Has TBA been a valuable resource for you?

Teaching Blog Addict (TBA) has changed my teaching (and blogging) life!  I am truly grateful for friends, resources, inspiration and opportunities TBA has added to my life.  TBA is in the running for an award to be the Best Group Blog on EduBlogs. Tamara, the founder of TBA, is one of the sweetest and most hard working educators I know.

And Erin, author of Kleinspiration (and a fellow TBA author and Michigander), is also in the running for an EduBlog award. Erin's blog is like no other teaching blog and every post is filled with fabulous resources and inspiration. Kleinspiration is up for the Best New Blog award.

Please take a moment today to vote for these outstanding blogs to give them the recognition they truly deserve!

You can vote by clicking on the link below. It's quick and easy... I promise.

Vote Here

You can visit TBA and Kleinspiration by clicking below.

And...don't forget to head over to Oh Boy, Fourth Grade to enter the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways!

Hope to See You for The Big Giveaway!

I'm a guest on Farley's blog Oh Boy, Fourth Grade today! I'd love it if you'd head over to enter my giveaway. I'm giving away a mini organizer from Thirty One Gifts!
You'll need to enter all of your comments on Farley's blog (Oh Boy, Fourth Grade to win). Hurry...did I mention there are 12 giveaways (from 11 different bloggers) because it's the 12 Days of Christmas! One the last day, one lucky blogger will have a chance to win every single one of the prizes. Hope to see you soon!

Here's a peek at the prize for my giveaway!

Please head on over!  It's super easy to enter.   I'd love for you to visit and I'm crossin' my fingers that you win!

Holiday Hop Freebie

Just a quick post today.  I am one tired teacher, mom, wife, packer (remember, we're moving over the holidays).  I decided to repost this addition (+1) game that I posted in July for TBA's Christmas in July. You can download it by clicking on the image below if you'd like a copy.

Hope some of you can use the game with your students.  I better get back to packin' since I can't seem to convince Last Minute Louie (my husband) that my packing priority system is the most efficient way to keep us organized and on schedule.  The good news is that I'm on a first name basis (but not my real name, of course) with the teenager that works at the donation drop off door in the back of the local Goodwill store.  I totally dig throwing stuff away (I mean... donating it so I don't have to pack it).

Don't forget to stop by Oh Boy, Fourth Grade to visit...especially tomorrow since it's my turn to post!  Actually, you should head over now to enter the AMAZING 12 Days of Christmas giveaways that have already been posted and then again tomorrow to make sure I have friends to support me when I introduce myself to the Farley crew.  I'm 31 kinds of excited about my giveaway!

One of Those Days...

Have you ever had one of those days weeks? You know...when you go to pick up your students from a special class and you are greeted with all the negative news (as if you didn't notice that aliens had snatched the good behavior that you so carefully spent the past 3 months modeling).  Or when at least half the class keeps asking you, "Where should I put my paper when I'm finished?"  - even though the "Hooray for You" basket has been the destination for every piece of finished work since September 7.  It's when you start to wonder how this could happen when just a few days ago things were going so well?   Then there are those emails you get every once in a while...enough said.  Did I mention that the heat was broken (mysteriously...only in my room) and it's been between 60 and 64 degrees in my classroom all week?

My solution to all of this... head straight to my thank you basket.

15 years of thank you cards from super nice parents!

thankful therapy (and lots of happy memories with kids) in a cute basket

I am getting excited about my guest post (and giveaway) over at Oh Boy, Fourth Grade on Saturday!  I'm part of Farley's 12 Days of Christmas.  PLEASE stop by to visit me there to enter the giveaway!  I'm a little nervous about posting something for Farley fans to read.  After all, most 4th graders are taller than me and I have no idea how to teach them anything.  You'll come visit, right (please)? You're not going to want to miss my giveaway (and you can still enter all the giveaways from day 1 on by visiting her blog).

Back to my thankful therapy.  I wonder if these parents know how much their kind words mean to me (especially on alien snatching days). 

Whose Your Daddy?

Now that I have your attention... my kids were super proud of their "daddy" last night! My husband (you know...the handy one...oh wait the only one) was one of the stars for a fundraiser for his school district. Jeff (the handy husband who happens to have some serious moves for an "old" guy) is a middle school teacher. About 25 of the staff members from his school rocked it out last night at School of Rock.  The audience went CRAZY when the middle school staff hit the stage.  The one in the middle... that's my husband...Go Jeff! 

Groups from different schools in the district competed.  Audience members voted at the end for their favorite school.  My husbands school won and left with a big fat check to support their literacy program.  Whose your daddy?  Well, he's our daddy glittery headband and all!  Love you, honey!

Now... I'm 31 kinds of excited about the 12 days of Christmas Giveaways at Oh Boy, Fourth Grade!
Ooops.... I think I just let my secret out.  Oh well... hurry!  There is a giveaway each day.  I'm Day 10 and I'm hoping lots of you will stop over there to visit me.

Off to get my Christmas tree, go to the holiday parade and I guess I better pack some boxes.  Happy Saturday!

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!!!

12 Giveaways in 12 days - WHAT?!?!?! It's true!! Farley from Oh Boy, Fourth Grade is hosting the 12 Days of Christmas - which means 12 fabulous giveaways for the next 12 days! Farley (who is fabulous, funny and super creative) and 9 other AMAZING bloggers (and me - that's 11) are teaming up for the 12 Days and 12 giveaways!

I'm honored to be included with this fabulous list of ladies for the 12 Days of Christmas! The best news is that I didn't even have to campaign for votes to be on this list (well kind of - thank you, Kristin!).

You'll find the giveaways on Farley's blog - Oh Boy, Fourth Grade! Be sure to stop by each day for the next 12 days. Each day, one of the bloggers on the list below will be doing a guest post and hosting a giveaway on Farley's blog. I'll be doing my guest post on day 10. On the final day, the giveaway will be an absolutely huge amazing don't want to miss it for anything kind of giveaway!

I'm so excited about my giveaway already! I'm kind of bad horrible at keeping secrets... I hope I don't ruin the surprise. How about tomorrow I give you a tiny little hint? I probably shouldn't... ok, maybe I will.

Now...click on the image below and head on over to Oh Boy, Fourth Grade to enter today's giveaway before it's too late.

Short Vowel Personal Reader Stories

I use personal reader folders with many of the students in my room each year. Each student in my room (who is not already reading above grade level at the beginning of the year) has their own personal reader folder. I select short stories with simple patterned text (that I write myself) to include in each students folder, depending on their individual needs. During small group time, students work with their personal reader folders as part of their guided reading time. The personal reader folders are just a simple folder on the outside.

This is a picture of one of my personal reader folders.

Repetition, repetition, repetition.... and focused text selection are the reasons that I use personal readers with my students. You can find an old post about my first set of personal readers stories by clicking here.

I have two different sets of personal reader stories available to purchase at my Tpt and Teachers Notebook shops.  Both sets (and all of my other products) are on sale for 15% off from now through Monday, 11/28. 

This is the first set.  It focuses on basic sight words.

This is the new set and it is a bit more difficult than the first set.  It focuses on short vowel word families and basic sight words.

Back to cheering for my favorite football team.  Go Bucks!