Apparently, Summer Is Over #TeacherProblems

Apparently, summer is over. I mean, it is over for me. As I type this, I am procrastinating going to bed, knowing in a few short hours my alarm will be waking me up for my first day back to school for the 16th straight year.

In remembrance of this summer–which ended much too soon–I made some funny memes so at least we can laugh about having to go back to the long hours of endless paperwork and lesson planning. Hope this helps ease you back into your school year!

I am simply not ready! 

(But I never am. Maybe a year off might help me get caught up on summer projects.)

I know I should be happy I have a job. Getting fresh paint (and new carpet this year, too) may have caused me extra work, but I am truly thankful for my job and the wonderful people who work on it all summer.

Sadly, it takes me a long time to get it back in order.

I wish this were the case. :(

Seriously, how do our feet get out of shape so quickly in the summer?

Let's add HOARD ALL the school supplies, too!

Admit it, you've felt this way a time or two.

I hope you all DO have a great year!

Free Back-to-School Resources for Teachers

It's back-to-school time! Which means it's time to bring you a collection of resources from teachers to help you get back into the swing of things at school.

Each page in these eight Back-to-School resources sampler includes a back-to-school tip, a link to a free downloadable resource, and another resource (priced) that you can check out if you like that teacher's style.

We wish you the best school year and hope you find many great ideas, tips, and freebies to help you get through this school year!

You can download all of the books here:

Grades 7-12 Back to School Science Sampler 

Grades 7-12 Back to School Math Sampler 

Grades 7-12 Back to School Social Studies and Foreign Language Sampler

Grades 7-12 Back to School English Language Arts Sampler

Grades 5-6 Back to School Sampler

Grades 3-4 Back to School Sampler

Grades 1-2 Back to School Sampler

Grades PreK-K Back to School Sampler

Are You Ready for Back-to-School?

Going back to school in the fall is always a mixed bag of emotions: excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and, yes, overwhelming stress. There is a reason teachers need breaks throughout the year: the planning, grading, and performing in the classroom for the toughest audience out there is both mentally and physically exhausting.

But part of your workload and stress can be diminished.

Instead of spending your entire prep time altering your textbook lesson to work for your students, why not try materials that have been tried and tested in the classroom already by real teachers?

I've posted many new resources in my store this summer, with a lot more to come. You can check them all out here: Tracee Orman on TpT

I've also collaborated with my friends at the Literary League, which is a group of secondary language arts teachers, to let you know we'll be having a sale starting tonight and running through August 4th. Don't miss out on it! Use the code BTS15 at checkout to get an additional 10% our already-marked 20% off stores!

Visit their stores here:

Danielle Knight (Study All

Knight)

Darlene Anne- ELA

Buffet

Mrs. Spangler

in the Middle

Created by

MrHughes

The Classroom

Sparrow

The Daring

English Teacher

ELA Everyday

Juggling ELA

Nouvelle

Literary

Sherri

Making

Meaning with Melissa

2

Peas and a Dog

Secondary Solutions-Simply Novel

Addie

Williams

Linda Jennifer

Fisher Reyna

Education

The Creative

Classroom

Stacey

Lloyd

Room 213

Brynn Allison

Open

Classroom

Perfetto Writing

Room

Secondary

Sara

Tracee

Orman

James

Whitaker

The Superhero

Teacher

Created for

Learning

Brain Waves

Instruction

Go Set a Watchman By Harper Lee Close Reading Activities

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee will be published in just a couple of hours. While it's not exactly a new book, it is new writing for fans who have been clamoring for something--anything--from their beloved author. And I am one of those fans.

To Kill a Mockingbird is still (and will probably always be) my all-time favorite novel. So to get another look at my favorite characters from a different perspective (an older Scout), I was ecstatic. Then I read the first chapter and realized why she spent two years rewriting and revising the work.

It is important to understand that while the publishing of Go Set a Watchman (GSaW) is “new,” this novel is not new. It is Harper Lee’s first draft of her only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird (TKaM), submitted to her publisher in 1957 and asked by her editor to rewrite the story, using a child’s perspective. It took Lee two years to revise and rewrite it. In 1960, TKaM was published as the final version. Therefore, GSaW is not going to be as polished; it was her initial offering, and one that needed much revision. Readers should expect some of the characters will be different, and perhaps not as likable.

The beauty, though, of having her first draft to analyze, is that readers will be able to see where the characters and events originated. Readers will see how her writing improves with revision. And, hopefully, readers will be enlightened by the publishing process: how hard work, perseverance, and meticulous revisions are requirements in creating a classic novel. In today’s world of instant gratification, it’s important to look at the process and stages of a work that took years to develop and write.

Which is why I created a resource for my students to compare the two works. I am going to have them read closely the first chapter of GSaW and re-read the first chapter of TKaM and analyze how the author improved the story in various areas.

If you are looking for teaching resources for using GSaW in the classroom, you can find my materials in my teacherspayteachers store. All of the activities are aligned to the Common Core State Standards for reading, language, and writing.

I'd also love to hear what you think of Go Set a Watchman. Comment below with your thoughts/feeling. Thanks for visiting!

TeachersPayTeachers Site-Wide Sale for Teacher Appreciation Week

Super Secondary Appreciates Teachers!

Super Secondary collaborators are eager to "thank you...thank you very much..." for ALL that you do to make the world a better place! So shake, rattle, and roll on over to these TpT stores on May 5th and 6th to get up to 28% off on fantastic resources! Don’t forget to use the promo code: THANKYOU. 

My resources will be marked 20% off. You can see all my latest uploads clicking here: Tracee Orman's Most Recent TeachersPayTeachers Resources

The following sellers will have their stores marked down, as well:

The Classroom Sparrow

Room 213

Darlene Anne’s ELA Buffet

Danielle Knight (Study All Knight)

Michele Luck's Social Studies

Teaching FSL

Juggling ELA

The SuperHERO Teacher

James Whitaker's SophistThoughts

Created by MrHughes

Lessons With Coffee

Leah Cleary

Addie Williams

Linda Jennifer

MissMathDork

Kristin Lee

Lindsay Perro

All Things Algebra

Mrs. Brosseau's Binder

Tracee Orman

4mulafun

Teaching High School Math

Pamela Kranz

FisherReyna Education

Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy

Lovin Lit

ELA Everyday

Teaching Math by Hart

The Creative Classroom

For the Love of Teaching Math

Kesler Science

Live Love Math

To the Square Inch- Kate Bing Coners

A Space to Create

Science and Math with Mrs Lau

Brain Waves Instruction

Literary Sherri

Created for Learning

2 Peas and a Dog

Making Meaning with Melissa

Teachers Are Heroes Sale on TeachersPayTeachers

IT'S EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER DAY! SALE THROUGH FEB. 26th!

We all know that teachers are heroes. Every day there are countless acts of heroism by teachers: complimenting the student who has a low self-esteem, providing a snack for the student who forgot hers, giving an encouraging smile to the shy student as he begins his speech, stopping a bully from picking on another student, standing up to and speaking out to an administrator or board member about an unfair policy, grading 150 essays in record time, and so on. 

Teachers often don't realize how these small acts can make a huge difference in the lives of their students. And it's time to give back to all of those who work hard to make each and every day in a child's life worthwhile. 

That's why TeachersPayTeachers will be having a site-wide sale Wednesday, Feb. 25th. Use the code HEROES at checkout to receive 10%, plus get an additional 20% off from the following secondary sellers' stores. (See list, below.)

I will also be having 20% off EVERYTHING in my store. If you haven't checked out my newest resources, please do. I think you and your students will enjoy them!

Click here to see what's NEW in my store! 

Check out all these great Secondary teacher-authors, who will be having a sale in their stores on Wednesday:

Danielle Knight (Study All Knight) 

The Classroom Sparrow 

Michele Luck's Social Studies 

Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy

Mad Science Lessons 

Juggling ELA 

Krystal Mills - Lessons From The Middle 

Teaching High School Math 

To the square inch- Kate Bing Coners 

Charlene Tess 

Pamela Kranz

The Creative Classroom

Kristin Lee

Mrs. Brosseau's Binder 

James Whitaker's SophistThoughts

Darlene Anne

ELA Everyday

Lessons With Coffee

Teaching FSL

Room 213

MissMathDork

Lindsay Perro 

Liz's Lessons 

21st Century Math Projects

The SuperHERO Teacher

Science Stuff 

Kate's Classroom Cafe 

A Space to Create

Addie Williams 

Created by MrHughes

Leah Cleary

Secondary Solutions

All Things Algebra 

Tracee Orman 

4mulaFun 

Live Love Math

Ruth S.

2 Peas and a Dog

FisherReyna Education

Rachel Friedrich

Linda Jennifer

For the Love of Teaching Math

The Career Ready Teacher 

Connie

Mrs S's Health and PE Resources

Informative and Explanatory Writing: Prompts and Resources for Teachers

Have your students take a writing road trip! 

When it comes to the writing process, students tend to groan, roll their eyes, and start formulating an escape plan. Why not make it more fun for them by appealing to their interests? I just uploaded a new writing bundle for informative and explanatory writing (also known as expository or informational writing). It includes over 70 pages and slides with instruction, tips, exercises, and tons of examples for students to follow and practice as they write their essays.

I included MLA formatting guidelines and examples, as well, so it can be used to teach your students how to research. In fact, these are all the types of writing assignments this resource covers:

  • Compare and Contrast essay
  • Cause and Effect essay
  • Definition and/or Example essay
  • Process/How-To essay
  • Research paper

For teachers who need practice for the PARCC assessments or other standardized tests in which the texts are already pre-determined, this resource offers great practice. I included links to text-based writing prompts for grades 6-12.

If you are looking for resources for argumentative/argument writing, I already have a resource for you. I posted this almost two years ago and it continues to be one of my best-sellers:

For a collection of writing prompts, check out my Pinterest pin board, appropriately named "Writing Prompts":

All materials and resources are copyrighted © 2015 by Tracee Orman. All clip art, icons, and phrases used in the writing resources are created by and copyrighted by Tracee Orman. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

New Year Freebie & Half Way There Teacher Resources Sale

  We are half way through the school year, so a group of secondary teachers are celebrating with a 20% off sale on our teaching resources from December 31st through January 1st. Arm yourself for the new year with great teacher-created resources from your favorite sellers on TeachersPayTeachers.

*Click on the image of your favorite seller (above) 

to go right to their store.*

Special thanks to Gina from All Things Algebra for the image!

.:* HAPPY NEW YEAR! *:.

My New Year gift to you: a free activity to start the year 

(or semester) off right!

2015 New Year Goal Setting, Reflection, and Creative Writing Activities

I included both traditional handouts AND interactive notebook activities:

Stay tuned for some NEW writing resources in my store in the next couple of days! For those of you who love my Argument Writing pack, I've been working on additional resources for Informational Writing.  

Have a great second half of the school year, 

my Teacher Friends!

Gifts for the Book Nerd, English Teacher, Bibliophile, Librarian, or Grammar Nazi

The problem with buying gifts for the book lover is that you never know which books they have already read and own or whether they will even like them. I'm offering suggestions because I am a verified 100% book nerd English teacher myself and my husband finds me incredibly hard to buy for. Hopefully this will help you find the perfect gift for your loved one! Click on each picture below to go to the website to purchase (most are on Amazon).

STOCKING STUFFERS

Who wouldn't love these literary-inspired stocking stuffers?
(Images courtesy of Amazon.com, unless otherwise noted)

This just seems completely appropriate for those of us who love words:
The Best Christmas Word Search Puzzle Book



Help your loved one keep their Kindle, iPad, smart phone, or other reading device's screen clean:


Scrabble Slam Cards: Taking your favorite board game to another level:



Inspire the book lover with a Magnetic Poetry Kit (Book Lover edition, of course!):

Every book nerd knows you can never have too many bookmarks. Get these cute punctuation magnetic i-clip bookmarks:

Or elegant Harry Potter Hogwarts Houses bookmarks:

Keep Calm and Read On:

Sometimes you just want one hand free while reading. These Thumb Things book holders come to the rescue! (Great for read-alouds or snacking while reading.):

As long as they don't think you are sending them a hint with this Edgar Allan Poe-inspired air freshener (perfect for their car, classroom, office, library, etc.):

Or perhaps they would like Jane Austen's better:

Every teacher should keep bandages in her drawer for those pesky paper cuts. Keep it real with Shakespeare's Insults Bandages kit:

These ultra-cute sticky notes are perfectly shaped for annotating books:

Or these "Sticky Fingers":

A teacher (or writer) can never have too many pens! These Pentel gel ink pens are my favorite for grading papers, writing notes, doodling, whatever. And they are reasonably priced:

Harry Potter candy is always a fun treat:





If your book nerd friend doesn't have a mockingjay pin yet, this would be a great stocking stuffer:

Gift cards are perfect stocking stuffers! Get cards from favorite book stores, coffee houses where your loved one likes to hang out, or teaching resources sites like TeachersPayTeachers:

Image courtesy of TeachersPayTeachers.com

GIFTS

The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson: Considering this book collection was just released November 25th, perhaps your loved one doesn't have it yet. Chances are, they will cherish this for years to come:

Book nerds will drool over this new release of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. These are the original stories translated into American English:

A reading journal for the book lover: seems perfect, right?

I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar; for a great laugh, your Grammar Nazi will love this:

Any book by Grammar Girl is the perfect gift for the grammar lover. I love her website and her books are great to have on hand for easy reference:

TOTE IT

Big books are the best. "I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie" tote:

Is that special someone you are buying for a Jane Austen fan? How about a Pride and Prejudice inspired tote:

Blue Q's bags are great for carrying books:




Or cover multiple books AND make a statement with this Banned Books tote:

How about a phone case inspired by the book? (This one is for the new iPhone 6, but they make them for many different brands/models - just click on the link):

How about a recycled book purse?

Image by Etsy.com

Gone With the Wind pouch:

WRITE ALL ABOUT IT

It's a black pen, a red pen, a pencil, and a stylus--all in an elegant shell:

Vintage card catalog-inspired notecards; they are straight from the Library of Congress:

These beautiful journals are sure to please anyone on your list who loves to write:

Tree of Life journal:

In spirals:

Cute vintage-looking roll-up pencil cases:

READING IN BED SOLUTIONS

This reading light is my all-time favorite. Make sure you get the LightWedge brand (the quality is far superior than other brands, though Verilux now makes one and I love their reading lights but haven't tried their book light):

Here's a classy-looking plush book stand (other colors available):

Does your loved one need a hands-free laptop stand for their nighttime reading or working?
This stand makes it easy:

Or how about a hands-free stand they can use for reading on their Kindle, iPad, or Nook? Did I mention they can lie on their back without fear of dropping their device on their face?

WEAR IT FAVORITES

How about a beautiful infinity scarf straight from a page of her favorite book? Check out Storiarts on Etsy:

Image: Storiarts on Etsy.com

While you are visiting Etsy, check out one of my favorite shops: the Boolady. Her To Kill a Mockingbird inspired jewelry is awesome (favorites of mine from last year!):

Image: Boolady on Etsy.com

Every bibliophile would appreciate these Book Lover Flip Flops for their trips to the beach...or anywhere:

Image: CafePress.com

More big books:

Just to keep going with the theme...

And for the book junkie:

Alice in Wonderland inspired necklace:



"So It Goes" Necklace, inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse V:


Thoreau-inspired t-shirt:


Or The Great Gatsby:

FOR THE HOME

I love the look of the card catalog cabinets! Here's a beautiful piece to add to give your loved one for home, office, or classroom (holds CDs, DVDs, etc.):

For the Harry Potter fan: a Marauder's Map blanket to keep your book nerd warm this winter:

The grammar nazi in your life will appreciate these dishes:




It's always time to read with these clocks:








Book ends are always useful:

Vintage typewriters:



Magnetic arrow book ends:


For the Doctor Who fan:

From A to Z or @ and & book ends:




Shakespeare book ends:



The only bad thing about this Hunger Games Mockingjay book end is that it only comes with one!

Because every book lover will continue to acquire new books, give them a place to keep them all:

Front view of swivel bookcase.

MISCELLANEOUS

Here's a beautiful and easy way for bibliophiles to label their books:



Because most book berds are creative themselves--because this game does take some creative-thinking--I offer up the Cards Against Humanity game. This is a game for horrible, terrible, rotten people who laugh at the expense of others. And it's highly addicting. Oh, the humanity:






Need more ideas? Check out my Pinterest pin board for more gift suggestions:

What are YOUR favorite gifts to receive? To give? Post them below with a link!

Happy Holidays from Mrs. Orman's Classroom