Wednesday's Featured Teacher and Freebie.... Meet Mrs. Teacher

Meet Mrs. Teacher over at 

Mrs. Teacher

Check out her TpT Store:http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mrs-Teacher-8969

What do you teach? And where? 

I teach adults in a learning centre. However, my products are from pre-K to high school. Some can be used to teach adults too.
I'm from Ontario, Canada

What is one of your favorite memories in the classroom?

After trying to teach my student fractions for months, one day, something clicked and he got it! Watching his face light up and seeing him feeling so proud of himself was well worth the effort! This is why I do it!

What was your hardest experience while teaching? How did you overcome it.

My hardest experience was trying to teach an adult who could read 6 words by sight and who had no math skills whatsoever. It's a slow road but he's very dedicated to learning. We overcome the challenges by making realistic short term goals, trying different ways of teaching something if one way doesn't work, collaborating with coworkers to try and find the best way to teach a certain skill, and his positive outlook on learning is a great asset too.

What advice would you give a new teacher or someone switching grade levels?

Be willing to do the research and don't be afraid to ask seasoned teachers who teach that grade level for their advice or assistance.

Mrs. Teacher would like to offer all followers a 

Freebie!!

Lighthouses 

Wednesday Featured Teacher and Freebie... Meet Joan Doyle

Meet Joan Doyle over at 

Jump on Board Teachers

Check out her blog: www.jumponboardteachers.blogspot.com
Check out her TpT Store:www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Joan-Doyle

What do you teach? And where? 

I taught Kindergarten for 25 years and was  Director of a Preschool and Kindergarten program for over 18 years. I was a reading specialist during this time and also developed curriculum for our school in Memphis Tennessee.  I have worn many hats during my career in education but by far my favorite part was working with the children! They are my passion!  I just retired this year to spend more time with my granddaughter whom I love dearly.  I am teaching Sunday School and developing curriculum and other fun products for Teachers pay Teachers.  I have accumulated a lot of great teaching ideas over the years and I am glad I will be able to share with other teachers on this wonderful site.  My career has been gratifying and rewarding to say the least.  Ironically, it continues with the work I am producing on TpT.  I am fairly new to this site, but please feel free to come check out my store.

What is one of your favorite memories in the classroom?

One of my favorite memories teaching in the classroom was working with a little girl that would not speak.  When I say would not talk, she did not speak for almost two years.  The parents took her to be tested and they did not find anything medically wrong.  She had great parents and nothing traumatic had ever happened to explain this either.  At the end of the school year I was working in my reading groups and decided to try coaxing this little girl, once again, to read aloud.  I pulled her aside and to my astonishment she actually spoke!  The next day the same thing and then she started whispering to her peers.  By the end of the year you would never have known this was the same child.  The parents believe because she was not pressured and built a trust with me, she finally opened up. I will never forget that little girl!

What was your hardest experience while teaching? How did you overcome it.

One if the hardest experience I had teaching was working with an abused student who had major anger problems and learning disabilities to compound the issues. At one point I went to the administrator and said either he had to go or I could not do this.  She asked me to give it a little while longer.  It was tough but I found that the more structure I gave him the more he calmed down.  Believe it or not, he ended up being one of my favorite students!

What advice would you give a new teacher or someone switching grade levels?

It is a scary thing to be asked to teach a different grade when you have been teaching a certain age of children for so long. We all tend to get in a comfort zone.  I think the more experience we get teaching different grade levels the better teachers we become. You will be surprised how quickly you will adapt to your new environment so accept the challenge as something positive in your life.

Joan would like to offer all followers a 

Freebie!!
Go Fish CVC Short Vowel Game 

 

Classroom Pencil Sharpner Review--- It is so QUIET

Have you ever heard of Classroom Friendly Supplies? 

Have you seen their AMAZING pencil sharpener? 

Can you believe it is as quiet as people say it is? 

I have been seeing this sharpener on different blogs and heard how quiet and amazing it was. I have probably entered several giveaway to win one but never won. I have been lucky enough to be able to do a review on this sharpener. I was super excited when I found out. I couldn't wait for this beauty to come in the mail. Finally it arrived. Here is the beautiful red pencil sharpener!

 It came almost put together. All I had to do was lock the handle in place and use the table clamp to hook to my table. It was very simple and no directions needed. I was surprised on how simple it was.

  

Lets go through the EASY steps on how to sharpen a pencil.

Step One: 

Pull out the metal face away from the sharpener. Pinch the knobs at the top to open the hole so the pencil can be put in.

 Step two: 

Place the pencil in the hole while still pinching the knobs together at the top.

Step 3: 

Release the knobs. You will not have to hold the pencil anymore because the sharpener holds it in place for you! No extra work :)

 Step 4: 

Turn the handle to sharpen the pencil until it stops.

 Step 5: 

Pinch the knobs together at the top to release the pencil

 You're Done! Look how sharp that pencil is! I was amazed at how sharp it was and it didn't even eat the pencil up like an electric sharpener.

 I had to sharpen another pencil to make sure I wasn't seeing things. The second one was just as sharp and as you can see in the picture still as tall as the un-sharpened pencil.

 Here is a picture of the table clamp. All you have to do is place the bar through the bottom of the sharpener and then tighten the clamp till it is tight.

This sharpener has become my favorite one! I will never have another sharpener in my classroom ever again. This sharpener is super quiet, keeps my pencils sharp, and doesn't eat the pencils up. It is very simple to use,  I can even trust my kindergarten students to use it. I am excited for this to be apart of my classroom this year. I would HIGHLY recommend this product to everybody.

Please go check out the website: http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/

and their facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClassroomFriendlySupplies

Shopping Time :)

I have some GREAT news! Teachers Pay Teachers is having a Back to School sale on Sunday and Monday. This is a great time to get some of those amazing items off your wishlist and into your classroom to start the new year off. 

My store is going to be 20% off and if you use the Promo Code: BTS13 you will get an additional 10% off. That is 28% off all together :) Go check out my store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Its-A-Jungle-Out-There

Here are some back to school items in my store. 

Click on the picture to take you to the listing.

Wednesday's Featured Teacher and Freebie... Meet Rick Whitehead

Meet Rick Whitehead over at 

Rick's Resources

Check out his TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ricks-Resources

What do you teach? And where? 

I taught 4th grade this year and 3-5th grades over the last 28 years in Layton, Utah, USA.  I have just retired.  :)

What is one of your favorite memories in the classroom?

One of my favorite memories is a recent one.  There was a child within the school that had a poor reputation.  He was talked about negatively in the faculty room.  He was the kid that teachers dreaded getting in their classrooms.  I had my own reputation of taking the hard and "damaged" kids and trying to provide something positive in their lives.

I met with the principal and requested to have this troubled kid put into my class the next school year.  This boy certainly did have some emotional and behavioral issues, but from the first day he walked into my classroom, I welcomed him and told him that I was glad he was in my class.  I meant it, and he knew it. 

What was your hardest experience while teaching? How did you overcome it.

The hardest experience was exactly the same as my most rewarding.  I guess that makes sense because something that requires the most work and sacrifice will result in the greatest reward when it results in success.  Working with a difficult child with extreme emotional and behavioral issues within a regular education setting was extremely difficult.   This was a child who was difficult to like and to work with.  It required immense effort to find the positive and focus on it.  I spent evenings and nights thinking, worrying, and planning interventions and accommodations.  I wrote lengthy communications to home and met with the parents often for strategy sessions.  It was very time consuming and difficult; yet, it was the most rewarding situation I ever encountered as a teacher.

What advice would you give a new teacher or someone switching grade levels?

Stay positive in the face of difficulty.  If you're new to the profession or in a different position it's possible you might have unrealistic expectations and when those expectations are not met, discouragement can set in.  Sometimes things are not as rosy as you thought they would be.  Take things one step at a time and try not to be a perfectionist with everything.  Often it takes months or years to accomplish goals.  Focus on one or two objectives at a time so you don't get overwhelmed.

Rick would like to offer all followers a 

Freebie!!

Classroom Management Bingo!

Wednesday Featured Teacher and Freebie... Meet Julie Jackson

Meet Julie Jackson over at 

Educating Everyone 4 Life

Check out her blog: Education Everyone for Life

Check out her TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Educating-Everyone-4-Life

What do you teach? And where? 

I teach in Mexia, Texas. I am a special education teacher.  This past year I taught English grades 9-12.

What is one of your favorite memories in the classroom?

One of my favorite memories is when my class created a Texas history museum. The students researched prehistoric Texas, Texas Indians, and frontier life. They brought in fossils, artifacts, historical items, and provided art work. It was an amazing experience for my students and a huge success. Our state representatives wrote us letters and praised our accomplishment. I will never forget the experience nor will my students. It was great!

What was your hardest experience while teaching? How did you overcome it.

The most difficult experience for me as a teacher is when a student has to deal with issues such as hunger, abuse, or neglect at home. I have learned that I can make a difference in a child's life by being flexible. For example, If a student lives in an environment where survival is a battle they sometimes face, my expectations of completing homework are not a top priority. I create a safe predictable classroom where all students experience some form of success.

What advice would you give a new teacher or someone switching grade levels?

Hang in there! Do not give up or get discouraged! You are important and the students appreciate you!

Julie would like to offer all followers a 

Freebie!!
Back To School Memory Game