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My July 2019 Book Reviews
This month I finally got some great reading time and put a dent into my goal for the year. Part of that is because I went on vacation this month and spent a good chunk of time, sitting on the beach on Martha’s Vineyard absorbing a novel. The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer I am a big fan of Brad Meltzer’s writing. He has written some great historical fiction/political thrillers that have kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. But, this book was not quite up to my expectations. I like reading about presidents and I did learn a lot about George Washington in this book. But,…
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Tips to Build an Instagram Following
Creating a following on Instagram can be difficult. I have been working at this for about a year now and I am watching my follower count slowly creep up. I am always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to help run my Instagram account and to build my brand. Be Yourself Creating a personality on Instagram is important. You want your followers to feel like they know you. If the personality that you decide to portray is not your own, it will be difficult to continue it. Decide who you want to be on Instagram. Choose the pieces of your personality that suit your audience. If you have…
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The Best Upper Elementary Read-Aloud Books
Reading aloud to students is so important. Even as students get older, and can read to themselves, they can still benefit from hearing someone read aloud to them. Jim Trelease wrote about this in The Read-Aloud Handbook. Students can benefit from reading books that may be above their reading level. They can benefit from having proficient reading fluency modeled for them. It can expose them to more vocabulary. It gives the whole class something to have discussions on, among other things. I gathered a list of my favorite read-aloud books for upper elementary students. Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling The Harry Potter Series is a personal favorite of mine. …
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How to Become a Teacher Blogger!
Have you ever thought of starting a blog? Are you looking for ways to bring in some extra money? Do you like to write? Maybe starting a blog is something that you would enjoy! If you have ever considered starting a blog, it can be scary! What if I am unsuccessful? What if I stink at it? What if no one reads it? These are all valid concerns, but if you don’t try… you’ll never know! Research the blogging platforms There are so many to choose between. I have a self-hosted blog for which I use Blue Host and WordPress. Blue Host is where I host my website and WordPress…
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How to Prevent Teacher Burnout
For me, I am less than a month into the school year, but it has been a long month! I am already looking for tips and tricks to prevent burnout. Work Out Taking a little time for yourself everyday is a great step toward keeping yourself calm and collected. I like the Rachel Hollis theory of making your body move for 30 minutes every day. Whether you do a half-hour intense workout, or you go for a 30 minute walk after dinner, just let your body move! Working out sends your body a rush of endorphins. This allows your body to feel good and also gives you something to be…
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My June 2019 Book Reviews
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine This was my book club book this month. I personally really liked it but after reading the reviews on Goodreads, I can understand why this book could be triggering to some people. Of the negative reviews, personally, none of those things did I think of or feel while reading the book, but after reading other people comment on them I saw where they were coming from and why they would hate this book. This story was about a girl pretended to be named Amber. She develops a fake life as a sister of someone who passed away from Cystic Fibrosis in order to…
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Grow Your Business with Sales Funnels
Are you looking to kick start your sales? Well, I have some GREAT news! Isa Adney is back with another free webinar to help you grow your business through sales funnels. Why You Need to Use Sales Funnels Believe me, I know you’re thinking right now that this is something that is not for you! Sales funnels are overwhelming, and email, in general, is terrifying and out of my comfort zone. But! If you want to be a successful blogger, you need to be utilizing your email list and constantly communicating with those customers. Sales funnels, when done well, are a great way of building a relationship with your audience,…
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My May 2019 Book Reviews
The school year is starting to wind down and I am looking forward to getting a lot of reading done this summer. I have visions of myself sitting by the pool reading book after book. But, we all know that is not going to happen quite as I plan. A girl can dream, right?! The 14th Colony by Steve Berry I am a big fan of the Cotton Malone series that Steve Berry writes. I love the way he writes historical fiction mixed with action and adventure. This book was not one of my favorites but it also did not disappoint. The way that Steve Berry researches the historical events…
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Stop Trying to Multi-Task and Focus!
In today’s world, I constantly find myself trying to do too many things at once! Even right now, while writing this blog post, I am listening to a podcast, making lunch, and folding laundry. But really when we are multitasking and focusing on multiple things at once, we are never really giving all of our attention to any one thing, and we are not giving it our best effort. If you want to put in your best effort you have to focus on one thing at a time! Here are some tips to help you focus your attention on one thing at a time. Keep Paper Handy When I am…
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Why You Need a Bell-Ringer
What is a Bell-Ringer? If you are new to teaching, or in a school where this isn’t a term that is used, you’ve probably seen something similar. Bell-Ringers are activities students do as soon as they arrive in class. It is usually something quick and typically I don’t give a problem that the students are not going to know how to do. Here are the reasons why you need to be using a bell-ringer in your classroom. Classroom Management Bell-ringers are great for classroom management. We all know that students do better when they have a routine that is expected. Ideally, students know what to do as soon as they…
