There are so many different ways to use conversation hearts instead of saving them for a sweet treat. Here are 6 different ways to use conversation hearts in the classroom and will definitely have your kids looking at candy in a whole new way! 1. WAR OF HEARTS Download War of Hearts printable HERE War of Hearts has always been a class favorite and there are a few ways to incorporate this one into your instruction. This game is played like the card game, War, and here are a few different ideas for play... Partner Play - both players grab a conversation heart from a bag/container and count the number of letters on each. Players ... Read More
Book Review – Open Book, by Jessica Simpson
“Right now, with this book, I want the freedom to say, “Well, there are no more secrets.” I have grown into myself and come to a place where I want to be honest about my flaws. If I can do that in front of the world, then I can remain honest with myself.” – Prologue, Open Book, Jessica Simpson Let me just start by saying that I absolutely LOVE getting lost in between the pages of a good celebrity memoir. I honestly had no plans of diving into this one as I don’t really keep up with celebrity gossip, but a few friends had already started reading and said what they’d read up to that point was pretty good so my curiosity was ... Read More
January 2020 Book Review
I always start a new year with lofty goals and about mid-week of the first week in January, I usually forfeit those big ideas with a quickness. I’m the kind of person who falls off the horse and finds it WAY too daunting of a task to get back up and keep going. Instead, I abandon said goals and resolve to just “do better”. This year I knew I wanted to do a better job of reading. I LOVE losing myself in between the pages of a good book and would sit down and read for hours a day if I could, but in all honesty?! I’m riddled with guilt when I do…especially when I know there are a million ... Read More
Penguins
This time of the year lends itself to learning about winter animals and one of my favorites to incorporate into reading and science is the penguin. When starting any kind of informational/non-fiction unit of learning, it's good to start with a schema chart. Here's an example of one I used in the past to assess what my kids thought they knew about penguins before we started our unit and understand what they hoped to learn as we explored the topic further. A chart like this will stay displayed on the whiteboard throughout our unit of learning. This gives the kids an opportunity to add more information (new learning) to our chart and ... Read More
Christmas Card Covers
If you're anything like me, you might have a soft spot in your heart for the sentimental. Something about the holiday season really pushes those feelings into overdrive (for me, anyway). I think this is why Christmas cards are my favorite. I love running to my mailbox in December. I anxiously tear open each and every card and swoon over the beautiful faces and sweet handwritten sentiments hiding of each envelope. And because I'm so sentimental, I absolutely can't part with ANY of those Christmas cards at the end of the season. It kills me to think that my friends and family spend so much time curating the perfect card only to ... Read More
Holiday Gift Guides for Kids, Tweens/Teens, & College Students
It's always a bit of a challenge shopping for kids whether they're young, teens, or semi-adults. I'm all about the gift cards personally, but when I'm gifting to the kids in my family I like to try and put a little more thought into what I purchase. Hopefully these gift ideas help you while you're crossing things off your list this year! If nothing else, I hope they give you a little inspiration and maybe a few new ideas! *This post contains affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting my blog!* Pranklopedia - for the kid who loves to pull pranks, here's a book full of ideas!Knee High ... Read More
Holiday Gift Guides for Him & Them
Continuing on with our holiday gift guides, today we're highlighting stocking stuffers and gifts for those special guys & couples in your life. *This post contains affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting my blog!* 11-in-1 Survival Gear Kit - I hope my husband and boys are NEVER in a situation where they need this kit, but just in case they are I want them to be prepared!Rechargable Hand Warmer - I'm thinking this is one of those gifts intended for him, but will be stolen by me in no time.Solid Cologne Sticks - these are such GREAT stocking stuffers! Perfect to carry ... Read More
Holiday Gift Guides for HER!
With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to start rolling out my annual gift guides so that you'll have plenty of time to shop for your family, friends, and everyone in between! Just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Today's gift guides are for the ladies in your life whoever they may be and most of these gift items are from Amazon! I know how much we all love to Prime :) Gift guides for him, them, kids, tweens/teens, college students, cocktail enthusiasts, book lovers, travelers, faith-based, and teachers will be rolling out each day between now and Thanksgiving Day so stay tuned for those! *This post contains ... Read More
Monster Math – a Freebie!
I can't believe we're staring down the end of another month. I swear the older I get, the faster the days and months fly by. Anybody else? Last week I sent out a math game to my email club. If you aren't subscribed, I'd love for you to join us. I promise I won't inundate you with emails, but it's definitely the quickest way to get updates and freebies just like the one I'm about to share. I designed these games to accompany the activities I created to use with the book, Monster Trouble. Monster Trouble is a great read ANY time of the year, but it definitely lends itself to the festivities and themes in October. This game is no ... Read More
I #MoveFor Learning with Easy Spirit!
Being a teacher is really something special. From the kids to the curriculum, teaching most definitely has its perks. Not only do teachers have the distinct privilege of growing lifelong learners, but teaching provides its educators with constant opportunities to continue learning, too…and I’m not just talking about content! With each year spent in the classroom, teachers learn more and more about what it means to be an educator. How to reach the hearts of their students. How to teach their minds. How to adapt to challenging situations & recover from failed lessons and classroom ... Read More
