The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

Sunday, May 18, 2014

FREE LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON - A Summer Bucket List

FREE LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON - A Summer Bucket List

By Connie Casserly

Grades 3-12

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Connie

Colleagues:

Are you tired of spending the first few days of school in the fall jumpstarting your students’ brains and motivation from Summer Lethargy Mode?

Are you wishing that you had a summer activity besides the usual reading assignment to keep students’ brains charged?

Are you concerned about your administrators’ exhortations to “Grab a standard and go, go, go” during that very first faculty meeting when you know that you absolutely must assess your students’ thinking, comprehension and writing skills baselines before you dive into the standards pool?

FREE LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON - A Summer Bucket List

This handout will go a long way in banishing your concerns because the activities guarantee that children will keep their minds and bodies active and alert during their summer vacation. The plus is- they won't feel like they are completing an assignment or doing a task related to school while they keep their comprehension and their analytic and creative thinking and writing skills fresh.

Although this list is best suited for children in grades 5-12, third and fourth graders will find activities that fit their abilities and skill levels, too. Many 6-10 year olds I know blow me away with their ability to text, use a computer or a digital or Smartphone camera, play an instrument and cook, so they will find a number of suggestions engaging.

Ideas 8, 10 and 11 are more fitted to older children, though. Idea 13 is great for kids in grades 3-8. Using simple household supplies-along with adult supervision-they can have fun with science experiments while learning chemistry, biology, physics and much more. Tell the children and their parents to use this terrific book for ideas: The Everything Kids Science Experiments Book by Tom Robinson for $8.95 ($6.12 Kindle edition). They don't have to spend money on a book unless they want to, though as they can probably find similar books at the library. Best of all, they will find activities on-line using the search terms: kids science experiments.

Be sure to give A Summer Bucket List to students before the end of the school year. Maybe, follow it up with a quick email to parents to explain this activity. They'll be thrilled with some ideas to ward off the "I'm bored," grumblings.

Download this FREE activity from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Printables-A-Summer-Bucket-List-253658 and ensure that your next year’s students will have a lot to show and talk about in September when you ask, "What did you do this summer?"

Happy Teaching,

Teach it Write

Building Powerful Academic Homes

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Misc. Lesson - Father's Day Coupons - 3 Versions

by Victoria Leon
Pre-Kindergarten - 6th Grade

This 66 page product has 36 coupons per set. Set #1 has space for the students to draw a picture for that particular coupon. Set #2 has the students trace over the dotted letters of each coupon. In Set #3, the students do not have to write on the actual coupon, but may create their own cover for the coupons.

There are ten covers for Sets #1 & #3 and four covers for Set #2. Blank pages of the three sets are also provided so that students may create their own coupons.

IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE ZIP FILE, PLEASE E-MAIL ME at vleon999@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your e-mail address and buyer's name. I will send you an attachment directly to your e-mail address.

Get daily free products at my website, "The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs."
http://thebestofteacherentrepreneurs.blogspot.com/

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail me at vleon999@yahoo.com.

Have fun,
Victoria Leon

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fathers-Day-Coupons-3-Versions-84337

Join The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative and get
THOUSANDS OF PAGE VIEWS for your TpT Products!!!

Victoria Leon's TpT Store

Go to https://www.tsu.co/TeacherEntrepreneurs for even more free products!

FREE LANGUAGE ARTS LESSON - “Writing Quote of the Week Collection”

by Secondary Sara

4th - 12th Grade

Over 1,000 downloads! See what all the fuss is about!

This collection of 41 writing quotes gives you one quote per week in the school year, with a few to spare! Inspire your writers with fresh "food for thought" on why writing is important and enjoyable.

The quotes are mostly general thoughts on writing by famous authors or people, but a few are direct quotes from books, including:

- Stephen King

- Ernest Hemingway

- Mark Twain

- Michael Crichton

- Dr. Suess

- Many others!

With this list of quotes, you can:

- Project the quote on a SMARTboard or screen for discussion, or as the basis of a written response.

- Print the PPT in black and white or color, and spiral bind it so you have a ready-made book of quotes to display in your room year after year!

- Laminate individual pages as posters or weekly inspiration.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

"Art Action presents - Musical Easy-art"

Music and Visual Arts

by Laurie Carpenter

3rd - 5th grades

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MUSICAL-EASY-ART-831616

This lesson plan provides the elementary student with a "listening - drawing" experience. The skills of concentration and attention to detail are developed in this project.

The lesson adapts well to the music classroom, as well as the art room, but can also be used in the grade level classroom and home school.

It provides a fun activity with a chance for individuality.

It is amazing to see the differences in the "final product", considering that the actual process is the same for all students.

If you like this product, why don't you check out over 50 more @
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Art-Action-Laurie-Carpenter

or check Pinterest @ http://www.pinterest.com/lauriecarpe/

?? Ironing Coffee Filters ??

When I teach angles or the properties of circles, I find that most children have difficulty cutting out a true circle (even with a blackline). I have resorted to purchasing cheap coffee filters (not the cone shaped ones) and ironing them flat....much to my chagrin as sometimes these take precedence over my ironing husband's shirts.

You can iron several filters at one time, and once they are ironed, they form excellent ready-made circles. Here are some of the ways you can teach angles using these circles.

1) Introduce the fact that each and every circle contains 360^○.

2) Have the students fold their coffee filter in half. Discuss that this is a straight angle. Ask, “How many degrees does it contain if it is one-half of a circle?” (180^○)

3) Have the students fold the coffee filter one more time, into fourths. Talk about this angle being called a right angle and that it contains 90^○. Ask, "What fractional part of a circle is this?"

Angle Activities

4) Have the students use this fourth of a circle to locate places in the classroom where it will fit (e.g. the corner of their desk, a corner of a book, a corner of the board).

5) Explain that these corners are right angles and without right angles, we would live in a crooked world. Nothing would be straight!

Want more ideas for teaching angles? Check out Angles: Hands-On Geometry Activities

FREE MISC. LESSON - “Guide to Creating Student Motivation”

by Motivating Materials

1st - 5th Grade

Do you struggle with motivating your students to learn? It's not an easy problem to solve, but this product may have some ideas that will help! Using strategies proven to work in the classroom along with knowledge of brain research, I've compiled a list of things teachers should do to increase student engagement.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guide-to-Creating-Student-Motivation-978810

Victoria Leon's TpT Store

Go to http://www.pinterest.com/TheBestofTPT/ for even more free products!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

FREE MATH LESSON - “Snowy Bear Math Centers {FREEBIE}”

by iHeart Teaching

Pre-Kindergarten - 1st Grade

This FREEBIE includes two fun math centers that are aligned with the common core. They help your students recognize numbers 0-20 and build number sense. This product is aligned with Kindergarten standard K.CC.A.3: Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

For more math centers: Winter Math Centers

For literacy and math: Winter Literacy and Math Centers

~iHeart Teaching

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snowy-Bear-Math-Centers-FREEBIE-1082996

Join The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative and get
THOUSANDS OF PAGE VIEWS for your TpT Products!!!

Victoria Leon's TpT Store

Go to https://www.tsu.co/TeacherEntrepreneurs for even more free products!

"Classroom Seatwork-Positive Printables"

Language arts

Visual arts

by Laurie Carpenter

Grades 1-6 (easily adaptable)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CLASSROOM-SEATWORK-POSITIVE-PRINTABLES-1240196

These PRINTABLES will provide a positive experience for the elementary student( younger children will need to work as a group with teacher guidance). The TEN DIFFERENT printables can be used periodically as a group assignment, or presented to individual students at various times.

There are no correct answers - no right or wrong - just feelings, opinions, and good positive feelings. Individual creative thinking is encouraged in these self-motivating printed work sheets for quiet, independent, seat work.

The project will provide language arts, writing, composition, and art experiences. Students will need to think, imagine, create. and share their thoughts with each other.

If you would like to see over 50 other products, go to:http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Art-Action-Laurie-Carpenter.

Or visit my Pinterest boards @http://www.pinterest.com/lauriecarpe/.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

FREE MISC. LESSON - “Positive Phrases for Teachers”

by Mad Eye Moody Productions

5th - 10th Grade

After my first year in the classroom, I decided I was tired of yelling and screaming at my students to listen to me. I put together this list of phrases to use whenever students' behaviors were inappropriate and once I started using them, I noticed my students acting much more appropriately and arguing with me less. The phrases are worded in "I language" (i.e. instead of "Stop arguing with me!" I would say "I care too much about class learning to argue with you"). I had them on my clipboard, which I carried around the room with me, and whenever I would get frustrated, I would look down and use one of the phrases. These made a huge difference in my ability to manage my classroom and before I knew it, I wasn't yelling or screaming at my students anymore.

I hope they will help you, too!

Thank you for your feedback!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Positive-Phrases-for-Teachers-986829

Victoria Leon's TpT Store

Go to http://www.pinterest.com/TheBestofTPT/ for even more free products!

Friday, May 9, 2014

FREE MISC. LESSON - “End-of-the-Year Games and Reflection Activities”

by Carla McLeod

5th - 12th Grade

Ugh. What to do with those last few days of school when the material is covered, the tests are graded, and your students are jumping off the walls? This packet will help you end the year on the high note by providing ten fun, thought-provoking activities for your students to reflect upon their year, what they have learned in your class, and how they have grown as students and individuals. These have been created for high school language arts students, but can easily be used for students of all ages in a variety of subjects. Activities include teacher appreciation/apology letters, student-generated summer reading lists, personal theme song activities, end-of-year celebration ideas and more. In fact, you might actually have some fun and learn a little something too!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Math-A-Magical Puzzles

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin created many inventions, including the Magic Square? (A magic square is a box of numbers arranged so that any line of numbers adds up to be the same number, including the diagonals!) Richard Walz has written a historical fiction book about this. It is fun for the students to read while at the same time it gives them a great deal of historical information. It also contains many activities that can be used along with the book.

On Sale May 6-8

I love to use Magic Squares in my classroom. The construction and analysis of magic squares provides practice in mental arithmetic, operations with numbers, geometry, and measurement plus it encourages logical reasoning and creativity, all in a game-like setting. Furthermore, they are a powerful tool for teaching students basic addition skills since each row, column, and diagonal must add up to be the same sum.

Check out my newest product entitled The A, B, C's of Number Tiles. All of the 26 letter puzzles of this 42 page handout are solved in a similar way that magic squares are solved. The activities vary in levels of difficulty. Because the pages are arranged alphabetically, and are not in any particular order based on difficulty, the students are free to skip around in the book. Since the students do not write in the book, the math-a-magical puzzles can be copied and laminated so that they can be used from year to year.

Featured Seller - Scipi (Vicky)

Tell us about yourself.

I graduated from college in the 60’s; so, you know I have been teaching for a very long time, but I still love it! I have been blessed with many diverse teaching situations from teaching the visually impaired for three years to working with the hearing impaired. I have experience in every grade level either as peer coach, student teacher advisor, resource instructor, or teacher

I now teach remedial math at our local community college, and I find that most of my students are mathphobics. I teach math to a group of students whose greatest fear is the word “MATH”. This year, much to my surprise, I was awarded The Outstanding Instructor Award for Math by the college.

I have been married to the same wonderful man for 44 years. He is a science teacher, and since I teach math (pi), I use the alias of Scipi on TPT. As of this year, together, we have taught for 75 years, and neither of us can imagine doing anything else.

What do you like best about teaching?

In whatever classroom I teach, I always post this sentence by George Polya. “It is better to solve one problem five ways than to solve five problems the same way.” I believe in teaching many math strategies using a hands-on and interactive approach, even on the college level. That includes singing, doing cheers, using manipulatives, drawing pictures, playing games, etc. My goal as a teacher is to cure one mathphobic at a time!

Describe your favorite TpT product.

My favorite product is A Simple Math Dictionary. It uses easy and clear definitions as well as formulas and examples so that students can learn and understand new math words without difficulty or cumbersome language. Most definitions include diagrams and/or illustrations for the visual learner. Over 300 common math terms are organized alphabetically for quick reference. When students are uncertain of a word’s meaning, this simple and straightforward dictionary is a good starting place. I copy it and use it with my college students every year since I find the glossaries in their math books inadequate.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Simple-Math-Dictionary

What advice would you give to someone who may want to become a seller at Teachers Pay Teachers?

I would suggest creating quality products that are simple and easy to use is what teachers are looking for. This takes time, lots of time. Also I would recommend frequently checking the Sellers’ Forum for advice from veteran teachers and TPT Sellers.

What have you done or hope to do with your TpT earnings?

After sharing a portion with our church, my earnings are the “extra” that is set aside to update our home which was built in the 70’s. So far we have redone one of our bathrooms, updated the family room, laid new carpet throughout (good-bye ugly brown), replaced the windows and landscaped. Our next big project is the kitchen.

What do you like best about being a member of The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative?

It is a group of dedicated TPT sellers who are also excellent teachers. We have a common goal of improving our teaching as well as the resources in our stores.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products

http://gofigurewithscipi.blogspot.com/

http://pinterest.com/scipi/

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Test Prep Tournaments For Any Grade and Any Subject - On Sale May 7th & 8th

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Test-Prep-Tournaments-For-Any-Grade-and-Any-Subject-78992

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a sitewide sale on May 7th and 8th! Use the promo code TPTXO and receive 10% off all Teachers Pay Teachers' products. Take an additional 20% off all of my products at TpT.

The revised version of "Test Prep Tournaments For Any Grade and Any Subject" has 12 test prep tournaments. Students will have fun reviewing for your state's standardized tests, district tests, and classroom tests. The 72 pages include football, baseball, and tic-tac-toe game boards & specific directions for 12 tournaments.

The tournaments may be used for any grade and any subject, but you need to supply the questions you want your students to study. Go to the Internet to access your state's released questions of past standardized tests. Use questions from test prep booklets or your classroom textbooks. Write your own questions to review the skills you want your students to learn.

Students may review spelling words, vocabulary definitions, and important events in social studies in whole class tournaments or at a learning center. Students may work in cooperative groups to solve computation problems or word problems.

These tournaments work! My students took the California Standards Test. When comparing my students' California Standards Test scores with me and how they had done the year before, one student went from Far Below Basic in second grade to Below Basic to Basic to Proficient with me in third grade and went up three levels. Three of my students went up two levels. Nine of my students went up one level. Three students stayed in their same level from second grade to third grade (one student was Proficient and stayed Proficient & two students were Advanced and stayed Advanced.) The final student in my class last year did not have a second grade test score, but scored Advanced in my class. I receive similar test scores each year.

Have fun,
Vicky

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

"Easy Art" Lesson: "Spring on a String"

Visual Arts by Laurie Carpenter
1st-6th grades

The elementary children will enjoy a fun, spring activity that can be completed easily in the grade level classroom, home school, or art room. The project provides a quiet, independent activity for on-going seat work. The DETAILED lesson plan provides printable patterns to be used with primary students and is easily adapted to the skilled higher abilities of the older children. There is also opportunity in this project to introduce scientific realistic facts OR, go the opposite direction, with a totally creative approach to the items on the string. Please check out my additional lesson plans@
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-on-a-String-and-easy-art-craftivity-1161280.

PRICES HAVE BEEN REDUCED ON MANY OF MY SPRING PROJECTS!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Art-Action-Laurie-Carpenter

http://www.pinterest.com/lauriecarpe/

Loving Language Arts sells high quality Common Core aligned reading, writing, and language lessons for upper elementary, middle school, and high school ELA and ELA in Science and Social Studies. High interest!!!

TAKE AN EXTRA 20% OFF at the 2-day sale (May 6-7) on all my products!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative - On Sale May 6th & 7th

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Best-of-Teacher-Entrepreneurs-Marketing-Cooperative-1054613

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a sitewide sale on May 6th and 7th! Use the promo code TPTXO and receive 10% off all Teachers Pay Teachers' products. Take an additional 20% off all of my products at TpT.

Join The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative and use the power of the group to help you create and market your TpT products!

Don’t have time to create a blog? Already have a blog, but would like thousands more page views of your TpT products? Members will be able to advertise their TpT free products, priced products, sales, promotions, and/or articles on my blog, The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs. One post a day means 365 days of advertising in one year’s membership! Your daily posts will be seen by thousands of potential buyers.

Only members may join my exclusive Pinterest board, FREE LESSONS & PRICED LESSONS - The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. Members may post up to three pins per day. In doing so, they promise to repin any of the posts on this collaborative board to another Pinterest board. Thousands of links may be made to your TpT store, TpT products’ pages, personal blog, and your daily blog post at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs!

Become a Pinterest Partner with other members of the Marketing Cooperative and work together to get your pins splashed all over the Internet.

Use our private email system to optimize the full potential of your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter accounts.

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"I highly recommend this product! I have only been a member for about a week and have seen a huge difference in sales and followers! I am now on the first page of Top Texas sellers and moving up!"
~Julie Jackson Amick
member of The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Educating-Everyone-4-Life

"TBTOE is filled with educators who truly desire to help each other reach as many teachers/buyers as possible, which makes it an awesome site. Vicky Leon is extremely patient explaining and clarifying site procedures with new collaborators. This is an awesome group of people."
~Connie Casserly
member of The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Connie

"I am just a beginner at TBOTEMC (as well as TPT), but, am so excited already. Vicky has been so very helpful at getting me started and has quickly answered my many questions. Input from another member, Julie Jackson, has made me want to spend every minute I can growing with this new adventure that has been so successful for her.
Thanks,
Laurie
member of The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Art-Action-Laurie-Carpenter

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Friday, May 2, 2014

FREE "EASY-ART" LESSON "ART ACTION COLOR CREATION #1 - RAINBOWS"

by Laurie Carpenter

Visual Arts

2nd - 4th grades

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ART-ACTION-Color-Creation1-Rainbows-802881

The children will discover the magic of mixing colors as they create the rainbow in this art project suitable for classroom, home school, or art room. In the project, the students learn the three primary colors of red, yellow, and blue, and have the experience of mixing them to create the three secondary colors of orange, green, and purple. Through class discussion, they will also share experiences of observing and discovering the beauty of a rainbow.

Children will discover the fun of a rainbow as the paint gently fuses together to magically create the colors of our world - just like it does in the sky!

Please check out my additional lesson plans @
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Art-Action-Laurie-Carpenter

http://www.pinterest.com/lauriecarpe/

TpT is having a sale on May 6th and 7th!

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a Cyber Sale! Use the promo code TPTXO and receive 10% off all Teachers Pay Teachers' products. Take an additional 20% off all of my products at TpT.

Go to my TpT store at...

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Victoria-Leon

Some of my best-selling TpT products are...

The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Best-of-Teacher-Entrepreneurs-Marketing-Cooperative-1054613

Mother's Day Coupons - 3 Versions

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mothers-Day-Coupons-3-Versions

Accelerated Reader Color-Coded AND Book Level Labels

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Accelerated-Reader-Color-Coded-AND-Book-Level-Labels

Test Prep Tournaments For Any Grade and Any Subject

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Test-Prep-Tournaments-For-Any-Grade-and-Any-Subject

Teaching Tips From an Award-Winning National Board Certified Teacher

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Tips-From-an-Award-Winning-National-Board-Certified-Teacher

Word Problem of the Day - 200 Word Problems & Charts

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Problem-of-the-Day-200-Word-Problems-Charts

40 Multiplication Bingo Cards, War, and Times Table Flashcards

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/40-Multiplication-Bingo-Cards-War-and-Times-Table-Flashcards

Subtraction Game - 3 Game Boards

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Subtraction-Game-3-Game-Boards

Multiplication Game - 9 Game Boards

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Multiplication-Game-9-Game-Boards

Plural Words - 7 Worksheets & 6 Charts

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plural-Words-7-Worksheets-6-Charts

Spelling Words Every Student Should Know - 46 Units & 46 Worksheets

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Words-Every-Student-Should-Know-46-Units-46-Worksheets

About Me

I received the Crystal Apple Award from N.B.C. News. The "Excellence in Teaching" Award was given to me by the Los Angeles Unified School District's Los Angeles Educational Partnership. My Math Team won the first place trophy four times in the Los Angeles Unified School District's Math Tournament. I am most proud of my after school Accelerated Reader Program in which Huntington Drive students have read thousands of books each year. In 2000, I became a National Board Certified Teacher and renewed my certification in 2009. I have been a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District since 1982. I sell Teachers Pay Teachers lessons at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Victoria-Leon/. I created the blogs, The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs, The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs II, and The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs III. Members of The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative work together to create and market their TpT products - http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Best-of-Teacher-Entrepreneurs-Marketing-Cooperative-1054613. Feel free to email me at vleon999@yahoo.com.