I think I get an Amazon card from it but am not sure.  Join Noom Here.

What to Do with Your Class

If you teach high school, you should take a look at this: High School Reading Passages Bundle. Find SIX highly engaging reading passages with questions to keep your kids learning!

If you're wondering what to do with your class while out on break, I have an idea. I wrote a book called, MRS. ZIMMERMAN'S DONUTS, which is a middle grade novel about bullying. You may purchase or read about it here.

I would love for you to read my book, and if you think it would be good for your kids, I'm working on a book study to go along with it! By buying the book study, that will contain the book, you will have permission to send it to your class. That's a phenomenal deal for a class set! If you are like me, you read books before assigning them. If you want to get just the book to do that, you can. If you decide to buy the study, TpT will refund you the cost of the book if you ask. 

Monday Music Moves Me

As promised, here are some of my favorite Zumba dances that I do from the comfort of my bedroom while in my pajamas. The dogs watch but tend to fall asleep rather than join me. 

First up, I love A. Sulu and dance to a lot of his tunes. He always seems to get me to sweat, too. Here he is dancing to Marvin Gaye.

I also love this one! I especially like the smiling lady to the left of the lead dancer. She looks like she's having a blast and as a result motivates me!

With this post, I could go on and on, since I dance to multiple songs on any given day, but I will stop with Mambo Number 5. I've danced to a couple of versions to Lou Bega's song, but this is my favorite! I also think of my sweet Erica who is by my side.

Encourage Kids with Specific Messaging & Animal Music

Specific Praise

We all, most likely, grew up wanting to hear our parents and teachers tell us we were good, but maybe that was not the best thing to hear. What happened when the adults forgot to tell us that we were good? Did we automatically think we were bad? To be honest, I can't remember back that far, can you? Either way, ever wonder what "good" actually means? It's a rather nonspecific term, which means it's much better to zero in on the behavior you like in a kid and want to see, again.

Art by Sarah Pecorino

As a teacher, this is where the specific praise can be helpful. Instead of telling the child, "You're so smart!" focus on the skill completed or the effort involved. "I can tell you worked hard to figure that out!"

Instead of saying, "You were good at recess, today," say, "I like the way you invited Charlotte to play with you. It must be tough for her being the new girl, but you made her feel welcome!"

These sorts of specific praises are great for teaching kids what you want to see them accomplish. And as we know, kids do better with praise than criticism.

But do you need to praise after everything they do? No. After all, if you constantly praise kids, the words lose their meaning. Save the praise for something special. Praise regularly but not the same praise every time they finish. After all, too much of a good thing can be bad.

Monday Music Moves Me is for the Animals!

First up is Maroon 5 with "Animals." I usually like to post the original video, but it was kinda gross, so here's the Saturday Night Live version.

Next up is a song I remember from elementary school, but certainly not this version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

Finally, I know I've posted this one before but it's good enough to post twice. Here is Harry Nilsson with "The Puppy Song." They are so cute!