New Year TeachersPayTeachers Giveaway

THANK YOU ALL FOR ENTERING!

Our four winners (via Random.org) are: J'Marie Jones, Meg Peitzmeier, Renea Canales, and Lindsey Knight

I will be contacting you shortly with your gift cards. :)

Happy New Year! I'd like to take a moment to express my appreciation to the folks at TeachersPayTeachers, as well as to you, my fellow teachers. Without all of you, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog, I definitely wouldn't be sharing my resources with teachers around the world, or donating to so many charities, to our school and students, and to my fellow teachers via DonorsChoose.org and various giveaways. For this ability to give back to so many, especially, I am extremely grateful.

In addition, I am thankful for my family, friends, and colleagues. After losing both of my parents within the past two years, I have a new outlook on what is truly important in life and these people mean more to me than anything else. 💕

SHARING OUR GRATITUDE
TeachersPayTeachers was generous enough to send me two $25 gift cards to give away to my followers. In the spirit of giving, I purchased two additional $25 gift cards so FOUR teachers could each win one. We want you to know that we truly appreciate each and every one of you.

TO ENTER, FOLLOW THIS ONE STEP: Comment below with what you are thankful for. (Click on the "Add Comment" box.) I do use Google+ comments; however, if you do not have a Google+ account, you can comment using a number of alternative accounts. If you are posting anonymously, please leave an email address in case you are chosen as the winner. Otherwise, I will have no way to contact you.

This giveaway will run until 9 p.m. (Central) on Wednesday, Jan. 4th. The four winners of the $25 TpT Gift Cards will be chosen at random using a third-party generator. Please, please make sure I will be able to contact you Wednesday night. If I am unable to message you, I will have to choose another winner.

Thanks, again, for all your support and patronage over the past seven years. I realize that I have not written as much in the past couple of years because of demands on my time in my personal life, so the fact that you still visit my blog truly amazes and heartens me.

I can't wait to read your comments. Thanks, in advance, for sharing what you are thankful for.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Friends!

New Year Resolutions & Goals Activities

If you are looking for some activities to use with your students when you return to school, you're in the right place. My 2017 New Year Activities are appropriate for middle and high school students, though I've had some upper-elementary teachers tell me they love using them with their students, as well.

The bundle comes with eight activities, paper-saver options, and four interactive-notebook activities. The activities vary, but practice critical-thinking and writing skills. There's also an outlet for your creative students.

SET GOALS
Have your students set goals for the remainder of the school year (or the year in general) with these visual-appealing 2017 prompts. Students love to decorate them and they make great bulletin-board displays.

Examples of classroom displays from previous years:

Tag me on social media (@MrsOrman on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest; Mrs. Orman's Classroom on Facebook) if you display your class goals!

MAKE LISTS
My Top 20/Bottom 17 Activity forces students to dig deep and analyze their actions that can be helpful or harmful in achieving their goals and resolutions.

SCAVENGER HUNT
Have some fun with a classroom scavenger hunt. Students have to find items that fit the 2017 clues. Then, they get to create their own scavenger hunt. This is a great activity to get your students up and moving around the room. It's perfect for a bell-ringer or exit slip activity, too.

WRITING POETRY
Use the numbers in 2017 to write an acrostic poem. This can be challenging for younger students, though it seems simple. Some students like to choose just one word per line, but others will be more creative and use more than one word per line. However they wish to complete their poem is always fine with me. I never like to place limits on their creativity.

CLOSE READING POETRY ANALYSIS

Students read the song lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" and analyze it for meaning, figurative language, and vocabulary in context. This is an activity that can be used year after year (is not specific to 2017 or any other year). The answer key is included.

AND MORE...

The pack also includes additional writing prompts and a back-to-school activity (great for my Aussie friends or anyone wanting to use it for the 2017-2018 school year). 

FOLDABLE ACTIVITIES

Four of the activities are included for interactive notebooks.

DOODLE IT!

Do you have students who love to doodle or create zentangle designs and patterns? I included blank 2017 images just for that purpose. 

Yes, ALL of these activities are included in my one 2017 New Year bundle:

I hope you and your students have a wonderful New Year! I'd love to see examples of your students' work, so don't forget to tag me if you post them. :) Thanks for sharing.