31 years on the 31st!

Tomorrow is our 31st wedding anniversary! Here we are at the yummy dinner my mother-in-law treated us to last night.

I decided to put all my TPT products on sale for 20% off, all day on the 31st, just for the heck of it!

Where's the Bacon?

I recently discovered Ree Drummond's books about Charlie the Ranch Dog. Don't you think kids will love this very readable book? Ready for a unit?

Art and Color! A House for Hermit Crab

I have done this unit with all levels of primary Special Education children and English Language Learners. The art activity always comes out looking colorful and wonderful! Then we add writing to go alongside and voila- a great end-of-summer bulletin board! Even though I keep hearing that the Common Core Standards have lots of non-fiction skills, I was happy to see that this oldie-but-goodie aligns quite nicely with some important reading, writing, and language skills.
Isn't Eric Carle a genius?


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-House-for-Hermit-Crab-Art-and-Balanced-Literacy-791921

Being a Resource Specialist is a blast(but a lot of hard work)~

It's the best job in the world! Being a Resource Specialist is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle in some ways- and there is never a dull moment. I put together this manual because I really do think I have learned a few shortcuts over the years. I started out as a special ed aide in 1980 and have taught K-12, been a program specialist (no thanks, I like my family of students and teachers), and for the last almost 20 years have taught at a small Title I elementary school on the California coast. I have received excellent feedback on this manual, and plan to improve it over the months to come. I am going to send out 3 Free "How to be a Resource Specialist" manuals to the first people who comment on my blog! And please give me any ideas you have for more tips you would like me to include! Enjoy! 

Laura

A House for Hermit Crab/ Eric Carle.......Art Activity!

I put together this art activity for my students, and each one comes out beautiful and unique! Stay tuned for a complete lesson~

Duke and beach camping

Someone needs to remind me to never look at those rescue organizations when they have their dogs out for people to check out! 8 year-old Duke was in Ventura with the German Shorthair Rescue Association, and we met him 3 weeks ago. When we got home, I asked my husband- Do you think we should get him? 

If you knew my husband, you would know that is all I would need to say. After an extensive application, interview phone calls, and a 5 hour trip to the desert, where he was living in an outdoor kennel which was situated between the train and the freeway, we were able to bring him home.

We have had Duke for 9 days and so far:

He ran through a hog-wire fence.

Got scratched by the cat

Ran beneath a mother horse nursing her foal, got stepped on, and 6 stiches

Ran away from my son's home(while he was babysitting), and became famous in our town by his frequent sightings in the two hours he was gone.....but showed up trotting down the sidewalk to our house 

Ate an entire meatloaf, stayed up all night bloated and whining in pain until we got him into the vet to get de-gassed the next morning-

We took these pictures on our camping trip, and as you can see, he has become a member of our family, in spite of the above incidents!

I took my Lucy Calkins books on the camping trip, but they never left my canvas tote. Heck, there are still some weeks of reading time this summer! 

Laura

I ordered this book!

Sasha at The Autism Helper recommended this book to me, and after looking through the previews on Amazon, I have ordered it. This looks like the type of book that I wish I had years ago! Next year I will have 4 kids on the spectrum on my caseload and will be supporting them in their general ed classes.  Of course, they are all in different grades.....One teacher emailed me and asked for books to read about autism, so I was thrilled to learn about "You're Going to Love this Kid! Thank you Sasha!

Cooking Club~ Informational Text

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Recipe-For-Informational-Text-766204

It's done! How about a FREEBIE? Tomorrow, Thursday July 11, from 4-5 PM Pacific Time-
Here's another peek:

I am completely redoing " A Recipe For..." and have included a scripted mini-unit. I have had sooooo much fun having a cooking club once a month at lunchtime. I have a few resource students and then the other kids just beg to come once they hear that we are cooking. Then I follow-up in my class with informational text minilessons and other language arts work related to these colorful cookbooks!

Mud and Dirt

FREEBIE! Tuesday July 9 between 4 and 5 PM Pacific Time! I will make this cool unit free- Pleeeease  leave feedback on my TPT site! Laura

I completely revamped my Mud and Dirt Unit.....this makes me excited to be a teacher!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Time-for-Mud-and-Dirt-A-Literacy-Unit-755734

Why I Love Living in the United States

Kids love making this cake during summer school! They are so proud! We write about how much we love living in the U.S. Not everyone in the group is necessarily an American citizen, so this prompt covers us all. The responses are lovely.