Hip Hip Hooray... for a Pencil Sharpener Giveaway

Do you remember when I reviewed the Quietest Pencil Sharpener... it was more like a love letter?  Can't remember it?  Check here to jog your memory!  Yes, I LOVE my new pencil sharpener and I am so excited to be teaming with Troy (teacher/founder) to be giving away one of these beauties.  You even get to pick the color you want!!!  (green, red, blue, or black)...  The rules are simple...  check out the ways you can enter by looking below.  The giveaway will last a week.  In the meantime, check out their website by clicking here to see all the different products (and color choices) that they have available!  I hope that you all had a GREAT Wednesday... how many more days until spring break?  One... two...three...

a Rafflecopter giveaway -Stacy

Five for Friday {ahem, Saturday}

What a long week... It's time to link up to Doodle Bug's Five for Friday... except I'm posting on Saturday!  Here's some randomness of my week in pictures!  

1)  I keep checking their page thinking that this might actually be a good idea?  Not quite sure, but I think I could kick some serious butt on this show!

2)  My beloved Erin COndren is running out next month... so you know I was delighted to get this in my email.  You can get $20 of their site until the end of February.  I am super excited...did you know that you can chose which month you want your planner to start?  I will order mine this week, but the calendar will start in April!  Yay!

3)  I have been hard at work reading some of the novels that I am expected to teach during the last 9 weeks.  I am pretty pumped that I can even THINK about the last 9 weeks of the school year {can I get a collective AMEN}.  In Georgia, we have frameworks provided by the state to use as a guide...  So, I am creating packs to help my kiddos make some connections.  Hoping to finish these 2 packs sometime in the next week or two.... fingers crossed!  Do you guys have frameworks provided by your state to teach the Common Core?

4)  My spaceship craftivity that I came up with to go along with the Get Rich Quick Club book.  My kiddos were watching me draw it and just started blurting "football" "hamburger"... then a co-worker said "grill?"  I give up... these people have no imagination...  haha!

5)  I celebrated a 30something birthday last Friday... and got this clutch from my friend Tara... and I absolutely love it.  I was my favorite birthday present.  I love the color yellow... and I would monogram everything if I could... so this was a great combo of both those loves! 

 -Stacy

Lunch Dates and Leprechauns

I am so very glad that it is Friday.  You know how some weeks feel like you should get a double salary?  Yeah, this felt like one of those weeks.  I am still not sleeping well and it is starting to impact me a great deal.  I have tried sleeping meds, Benadryl, walking in the evenings, etc.  Hopefully something will start helping soon because summer break is still not within site.  The best thing about my past week was the chance to meet up with my blogging friends in Atlanta last Saturday for lunch.  We had great conversations and super yummy food at the Cheesecake Factory.  My crew hit up the Container Store before lunch... then hit up IKEA after lunch.  It was a day fit for queens!  Here's our whole group shot from after lunch..

I hope that you had a great week... and that your weekend will be awesome.  Here's a St. Paddy's day freebie suited for Kindergarten or 1st grade.  It's basic addition and would be great for morning work... or to leave with a sub if you have to be out anytime soon.  Hoping to post about some cool classroom happenings soon!

-Stacy 

Rock My World Fo' Sho'

You know how sometimes it's the small things that bring you the most joy?  Well, I have found a small thing to use at school that rocks my world!  Check this baby out from Classroom Friendly Supplies.  I was lucky enough to be chosen to review one of their pencil sharpeners and it did NOT disappoint.

I am on my 3^rd electronic pencil sharpener and it’s only mid-February.  The first 2 casualties were due to natural causes {I think… still waiting on the autopsy results}.  Enter Sparky… {yes, I named my pencil sharpener… don’t judge}.  This pencil sharpener is available at Classroom Friendly Supplies.  You can see all they have to offer here.  I love that the company was started by a teacher… it is so nice to see teachers creating products and materials for other teachers based on classroom experiences, right?!?! 

So the test for all pencil sharpeners is those dang pencils that the kids love.  You know the ones… covered in that plastic-ish film; the film that will clog up your electronic pencil sharpeners and make you want to say possible ugly words in your head.  Those pencils never seem to want to sharpen fully.  I sometimes think the pencils are taunting me, but that could just be me!  I almost always use the Ticonderoga pencils in my room because they ALWAYS come through.  They are faithful and don’t disappoint.  I decided to put Sparky to the test right away.  She sharpened the Ticonderoga with ease {but again, that wasn’t hard!}.  I then found one of those obnoxious plastic covered pencils… this would be the TRUE test.  I sharpened and to my delight… it sharpened perfectly!  Check out this picture as proof! 

If you are in the market for a new classroom sharpener, you really need to try out the super cool ones at Classroom Friendly Supplies!  I obviously am in love with mine.  It’s red, spunky, and super effective… oh, and quiet.  This ain’t yo momma’s pencil sharpener! Thanks to Classroom Friendly Supplies for letting me do this review.  This was the easiest product review EVER!!! 

-Stacy

{Day 4} Guest Blogger Series

Hey everyone.  I promise I am still around.  I have been so busy with work and home "stuff" that my blog has kinda taken a backseat for a bit.  I must confess that I am counting down the days until summer break and secretly hoping that the warmer weather will help snap me out of this funk I have been in.  I obviously am aware that there are greater causes of this funk besides the weather... but I am ready to start feeling like myself again.  In the meantime... I am still super pumped to have guest bloggers.  Please welcome my friend Tara and her guest post for today.  I am lucky to also know Tara in real life {not just bloggy friends}.  Talk to y'all soon!    

Hey all! I'm Tara from ...and they all fall down...

I currently teach ESOL pull-out, but I've been in the classroom for ten years. 

I wanted to blog about something I did last year in my classroom to encourage positive behavior choices without feeling like I was bribing my students with 'things'. I'm really big into positive praise with my kiddos - I have seen amazing changes in children - just for a kind word, a moment of praise, knowledge that they have been seen doing something right. 

{Especially the kids I teach - Title I school, 75% free or reduced lunch.}

My behavior chart looks like this: 

We had a western theme last year - so everything went with the theme - but you can do this anyway you wish! Most behavior charts end on green.... that's great - but what about those kids that are ALWAYS doing the right thing? OR those kids that struggle with behavior, but really want to do the right thing??? I added more colors... {I'm a softie}

These are car door magnets from vista print.com - I just ordered a solid color and added a text box at the top. 

Another difference with my chart - the kids can move up and down. {Three strikes and you're out... three praises and you're up} I want to show them that by trying hard, you can correct mistakes - even if it's behavior... I don't let them move very far up if the had a major behavior infraction. BUT - If they were blurting, out of their seat, talking....yada, yada, yada....

{all those little - annoying - typical things that littles do...}

I'm more than happy to have them move up from yellow to green if they can get themselves under control. In the end - I want these children to understand that they have control over themselves, they make choices... good or bad.... they make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes - are they strong enough to fix them? That is where our character education comes in...

Quick test - as your kids line up to go to specials, recess, or lunch tomorrow....

Praise two or three -

 "I love the way you are standing and keeping your arms to yourself."

"Wow - __________ really knows what I want! Great job!"

"Look at _________, she's SO quiet! That's great!"

(those kids who don't get called out for something good, will start looking around at those who are - to see what they are doing...) 

IMHO - It's so much nicer to hear a teacher praising her children, than fussing at them. 

I know many teachers use behavior boards like this - what other suggestions do you have? 

Thanks for reading! Come by and visit me!

Super Sunday Sale

Hopefully you have heard about the BIG sale tomorrow {actually starting in a few hours} where you can save up to 28% at Teachers Pay Teachers. My whole store is on sale and many, many others are doing the same. Don't forget to go tonight or tomorrow and leave feedback on your previous purchases... you earn credits that will score you money towards future purchases! I was surprised when I realized that I hadn't left feedback on a few things that I purchased a while back! {Not sure if this applies to you? Click on "My Purchases" and if there are blinking messages that say "leave feedback"... then it applies to you! hehe} I will be using some of those credits tomorrow for an even better deal! I hope that you snag several awesome products for your classroom tomorrow. If you wanna take a peek at my store... you can visit me HERE

...and if by some chance you have been teetering on the fence about signing up to be a seller on TpT... you can get started by clicking HERE

Hope y'all have a GREAT Sunday... and if you snag anything tomorrow that you think is worth sharing... come back and leave me a link so I can take a peek, too! :) 

Currently {How Is It February Already?}

I hope that you all had a great week.  This was my first week back to work and I am very tired.  I must admit that I was very overwhelmed most of the week and my eyes are telling the story.  I am very thankful that it is the weekend!  Today was my M2's 5th birthday.  So hard to believe that 5 years ago, our school book keeper had to drive me to the hospital!  Tomorrow we celebrate with cake and laser tag!  Have a great weekend....  hopefully a warm one... and hopefully your team will do well in the Super Bowl.  I will be shopping at TpT on Sunday...  What is on your wishlist or in your cart already?
-Stacy