Wordless Wednesday - Nice Villains

After my last post contained a resource about "Nice Villains," it caught the curiosity of one reader. As a result, here is more about it.

This is actually a reading passage that goes behind the scenes to look at the actors and actresses who play these villainous roles.

Margaret Hamilton, the witch from The Wizard of Oz, was probably the kindest woman whoever lived! My story highlights her as a "Nice villain."

Alan Rickman, who played a pseudo villain in the Harry Potter films and a definite villain in Die Hard, was always a favorite among his coworkers due to his kind demeanor.

So this is what I am refering to by the term "Nice villains."

So if you are interested, check out my reading comprehension passage and questions about villains on TpT.

Answers included!

#MMMM - Song Titles with Opposites

I can post song titles with opposites. Here's some good ones. First up, The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

And here is an opposite resource from my store, Synonyms and Antonyms.

Next up, Bon Jovi, "Wanted Dead or Alive"

How about another opposite resource about nice villains?

And my final pick is Simon and Garfinkle, "The Sounds of Silence"

Check out this Addition and Subtraction PowerPoint Lesson Plan Bundle!

Musical Monday Moves Me with Amber Songs

Last summer, we rescued our sweet baby. My husband wanted a small dog, which she was when we adopted her. We were told she was a year old, so 40 pounds seemed like her limit.

We were wrong. She kept growing and growing until she reached 60 pounds.

But that's okay, because we love big dogs, too. She's almost as big as our Benny.

She is 54% German Shepherd, 30% Grand Perinees, and 16% Boxer.

There are two songs I think of when it comes to Amber. The first one is about the first time I saw her in the packed kennel. They were filled to capacity. Although unlike the song, I knew exactly what to do. Unlike James Blunt in "You're Beautiful," I'd always be with her.

If you saw a face like that, could you walk away without her? For $18 we got the dog, all of her shots, spay services, a tag, chipped, collar, and leash. If you don't have a dog, there are plenty who would love to go home with you at the shelters. Sakura? We changed her name.

The next song, I sing when I put her collar back on when I release her from her cage when I come home. She still chews like a puppy and is also an advid reader who has torn through a few of my books. However, Carly Simon said it best when she sang, "You Belong to Me" because this beautiful dog is mine. :)

$10 TpT Gift Card Giveaway!

We have a TpT sitewide sale starting Tuesday, so head to my Raffelcopter to enter to win $10 to use at the sale.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f4a8c3a518/?

Keep Current Events in Classroom: Whistleblower Claims Gov't Hides Info About UFOs

Have you heard the news? Our government has been hiding information about alien visitors from the public for over fifty years. An All-Domain Anomaly Resolition Office, formed last summer, has 366 reports of odd crafts. These flying objects turn at 90˚ angels at speeds unattainable with our technology.

Now that this is in the news, your high school students will want to read about UFOs in my Aliens and UFO Reading Passage and Questions!

Make language arts class fun with this high-interest reading comprehension passage and questions about aliens and UFOs. This resource contains a classroom-ready nonfiction article on UFO or UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena) vehicles, vocabulary activities, discussion questions, writing prompts, and an answer key to develop your kids’ critical thinking skills. Plus, quick and easy setup and clear directions make this activity perfect for centers or substitutes.

Click here to save 25% off the price of individual resources with the bundle. Your high school students are hopefully good readers, but every kid needs practice reading difficult text with strong vocabulary words. That’s where this resource can help! This Aliens and UFOs article scored a 9.1 grade level on Flesch-Kincade and an 11.5 on Gunning Fog. These scores make this a great resource for kids in grades 8 -11.

Inside this no prep product, you’ll find:

Click this link to get your Aliens and UFOs Reading Passage and Questions.

Aliens and UFOs High School Reading Passage

Wordless Wednesday Ring Security Guard

Monday Music Moves Me, Again!

My husband just turned 64. This Beatles song was, of course, the theme song.

It used to seem ancient, but not so much anymore, so here's another song, by Queen, about what it actually means to be 64 year young.

Not sure who on the blog hop is 64, I've been gone awhile, but happy birthday!

For those of you who are teachers, my TPT store, Catch My Products, is on sale for 20% off. Furthermore, I'm participating in dollar deals and a 50% off sale for two items, each. Go to the previous post for details!

Finally, link up to the blog hop for Musical Monday Moves Me.

It's Three New Sales for TpT!

I've joined with a group of fine sellers to bring you the opportunity for great savings. First up: DOLLAR DEALS!

I have two popular DOLLAR PRODUCTS for sale through July 26th.

Place Value Lesson Plan in PowerPoint or in Google Slide for grades 3 - 5!

Making Inference Print or Digital Worksheets also for grades 2 - 4

But here is another sale in which we are offering resources for HALF OFF through July 26th, too!

Get 50% OFFthe price of individual resources with this Mega-Bundle Logic Puzzle and Brain Teasers set for grades 3 - 6!

And, you can get 50% off the price of individual resources with the Historical Fiction Reading Passage Bundle for grades 4 - 6!

Finally, my entire store is on sale for 20% off throughout these other sales! So, what are you waiting for. I hope you will stop by Catch My Products to enjoy the sales.

Water Woes

We are the lucky ones. Several storms have swept through Memphis, this week and about a third of the city was without power. That used to be us after every storm; however, since multiple trees fell in our area about two years ago, we've "weathered" better. However, our area has one issue.

A local water plant generator leaked gas into our water supply. We have been instructed to only use our water for toilets. With that being said, I didn't think about my bidet. Oops. I'm gonna watch what I eat. Will gas ignite?

Wordless Wednesday

Writers Strike AI Technology

As a writer who has spent years developing my craft, I get the displeasure toward AI technology. People who make their living through creative craft have the right to be threatened by a machine interfering with their work. I write a lot of short stories and reading passages which are my work. Will I be accused of not being the one to write it? Will someone who has not spent time and money on learning to write well take my sales from computer generated work?

Art by Illumismart Will future productions infringe on actors rights? I, Joyce Lansky get it.

Summer is a great time for revisions, so that is what I've been up to. I have a wonderful seasonal bundle which is undergoing a "spa week." All of the resources in the bundle have links to Google, plus I've created a new resource which will soon be added to the bundle. This one is a reading passage needed to solve a logic puzzle on four special days on the calendar: our equinoxes and solarises. I hope you will check out my Fall resource and the bundle, which is less expensive without the new product coming soon. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Logic-Puzzles-and-Brain-Teasers-in-Print-or-Digital-Worksheets-4697961

Greetings From Memphis, Tennessee

Unless you've been asleep under a rock, you've no doubt heard about the heinous murder of a young Memphis man in the hands of the police. Tyre Nichols was on his way to his mother's house after photographing sunsets when five policemen pulled him over for "reckless driving"; however, it seems more like a DWB (Driving While Black). See his photo of our Memphis bridge below.

I've read a lot of people state "the only reason the firing and arrests of the policemen happened so quickly is because the officers were Black." NO! I know DA Steve Mulroy and will vouch that the arrests would have happened just as quickly had the officers been white. He is a fair minded and racially sensitive DA. Anyway, I am horrified over the recent events in our city but at least the protests have been peaceful. Furthermore, as I see it, protester demands have been met. RIP Tyre and love to his family and friends.

Want Teacher Resources?

I just opened a new teacher store and am trying to figure my way around it. It even has a purchase button I can put on my blog ... I think. Why don't you push the button and see if it works? 😂😂😂 Buy Now

Teacher Evaluations

Hi y'all! I know it has been ages since I've posted on my blog, but you will be glad to know I am alive, well, and expecting an exciting year ahead. First off, I have twin grandsons due in February. Woo hoo! Also, my youngest daughter is getting married in June. But enough about me.

I remember the anxiety of teacher evaluations. First off, we were often asked if we wanted a preconference for the planned evaluations. Your answer should always be, "YES!" Through these meetings, I went into the evaluation knowing what part of my lesson plan was good and what needed work. The administrator would tell me exactly what I needed to do, and if I did it, God willing, great scores would come.

Pop in evaluations were a little trickier. This horrid invention involves spending weeks to months waiting for the evaluator to walk into your classroom unannounced. As a specialist teacher, I saw many classroom teachers jump then giggle when I opened the door to get my students. One teacher got so nervous during an evaluation she forgot her kids' names. Wow!

Anyway, I taught kids in K - 5 and had multiple lessons prepared for times inwhich the evaluator did not show; however, I had these lesson plans down to a science as to what was expected. Furthermore, I used PowerPoints to prepare for the dreadful days. Having a PowerPoint for an evaluation does wonders to calm the nerves because flipping the page tells you what to do. You don't have to worry about freezing up and forgetting.

So, if you have an evaluation coming around, here are a few lessons made for that purpose. I used the gradual release method, which was at one time called TIMS or any multiple names. It's the basic teaching strategy of modeling, working with whole group, partners and independently. Check these out:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mixed-Numbers-and-Improper-Fractions-PowerPoint-756338 Grades 3 - 4

Grades 1 - 3 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ABC-Order-PowerPoint-2812086

Grades 5 - 7 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Solving-Equations-with-Variables-on-Both-Sides-Multiplying-Fractions-1041352

Grades 3 - 5 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Show-Dont-Tell-Writing-2807719 If you don't see your grade level or subject matter, do not fret. I have PowerPoints for all elementary grades; however, I've always been reluctant to place a kindergarten lable on my resources because my students were gifted and talented. Click here to find all of my PowerPoint lessons. Thanks to Educlips for the clipart.

Thanks for reading. Joyce Catch My Products

50% Off After Valentine's Day Sale and FREE Nonfiction Reading Passage

I don't know about you, but I love walking into a store and finding all of the holiday goodies on sale for HALF OFF! So, while you grab some Valentine's Day chocolates, why not get yourself some Valentine's Day bargains while you're at it? Plus, several of these February resources also contain Black history activities, which it is not too late for. I have FIVE resources at: #JoyceFebruary50%off Just click the hashtag to find the deals! Check out this GREAT elementary resources at 50% OFF. It also contains Black History activities!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/50-Off-After-Valentines-Day-Sale-February-No-Prep-Packet-4251523 Check out my sale before February is gone along with Valentine's Day. Thanks for tuning in! Joyce Catch My Products The Gifted Department Store