Cute School Supplies Clip Art for Commercial Use

 I started creating these little "props" to use in my own lessons almost a year ago. As you probably know, I am pretty slow to post new products because it does take me a while to complete them. So it was such a relief to finally finish this package of school-related graphics yesterday. It includes over 95 PNG files that can be used commercially and/or for educational and personal use. My only requirement is a link back to my website or my teacher store.

One of the great things about these school supplies is that they can be layered with your favorite characters, as demonstrated below...

...or used on their own.

SIDE NOTE: I have had many questions about "layering" and the difference between JPG (or jpeg) files and PNG files. If you scroll down to the bottom, I included a very brief explanation. :)

My school supplies bundle contains many images in full color as well as line-art, so you can have students color the graphics (plus it saves on ink). Below, I combined the iPad-like tablet with my Handwriting Lines clip art, which comes in a variety of lengths and widths and is so easy to work with when creating products for primary students.

I decided to create my people figures separate from the supplies because I think it adds versatility for the user of the graphics. Have you ever wanted to use an image of a group of items, but one item just didn't fit with what you were making? Now you can make your own groupings, like I did with these sports balls and equipment. (Plus, some teachers may not want the cute little people. But the "props" are still "cool" enough to use with older students.)

Another advantage is with the overall design of your product or scrapbook page. Sometimes you have to tweak items to make them work. Above, I was able to position the golf club and golf ball to suit my needs. Below, the book and ruler in the image were both rotated to fit in the girl's hands perfectly. 

PNG vs. JPG files...

In case I have completely confused you with all this talk about "layering" images, it helps to know a little about the types of images if you plan to design things digitally.  So here's a very condensed explanation to the difference between PNG files and JPG files:

The PNG format makes it possible to knock-out the background, so your images easily layer on top of one another without the white (or whatever color) background overlapping. You cannot layer JPG (or jpeg) files like this. 

To demonstrate, see the image below. The girl on the left is a JPG file and the girl on the right in a PNG file. When each is placed on a purplish background, the JPG file will maintain its white background. The PNG's is knocked-out, allowing you to place additional PNG files on top of it. 

Another difference between the two is PNG files never lose their quality.  JPGs, however, will begin to degrade every time you open them, so over time the quality of the image will not be as sharp. Because of this, PNG files are much larger than JPGs, making JPGs (and GIFs) more ideal for web browsing because they load faster. This was something I learned while teaching journalism and advising yearbook and newspaper (because digital photography was not around when I was in college...yes, I'm that old). I picked up a lot during those years, and continue to learn as technology keeps advancing. That's an advantage to teaching: it forces us to keep learning and passing along that knowledge. Of course, I learn just as much from my students as they learn from me.

If you need help working with images in Microsoft Word (which, in my opinion, is one of the worst programs for design/working with images), you can download this free tutorial. People who use Microsoft and do a lot of designing would probably be better off using Powerpoint or Publisher. 

Since I am a Mac girl, I use the iWork applications (Pages, Keynote) and Adobe's Creative Suites apps: Photoshop and InDesign. Pages is much like InDesign, but much easier, so I have actually converted to using Pages more. If you use a Mac, I highly recommend it!

Back to the clip art...

All of my images are PNG files. On occasion I will include additional JPG files, but I will always include the PNG files. You can find all of my packages in the clip art department of my teacher store. 

Or just click on my button below.

Or if you are looking for specific packages, here are some links to my recent ones:

 I appreciate you stopping by my blog! This post was long overdue, so I apologize for its length. As thanks for reading through it, you can click {HERE} to get some limited-time freebies from some of my new packages. Hurry, though. They will only be available for a limited time. Please read the terms of use if using these for commercial products. Also, they cannot be resold in a clip art package, or altered and resold as clip art. If used in a free product, it must be secured in a PDF document. No exceptions. Thank you!

New Cartoon Character Clip Art for Commercial Use!

I'm so excited to share my new cartoon character clip art figures with you! I have been attempting to make these for over a year now, and I finally got some time this summer to complete them. Many teachers had requested figures in both color and black and white line art. Another request was to show diversity in order to represent all our students in our classrooms. Click on the images to see the full product listings.

I hope you enjoy my children and teachers (the teachers could be any adult professional). All of my graphics can be used for commercial purposes, as well as educational and personal use, of course. I only ask for a link to this site or my teacher's store in return for the commercial use. I don't charge a fee or a license.

I'll be posting soon about my new props to go with these figures. They include school supplies, sports balls and equipment, awards, ribbons, and trophies, speech bubbles, and more...

Just Pinning Away...

Do you use Pinterest? Yes, I'm a Pin Addict. Or Junkie. Or whatever you wish to call someone who is addicted to pinning things on Pinterest. It's just so visually stimulating, I guess. But I really love seeing all the great, creative things I can try in my classroom AND getting a good chuckle from time to time. I'm not a food-pinner, though. Seeing food just makes me hungry and want to eat. Plus, I'm not much of a cook, so what's the point? ;]

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my favorite pins with you. I apologize that I may not have these all sourced, but you can find them on my Pin Boards. Feel free to follow me, repin, comment, whatever. ;]

This one is courtesy of Kathie, my Facebook/Twitter friend & fellow educator. It's pretty sad how this is so true for many of us in our classrooms/schools. I guess it is a reflection of education, itself, in our society. Let's hope the pendulum swings back...soon!

This picture was taken by ‏@PaulWHankins at Donalyn Miller's workshop (she is amazing) and is one slide in her presentation. I think it speaks volumes about the power of reading.

Yep...

There's not enough time in the day to read as much as I'd like to!

Authors are my rock stars. Of course, rocks stars are my rock stars, too. {lol} 

You can order it from SourceBooks for $20. It's simply Poetastic!

And how cool would this be to eat from book-shaped plates? Buy them by the case (12 per case) 

from The Webstraunt Store. (Not sure if you have to own a restaurant to buy from them.)

I love this visual representation of "Knowledge is power." 

R.I.P. Ray Bradbury. Author of so many great works, including Fahrenheit 451 and one of my favorite short stories, "There Will Come Soft Rains" (which is also one of my favorite poems by Sara Teasdale.)

It seems appropriate to mention another author who did not believe in censorship, Mark Twain. (Actually, I can't think of any authors who favor censorship, can you?) 

And who doesn't love some ecards??  Here are my latest favorites:

(Nope, we just had unexpected company...lol.)

Yes...please direct these moms to me, please. I have a list ready for them. ;]

This one goes out to all my Wisconsin teacher friends. Unless we all get out and vote, what is happening in Wisconsin is sure to spread to the rest of our states, if it hasn't already.

And everything must end with a laugh. 

This one is from LOL Wall on Facebook, asking how you have been keeping cool this summer...

 Not sure if I pinned it, though I shared on FB. I guess I'll have to pin now, huh!?

And if you're looking for anything related to The Hunger Games, I'll be adding my favorite Hunger Games pins over on my Hunger Games Lessons blog shortly...

Have a great weekend!

Add your Pinterest link to Allie's link-up here:

It's Friday? Woes of a Teacher: Losing Track of the Days in Summer...

I have to admit that this is me in the summertime. And, oh, how I love it. As much as I love to teach, I always welcome the days of sleeping in and recharging my batteries. 

Teaching can be very tolling, as we all know, and non-educators love to joke about us having the summers off. But the truth is, there wouldn't be many teachers left if we didn't have regular breaks from the stress and demands of our job. During the school year I feel as though I am working from the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep at night.

And we are not paid for our "vacation" time, contrary to popular belief. Our contracts are for a certain amount of days worked, which are then spread out to receive regular pay checks. Though, I did teach at a school that did not pay during the summer months. That was early on in my career and budgeting for that unpaid time was difficult on my meager salary. It's no wonder so many teachers take on summer jobs.

For those of you who have started your summer breaks, here's to you! Enjoy yourself and take time to just relax. For those of you who are still plugging away in the classroom, hang in there. Summer will be here before you know it. And while you are relaxing poolside, we'll be getting ready to go back.

And for the non-teachers, try not to give your friends a hard time about their summers off. They deserve it! :)

HAPPY SUMMER!

I created the image using my new Fun Dots background, which can be found in my 

Fun Dots Frames and Backgrounds Package

~Clip Art for Commercial, Educational, and Personal Use~

Ten Thoughtful and Inexpensive Graduation Gifts for Your Students

It's graduation season and for high school teachers this can be a drain on the budget. I love supporting my students and going to their parties, but I also know of many teachers who may opt to skip them because giving money or buying a gift for each graduate is expensive. My husband also teaches at the same school, so there have been years that we've been invited to over 20 parties. Of course, attending them all is next to impossible (especially if they are on the same day), but I still like to acknowledge the students with a small gift.

Here are 10 ideas for graduation gifts:

{For Those Who Need a Gift Now}

1. Ask the office for a list of all the students in the graduating class (a digital copy is preferred). Insert the names into a word-cloud generator, like www.Tagxedo.com or www.Wordle.net. Change the colors to match your school's (or just use fun colors), then download and save the image. Print it on cardstock, frame, and sign the back. (Tips: Add words like "congratulations," "graduate," and their class year for variety. Also, duplicate the name of the student so it appears larger in the cloud, as seen in the first image with "Nicholas.")

For variety, use a picture of your school mascot, or the year of the graduating class as the format for the cloud. 

Use my 2014 clip art numbers to create 2014 word clouds on www.tagxedo.com.

2014 Graphics (free download)

2. Using one of the word-cloud generators from above, copy the text from a favorite poem, book, or collection of inspirational quotes. After you create the cloud, print and frame it, adding a personal message on the back for the graduate. (See my Dr. Seuss Oh! The Places You'll Go! art prints.)

3. Create a caricature of the student, print it, and frame it or just use it as a card. Use the website www.sp-studio.de to create South Park-style caricatures. High school students love these!

A caricature of the graduate using www.sp-studio.de website.

4. Write a personal handwritten note to each student. Bring up the positive things you remember about having the student in class. Sometimes a note from their teacher letting them know that you care and wish them the best means more to them than any other gift.

{Involves Planning Ahead of Time - Bookmark for Next Year!}
5. Create a 2-column table with the students' names in the first column. Leave the second column blank, but give others room to write. Run copies for each student and distribute. Then have them write one nice thing about each of their classmates. Collect all the papers and either:
     A. cut each row so each student gets a sentiment on each individual strip of paper, OR
     B. type all the sentiments for each student, with each student getting an individual piece of paper with multiple sentiments.
  (Another way to do it is to have a page with each student's name at the top, then pass that page around and have each new student add something nice about that classmate. Then give each student the copy with the handwritten notes from their classmates. This can also be done in a shared Google Docs document. Have each student type in a different color. Drawback: some students are immature and use this as a way to write something inappropriate because it is in front of the class. Having each student write all the comments on their own sheet and turning it in may be more work for you, but it also deters those "exhibitionists" from doing something immature.)

6. Have your students pose for a class picture. Take a group shot of them, then run copies of 4x6 prints (you can even make a personalized frame on many websites like www.snapfish.com). Buy an inexpensive picture frame (dollar stores are great for these) and you have a personalized gift for less than $2. Write a note to the graduate on the back of the frame/picture and you are set.

Personalize a class picture, then print & frame.

7. At the beginning of the school year, take a group picture of each class of students you have. Take another picture at the end of the school year. Save the files (I'm assuming you take the pictures with a digital camera). When a student from one of your past or present classes graduates, print the pictures and include them in a card, frame, or inexpensive photo flip album. Include copies of inspirational quotes in between the pictures.

8. For a yearbook/newspaper advisor: Copy the images from the past year onto a CD. Give a copy of the CD as a gift to the graduates. (Note: We used to sell photo CDs at the end of the school year as a fundraiser when I advised the newspaper and yearbook. We were able to fund the printing of our school newspaper with the sales from the CDs. We also made video yearbooks, which helped, as well.)

9. If photos aren't your thing, have your students write "life lessons" when they are in your class. Save these, then make copies of each class for when they graduate. If you have mixed classes (ex.: juniors & seniors in same class), make sure to separate them out by keeping an envelope for each class year. Just label it "Class of 2012" and so on. Then, when they graduate, give them a copy of the booklet with their classmates "life lessons." (*I have a free download of this activity--it is amazing what students will write! They love reading these!)

Compile copies of the "life lessons" your students write in class.

10. Another thing you can give the graduate separately or include with the "life lessons" is a compilation of funny things said in class. I try to write these down when they are fresh in my mind (but I miss a lot of them, too). Then make a photocopy and share with the graduates.

Also read 

Seven End-of-the-Year Writing Prompts for High School Seniors

To help you, I have several inexpensive digital downloads of templates you can use for graduation cards or framed gifts. Here are some of the old favorites and new products I just uploaded:

"If" By Rudyard Kipling Art Print
PDF file

Robert Frost Poetry Art Prints
PDF file

Langston Hughes Poetry Art Prints
PDF file

NEW Products:
Graduation or Promotion Printable Cards You Can Personalize (Any Year)
Microsoft Word document

Graduation or Promotion Graphics (Any Year) for Personal & Commercial Use
PNG files

Class of 2012 Graphics for Personal or Commercial Use
PNG files

Do you have something special you do for graduates? Add your idea in the comments below!

Replace Student Journals with a Class Blog

I teach at a 1:1 Mac school. This year marked our third year with laptops at the high school and I knew I wanted to do something differently with student journals. Last year I had students typing them in a Pages document (Pages is an iWork word processing application). And though journals are personal reflection, I wanted to take it a step further and venture into blogging.

I had students write journals online in the past. But that involved reserving the computer lab and hoping the internet worked and all the computers were working properly. They wrote posts on our old school website and every entry had to be approved. It was tedious and students rarely had the opportunity to read their classmates' entries.

So this year we started a group blog on Blogger. I urged students to remember this was for public viewing and they should write in complete sentences, use complete words rather than texting lingo/abbreviations, and always spell check. Well, it didn't quite start the way I would have liked. This post, for example. And this one. And this. No matter how much I urged my students to write more, write better, they didn't really seem to care.

Though I do think their writing online is improving, I have to remind them this isn't a Facebook status update. I think it's important to allow them to practice responsible online writing. In addition, many will be taking early college courses that require blogging. I was shocked that even though my students had their laptops for three years, only a couple of them had ever blogged before. Now, many of them have started their own in addition to our class blog. Learning this skill is another way to prepare them for a digital future.

You can check out their most recent posts for Teacher Appreciation Week. They wrote thank-you notes to a teacher they have had in the past. I'm pretty proud of their letters and we shared them with the rest of the district. Many teachers from their past were touched by their heart-felt sentiments: EHS English II

If you are on the fence about blogging, I suggest giving it a try. On Blogger you can have up to 100 authors for one blog. It's pretty easy to set up and add authors (you'll need their email address to invite them). If it doesn't work out, you can always delete it. But you'll never know unless you try.

Teacher Appreciation Week: You DO Make a Difference

Today kicks off Teacher Appreciation Week and Tuesday is Teacher Appreciation Day. We celebrate it to honor those who devote their lives to teaching children and serving others.

It's nice to get a pat on the back, especially this time of year. We often go about our day lecturing, explaining directions over and over, wondering if anyone is listening, if anyone cares. Sometimes it's a thankless job. Sometimes it seems as if we've not made a bit of difference. Then, perhaps years later, we receive a note from a student or a call from a parent who just wanted to say thanks. Those moments lift us and remind us that our jobs may not have immediate rewards, but they DO make all the difference in the lives of others.

As we near the close of another school year, stay positive and end it with a smile. And know that even though you may not see the fruit of your labor this year, or next year, or even in ten years, you have planted the seed and it will continue to grow because of your efforts.

Thank you to teachers everywhere for your efforts with our children...with our future.

Here are some of my favorite teaching-related Pinterest pins: