I know......I know! The weather outside is delightful and you are on summer vacation!  World Cup soccer is being played.  Sleeping in, reading books, hanging out at the pool, taking vacations and just being women and men of leisure are what's on your mind now that school is out or winding down to a close.   So WHY, you ask, do I have an ELF on my blog today? Well......it is because I am one of those gals who LOVES all things red, green, and holly jolly!   I've marked not just my December and January products down by 20% for the next two days, but ALL of the resources in my TpT store!   Head over there today or tomorrow, June 24 and June 25th, to find these festive literacy activities on sale, as well as some free winter resources, to help make next December and January merry and bright for your students!  Thanks to Tabitha from The Learning Highway ,  many other bloggers and sellers have joined in the fun! Head over to her blog, THE LEA...

Welcome Friends!   To those who are regular readers, I thank you once again for stopping by!  For those who are new visitors, know that I am glad you are here and hope you will come back often! I am delighted to be linking up once again with Amanda over at The Primary Gal for this blog hop, and hope you enjoy all the great resources from some of my best blogger buddies... My favorite part of getting my classroom ready for a new group of students is decorating it with bright and colorful bulletin boards, posters, displays, and labels.  My colleagues are always curious to see what theme I either recycle from years past or create anew! In honor of my family's upcoming trip to the Black Hills of  South Dakota, I have decided that Room #2 will celebrate the Wild West this fall with a rootin' tootin' round up of learning fun! I've been working on a variety of products for this theme, and happily just finished my   LONE STAR SHERIFF CLASSROOM HELPER CHA...

Welcome Friends! Thanks for stopping by to read my link to Ruth Ayres' weekly celebration of the many authentic, simple, and valuable moments in our lives.   Ruth Ayres Writes Based on the whirlwind week I'd experience, it was with great trepidation that I sat down to write this post.  Waking up to what has become my Saturday morning ritual--blogging, sipping coffee, looking out across my deck to my garden .... I was at a loss for what I could share as today's "celebration."  Tomorrow will be the first Father's Day for my family without my Dad, and I have spent many moments this week dreading it and crying over it.   The sadness has been taking me by surprise lately, and usually swamps over me at odd times.  It sweeps in when I am walking my hounds in the pouring rain, and I am reminded of how Pop used to grumble about taking Heidi, our schnauzer, out in bad weather late at night.  It stabs at me when I hear someone mention that they have to fi...

It is Tuesday my friends, and that means I've marked down two of my products just for today!  Both are 50% off and fan favorites! The Teaching Tribune has a lot more deals listed from some great TpT stores, so be sure to stop over to check them out!   THE TEACHING TRIBUNE Last month I introduced my second graders to the wonderful folklore of the Wild West with language-rich picture books like Jan Brett's Armadillo Rodeo and exciting chapter books like Mary Pope Osbourne's Magic Tree House mystery,   Ghost Town At Sundown .  The cowboy "lingo"  in these and many of the other southwest folktales I also shared-- like Armadilly Chili, There Was A Cowboy that Swallowed an Ant, and Cinder Elly-- served as a wonderful springboard for many lessons designed to expand vocabulary and develop rhyming skills.  After sharing all of the books mentioned above, this thematic "scoot" game then served as a great read-and-write the room review and/or mi...

Every Saturday I look forward to reading my friend Kimberly's blog, 1st in Maine , about a special moment, person, or event that has given her cause to "celebrate" during the week.   Today her tribute to her daughter made me smile, laugh, and want to share also, so I am linking up with Ruth Ayres as well! Last week I was at that point of exhaustion and despair that only teachers who are trying to close out the school year, finish progress reports, attend data-review meetings, and pack up their classrooms can understand.  I was feeling and thinking that maybe working as a coffee shop barista was a kinder, gentler, less frustrating profession. But then two dear and long-time colleagues of mine, reminded me of all the good things that I bring to school with me every day that really can't be documented. The following observations they shared buoyed me and calmed my waters of discontent. They made me feel appreciated, and re-focused my attention o...

It's a DOUBLE DEAL DAY over at   The Teaching Tribune!   Don't miss the Two For Tuesday Summer Linky!  Lots of bloggers have marked a pair of products down 50% just for today! Make your way over to my TpT store and SAVE, SAVE, SAVE on these two resources!  The Farm Fun Poetry has a variety of creative writing activities that are appropriate for grades 1-3, and Dog Tales will help students in grades 1-2 organize and sequence their pet stories using time-order words!  Check out each product preview and take advantage of today's sale!  These thematic learning packs are just what you need to help wrap up your school year or start fresh next fall!  I've got three more days with students and one work day!  I hope you are either already enjoying your summer break or hanging in there!  ...

I don't know about you folks, but the month of May has thoroughly passed me by at warp speed, and now I am in a bit of a "tizzy" trying to wrap up all of my end-of-the-year activities and responsibilities.   Tonight, I am stepping away from working on progress reports  for a bit to do something more FUN, and that is linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade! My "good ol' summertime" officially begins next Tuesday, and I am hoping that the "living will be easy!"  I've experienced lots of emotional highs and lows this year, and really need to recuperate, rejuvenate, and just really REST.   I usually remain in my classroom for a few weeks after the students leave to work, re-organize, and re-decorate, but this year I plan to just stack boxes, throw sheets over everything, and say "see you in August" to the custodial staff!   Who knows?  I may wander in on some rainy days, but I am going to try not to.   The load ha...