TpT Seller Challenge WEEK 3: Make Your Masterpiece

It is the third week of the TpT Seller Challenge hosted by Sparkling in Second, Teach Create Motivate, Third in Hollywood, and the Peppy Zesty Teacherista.  I've been working on my "masterpiece" for the last several weeks and it's finally finished!

These past few years, I've felt like our class was drowning in sticky notes!  When meeting with my students, I'd usually give them Post-Its to mark and make notes on when practicing their reading strategies.  The stickies would get lost and would often times end up on the floor.  So, to cut back on the stickies, I created graphic organizers for frequently-used comprehension and accuracy/decoding strategies.

The organizers can be used for assessing students’ understanding and application of a given strategy. They can also be used as a discussion piece for one-on-one reading conferences with students, as quick assessments, in small groups, as text supplements, in whole-group lessons, etc. As I assign students a strategy to work on during reading conferences/groups, I will give them a corresponding organizer to keep folded in their books or book boxes. I'll then write their current focus strategy on their “Strategy Bookmark” (below).

 

The kids then have a running record of the strategies they’ve used right at their fingertips to reference when reading independently.

Everything is organized in this binder so I can quickly grab strategy sheets as needed.

 

{The binder cover, tabs, and spine label are also included in the packet.}         

This Reading Strategy Organizer Pack is now available in my TpT Shop.  It will be on sale for $3 this week only! Next week, it will return to the original price of $5.  Click any image to check it out!  :)

 

TpT Seller Challenge WEEK 2: Dare to Dream

I'm linking up with Sparkling in Second, Teach Create Motivate, Third in Hollywood, and the Peppy Zesty Teacherista for Week 2 of the TpT Seller Challenge: Dare to Dream!  In this week's challenge, we are asked to blog about our hopes and dreams for our TpT Store.  As unexciting as it is, I simply would like to continue building up our savings!  When I first signed up for my TpT seller account, I had very little faith that I'd even make back the $50 membership fee. So, even though I'm by no means a "top seller" (Ha...yes, I wish), I feel like the little income we've made from the store has helped cushion our savings account.  Who knows what we may need the extra money for down the road!?  Over time, I hope to keep expanding my store with new products and hopefully continue expanding our little "Rainy Day Fund"!    

The products created by fellow educators on TpT are my GO-TO any time I need a resource for my classroom!  I honestly wonder how I taught before without all of the units, activities, packets, etc. I've purchased from other teachers!  So, in addition to saving money, one of the best parts about my experience with TpT so far is how much it has helped enhance my classroom and teaching.  I hope to continue expanding upon my collection of resources created by teachers, as well as share more of my own that will be helpful to others!

TpT Seller Challenge WEEK 1: Makeover Madness

I've joined in on the 4-week challenge created by Sparkling in Second, Teach Create Motivate, Third in Hollywood, and Peppy Zesty Teacherista to help build more followers! 

Week One's Challenge is to makeover an outdated product.  One of my first TpT products was my Versatile Writing Rubric, which I've left almost the same, but have just changed the look of.  I made this before I knew anything about purchasing fonts or clipart, so I needed to spruce it up a bit.   It wasn't a huge overhaul by any means, but I think it looks better.

This rubric is one of my biggest sellers and I've personally used it a TON when grading writing over the last several years!  It's $2 in my TpT Store!  (If you've already purchased it, be sure to redownload the file.)

I look forward to the upcoming challenges!  If you'd like to join in, head over to one of the blogs mentioned above for the details!     

New Behavior Chart Theme - Tribal Patterns

I can't get enough of these beautiful "tribal" patterns!  Check out my newest behavior chart!  I think I'll be switching to this one for next year.  :)

I've also updated my STAR Behavior Pack for the 2015-16 school year!  The student recording calendars coordinate nicely with the wording of the behavior chart.  Although, the STAR Behavior Pack is editable if you use a chart with different wording.  :)

Tribal Teacher Binder

I've posted a new style of my All-in-One Simple Style Teacher Binder.  This newest one is tribal-themed.  It is all set and ready to go for the 2015-16 school year!  Like my other binder sets, once purchased, you will receive free updates each year.  Click any of the snapshots below to check it out at my Teachers Pay Teachers shop!

Updated June 2016:  Here is the new "look" of the binder:

Not loving this color scheme?  Check out my other sets below!  :)

Where I've Been ...and...The Day the Crayons Quit

Talk about a whirlwind of a year!  Last summer I applied at another school to be closer to home and I feel like I haven't a taken a breath since I got the job!  With setting up a new classroom and getting established in a new school, I have had ZERO time to make for my blog and TpT store.  Here's a few snapshots of my new classroom:

I haven't made many of my own resources this year.  But, luckily, there have be plenty of wonderful goodies on Teachers Pay Teachers to purchase when needing something for my lessons!  I'd be lost without other teachers' creations!

Last year, I discovered the book The Day the Crayons Quit.  Boy, is this a good one!  If you aren't familiar with it, the story is about a box of crayons who become quite upset with their owner, Duncan, for various reasons.  So, they write him letters expressing their complaints.  This book is great to use for friendly letter writing and for teaching perspective.  I decided that I'd have my students write their own letters to Duncan from the perspective of a crayon.  I plan to compile their work into a class book once we're finished!  I looked around online and didn't see any resources for this, so I actually made time to create something (my first product ALL YEAR)!     


I put together a little packet with various types of writing paper and an editable book cover to make a class book.  Check it out at my TpT Store!  :)

I have lots of resource ideas bouncing around in my head!  Summer break is almost here, so I plan to be making more posts in the near future {fingers crossed}.  Thanks for following!  :)