Changes and a New Year

Y'all the struggle is so real this year! Not because this year is bad, because this year is so full of changes. Good changes, but changes that require a lot of me.

About two weeks before school started, our new principal called me and told me that our grade level was getting an additional teacher. I know what you're thinking, that's awesome to get another teacher! And, yes it was and has been phenomenal. The struggle came in when I was told that I would be self-contained. Don't get me wrong; I've always wanted to try self-contained, but I am also new to my grade level. I have not only had to learn new standards for the subject area that I usually teach, but I've also had to learn ALL of the standards for every subject for 4th grade...whew! Oh, and I'm the mentor teacher for the new teacher to 4th grade. Our 4th grade team is comprised of 4 newbies to the grade level and a second year teacher. (We're a dream team together though!) It exhausts me to just type that! (Can I get an AMEN?!)

I started my teaching career in 4th grade, but my second year I was moved up to 5th grade. I have spent the last 8 years in 5th grade, so I'm accumulated LOTS of stuff to teach ELA and SS. I could plan on a dime. I didn't have to spend hours upon hours planning. This year, that's not the case. I am finding myself spending an extra 1 1/2-2 hours at work afterschool nearly every day (Fridays I usually don't leave the school until 7). I've become a TpT buyer instead of seller because I don't have time to create resources. Am I complaining? Absolutely not! Let me share with you why I'm not complaining...

First of all, I asked for a change. Yep, I asked for it. I wanted to learn more about elementary education as a whole rather than just one grade level. I feel that I was becoming close to an expert in the ELA/SS standards of 5th grade. I didn't want to get "stuck in my ways" as many teachers do after so many years in the same grade level. I asked for the change. I didn't not specify a grade level, I just asked for something different.

My self-contained class consists of 28 students. Yep, you heard correctly: 28! But let me tell you something, they are a wonderful group of kiddos! It doesn't feel like 28 at all. They are chatty, but that's the norm in the upper grades. I think the group of kids in a classroom definitely help set the tone for the year. I feel like I know my students better than I've ever known a group. I know who struggles with subtraction across zeroes but is also a strong reader. I know who needs to work on their fluency to help with their comprehension. It's amazing!

I have so much flexibility! I literally have a ton of alarms set on my phone to help me stay on track throughout the day; however, the flexibility that has come along with my big change has been awesome! If we have some kind of interruptions (as is the case many days, right!?) I just move subjects around accordingly or reduce the amount of work we are going to do to squeeze what we would have missed. With flexibility of time, also comes the flexibility to combine subjects.

I am spending hours away from my family (that's not a plus side at all). I'm working harder than every before. I'm spending countless hours working for free. But, I'm growing in my professional knowledge which was my desire. I am enjoying every minute of my new journey!

I Like Children's Book, and I Know It...

This is a fun link up about favorite children's books brought to you by Primary Polka Dots...get ready to create an even longer wishlist for new classroom books as you click through the different posts!

I can remember listening to my 4th grade teacher read Shoebag to my class. As she read, I could envision the characters and all of the events that took place throughout the book. I, along with most of my classmates, fell in love with Shoebag, a cockroach as he endured the trials of becoming human for a period of time. The book is hilarious, but the spoiled little girl that he lives with also learns a great life-lesson at the end of the book.

One of the things that students always enjoy about the book is discovering how cockroaches get their "names". I won't spoil it for those of you who have never read this book.

A few years back, I was fortunate that my school's librarian decided to purge our school's copy of the book (which was in pretty good condition!). She knew it was my favorite and was sure to give it to me! It is sitting on my book shelf right now, just awaiting me to open it back up and share it with my 4th grade students!


One of my all time favorite authors is Gordan Korman. His books are geared toward upper elementary grades. Some of his books make up series, while others are stand alone books.

His writing style lends itself well toward accelerated students because of the level of vocabulary he uses. With each Gordan   Korman book that I have used, I always try to emphasis the new vocabulary that students encounter.

Although I haven't read all of his books (I'm far from it!), some of my favorites are:
*The Dive Series
*39 Clues
*Swindle
*The Island Series
*The Everest Series

One of my favorite illustrators is Patricia Polacco.
I know, I know. She's most known for her books, not her pictures. This is why she's my favorite! Her books are phenomenal and link so wonderfully with different points in history. I adore the way she tells her stories with emotion that draws the readers in and makes you love the characters!When I read Thank You, Mr. Falker for the first time, I cried like a baby! Pink and Say is the perfect addition to any Civil War unit. (btw, I cried during that one too! Sweet MoMo Bay!) And, of course, I treasure EmmaKate because that is my middle child's name (& I love the creativity
that is sparked from the story!). All of her illustrations go perfectly with both of these stories as well.

The Late, Great Dick Hart is an older novel that one of my favorite colleagues of all time introduced me to a few years before she retired. As with a lot of novels, it can cover several standards at once. I wouldn't recommend reading this book with below 5th grade because it is about two friends. One of the friends die, and the other one learns to deal with his death throughout the remainder of the book. The students LOVE the book, and it is a fabulous read aloud

Thanks for stopping by!

Elaine, Teaching Lane

It's a TpT Sale!

Hey y'all! As most of you might know, there's about to be a MEGA TpT Sale! You guys will be able to score items for up to 28% off of the original price! I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE a good sale! Before you ready your wishlist and push the "purchase" button, I want to tell you about a few of my favorite products in my own store.

Like all teachers, this is the time of the year where I am searching high and low to find some of the "best" activities for my students to complete during those first few days. You know exactly what I'm talking about; time fillers, introductory activities, procedure lessons, etc. Here's a few of my favorites from Teaching Lane:

 Who doesn't LOVE a bundle? That's right! You can usually save money by purchasing a bundle! This Back to School Bundle is sure to save you a lot of money! It includes 7 activities (6 of them are sold separately in my store). These activities are sure to be exactly what you need to get your school year off to a great start!

 Raise your hand if you like to teach procedures... Yep, me either! These Back to School Procedure Task Cards are just what the doctor ordered! They help you reinforce your procedures through the use of movement. The students will be engaged as they role play, explain, and help each other complete certain tasks that are sure to drive your specific classroom procedures home! Take a look!


If you need some "new" for your Open House/Meet the Teacher night, look no further! This packet has 28 different forms just for you, your students, and their parents! It includes everything from a parent sheet to give you info about their child to a students seating request slip! There's even a list of tips and ideas for how you can use the different forms that are included!

 This set comes with three different activities that are sure to engage your students during your Roaring 20's unit! The task cards are the perfect way to review, and the best part is that they have QR codes on them, so they are self-checking! When I used them in my personal classroom, I placed them around the classroom and let the students walk around to answer them. They were quiet as mice during the activity! The Cloze Paragraph can be used as a review or quiz. This is a versatile pack that you should check out!


This activity is a differentiated. You can use all three or just pick the activity that you need for your particular students in order to help teach them the Bill of Rights. This product can be used individually or in groups. The best part? It makes a nice display once it is completed! Who doesn't like to kill two birds with one stone?!







This product was LOVED in my 5th grade classroom last year! I have had several people purchase this product and leave feedback as well. It will be the perfect addition to your Civil War Unit. The task cards can be used as a review, quiz, etc. An answer key is included as well.

 This is one of my newer products. I can't wait to try it out in my own classroom, and I look forward to creating more centers just like this one! This is a self-checking center because students choose their answer by marking it with a paper clip or clothes pin. Once they are finished with the card, they can simply flip it over to see if their answers are correct or not. Easy, right? This product includes 10 different cards! This is a wonderful way to expose your students to new vocabulary.

 This product is very similar to a few others in my store in that it is a puzzle format. I used the Synonym Puzzle Center last year in my classroom, and the students were more than engaged! I was amazed at how hard they worked to complete each puzzle! This product comes with five puzzles. Be sure to check out my store to find more products like this one! I have Orders of Operations, Synonyms, and Equivalent Fractions. More are coming soon!

Click HERE to view the Whole Numbers Puzzle.



This product is similar to the Clip and Check Center above; however, it is in a different format, AND it is differentiated! If you are responsible for teaching similes and metaphors, this is the product for you! Students simply read the sentence, decide if it is a simile, metaphor, or neither (on the higher level), then flip over to check their answers! An idea sheet is also included to help you take this center a step further for your higher achievers!

I hope this quick product overview of some of my favorites has helped you find just what you're looking for to use in your classroom this school year! As always, if you have any questions, or suggestions, please leave a comment or email me at selainewhite5@gmail.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

Elaine, Teaching Lane

Monday Made It: SS Timeline Spin-off, Early Finishers Board, & More

Hey y'all! I'm back for another edition of Monday Made-It, hosted by 4th Grade Frolics. This is such a neat link up! I worked in my classroom for a few hours today, so I have lots to share! Kick back, grab some tea, and enjoy seeing what others are up to today!

The first thing I made today was my new Social Studies timeline for my classroom. Let me explain what I mean by "timeline". My timeline consists of 7 posters that are titled with each history topic that we cover in 4th grade Social Studies. To make my timeline, I used my standards to get the key terms that the students will need to know during that unit of study. Each poster will be displayed in the order in which we will study them for the entire school year. This seems like such a simple thing to do, and it is, but it also has an impact on the students. I used a timeline of my Social Studies key terms in my 5th grade classroom for the past 3 years, and it really helped the students see where we were going, where we had been, and it served as a visual reminder of the events, people, etc. that went along with each unit. As soon as I get these beauts laminated, they will go up on my wall! Check it out below:

My second project for today was a "I'm Finished, Now What?" board for my classroom. I used some adorable KG fonts to create these cards. I plan to laminate these jewels and place them on one of my bulletin boards for my students to choose from when they finish their work ahead of their classmates. I researched several different ideas for this display, and knew that I wanted all of the activities to have some tie back to ELA (after all, who has time to waste?!) I'm super excited to get these displayed and ready to go for the school year!

My third project for today was this hanging basket display. My new classroom already had the command strip hooks hanging on the wall, so instead of taking them down, I decided to put them to use! I used a curtain rod, book rings, and dollar store baskets to create this little display. I plan to use the baskets to put pens, dry erase markers, pencils, etc. in them. My smart board computer and document projector are located right below the baskets, so storing some pens, etc. close by could potentially be a time saver for me! (I bought these baskets on clearance at my local Dollar General; I got them at a crazy price too! .75 for 2, yes TWO, baskets! I just had to paint them black to match my room this year!)

As I said, I worked in my classroom today, so not much more has happened at my house project wise today. I do have something I want to do later on tonight with the family though, so there may be some family project creating tonight! I'll have to share it next week, if it happens. :)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you feel inspired by something you've seen!

Elaine, Teaching Lane

Plan With Me Sunday: All About Lists!

Of all the planning and organizational strategies out there, making a list and sticking to it, it probably the thing that I'm the strongest at doing! I'm so excited that this week's Plan With Me Sunday is focused all on lists. Meghan from Keeping Up With Mrs. Harris and Robyn from Kreative in Kindergarten are planning gurus, and their Plan With Me Sundays have taken flight among the blogging world. Be sure to click through other posts and see what everyone else is doing to plan this week!

So, back to lists. Nearly everyone makes them. I have to say that most of my lists are made on my phone. Now don't get me wrong. I make a handwritten to do list at work nearly everyday that I have to work at school; however, for the bigger things like planning a new product or making a shopping list, I tend to use my phone. I'm going to list 3 reasons I use my phone to make 90% of my lists.

1. One of the biggest perks to using my phone is that it is nearly always with me, so it's one less thing that I have to keep up with while I'm tending to children and trying to shop. Can you imagine lugging your purse, three children, a list, a buggy, and everything else that you need in a store? The list would get torn or lost for me. By using my phone, I can take a glance, get what I need, and then double check my list on my phone before checking out. Again, a list is just something else to keep up with, and if the list is on my phone, then woo-lah! Two birds are killed with just one stone. Hey, it saves trees too!

2. Another reason that I prefer to make lists on my phone is because I can use Siri as I'm driving down the road to capture thoughts about new products. Does it always come out exactly like I've said it? Absolutely not. Does Siri ever type the exact words for anybody? I often crack up at the substitute words Siri puts in place of what I really said, but in essence, my thoughts are captured and I don't have to remember it.

3. The third reason I like to use my phone for making lists is because I am a chronic list maker. From product ideas to back to school ideas for my classroom to ideas for church. I make lists all of the time. By using my phone, I don't have to worry about where each list is or if a list is going to get torn off of my notepad. They are neatly organized on my phone and easy to access. One click and they are all listed at my fingertips. Once a list is complete, then I can simply delete it to "clean up" my phone.

I know using your phone to keep a list may not be new to many people, but it's what works for me. Y'all, I even keep a running Christmas list on my telephone! Seriously, I have a list that is titled, "Christmas". When opening said list, you will find everyone's name listed that I currently know we will be needing to purchase a Christmas gift for this upcoming year. As I get ideas about what to buy each person, I quickly open the list and type it beside the person's name. This has been a huge help over the past two Christmases because in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be overwhelming trying to get your friends and family gifts that they will like and actually use. My Christmas list is truly a lifesaver for me! 

Remember to check out other posts about lists by returning back to the link-up on Meghan or Robyn's blogs. 

Thanks for reading!

Elaine, Teaching Lane

Monday Made It! New Recipe, Planner Stickers, & Teacher Intro File

Hey there y'all! I'm linking up for Monday Made It for the very first time today (well, tonight...)! I'm excited about this linky because it is open to so much more than just products! I guess I'm looking at it for a way to get to know other bloggers on a more personal level, and not just as TpT sellers.

Today I tried a new recipe that is, er, not so healthy, but oh SO delicious! If you like Reese Cups, you'll LOVE this tasty treat! First, I'll share a picture:

Then, the ingredients and recipe:

1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of corn syrup, 1 1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter, 4 1/4 cups of rice krispies, 1 pinch of salt, 4-6 chopped Reese Cups, and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

You can thank me after you try it! These things will not last long around my house!

For my second Made It Monday feature, I am giving you a freebie! This freebie is only available to my blog readers, so lucky you! Thanks to Meghan from Keeping Up with Mrs. Harris and Robyn from Kreative in Kindergarten, I just learned how to make my own planner stickers! I stayed up really late last night playing around with creating my very first stickers. By the way, I have just started using a planner...I know, I know, it's sad. 

These stickers were made for use with Avery 8160 labels; however, I'm sure that they could be printed on other sizes if you played around with it. Click the image to download your free copy!

Last, but not least, my final Made It Monday feature is a product that I have recently made to help teachers with introducing themselves during Meet the Teacher or the first day of school. It is editable because teachers need to add their own personal information to the presentation. I look forward to using it myself this upcoming school year! Grab your copy in my TpT store if you're interested!

Well folks, there you have it! My very first Made It Monday! I hope you saw something that could be useful to you! Oh, and be sure to hop on over to 4th Grade Frolics to check out other amazing Made It Monday posts!

Thanks for stopping by,

Elaine, Teaching Lane

Plan With Me Sunday

Planning...it can be done in a variety of ways, which is the purpose of this awesome link-up, Plan With Me Sundays. My good friends from Keeping Up with Mrs. Harris and Kreative in Kindergarten worked together to develop this blog to help teachers in need of additional planning support (or teachers who like to get crafty). DISCLAIMER: I am being 100% truthful in this blog post. Is it going to be beneficial to you? I'm not sure, but I guarantee that you will more than likely enjoy reading it.

First of all let me start off by telling what I don't do. As of right now, I don't decorate my planner. As of right now, I don't use pretty colorful pens to write in my planner. Honestly, as of right now, I don't even have an official planner. There. I said it. I don't have a planner. Although I don't exactly have a cutesy, decorative planner to record all of my plans for the day, week, and month, that doesn't mean that I don't plan at all. After all, I'm a mother of three small children (ages 6, 3, & 1), a wife, friend, daughter, teacher, etc. I plan. I have to. Continue reading to learn about how I currently go about planning the events of each week.

When I plan, I usually get out my phone so that I can see the dates for the upcoming week. I usually create an event for anything my family has to do outside of our home (birthday parties, sporting events, church trips, etc.). Then I usually talk with my husband to see if there's anything I've left out. Now let me clarify something; notice that I said "usually" in the above statements. Yeah, that's because I'm not very OCD about recording things that I need to do. Sometimes I enter it into my phone, other times simply saying out loud is enough for me to remember what I need to do or where I need to be.

I bet many of you are cringing at the thought of me not using a planner, much less not even writing it down sometimes. Well, let me explain something to you. I have one of those personalities that immediately tries to jam pack as much as I can into one day. Even if I had a nice little organizer, I would look at it, and then immediately decide that I could do x amount of things before and after the scheduled event(s). It's crazy, I know. It causes me to be late...a lot. I don't like being late, I really don't, but sometimes the only way I feel like I can get something finished is to be a few minutes late.

Now, for the good news. As I'm beginning to prepare for the upcoming school year (I know, let's NOT talk about that yet!), I have begun looking online for printable planners. Why printable? Because I am a cheap-o, and I want to make sure that I am going to use the planner (and stick to using it) before I invent a lot of money into something "cutesy". Once I have found the planner that's right for me, or at least pieced together a planner based off of the various ones I'm finding all over the internet, I plan to use it to record everything from sales to blog posts to personal events. I feel like I definitely need to move on from just using my phone...sometimes...and begin writing everything down in one central location. Will I stick to it? I'm not sure. Am I going to try? You bet ya!

Now, I'm pretty sure I know what you are thinking..."This lady's post didn't help me at all." I'm sorry if you are thinking that; however, I know that there are others that are just like me. Link up next time to see how my planner usage is going.

Oh, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by,

Elaine, Teaching Lane

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