Category Archives: Giveaways
And the winners are…
Thanks to those of you who entered my little giveaway. Ten of you have won a 2 month subscription to indie flix. I hope that you find some great films to show your class before you finish up for the year, or get some ideas for next year.
The winners are:
As an added bonus, one of you also mentioned a fantastic site in your comment that I have since checked out and WILL USE FOR SURE next year. So, thank you to Vanessa for your awesome suggestion. When you have a few minutes, check out: Film English. It’s got short films, listed by appropriate grade level and have accompanying lesson plans. Just excellent!
And the winner is…(Plus Info on Student Blogging)
Thank you to all who hopped on over and followed our blogs and TPT Stores last weekend! Your participation in this little event was awesome! We do have a winner to announce
Drumroll please……
Teachingisagift McKay – your resources and Amazon gift code are on the way! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter!
I want to mention one more thing this evening. My post just went live on Global Teacher Connect yesterday and it’s about student blogging. I’d really encourage you to have a peek if you are currently blogging with your students OR if it’s something that you’d be interested in trying next year. I have a Collaborative Project: Student Blogging Form that you can fill out with your info so that you are able to contact each other and pair yourselves up! So far, there are teachers from Morocco, US, Canada, Ecuador and Bermuda who would like to blog this year or next! How cool is that?
If you would like to be contacted next year for blogging – just add that as a note on the form. We already have two teachers who have posted their info, who would be interested in something for next school year.
I’ve just started blogging with my students in the last month or so and we’re about to collaborate with another school on the Island and one in Ontario, Canada. The kids are trying to “fix up” their blogs a bit more for their audience – which is what we want! We want them writing for a purpose, and with an audience in mind! Anyhow, I can see this evolving into something more for next year. Maybe even a “Blog-folio” type of idea. Regular blogging would be great, but also, having their best pieces of writing displayed for an audience would be so cool. It would also be neat to see their writing abilities progress through the year. Anyhow, I am quite excited about what we’ve done with the blogs so far, although we all still have much to learn!
Check out the post on GTC and even if you’d be interested in having your students READ the student blogs and comment on them – fill out the form! The wider the audience the better! Plus, I’d love for my students to get comments from kids all around the world. That would be a big part of my ultimate goal. (I’ll be working on this next year…so stay tuned if you’re at all interested…)
That’s it for this evening! Please leave a comment here or on the Global Teacher Connect post if you have any tips or questions for me about student blogging.
School’s (Almost) Out Blog Hop and Giveaway
I know what you’re thinking! What do you mean school’s almost out? We have 2 months to go! Well, I wanted to have one more giveaway before it got too close to the end of the school year to use the awesome ideas and resources you’ll find in this event!
So, I’ve teamed up a new blogger-friend, Joey, from Create, Teach and Share. We’ve come up with this fantastic blog hop and giveaway! The participating bloggers are below. Be sure to hop to each of their blogs this weekend, check out their posts and give them a follow. The theme of the blog hop is “year-end” and so I know that you’ll find some great ideas for the end of the school year and because of the timing – you’ll be able to use them this school year. Per-ty smart, huh?
So, for my post in this School’s (Almost) Out Blog Hop, I’ve got three “End of Year” inspired ideas!
1) I am a reflective person by nature and so I made a little Student Reflection freebie for students to think back on the year that was. You can have them fill it out, decorate it and then laminate the reflections and give them back with report cards, or use them as a display for “closing ceremonies”. I know that I would love to have a little memento from my school year and so I hope that they will as well.
2) In my school, the students “graduate” in grade seven as we are currently a grade K-7 school. I always do a slide show presentation for their ”graduation” and so at this point in the year I’m on the lookout for songs that would be useable for the slide show. Just in case you’re in the same boat – here are a few songs for you to consider! (I’ve included the versions with lyrics:)
3) Do you get your students gifts at the end of the school year? I never did, until last year (too cheap). I got this idea from Confessions of a Teaching Junkie last spring. It’s a Wordle! What’s a wordle, you ask? Well, it’s word art. This is how I did it.
In June, I gave the students a class list and told them that I was planning something for them, but that I couldn’t give them any details. I asked the students to put a kind word/compliment beside each classmate’s name (and gave lots of appropriate examples to begin with). Athletic, kind, creative, musical, funny – you name it. I collected and compiled the compliments. Then, I used the Wordle website to make a personalized piece of word art for each student containing their name and all of the kind words that their classmates said about them. I also framed the wordles with dollar store frames, to make them more substantial. The finished product was really beautiful! The kids appreciated them on graduation night – and I think I’ll have to do them again this year because they were so well received!
Okay, that’s just about it from me. Be sure to hop over to my co-host’s blog Create, Teach and Share - you’ll love her! She’s awesome, as are the dozen teacher-bloggers below who have joined in the fun this weekend. Grab a cup of coffee, kick back and enjoy. Oh and of course, don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post!
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Lots of awesome prizes to be won by ONE Grand Prize Winner!
Thanks again to the teachers above for their donations! Both Joey and I are giving you a choice of any three items in our TPT Stores and there’s a $35.00 Amazon gift card thrown in there as well:)
I’ve been super excited for this event, so I hope you enjoy it!
PLEASE NOTE: Just in case you’re new to Rafflecopter, clicking the “Follow Me” link on the widget doesn’t automatically follow the stores and blogs of the contributing teachers. It takes you to the store or blog and it’s up to you to follow once you’re there. If it’s a TPT Store, click on the red “Follow Me” above their name. If it’s a blog, look for how to follow them on the side bar – usually there are a few options. When you “Like” a Facebook link, it is automatic and then you can enter.
Why can’t we make the papers for something positive?
A little stressed here this evening….
We just got news that the three classes of students in the basement of our building must be relocated to other areas of our school immediately. This means that we will lose our Tech lab, part of our library and our staff room and that those teachers will be in make-shift classrooms for the remainder of the school year, and potentially into next year. Awesome.
I don’t really care about losing those areas – as much as it sucks. The health of our kids and our staff is what matters. We have been battling with a few air quality concerns in our school for a while now, and things just aren’t getting any better.
Rather than holding our PLC meetings tomorrow, as planned, our staff will be helping to pack up boxes for those teachers who must vacate their rooms. We got this news today and the kids will be in their new “classrooms” on Monday. With only two months left in the school year, it’s just not the extra stress that anyone wants right now.
I know that there are more important things to worry about in the world, and that in the grand scheme of things, this is not even a blip on the screen. I know that. Rest assured I know how lucky I am -a new/renovated school is planned for us for 2014. However, the pressure and tension in our school today was evident and I hate that feeling!
I’m about to sound worse than one of the kids with my exaggeration, but why are we never in the papers for something positive?
High Radon Levels Found in Souris
Enough of the ”poor me” attitude … Thanks for allowing me to vent. I don’t do it often – but it was just one of those days!
The actual reason that I sat down to write this evening was to let you know about a giveaway and blog hop that I’ll be co-hosting this weekend with my blogger-friend Joey, from Create, Teach and Share. It’s a “School’s (Almost) Out” blog hop and giveaway and is aimed at you awesome middle school teachers, of course! Be sure to check back this weekend to partake in some fantastic blog posts, freebies, and of course to enter the giveaway.
My Blog Birthday Winners, A Canadian Teacher-Blogger Link-Up, and Great Giveaways
This post is a little bit of a mish-mash!
First, thanks so much to all of you who entered (and contributed to) my Blog Birthday Giveaway. The winners of the packages have been contacted and have begun to receive their prizes!
#1 Lesley
#2 Sue
#3 Ursula
#4 Lee Ann
#5 Brianne
#6 Beth Ann
#7 Ann
#8 Laura
#9 Susan
My TPT Store shopping spree winners: Kari and Amanda
Thanks for all of your comments, your follows and your support! It was a great first blog birthday. Here’s to many more.
Second, I just found a new link-up for you Canadian bloggers out there! If you’re a Canadian teacher-blogger and would like to link up – The Adventures of an Occasional Teacher would love to have you!
Finally, some wonderful giveaways for you to enter!
Tammy at Teaching FSL is celebrating her first Blogiversary with a great giveaway and I am so happy to be a part of it. Lots of amazing teacher resources to be won! Head over to her blog to enter now!
Who likes coffee? How about TeachersPayTeachers gift certificates? Fifth is Fabulous is having a giveaway – just because. There’s a $25 TPT gift certificate and a $25 Starbucks gift certificate up for grabs.
If you have a long weekend like me (it’s Islander Day here in PEI tomorrow) – have an extra cup of coffee tomorrow morning and enjoy your day! If you’re back to work as usual, I hope you have a painless Monday;)
What do you have coming up this week in your classroom? We’re working on divisibility, fractions and free verse poetry (among other things, of course).
Celebrating My First Blog Birthday with a BIG Giveaway! $500 in Resources and Gift Certificates to be Won!
**~** This giveaway has now ended. Thanks everyone for making it such a success! The winners have been notified and I’ll wait to hear back from them before I post…**~**
I can’t believe it’s been a year!
I had no idea when I began Lessons From The Middle a year ago, that I would learn so much and meet so many amazing teachers in such a short span of time. I’ve said this before, but the connections and ideas that I get from all of you are simply awesome and I know that they have made me a better teacher. For this, I thank you.
Now, let’s not waste any time getting to the good stuff. I was taught that it’s better to give than to receive. So…. of course I’ve got a giveaway for you!
So many generous teachers and teacher-bloggers have donated their products and gift certificates for this giveaway (you all rock, by the way) totaling about $500 which is simply incredible!
There are NINE prize packages to be won, based on grade level (keep in mind that some items are grouped in one grade level, but may also be appropriate for other grade levels as well – a bit higher or a bit lower). You may enter to win all nine prize packages, or just the ones most suitable for your grade level.
I’ve decided to keep the prize packages a bit of a mystery – a birthday surprise for the winners, if you will. SO, you’ll know the grade level, approximate value and general contents of each package, but not the exact items until you win! Fun, eh? Think of each prize package as a beautifully wrapped birthday gift just begging to be opened! Who doesn’t like a little mystery?
In addition to the NINE prize packages, donated by 95 teachers and teacher-bloggers, there will also be TWO $50 shopping sprees in my TeachersPayTeachers Store to be won. To qualify to win one of these, simply comment on this blog post as one of your entries in the prize package(s) of your choice. Then, I’ll use a random number generator to choose TWO lucky winners from those comments.
I couldn’t have done this without the generosity of all of the contributors for this giveaway – again thanks so much for helping to make my blog-birthday extra special! Follow them in their TPT Stores, blogs and on Facebook; they are amazing educators with so much to offer (plus these follows earn you more chances to win, of course).
PLEASE NOTE: Just in case you’re new to Rafflecopter, clicking the “Follow Me” link on the widget doesn’t automatically follow the stores and blogs of the contributing teachers. It takes you to the store or blog and it’s up to you to follow once you’re there. If it’s a TPT Store, click on the red “Follow Me” above their name. If it’s a blog, look for how to follow them on the side bar – usually there are a few options. When you “Like” a Facebook link, it is automatic and then you can enter.
Also, each of the nine giveaways will have a winner. Therefore, you’ll need to enter in each of the prize packages that you’d like to win. For example, entering to win Prize Package one, will not enter you to win the awesome resources for Gr 7-9 in Prize Package two.
Let the giveaway begin!
Prize Pack ONE
Grade 7-9
My awesome contributors for this prize package:
Prize Pack THREE
Grade 4 -6
My awesome contributors for this prize package:
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Prize Pack SEVEN
Grade K-3
My awesome contributors for this prize package:
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway runs Feb 8th – 11th.
Winners will be emailed their products and gift certificate codes, so PLEASE make sure to check your email following the 11th (spam folder too) in case you’re a winner! Of course, you can also check back here to see if you may have won. If you do not respond to my email within a week of being notified, another winner will be chosen.
Thanks for celebrating with me!
Buntings by: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cat-Lady-Graphics
Mid Winter Mad Money Giveaway
Some of my amazing bloggy friends and I have teamed up for this Mid Winter Giveaway – just because! We are giving away not one, but TWO $75 gift certificates to TeacherspayTeachers. Per-ty awesome, huh?
This giveaway runs from January 18th and goes until 11:59 PM CST January 21st.
All of the contributing bloggers for this giveaway are listed below. You’ve heard me talk about many of them before, but if you haven’t had a chance to follow them – go check them out! You can earn extra entries for following these lovely folks.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Oh yes…one more thing. Last Friday I had a flash giveaway for a product from my TPT Store. I’d like to throw that out there again today! I’ll run it until the 21st as well. Some of the other bloggers in this giveaway are doing something similar – all the more reason to visit each one! If you’d like to enter to win a product of your choice from my TPT Store, enter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Flash Giveaway Winners and An Outside the US Link-Up
Just a quick post this evening…two things…
1) Thanks to everyone who entered my flash giveaway! I decided to choose three lucky winners and they were Mary B., Carey W. and Sherie R. Carey and Mary chose to receive:
and Sherie received one of my newest items:
This weekend it was a little giveaway – next weekend…I have something BIG planned! Stay tuned because you won’t want to miss out!
2) Making It As A Middle School Teacher is hosting an “Outside the US” link up and so of course I had to link up Lessons From The Middle, as I am in Canada! Check out all of the awesome bloggers from around the globe who have linked up! It’s such an amazing time that we are living in and technology allows us to connect with people from all over so easily. It’s really inspiring to see and read about what’s going on in other teachers’ classrooms in other parts of the world. Thanks for hosting another great link-up Michelle!
What a Great Day! Flash Giveaway for you!
Well I had a fantastic day with my kiddies today. They finally got their individual novels for their book clubs and everything is humming along smoothly. They are continuing to enjoy our read aloud and are beginning to understand the purpose of a Reader Response. The highlight? I had a disengaged student who genuinely does not enjoy school, complete the assigned reading and response. He actually asked if he could write “some stuff down” as he was reading! Umm…ya!! You can take some notes if you want. I tried not to look directly at him…I didn’t want to spook him. Anyway, it was a thing of beauty! I take things one day at a time with him, so I know that tomorrow could very likely be a different story. But hey – today was a good day!
On top of that, I introduced a game in math that I created for my students. They LOVED it! They didn’t want to stop playing. The laughs and engagement were genuine. It was so gratifying – totally worth the time it took me to make it. AND it was a practical assessment for me. As I walked around, it was easy to identify who was struggling with the concept and who “got it”.
Because I had such a great day, I’ve decided to spread the joy. I’m having a FLASH GIVEAWAY until tomorrow evening. As a prize, you can choose any product from my TPT Store! I actually just recently posted a few new products, including the game that my students really enjoyed today, entitled, Mine!
Uncharted Territory…Starting My First Book Club (and an Amazing Giveaway!)
We started our book club yesterday! This is my first one ever (and so I may be asking for advice) but I think the kids are really going to love it! I know what you’re thinking: Why did you launch it on a Friday? That’s another story for another time.
Anyhow, the book club that goes with our grade 7 Language Arts program is themed “This is Who I Am”. It’s all about the type of person you are, how who you are is reflected in choices that you make and how your personality can sometimes be altered by critical and pivotal points in your life. Perfectly suited for grade 7 – it even fits right along with some of our Health outcomes on choices and friendships.
The read aloud for the book club is Firegirl
I think that it was a great choice for the read aloud for a few reasons, but its simplicity is one of them. I think a lot of my students will see themselves or their classmates in the main characters in the novel. And, at the very least, they must consider what they would do if placed into the same situation. What kind of friend would they be? Would they be brave enough to befriend someone who everyone else avoids? It should be interesting and I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going.
What do you think is the most challenging part of running book clubs? What should I be aware of?
Okay – switching gears…
I also have some pretty exciting news for you…An awesome giveaway by Teacher’s Notebook begins today, Jan. 5th and runs until Jan 31st. It’s simple to enter and the winner will receive their choice of an iPad Mini, a Kindle Fire HD or a Nook HD. How amazing would that be? You can enter each day between now and the end of the month – so be sure to take a couple of minutes to get yourself entered! If I win, I want the iPad Mini!
