100 Days of School!

Can you believe its almost the 100th day of school! How do you celebrate? Here are some fun ideas:

  1. Change your Google Classroom background to spread the word!

2. Have students come in dressed up wearing 100 items glued to a t-shirt. Perhaps 100 mini sized (peanut free) candy bars, 100 stickers, 100 paper clips, 100 legos.

3. If it synchs with Valentine’s day have students brainstorm 100 things they love about your school or their family!

Let me know in the comments how you celebrate your 100th day of school!

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Fast forward to february!

Here are some tips for a unforgettable February in the classroom!

First – change up your Google Classroom header on a weekly basis with our fabulous February bundle!

Next – February Pop Up Valentines are a much better option than a Pop Quiz!

Finally get ready for a round of Historical Speed Networking. Have two historical figures find a chance at love in the millennium. Decorate the table with gingham picnic table cloths , LED candles, and have students practice those networking skills.

Keep the momentum going and have fun in February!

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Think Outside the Box! Top Teacher Gift Ideas! (2018 Edition)

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As the school year winds down, I am refreshing my Teacher Gift list for 2018. This list is perfect to turn to if you need a gift for a teachers or for graduates of teaching school. Are you ready to nix the normal mug, stationary, key chain list? Well get ready and look into the world of gift boxes… subscription gift boxes that is.

These boxes are so easy! You can simply send them to your house and hand it to the teacher  or surprise the gift by sending it to the address of the school (or their own home if they are willing to give up their privacy!)

Here is my foxy, boxy, top 10 box gift list:
Remember when you were young and loved getting mail? When this comes in mail/ your teacher opens it, they will go NUTS! This box is my absolute favorite gift to give to teachers! A box is $49.99 but with my code you will receive $10 off making it $39.99!  The Fab Fit Fun box  has so many awesome goodies that are perfect right in time for the summer. Everything is included from makeup to jewelry and I couldn’t wait to get my box in the mail. Check out what I received in my box:

Continue reading “Think Outside the Box! Top Teacher Gift Ideas! (2018 Edition)” →

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Happy Mother’s Day!!!

It is no surprise that Mother’s Day closes out Teacher Appreciation week!

Today we celebrate all of the hardworking mother teachers. Too often teachers are like mothers to their students coupled with raising their own family once they get home. They miss their own children’s mothers day events, parent teacher conferences and plays just to be at work with their students.

“Here’s to strong women – may we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

Happy Mothers Day

 

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“I appreciate your teaching SO MUCH oh by the way…

I need a recommendation (for college, my summer internship, my clothing store application…”

This is always the week students ask me for recommendations for the summer and for next year! They think they can butter me up during teacher appreciation week and then come to me for a recommendation… and they are RIGHT! I always give in!!

Does this happen to you too teachers?!!

Continue reading ““I appreciate your teaching SO MUCH oh by the way…” →

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Happy New Year!!

Have a happy and healthy new year to all our favorite teachers!! We can’t wait to share more teaching tips with you in 2018!!
It’s time to break out your best teacher moves tonight because we are back to the grind on Tuesday!!

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History Class Can Be Fun!

Here are ten ways to make your history class more engaging and more interactive!

Animate Google Classroom: Add a fun US history/ World history/ Economics banner to your Google Classroom –  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Nofiredrills

Pop-Up Cards:   Have students create historical greeting cards.  Great for Valentine’s Day!   Pop – Up Cards

Mannequin Challenge:  Need some peace on a Friday afternoon?  Try a Mannequin Challenge. m The Mannequin Challenge – for the Classroom

Flipgrid Discussion:  Have students make a quick video to answer a prompt or give an opinion with this free tool.  ”Back to School with Flipgrid

Play – Doh Pictograms:  Great for a lesson on ancient civilizations.   Play-Doh is Power

Speed Networking:   Modern day networking with historical figures.   Speed Networking in the Classroom

Continue reading “History Class Can Be Fun!” →

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Play-Doh is Power

Working with teenagers on Friday afternoons can be difficult but I decided to spice things up this week with my lesson on the early river valley civilizations. My students jumped out of their chairs and cheered when I told them they would each receive their own “Play-Doh ” – no longer just for toddlers!  I had them create their own names and pictograms in cuneiform.

Thank you to the Penn Museum for inspiring this activity!  First I had my students go to their website: https://www.penn.museum/games/cuneiform.shtml    They were asked to write their own names down in their notebooks in cuneiform as shared by the website.
Then I gave each student an individual Play-Doh (see below) and a popstick (since reed stylus pens were not available like they were in Sumer 🙂 ).
I found an entire 33 pack of Play-Doh at my local Amazing Savings for $8.99 but you can also find them at Walmart here: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Play-Doh-Ultimate-Rainbow-Pack/24537163
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Students carved their names in cuneiform into the Play-Doh.   They were smitten!
To extend the activity I asked them to make their own pictograms in the playdough and have other students guess what the words meant (in groups of four students). We then discussed the origins of writing and what the advantages were for a civilization to use writing vs pictograms.  A great discussion on emojis emerged and how difficult it could be to use a pictogram to communicate via text message!
They walked out the classroom high fiving me and smiling.  Job well done for the week.  I plan to have my students do an abridged version next week with hieroglyphics! Play-Doh can be powerful in the classroom. Have you tried out this activity?
Here are some of the fun Play-Doh creations!
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Animate Google Classroom!

Google Classroom comes alive!  Customize and Glitter your Google Classroom theme or your online delaney cards with an animated gif.

Brighten your students day and change your banner every day! This is perfect for the virtual/ digital classroom.

We have so many great header/borders available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store here!

We even offer bundles so you can bring your Google Classroom to life or spice it up for the holiday season!

If you are looking for ways to animate your google classroom here is the easiest way to do it:

First, pick your favorite banner! For back to school I like to use one from my September or back to school bundles, but perhaps you have a theme to your classroom and want one of my other fun selections!

Animated Google Classroom Headers (September) for Distance LearningAnimated Google Classroom Headers (Back to School) for Distance Learning

Find the upload picture button on the upper right hand side of your classroom.

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Next, upload the gif file that you like in the proper size. Make sure to UNZIP it first!  Upload just like any other picture file.

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Now, you can adjust the size.

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Continue reading “Animate Google Classroom!” →

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