Sunday, July 17, 2016

Oceans of Steals, Deals, and Giveaways -- Round #2


Scroll to the bottom to enter the giveaway....it's a good one y'all! Be sure to search on TpT each day for the deals of the day! Wednesday will be Flash Freebie and #ChristmasInJuly....whew! I'm tired already just thinking about what a busy week this is going to be! You don't want to miss this y'all!


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Friday, July 15, 2016

Summer's Winding Down...SQUEEEEEZEEEE Those Last Few Days...


I know this is a sore subject for many of you, but let me just remind you....it's almost that time for many of us....Back to School! Even though I'll miss my sweet babies at home, I always get SO excited to meet my new students! Despite the giddiness that I may feel, I still have a few summer aspirations left, as I'm sure you do as well. Let me help you ensure that you've squeezed in a much as possible during your summer break...check out these suggestions and see which ones you need to add to your remaining few days.

1) Take a quick day trip. No, I don't mean just to the grocery store or Wal-mart...although I agree that these can be considered day trips when you take 3 kids alone. Seriously, take a day trip to a place nearby that you've never explored. Perhaps there's a waterfall, hiking trail, or even an amusement park nearby. The trick here is to make sure it's somewhere new. New = more memories, which in turn helps you squeeze the most out of your remaining days. Get to researching folks!

2) Do a science experiment. Okay, I totally understand if you are rolling your eyes right now, especially if you have younger kiddos, but trust me. Search the net, or my fave, Pinterest. Look for something that will interest you and the young minds in your home. If you do the searching, you get to dictate the level of messiness (& not to mention the $ amount). This is not only educational, but it's something that can potentially "wow" your kiddos and give you something to talk about for days. (FYI - my kids want to see how many rubber bands it will take to make a watermelon burst open...I'm kind of curious myself too!)

3) Take a long nap. I'm not kidding. You don't want to take a nap every day because then you'll just sleep away your last few days, but pick a day (or maybe two) and take a good, long nap. I'm talking one of those drooling, wake-up with your hair plastered to your face long, hard naps. You've worked so hard during the school year, and some of you have worked extremely hard during the summer, so you deserve to take a nap. Have your own kids? Take your nap when they do; don't worry about a messy house or dishes in the sink because it'll be there when you wake up. Just take a nap.

4) Complete an art project. Again, you choose the genre, supplies, cost, etc. You could go to a painting studio and take one of those classes or you could lead the project yourself at home. This can be complete with your kiddos or alone. Whether you're an artist or not, art is truly for almost everyone. It is therapeutic and allows you to relieve stress. You don't have to display the art work if you don't want to because it's the simple act of completing the piece that will have you thanking me later for adding it to this list. You're welcome!

5) Choose something to organize. If you're a teacher, chances are that you like to have organization in your life. I didn't say you were organized, just that you like to have organization. I like it too, but my house stays messy because I can't keep up with my three kiddos! I get it, trust me! Anyway, choose a spot in your home that you usually neglect. (for me, it's my bedroom). Spend a few hours organizing that area-just that area. Once school goes back, you will feel good about that area, and it will serve as a visual reminder of your summer.

6) Turn on the radio, turn it up loud, and DANCE! Again, this can be done with an audience or not. But, go ahead, find some tunes and cut a rug. This will help relieve any stress that you may be feeling about the upcoming school year, and if you choose to do this with an audience, it'll create some memories (& most likely some funny reenactment stories for later!) So, go ahead, put on your dancing shoes and get jiggy with it! (Ha! I bet you're singing that song now...)

Okay, so that's only 6 tips, but hopefully plenty of ideas are flowing through your mind on ways to capture the most memories, and get the biggest bang for your buck so to speak, from your summer break...aka Recharging Time!

Thanks for stopping by!

Elaine, Teaching Lane

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

3 Tech Tips That May Change Your Life!



Okay, let me just go ahead and state the obvious....these ideas are not my original creations, but let me plead my case first...they are too awesome for me to keep to myself until you stumble upon them on your own! Check it out!

Tech Tip #1
Screencastify
I know this isn't news to some of you; however, if you've never heard of it, please continue reading in this section. This is an awesome FREE tool available in the Google App Store. It allows you to make videos and link them to your products, assignments, etc. Can you imagine being absent, but still leaving directions for you students WITH live screen recording to coincide with it? Talk about eliminating the excuse of "I didn't understand"! Another option would be to record the directions of how to do something on the computer and then post a link to it in your Google Classroom, or other digital platform, for students to play over and over as needed. Heck! Your students could even utilize it for projects...how stinkin' cool is that?! The possibilities are endless!

Tech Tip #2
Bitmoji
This is another FREE tool that's available for anyone in the Google App Store. This app allows the user to create their own bitmoji. There's several different options, so you can make a bitmoji that looks just like you if you want! It is too cool! (You can see mine below...)This would be an awesome way to start the school year-let students create a bitmoji and set it as their profile picture on their classroom device. What an engaging first week of school project to use and teach computer procedures at the same time!
 


Tech Tip #3
Tab Resize
Okay teachers, this Google App is for you! How often do you find yourself clicking between screens and tabs? It can get awfully frustrating! Check out this app to help you EASILY display all the screens you need to (up to 4) at a time. You can easily work in each window without having to click back and forth and waste time trying to find the one you need. Next time I'll share with you how to get them back together quickly...it's ah-mazing!

So, there you have it--3 awesome tech tips that may just change your relationship with technology. Go ahead and leave your thoughts, or even other tech tips in the comments below-I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for stopping by!

Elaine, Teaching Lane

It's Giveaway Time!

Do NOT skip this post! This Friday, July 8th, there's going to be a HUGE gift card giveaway! I've teamed up with several other sellers to bring you a giveaway that you simply can't resist! All you have to do is follow the stores listed to enter. Check out the image to see where the gift cards are from...it's amazing!


Check out the form below to enter! Good luck, friends!


a Rafflecopter giveaway