Why I Love TpT & Blogging {from The Super Sparkly Teacher}

Today I'm sharing a few of the reasons that I love TpT.

I joined TpT back in 2013 because I realized that I was making things for my classroom and figured why not share them and make a few cents. Of course, I never imagined the impact it would have on my life and the connections I would come to make over time.

First of all, I don’t make a ton of money on TpT. However, it is enough to support my TpT and purse addiction. Yes, it’s true. I shop EVERY single sale and many days in between as well. It’s hard to resist those materials that just speak to you or are perfect for that upcoming unit.  Also, who doesn’t want to support their friends? It gives me great pleasure to leave thoughtful feedback for my friends.

I used Aimee Salazar's Penguin Unit during an observation. The administrators from my District Office LOVED it.
TpT Conference 2014

I know EVERYONE has said that they have made meaningful friendships, and it’s so true!!! If you are passionate about teaching and wanting to connect with educators, then TpT and blogging is the place to be. It really blows my mind to think back to a time when I read blogs and created goodies just for myself. I never dreamed that my creations would serve any students, other than my own. It’s a great feeling to know that you’re creating resources that’ll reach so many kiddos.

My roomies Janice from Islandloverteacher and Cheryl from Auntie's Sweet Life are the best! There is a special place in my heart for all of these ladies. HUGS!!!
TpT Conference 2015

I have so many new friends that I know and love thanks to TpT. I can’t believe that I’ve been able to connect with such FABULOUS people thanks to all of the social media at our fingertips. It can sound a bit overwhelming, but it really is AMAZING to be able to reach your far-away teacher-friends via text, Hangout, Instagram, Periscope or Facebook. I have met the most talented and INSPIRATIONAL teachers and look forward to meeting more.

Just this last summer, I met Melissa Dailey (Mrs. Dailey's Classroom) in Las Vegas. And I was OVER THE MOON when she asked me to join her collaborative blog. I was beginning to feel as though I’d fallen into creative rut when it came to blogging, but this collaboration has definitely reignited that desire to share my teaching ideas, creations, and tips.

With that said, I’m excited to be celebrating Elementary Entourage’s blogiversary. I’m so thrilled to be a part of this this TpT/blogging community. If you’re considering jumping in, I say “Do it!” And definitely enter the giveaway.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Why I Love TPT & Blogging {w/Tickled Pink in Primary}

I am so excited for this topic this month because TPT and blogging are a huge part of my life now and I am so thankful to be a part of this community of teachers.  Get ready for a bit of a long post, so I can share with you my passion and love for our TPT/blogging community!!

I have always loved making activities for my classroom and would share my resources with my other K colleagues. One time at a corporate wide Kindergarten staff meeting, I showed them something I had made that went along with what we'd be teaching soon. One of the teachers told me I should it on TPT. I had heard of TPT a little bit and gotten a few freebies on it, but I had never thought about selling on there and had no idea where to start. I also hadn't been following any teacher blogs, so I had no idea how popular TPT was. I decided to take the plunge and start selling on TPT.  

For my first year I added some things to TPT, but still had no idea what I was doing. I had no blog, no Facebook...nothing to help people find my resources. I finally joined Facebook at the end of my first year and found some FB groups to join with other TPT sellers. It was AMAZING to find other teachers that loved creating as much as I did and would share tips/tricks with me. So, when I heard about the 2014 TPT conference, I still didn't know anyone that well, but decided to take the plunge and go! Thankfully, I found some roommates from our Facebook group: Kristen (Easy Teaching Tools), Beth (A Kindergarten Life for Me), and Courtney (Ramona Recommends). My family thought it was incredibly odd and a bit scary that I was flying to Vegas and staying in a room with people I'd never met before. :) These girls were incredibly sweet and let me tag along with them everywhere since I didn't know anyone. They introduced me to new people and convinced me to create a blog! I even met Deanna Jump!! She asked what my blog was and I was so embarrassed to say I didn't have one yet - I knew I had to get my butt in gear and start blogging! :)

At the conference, I went to Hadar's (Miss Kindergarten) session on blogging since I had been considering making one anyway. She had a TON of tips on how to get started and gave us here e-mail so she could help us after the conference. I took full advantage of that and we e-mailed back and forth a bit about getting my blog going. I was extremely excited to meet her again at the 2015 conference and tell her how much she has helped me this past year. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that this TPT community is all about sharing and helping each other, no matter how much of a "celebrity" they become. :) 

I started my blog in August of 2015. I knew I wanted polka dots and lots of pink (obviously), and this is what Blogs Fit for a Queen helped me come up with. 

Melissa (Mrs. Dailey's Classroom) contacted me and asked if I wanted to be a part of a collaborative blog that she and Jessica (Mrs. Plemon's Kindergarten) were creating. I happily agreed and knew it'd be a great way to meet even more teachers that loved to do what I do. I cannot even tell you how much these girls do for our EE blog! They are beyond AMAZING and have created a family atmosphere for our EE bloggers. I love how supportive we all are of each other whether it's school, TPT/blogging, or family related. 

I have become incredibly close with Melissa and Jessica this past year. We got to meet up at the French Lick Blogger Meet-Up in Indiana last Spring and then we got together in Wisconsin at Jessica's house. It's crazy that I can be closer to these girls than some of my best friends and colleagues that I worked with. We just get each other on so many levels! 

I was also able to meet some of our other EE bloggers at French Lick and again in Vegas at the TPT conference! There were big hugs all around when we finally got to meet each other in person instead of just "online dating" all year LOL!

There was a lot to learn at the TPT conference, but of course we had to save room for some fun! Here's a bunch of us bloggers that went to see Michael Jackson LIVE! 

Besides, all the connections I have made, I love the fact that I can share my resources with teachers across the world. I like to make engaging activities for students so they still enjoy learning. I like that I can help teachers spend more time with family, friends, or whatever they enjoy doing by giving them a place to buy resources instead of spending hours of their own time creating something. 

Can you tell how much fun it is to be a part of this community of teachers? Yes, the money of TPT is nice, but I think we'd all agree that the friendships we've made is SO much more impactful! If you are considering blogging or starting a TPT store - DON'T WAIT! We are all here to help you! To get you started, we are celebrating our 1 year blogiversary by giving away a FREE blog design from Alexis at Laugh, Eat, Learn! 

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Professional Development Books Worth Reading [with Sassy, Savvy, Simple Teaching]

Happy June Friends~

It's Dianna from Sassy, Savvy, Simple Teaching here with you today! This month we are first sharing ideas of great books to read. There are a ton of great reads out there.

First, let me share with you a book I read this year with my staff for Professional Development.

This book was AWESOME! Close Reading in Elementary School by Diana Sisson & Betsy Sisson. It talks about so many Close Reading strategies for all elementary school grades. It also talks about conversations, writing, plans, rubrics & more! I loved it because my primary friends could definitely relate to these strategies to use in their whole group & small group instruction. Everything is laid out for you to just implement & go!

Next, let tell you what I'm getting myself into this summer! The first two books are starting this week actually!

The first is a book I read last summer but I am reading over again. Teaching with Intention by Debbie Miller. It was so fantastic & books are like movies. You catch more of it the second time through. I love how she breaks down the process of learning from students perspectives. It's something that is hard for teachers to see. This book is all about reflecting upon yourself & improving. I'm joining in with my Elementary Entourage friend Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard for a book study he is hosting.

The second is a book that is brand new to me. Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz. I've only read the first two chapters but I am hooked! This book is all about empowering students to collaborate, lead & succeed! I LOVE it! I'm joining in with my girl Amanda from The Primary Gal for a book study she is hosting.

The last is a book I read in 2004 but I so desperately am itching to dive into again with my staff. The Next Step in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson. My K-3 Teachers are going to do a Guided Reading Book Study for Professional Development. We have some really good momentum going on now with Guided Reading & Guided Writing implementation in each classroom & this book will help us fine tune some things. It will be a great collaborative summer read to start the new school year with. This book is full of strategies & lesson plans for all primary teachers. It lays it out for you & it is fantastic!

Professional Development Books Worth Reading {Comprehension & Collaboration}

I don't know about you but I never have the time during the school year to read all the great professional books that I hear about throughout the year.  I usually have an ongoing list of like 20+ books I want to check out and can't wait until summer to read. So here at The Elementary Entourage we want to bring you some of our suggestions that we have read and loved.  These books have made huge changes to our teaching and we'd love if you'd check them out and let us know what you think!

I am in full summer reading mode and spent the weekend reading 2 great new books for the book studies I am a part of this summer. Teaching with Intention with our very own Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasbord and Learn Like a Pirate with Amanda from The Primary Gal. I am loving both books, and will be sharing all about them on my blog over the next 2 months.  But for now I wanted to share a book that I read a few years ago and has really changed the way I think about student collaboration in the classroom, "Comprehension & Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action" by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels.

If you are considering trying out small group inquiry or project based learning in your classroom then this book is for you.  I could go on and on about all of the amazing things in this book, but to really get the most out of it you will definitely want to grab your own copy.  Our school district bought us a copy, but I went out and bought my own after I left because that's just how much I love this book and I knew I would want to keep it and use it in the future wherever I end up.

Here is just a quick run down of what you will learn in this book:

• Why should we shift from teacher led classrooms to more student led small group inquiry projects? Students need to be involved in their learning! We need to move past the outdated passive, coverage approach to education and help prepare students to think, collaborate, and drive their own learning.
• How to create an effective learning environment for active learning, including how to effectively use technology.
• explanations of 4 different types of inquiry models: mini-inquiries, curricular inquiries, literature circle inquiries, and open inquiries. There are great real classroom examples of each that span K-12 with great ideas to get you going.
• Tips for assessing, evaluating and managing inquiry circles.  I'm not going to lie it is rough getting started when you are used to having so much teacher control, but the results are so amazing and totally worth it when you see the deep thinking, understanding and motivation in your students.
• And last but not least 27 lessons in comprehension, collaboration, and inquiry (AKA pretty much the best part of this book ever!) Seriously, these lessons are a fantastic starting point if you are new to teaching collaboration, comprehension and inquiry.  

Here's a peek at a few of my favorite lessons from the book:

 For comprehension, I love this lesson that emphasizes thinking, questioning, and learning from pictures.  When you teach kindergarten, you know the struggle of students finding information when they can't read more complex texts yet.  So this lesson helps my students understand how to find information even before they can read!

 All of the collaboration lessons in this book are great, and I revisit each of them often, but the most important ones are definitely the first turn and talk lesson, and the Showing Friendliness and Support lesson.  These lessons teach students how to talk to and encourage each other in the classroom. This is the foundation for successful inquiry in the classroom.

And one of the best inquiry lessons is the first lesson as well in which students create research notebooks.  My kindergartners loved writing in their research notebooks because they felt so grown up and it really helped them keep track of their work.  For me these notebooks were a great way to assess their progress and see the great work that they were doing.

Do you use inquiry circles or project based learning? Have you read this book? I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and questions in the comments. Happy summer reading :)