Friday FREE FOR ALL!!

It's a Friday free for all where every Friday teachers and educators are linky up with some great FREE resources!!! Be sure to add the link to your blog and link back here.  

My Friday FREE FOR ALL this Friday is

iREAD bulletin board printable.  This is great to great an attractive bulletin board of your students reading.

be sure to link up with your FREEBIE!!

Elementary Library Lesson BUNDLE

I have finally!!!!!  Bundles all my TpT Elementary Library Lessons in one nice packet to save you over 20%!!!!!  I also included The Busy Librarian's Survival Kit.

Be sure to purchase the entire BUNDLE to save save save!!

Hope you enjoy and if you are doing centers, get ready for my Elementary Library Center BUNDLE!!!

Creating your own TpT products!

So I made a product in my store called How to Create TpT products without spending a dime and since then I have changed my blog name.  YIKES!
As promised I wanted to be sure to add additional information as I learn on how to create things for TpT
Well since I have made this product there has been several others to come up with tutorials and helpful hints.  Therefore, instead of reinventing the wheel, I will just link to them.!

The first tutorial that is quite helpful is from The 3am Teacher.  She has lots of cute things in here store and free frames and clip art to help you get started on attractive products to catch the buyers eye!
You can see her tutorial here

Here is also a VIDEO Tutorial by Katie Knight that is really great!

Sooo I hope this helps get you started!!!

Friday FREE FOR ALL!

It's a Friday free for all where every Friday teachers and educators are linky up with some great FREE resources!!! Be sure to add the link to your blog and link back here.  

My Friday FREE FOR ALL this Friday is

the free analog clock clip art.  Be sure to check it out.

Great to create your own lessons, smartboard activities, printables and more.

Click on the Clock to get yours!

What's your Friday FREE FOR ALL?

Five for Friday

Here we go! So this week I was out at a convergent meeting with all the tech and media people in my county! Great minds coming together and sharing ideas. I am going to share some of those things through my Five for Friday!  Be sure to click on the picture below to link to Doodle Bugs Five for Friday!!

My first is SKYPE in the classroom.  I love it!  You can do a mystery skype and have students guess where the others live.  You can skype with others about anything.  YOU MUST go and sign up for skype in the classroom and connect with others.  Look in my sidebar, I am trying to get with others and skype about Holidays Around the World!! 

So much awesomeness at these meetings I couldn't help but share WONDEROPOLIS!  If you haven't heard of it you must go check it out!!  What a great way to get students ALL AGES to begin thinking! Matter of fact, I am presenting today!! HERE is the presentation.  I am tying it in to my research model process. Feel free to use it!!!

Oh My, such greatness from this conference.  Another thing I am learning is tweeting!  If you don't tweet, don't be scared.  It is an awesome way to spread the news, share ideas, connect with others and classrooms.  You can tweet with me at @summersusu!  Check out the Library Girl's tweet to.  There are so many tweet meetings and sharing times that you are missing out on so do it!!

So I am trying to do a weekly Throwback Thursday.  Just started last week.  I want to share tried and true ideas that you always go back to.  Who else wants to join.  So far I think my linky folks missed the idea that I want links to blogs writing about those tried and true things, not a link to a product.  HELP...maybe my linky party is a bust?

And last, We celebrated my youngest birthday :)

On the left, turned 6.  Where did the time go and my oldest on the right.  Got an amazing Living Social deal at Monkey Joes cause Lord knows I couldn't afford it otherwise.  We were able to invite the whole class!  We had a blast!

Throwback Thursday

It's that time again
Please be sure to link to your BLOG not your TpT store.
Looking for tried and true things you have used in your teaching experience that always works over the years.
Be sure to click on the link below to add your blog link and copy the picture to add to your blog.

My throw back tried and true is bubbles and hugs.

When I ask my students to stand and line up I say, bubbles and hugs.  Students know to put a bubble in their mouth and a hug around their library book.

Love hugs and bubbles.

Add your tried and true below.

Throwback Thursday Tried and True

A linky party of tried and true routines, books, lessons, or other aspects of teaching that you go back to time and time again.

I'm hosting a Throw Back Thursday Tried and True linky party and hope you can join.  I am hoping we can throw back each week those tried and true lessons, read alouds, class routines or whatever aspect of teaching that has always worked for you.  What are those things that you go back to time and time again that never out date themselves.

I am a teacher librarian so my throwback Thursday is Mr. Wiggles.. I have used those book care books for years and they never get old.

Kinders love Mr Wiggles and it really gets to the point of book care.  

I never get tired of him and the kids don't either.

What is your Throwback Tried and True.

Be sure to grab the image and link back here!

An InLinkz Link-up

Skippyjon Jones Centers FREEBIE

I have began my centers for the year in the school library.
This year it has been more of a process because I want all the centers to be meaningful.

I see k-2 once a week.

Because we have been reading Skippyjon Jones, I decided to begin my first round of centers based on him.

Here are my center signs which I completely stole the idea from Pinterest and now can't remember who from...sorry, Ill come back when it comes to me.

Children know they must check out a book and they must visit ONE center.  I also printed the names of the students on a spreadsheet because I want to be sure that I know when someone has gone to the same one over and over...up to you how you would do it.

I also chose three IPADs and downloaded Make Dice Lite.  Love love love this app.  You can use as many dice as you want, any color and you can add words, letters, numbers.  

Here I have to dice on the Ipad.  Students did a math roll.  They roll the dice and create a number sentence.

Here the student rolled 2 and 1 so they write that in the blanks and solve.

I used the app and created a MUY Loco vs Good Dude words printable.  Students roll the two dice, one has a consonant and the other as a blend like ap,at, an.  Students roll the dice and if it is a word they write it under Good Dude, if it is not, they write it under MUY Loco.

I also put an IPAD at the Skippy Game with one die.  Students roll the die on the IPad and play the game.

My other centers were listening center with a Skippy book, Computers where they listened to two Skippy books on Youtube, Be a Skippy illustrator, where the students had directions on how to draw a chihuahua (Google it and you can find the print out) and the Skippy Hidden picture.  Which is included in this freebie.

There is also a Siamese vs Chihuahua handout where I thought I might have a center with books about both and let students write about each one but I haven't used that yet. 

Pick up your FREEBIE HERE and HERE with center signs and all.  Hope you enjoy!

Five for Friday Linky

I am linking up with DoodleBugsTeaching Five for Friday Linky.

It's where we link and post five things we did Friday or this week and link to other blogs.

It has been a fun and filled week with the Book Fair in full force.  If you don't know, I am a teacher librarian in charge of the media center and 780 k-5th graders.

This year I had the most participation in book fair and to add participation in the character dress up day, I offered a prize to the top three teachers that dressed up.
And the prize was, 90 minutes child free lunch!!

Boy did I get some participation there.  And I covered one of the lunches already, only two more to go. Here is the first, second, and third place winners.

If you give a mouse a cookie

Click Clack Moo

Harry Potter

And of course me and my tech assistant dressed up with our homemade Pete Shoes

Me on the left and Pam on the right

On Wednesday we dressed to the theme of books are Pinkalicious.  We also wanted to keep with the Breast Cancer awareness theme for the month of October so of course me and Pam had to go over and beyond crazy pink!!  Me on the left and her on the right.

How awesome is it when you get to see the kids' creations.  This year we did the storybook pumpkin patch during the book fair so that was our book fair theme.  I had an overwhelming response even though it was optional.  This is my favorite SPLAT!!

And of course to wrap the book fair up, we ended it with the theme, snuggle up with a good book.  Here are a few of us in our pj's!

Be sure to link up with your Five for Friday!!

Creepy Carrots

It's that time of year and FALL is my favorite.  I love the colors, the smells, the weather and most of all the books!!

My favorite is CREEPY CARROTS by Aaron Reynolds.

I love the illustrations and the cute story.

I read it to my second grade class and we talked about MOOD.  We looked at the pictures and talked about how the illustrator uses black and shadows to set the mood.

Before reading the story I showed students the anchor chart I made and told them what mood was.  Then I asked them the mood of this carrot.  

As we read, we stopped at points and talked about how the illustrations of black and shadows set the creepy scary mood.

Then we talked about different moods.

I created this freebie for students to create their own creepy character.  I asked them to choose any mood.  Some of the students really went off and turned out great!

Needs versus Wants with Kindergarten

I try each year to incorporate some part of the classroom curriculum into my mini lessons.  Today I worked with Kindergarten on Needs vs Wants.

I used the Charlie and Lola book, "I really, really need actual ice skates".  I read the book and then talked to students about what the difference in needs vs wants was.

You can find ALOT of free smartboard lessons on smart exchange as well as TpT freebies.
Kids enjoyed the video as well on Youtube.  Love me some YouTube in the classroom.

So cute!

What does The Parts of a Library Patron look like?

I have seen these cute and adorable little posters on TpT and Pinterest and love them.  So I wanted to make one for my library.
We are really pushing to wear our ARMOR in our school because we are Knights so I wanted to incorporate that as well.  So here it is....

Armor in the Library YAY!
How cute is that if I say so myself ;)

And of course I couldn't leave my library folks out so here you go as well
Click HERE to download yours!!!!!!!

Hope you ENJOY the FREEBIE!!!!

Back to School

I know, Back to School....just now posting after three weeks of school.  If you are a media specialist than you know those first weeks are full of tech trouble shooting, connecting equipment for teachers, getting your space ready for the kiddos and so much more!!

Im soooo excited that we are starting our year off with a new principal that is excited about our school and making this a great place to be.

To start a new year I want to change things up a bit and provide more opportunities for the kiddos to participate.

Sooooo where else to go but PINTEREST :)

Got these ideas off pinterest and LOVE it.

The first one is "You should REALLY read this" bulletin.  I laminated the paper and put sticky notes in a bucket and attached it to the wall.  Whenever students or STAFF want to suggest a book, they get a sticky, write the name and put it under their grade level.  

love reading what they suggest!

I also was looking for ways to show how the media center impacts students and their learning.

So another sticky area.  This one is What did YOU learn today.  I told students it can be from a book they checked out or from something I taught.

This is a great idea to show others what is going on in the media center and what students are learning.  Sometimes I require students to fill a note out before leaving and sometimes I make it optional.

Hope these are helpful to you and your library!! Would love to here your wonderful ideas as well because you know we all are doing WONDERFUL things!!

Library Interactive Notebook

So Ive seen all the wonderful things Interactive Notebooks are doing in the classroom.  Just Google the word or search it on Pinterest and the results are overwhelming.
Ive always wanted the students in my media center to keep some sort of notebook, journal of some kind where they could document what they have learned, keep a running record of notes or research they were doing and have something they could refer back to throughout the year....
So BINGO, what about an interactive notebook for the library?
Yes Please.
Here it is....

My kids love it, I love it, and it also is another document of what we do in the elementary library!  You can get it here at my TpT store!  and be sure to follow my store so you get updates on additions to this notebook.

Introducing a New Look

I have been working hard to create useful clips for FREE.  I have changed my look and added a logo to make it easier to find me.

Here are a couple of my FREE CLIP ART

Click HERE to get it FREE at my TpT store.

My goal is to be a better blogger so I can share my freebies with more people.  I'm trying, its just sooooo hard.
Grab these free chick and bunny clip art too.

Just click HERE
And one more you are sure to love for your classroom needs is the ANALOG CLOCKS....FREE

pick them up HERE is my TpT store FREE!!!

Read Across America

I am getting excited about Read Across America this year.  We are taking a new approach and instead of focusing on all "Seuss" themed activities, we are using the theme, "Reading gives you Superpowers".  We are reading Ladybug Girl and Bumble Bee Boy  Students will dress as a super hero on Friday to close the celebration.  I will post pics of all the fun.
Here is a letter that we are sending home.

Here is an awesome video where David Pilkey made talking about reading superpowers.

Pictures to come.

My Heart is Like a Zoo

What is your heart like?
That is what I ask my students after reading, My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall.
What a great book to use around Valentine's Day and also for using when teaching similes.  Students also like counting how many hearts it takes to make an animal.
Here is a FREEBIE that I created for kindergartners do work on after reading the book.

Rallying for Rusty

Here is the awesome Bundle of teacher pay teacher products from the Top sellers.  All to help out a family.  Even if you don't know the family this is a chance to get awesome products for next to nothing.

Rallying4Rusty

Rallying for Rusty UPDATE

YAY!!! Thank you thank you thank you to all that have donated.
TpT is the best and because of them, I have an AWESOME bundle to raise money for Rallying for Rusty.
The preview of the BUNDLE is up!
The product will go on sale the month of Feb.
Go ahead and take a look and see what is in the BUNDLE!
I have products from SEVERAL top TpT sellers so you know the Bundle is Worth the money.
It's a Win Win.  You are contributing to a good cause and getting awesome deal on some great products!

Here is the link to the store....just click on the picture.
Bookmark it so you can make your donation and get the Bundle in Feb!

Rallying for Rusty

Rally For Rusty Fundraiser PLEASE HELP(teachers helping teachers) 

What better way to help another teacher out than hold a fundraiser with awesome resources for teachers.

Recently a former teacher and colleague of mine was hit with a horrible situation.
Over Christmas break her husband was experiencing flu like symptoms.  She took him to urgent care and was sent home with instructions to rest and drink fluids.  After a continued fever, she took him back to his primary physician.  There he was rushed to the hospital and admitted.  After blood test it was found that he was septic, a bacteria had taken over and his organs would eventually shut down.  This was on Christmas DAY.  What was a healthy normal man was now on the verge of death.  By the grace of God and the help of doctors, his body fought hard.  Through only a miracle he is alive and slowly improving.  However, due to the sepsis, while in ICU, doctors had to amputate his legs below the knee and Today they are having to amputate his right hand.  As awful as it all sounds, the family is just happy to have their husband and father. 

I would like to create a FUNDRAISER for this teacher to help out with the challenges they will face and are facing.  I can't imagine having to go through this and know on a teacher's retirement salary that I would face these financial and emotional challenges.  This teacher is the sweetest and kindness person I know and would give you the shirt off her back and I feel the urge to do the same for her.

You can read the whole story and updates about her husband at this site.  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rusty … f1/mystory

Please feel out this form if you have an awesome product you are willing to donate to the cause.
I will then create a store just for that with a bundle of the products.  The store name will be Rallying for Rusty.

FORM
http://www.formpl.us/form/0B9exgJuqjWgHSUVEV3BCR2hBUDg


Thanks you so much for all your help!!!!

Welcome!  Click the red star above to follow me for freebies and notifications for new products!

Awesome Reads

Just received NEW BOOKS!!!!! YAY!  So I thought I would highlight two of my favorites!!!!!!!

1. Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett

Oh MY!! love this book.
Great for introducing Author and Illustrator and GREAT for teaching humor, dialogue.  The author and illustrator begin to argue in the book about what the pictures should look like.  The author writing the story has one idea of how the pictures should be illustrated and the illustrator has another.
Also would be an awesome writing and illustrating activity where one students writes a short story and another students does the illustrator to compare how the story is seen in each persons eyes.
OR
You give students a short story, have them illustrate it, and then share and compare.

2. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

What an awesome story and oppurtunity for students to make many inferences.  This story is two seperate stories, one in picture and one in words.  The characters in each story struggle through similar situations and at the end, meet up to uncover an awesome tale.  

Don't be intimidated by the pages, half of the book is told in picture and half in words so it makes for a quick read.  I did complete a Wonderstruck unit you can purchase at my TpT store.  Just click on the link in the sidebar.

Would love to hear about your favorite books!

FREEBIE

I saw this cute bulletin board idea on Pinterest and just had to have it.  For some reason I can not find the originator of this cute idea so I created my own.

So cute and I think I am going to keep it up for a while and just change out the pics.  The students love going by and looking at the pictures of students reading.
You can grab the header and the IPOD like clipart in my TpT store...don't worry, it's free!