Greetings from the Windy City! I am hanging out at my sister's house this weekend, but just wanted to stop in quickly to link up with my colorful pals from The Primary Pack!    Everything in my store is 20% off  from Sunday, February 1st  through Monday, February 2nd  in honor of the big game!    While you're busy shopping and/or preparing yummy snacks to enjoy during the Super Bowl, I'll be applauding one more performance of   Emerald City Theatre's production of ..... My daughter plays Rhonda, the twin sister of Wanda!  Both girls are the sporty, sassy sidekicks of Nancy as she sings and dances her way through a very sparkly show!  It is one that is also full of fun, laughter, and important life lessons.  My heart almost burst this morning to see Hayley doing something she truly loves while spreading joy and sharing smiles with happy children!  I was a very involved Drama Ma...
Welcome Friends! Tonight I'm listening to some classic rock and roll music here in my condo, and I've got a fun FREEBIE for you to go along with the music! My second graders will honor our 100th Day of School in approximately 10 weekdays--unless Mother Nature sends more snow closings.  I just put  The Bubbly Blonde Teacher's  thematic unit in my shopping cart, and can't wait to use the colorful and creative activities on Feb. 6th! Click {HERE} to see it in her TpT store! The newest resource in my own TpT store also has a rock and roll theme, and is designed to help your students--especially those who have difficulty thinking of writing topics and using descriptive language--learn to build strong sentences and stories.  This low-prep activity just requires that you make copies of the printables for use either as a whole group lesson or literacy station practice, round up some dice (and some felt squares to muffle sound), sharpen up some pencils, and w...
My struggle is real. This sentence summarizes my week! In reflecting back upon it though, I did find five positives to share!  So in celebration of my now virus-free and newly backed-up laptop -- thanks to the hugely patient and helpful Gabe at a little tech place I discovered uptown called SPACEBAR-- I am here to link up with Doodlebugs for..... I know that I am a day late to this party, but instead of blogging like I normally do on Friday evenings, I forced myself off of my couch and out into the social scene!  Pasta with my gal pals at one of my favorite Italian restaurants was the comfort food and good company I needed after a rough week at school.  I mostly just listened, sipped my sparkling wine, and ate way too much warm bread.   In our group of five, I am the "divorced woman and independent empty-nester."  My life perspective and path is very different than my friends, so I often am the watchful observer when we get together. Humor (and someti...
Happy Sunday! How many of you are just a little bit joyful about having tomorrow OFF for the holiday?!?!?!?  Know that my hand is raised high about having the "gift" of extra time!  Thanks for stopping by so that we can happy together! In honor of the long weekend, I'm linking up with Diana over at Sassy,Savvy, Simple Teaching  in case you need to stock up on some resources for the coming weeks!  Everything in my TpT store is 20% off through Tuesday, January 20, 2015! Know that many of my early products are "under renovation" at present and I have a few in the "new construction" phase, but the time I've been able to devote to them has been limited lately.  Never fear though, here are some "oldies but goodies" you might want to scoop up for the coming months!  Most of them include my signature "Literature Links" and "Musical Moments" pages to help you enrich and enhance your lessons!    Now might be a ...
Happy Saturday! I'm back this morning to take you on a picture walk through a book that shares a powerful message. Both the words and the illustrations in Forever Young, written by folk rock legend Bob Dylan and illustrated by Paul Rodgers, are what I use to introduce many "life lessons" about the civil rights movement to my second graders. Boycott, civil disobedience, social injustice, racism, and segregation are difficult topics to discuss with young children, but this book helps me do it simply and truly time and time again.  These lyrics help me explain that thanks to the choices and sacrifices of many of brave and strong men and women long ago, we live in a country where freedom is protected and respected.  They help me help my students understand how so many famous, and not-so-famous, people shared a dream that shaped their future. Throughout the months of January and February as we study non...