Showing posts with label Freebie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freebie. Show all posts

Thursday, July 11, 2019

5 Back to School Self-Care Tips for Teachers

A teacher's first day back to school is similar in a lot of ways to that of a wedding day...it's guaranteed to go by in a blur, there will be tears, laughter, unexpected events, old friends and new faces, possibly gifts and, if you are lucky, a brief moment in your day to sit down and soak it all in.  Or at least go to the bathroom.  #teachertruth

We all know how crazy that first day back is which is why teachers need tips on how to take care of themselves, too.  Here are 5 back to school self-care tips every teacher needs to know.
Keep Your Commute Stress-Free 
You want your drive into work on your first day to be as straightforward as possible.  Leave extra early and fill up your gas tank the day before.  If you live far away from your school, this might be your first time driving there in a few days or weeks.  Be sure to check that there aren't any road closures or construction on your route that could delay you.

Stay Hydrated 
You'll need lots of fluids today so fill up that bubba with your favorite hot beverage before leaving home and carry a water bottle with you to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Download the Calm App  
There's a reason why Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation...it's amazing.  But did you know it's FREE for teachers? Yep, that's right!  Under "The Calm Schools Initiative" the app is giving away FREE Mindfulness training tools to every teacher in the world!  That includes YOU!  Use it for yourself at home and for your students at school.  Mindfulness made easier!

Stock up on Throat Lozenges and Pain Relief
It's been a long time since you've had to get the attention of so many people and believe me, your throat is going to thank you for having some throat lozenges on hand for that first day back.  Pack up your go-to headache medicine too, just in case!

Pack a Fuss-Free Lunch
Time is going to be tight and you probably won't have the luxury of heating up last night's leftovers, let alone pop out for drive-thru.  Pack yourself easy to eat food and healthy snacks in a cooler bag that you can keep in your classroom to grab when you have a moment.
BONUS TIP: Bucket Filling
Doing a random act of kindness fills your bucket, so why not treat your teaching friends to a fun surprise?  A little thought goes a long way and I've yet to meet a teacher that doesn't love a new pen.  Buy a jumbo pack of Flair Pens the next time you see them on sale and give your staff a small token of appreciation.  You can grab this FREEBIE here.

What is your favorite self-care tip?  I'd love to know!  Please share it in the comment sections.

All the best on your first day back to school!

Monday, August 14, 2017

Top 5 Dollarama Finds Teacher Finds + Flair Pen FREEBIE

Dollarama is my go-to place for inexpensive cards, decorations and glitter.  It is the last place I would think of to purchase quality school supplies for my classroom...until now.  Check out the loot I found at my local store this August.  If you are lucky, yours might stock the same goodies!
  Here are my Top 5 Finds for Teachers that you can snag for $4 each or less, and a quick and easy back-to-school gift for your staff/teacher besties because #flairpensbringjoy ;-)
NUMBER 5: Ten Special Edition Sharpie Markers (bonus: 2 metallic ones)
COST: $4.00
I use these guys on planners, name tags, book bags, posters, folders, etc. Like the slogan says above the box, "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING WITH SHARPIE."  Teacher tip: if you want to remove Sharpie from a hard surface, use nail polish remover.
NUMBER 4: Chalkboard/Farmhouse Theme Magnetic Pencil Holder
COST: $2.50
I instantly fell in love with these and think they would be perfect to add to a chalk and/or white board.  Use them to store pencils, crayons, name tags, or white board markers where your students can (or can't!) reach them.
NUMBER 3: Googly Eyed Garbage Can Pencil Holders (with lids)
COST: $1.50
Are these the cutest things or what?  I love how they have attached lids as well.  I'm going to bring these out at the Guided Reading table and have one on hand stocked with supplies for any students that are going to work in the resource room or with a volunteer.
NUMBER 2: Emoji Erasers
COST: $1.25
Although you can't see them, there are poop erasers in this package, too. With a class full of boys this upcoming year, I'm guaranteed a few laughs as well as engagement when I pull these out.
NUMBER 1: Twelve Paper Mate Flair Pens
COST: $4.00
I spend an insane amount on Flair Pens each year at Target when I cross-border shop but now all I have to do is hop on over to Dollarama for these beauties.  They are the BEST pens EVER!  I grew up watching my Geography teaching Dad use them to mark and would often swipe them from his desk to use for myself.
Which got me thinking...if I love them so much then I bet my friends at school will as well.  And for less than $15, I can treat my entire staff to a Flair Pen as a back-to-school gift.  Every one loves finding a gift in their staff mailbox, right?
If you'd like to spread some joy and surprise your teacher BFFs, EAs, Admin or Support Staff at your school this September, grab this FREEBIE from my TPT store and get the special coloured paper out you've been saving for a special occassion.  Yep, we all do it ;-)

What's YOUR favourite Dollarama find?  I'd love to know.

Happy back-to-school time!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Halloween Tangram Fun & A Freebie

Before you judge my highly advanced technological skills, please remember desperate times call for desperate measures.  I must have pressed something on my desktop computer because my document camera no longer works.  As there was no AV contact around to fix this, I needed to bring back technology from the 1960s.

I searched high and low in my school for an overheard projector and I eventually found one in a deep, dark corner, dust bunnies and all.

One of my all time favourite books to bring out in October is "It Was Halloween Night...A Scary Math Story-with Tangrams!" by Marilyn Burns and Grace Maccarone, illustrated by Matthew Straub. I know I've had it for a long time based on how I labelled the spine with a happy face orange sticker. That was when I only owned a few books. Sadly, it appears as if this gem of a book is out of print but the concept is easy to duplicate.
The story goes like this: the main character, a young boy by the name of Greedy Pete, is followed around on Halloween night by animals created out of a piece of broken tile he receives at a house his mother told him NOT to go to.  I love stories that emphasize how mothers know best, don't you? #youbetwedo ;-)
I start reading the story and then hand out a tangram to each student once I get to the part where the first tangram animal starts to take Greedy Pete's candy away.  Let me tell you...kids LOVE an interactive book.  And if you were wondering, I keep my tangrams in plastic sandwich bags.
I used to have my students copy each animal as I gave step-by-step instructions on the overhead projector.  Nowadays, I'm all about inquiry.
Instead, after they hear which animal is chasing Greedy Pete, they create it.  We do a "Tangram Walk" around the room to check out each other's work and then I show them how the illustrator envisioned it.
When the book ends, I give them some time to play around creating new animals.  Again, it's a tangram lovefest.
I mean, how cute are their creations?  Check out the Blue Jay below in honour of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The following day we revisit tangrams and attempt to put one back together and then create the letters in our name as well as numbers. The first few students who figure out the tangram square get stickers. Deep down I want to point out that they will likely have jobs as computer programmers, airport traffic controllers, or architects when they grow up, but I keep those thoughts to myself.

I urge you to look for this book in your local library or second hand store.  If you are lucky enough to find one, buy it!  Otherwise, turn your Math lesson into an oral story time and create your own version.
In the meantime, don't fret.  I've included this freebie that your students can use to trace their creations on. Class book anyone?  Get ready to be blown away by what your students come up with. I know I am every single time I bring out this story.
While you are here, have you scooped up the freebies from the Trick and Treats! Halloween Blog Hop that I'm participating in?  NO?  Not yet? What are you waiting for?  Start at Mrs.Beattie's Classroom and enjoy.
Happy learning!


Saturday, October 17, 2015

Tricks & Treats: A Halloween Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Knock, knock...c'mon in!  This Halloween at my house we'll be handing out bags of chips to the 175+ trick or treaters we usually get (you read that right!) but you, my dear teacher peep, get the GOOD STUFF ;-)

I'm so excited to participate in Under the Maple Tree's first ever Halloween Blog Hop and Giveaway hosted by my friend Mrs.Beattie's Classroom.
My post is all about how to turn popular Physical Education items into fun Halloween themed stations by using a little Gym "Hocus Pocus".

Allow me to explain in images:
Fly around the gym like a witch on a broomstick using a pool noodle.
Play "Jack O Lantern Dodgeball" with a squishy ball.
Put on some tunes and play musical hula hoops in "Trick or Treat Tango".
Catch "candy" (a.k.a. balls)  mid air in "Candy Crush" using a scoop.
Bounce a basketball until it turns into a rotten pumpkin in "Pumpkin Smash".

I hope at least one of those inspires you to try out something new these next two weeks with your students!  What Halloween Gym activities would you recommend to others?  Please share in the comments below.  I always love comments even more than Kit Kat bars.

After P.E., head back into the classroom and try out my Batty about Addition Halloween themed Math freebie.
Before you go, don't forget my Secret Word!  Winning a $25 TPT Gift Card would be sweeeeet :-)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ready for some more (calorie free) treats?  Haunt on over to The Groovy Teacher's blog now.
Looking for some fun Math Halloween activities? Check out these in my TPT store.











Monday, March 31, 2014

EGG-CELLENT Spring Bulletin Board

What an excellent month!  I got to check off not one but 2 things from my bucket list.  Not only did I post my first freebie on TPT but I also posted my first product too!  Woo hoo...nothing like that feeling of following through. 
It's been such an adventure trying to figure things out.  I'm grateful to the experienced bloggers out there like Erica Bohrer who have posted such explicit explanations.  If you are new to TPT I highly recommend you check out her amazing post. 

I have quite a few TPT projects in the works and wasn't expecting to post a bulletin board idea but we recently made a collaborative one at my school for St-Patrick's Day and I loved the finished product and wanted to do something similar.  I had a vision of what I wanted but it didn't exist so I knew I'd have to make it.  I had naively (and I mean really, really naively) thought I could create something in less than an hour.  W.H.A.T_A_J.O.K.E!  I didn't keep track of how long it took me for my Egg-cellent craftivity but I'm thinking 5 hours.  How can that be?  You'd never know from looking. I mean, 5 hours for that?  Why yes, it's true.  People have told me that it will get easier and I'm sure it will but I am still a perfectionist and there's no cure for that.
My sweet son turned the big 5 this month too!  He has made me such a better person and teacher.  There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank the stars above for bringing him into my life.  His JK teacher pulled me aside after school to tell me what a happy boy he is and how much he's matured these last few months.  I couldn't agree more.  He actually asked to write the alphabet down today during center time.  My son writing the alphabet?  It's a dream come true for this proud teacher Mommy! 

Happy almost April friends!

Bryn