Two new products in my store today and they are 50% off until Wednesday...

 



 

 

I am so excited about these two new items because they are content related as opposed to classroom decor or classroom management!  I have used both of these items in my classroom and the students did really well with them.  When I did them however, they were in a very very rudimentary form (folded paper) nor did I have the cute little posters (hadn't made them yet)  I also wanted to create something that a teacher can grab our of files and just teach and assess...that is what these little jewels did for me and I think they will do the same for any teacher that uses them. 

 



Scarefest Con 2013--Teacher Finds the Cutest in the Strangest and Most Bizzare!!!!

Happy Sunday Almost Monday folks!!!  I volunteered at the Scarefest Con in Lexington, KY this weekend. My mom is a huge paranormal geek and my hubs loves the movies of the horror world. I just come to help out and spend time with them. But I have to find the cute and teachy in everything. Cute teaches right?  And I sure did find the cutest in the weirdest and most bizarre place on earth!!!  

First is www.little-vampires.com

Here is their booth set up at the convention

 

 



I got to meet Rebecca Hicks, the creator of this ADORABLE group of 7 in tall characters. She is so lovely and full of energy! My favorite vendor and has been since I started attending/volunteering for this conventions  AT ONCE A MILLION LITERACY IDEAS DANCED IN MY HEAD !!!!  That's going to be a Tried It Tuesday post or a Tuesday Tech Time Post for sure!!! 

I had to purchase this little guy for my desk at school!  He's a "little vampire!!  He will be so cute sitting on my desk and helping usher in one of my favorite times of the year!!!  Isn't he so cute!  My oldest daughter fell in love with him and when I told her he was going to school with me, she tried to put him in her back pack to take him to preschool with her! 

This is my next cute-iful find at this freaky convention...
Hubs is a Walking Dead Fan, so I just had to get this for our youngest... He's just learning to walk so it was fitting :)

 

The handsome onesie model is our little son!   He's 14 months!!!

 

And last in my quest for cute among the creepy, I found this cutey-patootey...

 

Josh Gates of Destination: Truth on the SyFy channel... My mom and I were in charge of taking care of him this weekend while he did fan meet and greet.  I tried VERY VERY VERY hard not to be a dork around him, but I am a terrible conversationalist, not that there was a lot of down time to chat it up, but when there was a break in his line of fans who adore and wanted to meet him, I would trip over my own tongue and said "well", "uh" and "so" ALOT!  He is, however, an excellent conversationalist and a genuinely nice and intelligent guy!  I so totally wanted to set him up with my BFF, but sorry gals...He just got engaged!  Bummer! 

So there is it all...I certainly found the cutest among the strange and bizarre!  I hope your weekend was as wonderful as mine!  Have a great week! 

PS... Don't forget my giveaway...It has 13 days left!!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Blogger Linky Party With I {heart} Teaching...

Hello Bloggie World!!!  I started this blog back in April or May I guess and didn't get serious about it till this summer.  I found this linky party for new bloggers through the 24/7 Teacher and A Teaspoon of Teaching...Here Goes!!!

1. Why did you start blogging?

 

I discovered blogging when I started buying from Teachers Pay Teachers and pinning to Pinterest.  I loved seeing all the cool things people were creating to  post on pinterest and then when I would go to TPT to purchase or download, I found the blogs that went with the sellers and WAS HOOKED!!!!!  I started my personal teaching blog back in April I think.  I had no idea what I was doing and I was my only follower then :)  I have since began to post everything on there that I think about teaching.  My goals for blogging are to enhance my own knowledge of the world of teaching (even after being in the biz for 13 years) and as a National Board Certified Teacher of E/LA Early Middle Childhood, I want to establish myself in the educational community as a knowledgeable, experienced  teacher that my colleagues in the 21st Century learning community can turn to for answers to questions etc.  AND, I like reaching out and gaining new ideas and seeing how people elsewhere do things. 

 

2. What is your favorite subject to teach and why?

I love teaching reading in small groups and I LOVE MATH!!!  When I have to teach reading in whole group, its common core driven and I feel like I am simply teaching for students to perform well on a test.  I know the core standards are in place to help advance the United States in the Global Economy, and that is definitely important.  However, when I am in small group, teaching children to read and think and use common core standards to move their thinking to a higher level or simply to teach a child to actually read words and make meaning from them...There is nothing like small group.  I teach small groups to create readers for life.  Math was always a handicap for me when I was growing up...I couldn't do it.  When I became a teacher, I EMBRACED math and have found that I am pretty darn good at teaching kids the "why" of math as well as the skills and practices which accompany it. 

 

3. Describe your teaching style.

No Nonsense with a twist of your mama's humor.  I got a piece of advice from my first year intern cooperative teacher, the wonderful and great Brenda Sipes.  She said "treat their children the way you would want your own children treated."  I have stuck with that and 13 years and 3 kids of my own later, it still works for me.  I know that each year the kids are different which means I have to alter the way I do things each year.  So I handle each child each year differently and much like handle my own three children at home.  I am loud, I tell them I love them all the time, no matter what.  We laugh and once a problem is dealt with, I leave it behind and not let it affect what happens after. 
 

4. Give three interesting facts about you.

 

Three interesting facts about me:

I am a national board certified teacher of E/LA Early-Middle Childhood, I have three children ages 4, 3 and 1 (the last one is a boy so we finally closed the kitchen ;) and I am addicted to the show Once Upon a Time on AbC...completely and hopeless addicted!!

 

5. Do you have a TpT store? If yes, post the link :)

I do have a TpT store and I am so proud of it...http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Shearer-ly-Sadler-4th-Grade

I am also hosting a giveaway with rafflecopter to help get the pot stirring...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

That's me and my blog!  I appreciate very much getting to link up here and I will make sure to follow each and every blog here before me to help you grow your blog to whatever goal you wish to achieve!  I hope you will check out my blog and store and download whatever resources you need to reach your teaching goals and all the freebies you want!!!

Five for Friday

 

 

 

I  am so excited for my second five for Friday with doodle bugs teaching!  I have been working with this linky in mind all week!  This is been a crazy busy week but so many things have happened! 

 

I am having a giveaway!!  I have been trying to create readership for my blog and I thought I would throw a giveaway! Its been kind of slow goings.  I am trying not to compare my beginning to someone elses middle, but I love blogging so.... I hope you will follow my blog and my teacher store and have a chance to win a great giveaway!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

 

  

 

I have been having a hard time with my class understanding the importance of listening during Instruction.  They like to socialize ALOT and I guess it doesn't help that I sit them in table groups of six, but group learning/cooperative learning is my philosophy as is the 21st century learner initiative.  So as rudimentary as this picture is going to look, I had to do something.  Fern Smith had posted on her blog about an incentive to get her groups to behave and do the work of being students.  She offered them a small secret gift. I took this idea and ran with it.  

 

  

The bag is where I keep the gift hidden.  I am going this weekend to find a much cuter gift bag.  This was all I could find in my desperation to find something to squelch these behaviors. 

 I have done this everyday this week and my kids have worked really hard for this gift and have

 tried to keep their talking in check.  The prizes I have given away have  been small...a couple sheets of stickers, an apple pen and today was a crayon eraser.  Friday's mystery prize is always supposed to be a little bigger, so that gift will be a bag of suckers or a coloring book and crayons or something like that.  I have been trying not to do so many food/treat based rewards.  BUT when that is a motivator,  you gotta go with what works!!

Click here to link up to Fern's blog post for me information and to see her cutey cute owl bags!

 

 

 

 

So, one of our former fourth graders had a double lung transplant twelve days ago and SHE IS HOME!!!  She is oxygen free and I have never seen this smile. 

 I have known here since she was a kindergartner and was able to come to school.  Last year was really hard for Nicole and she seemed to have more difficult days then good days.  The Make-a-wish foundation stepped in and sent Nicole and her family to Disney World.  When I heard this year she was having a double lung transplant, I was so hopeful for them.  I never expected her to bounce back like this!  God bless the family who lost their child, but praise God for his blessing for Nicole and her family!!

 

 

 

 So my students are studying the plant kingdom and I shot this video of them performing their "dance"  I cracked up because this is the first time ALL of my students embraced my crazy assessment method.  They totally got it AND were able to write about it the next day!  I was one proud teacher yesterday!!!

 

 

 

 

And number five is the fact the weekend is here and I will be spending my weekend with the stars...Josh Gates of Destination Truth is going to be at the Scarefest Convention in Lexington Kentucky and my hubs, mom and I are volunteers for them.  My

  mom and I are taking care of Josh Gates this weekend and hubs is taking care of Chandler from Walking Dead on Saturday!  Should be a really fun time.  Malcolm McDowell with be there!  Chip Coffey from Paranormal State and Psychic Kids will be there and I will get to spend a little time with all of them.  I am not much into the blood and guts horror movies of today but I sure do enjoy a good scare, a mystery and a good ghost story!!!!

Tried It Tuesday and I'm Having a giveaway!!!

I am new to Tried it Tuesday but I was reading on Fern Smith's blog this morning about a little good behavior incentive  and with as much chatter that goes on in my room, I was willing to "try" anything.  Here is my Tried It Tuesday!  A Fourth Grade Flipper Linky Partay!!!

 

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I know...It's a school bag.  But this is no ordinary school bag friends...This contains a super secret prize!  Whenever my students stay in the positive behavior zone of my clip chart, they get their name put in the bucket to be drawn out for the prize.  I also drew out for lunch bunch today, but I put the names back in for the prize drawing this afternoon.  When I drew out for the prize, I put the name back in because there is a slightly larger prize on Friday that I want every one to have a chance at.  Plus, Fern said it eliminates discouragement and giving up because they may not always be caught being good. 

Todays prize was a sheet of stickers.  Natalie in my room  won the drawing today and she just smiled and held up her stickers.  I never thought they could make her that happy.   Tomorrows prize is a really cool pen.  But I make a big deal of the prize and check it often through out the day to see if its "still good"  We had a good day today and I attribute it to this little incentive and also because I was having a good day. 
For more details on this tried it Tuesday, head over to Ferns Classroom Ideas and see her cute little bags!

BUT, don't forget I am having a little giveaway and I hope you get in on the love!!!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Made It and NEW BLOGGER I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT IT GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Here is my Monday Made It!!  I have been so excited about this...Waiting for this MMI has been like waiting for Christmas morning that I am offering them for 20% in my TPT store.  I have been working on this craftivity for a week or two...

 Not only is this next item going for 20% off in my TPT store...I AM HAVING A GIVEAWAY FOR THIS MY MONDAY MADE IT Plus a whole lot more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Get on the rafflecopter below and enter to win this item, plus two other items of your choice from my TPT store and since my store is so new, I am also going to include in the giveaway a $10 gift certificate to TPT so you can shop in super  stores like 4th Grade Frolics, our sweet MMI sponsor :)

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Base Ten Craftivity available in my teacher store today!!!

Hello All!  I just posted a base ten craftivity in my TPT store just now!!  I did this with my kids and they did really well with it!!  It was a great way to assess the students knowledge of CCS 4.NBT.2 reading and writing numbers in different ways!  Students in other classes have been seen trying to guess the numbers inside the flaps!  Priceless!!  Click the picture to be taken the this product in my TPT store!!!