What Scares You?

I hope this post finds you well and in the spirit of the season!

With Halloween just around the corner, I am excited to announce the arrival of some bewitching teaching resources that are sure to bring a ghoulishly good time to your classroom.

WHAT IS SCARY?

In the spirit of the Halloween season, I wanted to focus on what scares us. Today, I want to open up about one thing that truly scares me as a teacher, and I believe many of you can relate to this fear. The fear I am talking about isn't a phobia of spiders or heights; it's the fear of I might not be doing enough.

As educators, we constantly strive to provide the best learning experiences for our students. We worry that we may not have all the answers, or that we might not fully understand a concept ourselves. This fear can be daunting, but it's essential to remember that nobody knows everything. Instead, let's focus on fostering a culture of curiousity and learning in our classrooms, demonstrating that it is okay not to have all the answers. 

For me, the fear of burnout is my biggest scare. The demands of teaching can be physically and emotionally draining, and the fear of burnout of running my store is real. I worry that teachers' passion for my resources might wane over time. To conquer this fear, I had to refocus on self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

In closing, let us remember that it's okay to be scared and to acknowledge our fears as teachers. What's important is how we respond to these fears.

World Teachers' Day!

 It's World Teachers' Day!

Let's celebrate the work of teachers! Thank you for your dedication to inspiring students. Your passion and hard work are building a better world. To help celebrate the invaluable contributions of teachers, I would like to offer THREE of my products for only $1. 

That is right, $1. But it is for today only.

Educators everywhere, thank you again for your hard work! As a mother and an educator, I appreciate all teachers!

Truth and Reconciliation Week - Orange Shirt Day

Every year on September 30th, people across Canada and beyond come together to observe Orange Shirt Day. This day holds deep significance as it serves as a solemn reminder of the painful legacy of Canada's residential school system and a symbol of hope, healing, and reconciliation with Indigenous communities. Through education and awareness, Orange Shirt Day helps promote healing and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. It encourages individuals, schools, and communities to engage in conversations about the legacy of residential schools and the path toward reconciliation.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Participating in Orange Shirt Day is a meaningful way to show your support for reconciliation and Indigenous rights: 

1. Wear Orange: On September 30th, wear an orange shirt as a symbol of your commitment to reconciliation and remembrance. 
2. Learn and Educate: Take the time to learn about the history of residential schools, the impact on Indigenous communities, and the ongoing reconciliation efforts. 
3. Attend Events: Join Orange Shirt Day events and activities in your community to connect with others who share the same commitment. 
4. Support Indigenous Initiatives: Consider supporting Indigenous organizations and initiatives working toward healing, cultural revitalization, and justice.  

RESOURCES

Help raise students' awareness of the individual, family, and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. Included in this resource are three reading passages - Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day, and Residential Schools. Each reading passage has comprehension questions. As a bonus, an activity has been included!

Click on the image to learn more!

GREAT BOOKS TO READ

By acknowledging the past, fostering empathy, and promoting reconciliation, we can build a more inclusive and compassionate society. Let us embrace this opportunity to come together, listen, learn, and heal as we strive for a better future for all.

BACK TO SCHOOL PLANNING TIPS AND A FREEBIE!

The sun is shining. Summer is upon us. Back to school is a distant reality. But, what if you could prolong your relaxation? The back-to-school season can be both exciting and overwhelming. To set the stage for a successful year, careful planning is crucial. Let me help!

Here are 5 essential tips to help you with your back-to-school planning (And a FREEBIE!):

1. Create a Schedule: 

Start by noting down important dates, such as the first day of school, holidays, and reporting deadlines. Allocate specific time slots for curricular units and topics. This roadmap or pacing guide will help you maintain a clear vision of the overall progression of the school year, ensuring a cohesive and logical flow of instruction. 

Click to see more!

2. Establish Classroom Procedures and Expectations:

Set clear and consistent classroom procedures and expectations from the first day of school. Communicate these guidelines to your students and discuss them openly. Establish routines for transitions, materials management, and classroom behaviour. 

Click to see more! 

3. Organize Classroom Materials and Resources:

Determine what materials and resources are needed. Think about where things will be stored, how students will access needed materials, and how will they submit their work. Arrange student desks, bulletin boards, and small group instruction to maximize functionality and promote a visually appealing environment. Designate areas of the classroom for certain activities to ensure smooth transitions. Label and store supplies, books, and instructional materials in a logical manner for easy accessibility throughout the year.

Click To See More!

 

4. Develop Assessment Strategies:

Devise a variety of assessment strategies to gauge student progress and inform your instructional decisions. Plan formative assessments such as quizzes, discussions, and observations, as well as summative assessments like tests and projects. Create checklists and forms which will document student progress.

                                                                      

Click to see more!

5. Plan for Self-Care: 

Remember that taking care of yourself is just as important as academic success. Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep. Incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or hobbies into your routine to help reduce stress. Plan regular breaks during the week to recharge and avoid burnout. 

FREEBIE

Join my email list and I will send you a back-to-school FREEBIE!


With planning, you can kick-start the new school year on a positive note. Best of luck in the upcoming school year!  

Mystery

Teaching mysteries is a fun way to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and reading comprehension skills, while also fostering curiosity and a love of learning.

Here are ideas my students loved:

1. ELEMENTS

Explore the elements of a mystery: sleuth, crime, clues, alibi, red herring, evidence, motive, opportunity, deduction, and solution.

2.  MYSTERY READINGS

Read a variety of mysteries - poems, short stories, passages, and novels, Use the read-alouds, independent reading, and class novels to assume the role of the detective and solve the crimes. Develop skills of inference, determining importance, and deduction in order to identify the culprit. The Mystery Presentation and Activities has many short reading passages that help students develop their detective skills.

3. CLUE BOARD GAME

Why not add a popular game? Clue is a classic board game where players try to solve a murder mystery by gathering clues and deducing the identity of the culprit, the murder weapon, and the location of the crime. Clue is a fun and engaging game that requires strategy, deduction, and a bit of luck. 

4. MYSTERY BOX

Create suspense and anticipation, while building students' deduction skills using mystery boxes. A mystery box is a type of container that is intentionally sealed or wrapped in a way that conceals the contents inside. The contents of the box are unknown until the students open it. Provide clues to the contents and have students predict!

5. MYSTERY WRITING

Mystery writing is a genre of fiction that focuses on creating a sense of suspense and intrigue for the reader, typically centered around a crime or puzzle that the protagonist must solve. Mystery novels can range from cozy mysteries, where the focus is more on the setting and characters, to hard-boiled detective stories, which are typically more gritty and realistic.

Have students practice their writing skills by creating codes and ciphers, invisible writing using lemon juice, and an amateur sleuth story.

Want all of these ideas in a simple-to-use resource?

It has been done for you!

Just click here or on the image to preview!

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is the time to wear green, read about leprechauns, and pick shamrocks. It is also a great time to introduce fantastical and magical folktales in the classroom!  I am sharing some of my favourite St. Patrick’s Day picture books to bring the magic into your classroom!

Here is a list of St. Patrick’s Day picture books that your students will enjoy. Links to the books on Amazon are included, but you may also be able to find read-aloud videos on sites like Storyline Online and YouTube!

1.  The Leprechaun's Gold by Pamela Duncan Edwards - A nonfiction book offering a real account of what the holiday is all about with some pretty colourful illustrations! 
2. How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace - A hilarious story of a leprechaun’s attempt to dodge all of the traps around town!
3.  Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman - A beautiful folktale about a brave girl, Fiona, with a mission to get the luck back for the people of Ireland. 
4. That’s What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting - A funny tale about some mischievous leprechauns! 
5. The Worst Luck Book in the Whole Entire World by Joey Acker - Nameless is back at it again, stuck in the Worst Book, but this time he wonders if he can get any more unlucky. 
6. Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola - Inspired by Irish Folklore, Jamie is a lazy guy who finds himself on an adventure after meeting a leprechaun.

If you need some fun activities to add to your St. Patrick’s Day plans, check out this digital/printable St. Patrick’s Day activity resource. Perfect for distance learning or face-to-face teaching, this holiday themed resource contains interactive reading, math, and writing activities to celebrate March 17th in style.  The ACTIVITIES include:

⭐ Presentation and Quiz

⭐ Scavenger Hunt 

⭐ Riddles and Jokes

⭐ Listen to a Story and Comprehension Questions

⭐ Language Activities - Plurals and Syllables 

⭐ How To Trap A Leprechaun 

⭐ Crack the Code Math Activity 

⭐ Maze

Watch the video to preview the resource!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Simple Machines

Simple machines are a fundamental part of physics and engineering, and understanding how they work is important for many fields. They are also often used as building blocks for more complex systems and devices, and learning about simple machines can help students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. In addition, simple machines are often found in everyday objects and can help students understand how these objects work and how to use them effectively. Teaching about simple machines can therefore be a useful and interesting way to introduce students to physics, engineering, and problem-solving.

Check out my new resource! It has eight presentations about the six simple machines! Each presentation can serve as a COMPLETE lesson. In addition, each presentation has discussion questions, information, and digital or printable activities. To culminate the unit, students create their own Marvellous Machine!

Click here to visit my store and this product!