2nd Annual Teacher Blogger Interview {with Farley from Oh Boy It's Farley}

This month I interviewed the one and only Farley! She is a fellow Texan, very witty, and the creator of the popular monthly blog link up "Currently" on her blog Oh Boy...It's Farley. Read on to find out more about her blogging story!

I am pretty sure I saw Amanda's blog from One Extra Degree and I thought… Hey I need to do a school blog.

I already was blogging about Bubs and crafting stuff, so I just made another blog and ta-da here I am… like a hundred years later!!!

No really I started my blog on February 2, 2011.  

 

 

Blogging has really helped my teaching…

It is such a great tool for sharing brilliant ideas.

It is also a wonderful place to gather ideas.  

You can get lessons ideas, decor ideas, organization ideas, and tons of other ideas from just reading blogs.  One of the big things I have implemented in my classroom, that I got from a blog, was I got rid of all of my kids' desks.  We now have big round tables and a few rectangular tables.  It is open seating (I don't assign seats) and as long as they make good choices it stays that way. I have done this for the past 2 years and it has worked wonderfully.  I have also learned that I am not alone… we all have those years where it just seems like we are the only one going through the muck and it is nice to read a REAL from the heart blog to know you are not alone.  

 

 

I think… to be honest… I don't have a balance between blogging and school and family… My family comes first always... then my kids at school… and then my blog.  It wasn't always this way though...

 

When I first got into blogging, Bubs was itty bitty and Hubs worked a horrible schedule, so I blogged during Bubs' naps and bedtime.  I felt obligated to blog anytime I got a new idea.  I didn't blog about products because I didn't want my blog to become a commercial, BUT I was still a blogging machine. I was addicted… addicted to blogging and reading blogs… I did it every spare minute.  For over a year, I blogged,blogged, blogged… and then when my lessons started repeating themselves in the new year… I was at a loss to what to blog about. I started reinventing the wheel in my classroom just so I could have a blog post… it was exhausting.  Why was I recreating new lessons when the lessons of the past were fine??? About the same time… Bub was getting out of naps and Hubs schedule had changed.  I felt pulled between my blog and family and school. I was now blogging at bedtime only… and would stay up late at night to get it done. I would also wake up on the weekends SUPER early to get a blog written and as many read as possible before my boys woke up and sometimes… OK most of the time I was still writing when they woke up… it was CRAZY!!! At one point... I realized what I was doing and it was a life changer… I was taking time away from Hubs and  Bubs to recreate new lessons (that I didn't need) and then I would blog about them… which took more time away from them… and so I finally like COLD turkey… decided I would only blog when I absolutely had something to say… something just out of this world amazing to share… it really felt freeing to not have to constantly worry about blogging… I stopped reinventing the wheel and stuck with lessons that had worked in the past and that was OK… my classroom didn't suffer, my blog readers still were getting good content, and my family had me more.  Something important to remember is I don't rely on my blog as my income… and it has never been a full on tool to drive my TpT business… I think that is something that sets me apart from other bloggers.  Yes… I use it every once in a blue moon to share one of my products BUT most time not…. I think we are all different in our blogging journey… and depending on your journey and your path and goals… your balance might be different.  

 

HMMMM????

I think I have always said this… BE YOU

write like you

write from the heart

and write the truth

do not let the perfectly edited pinterest pictures of others scare you away from being you

being honest and heartfelt makes you genuine and your readers will appreciate it…

I also think throwing in some family pics here and there and real life pics outside of the classroom help connect you to your readers too!!!

if you want to do it… DO IT… it is your blog!!! 

 

 

well… 

I make products for my classroom all the time and most of the time these are just for my students… NEVER intended to be a TpT product.

Last year, my class was really struggling with multiplication and division of multi digit numbers… so I whipped up a review sheet for them to do every day for a month!!!

It was real simple… they had to solve 3 multiplication problems and 3 division problems and then solve a word problem… I made enough for one month… and left it at that … WELL next thing I know… the kids were asking where the 6 and Fold was when the next month rolled around… they came up with the name 6 and Fold because you solve the 6 problems on the front and then fold over the word problem and solve it on the back of the page… even the parents were asking for more because they liked it as homework.  AND then I sent it to my friend and she asked why it wasn't in my store…  I felt it was too simple… very plain… not cutesy… BUT it does get the JOB done… so even though it is not a top seller by any means… my 6 and Fold products are my favorite resource… they were truly born out of necessity and when your students beg for them and enjoy them… you know you have a good thing!!!

 

Thank you Farley for answering our questions!

2nd Annual Teacher Blogger Interview {with Pam from Keeping Life Creative}

I'm so excited to introduce you to Pam from Keeping Life Creative! She is a mommy, home school teacher, blogger and creator! Check out her amazing resources HERE. Read on to see how Pam keeps life fun and creative!

I began blogging in 2008 as a personal way to keep myself accountable. My husband was spending long days and nights in graduate school, our budget was extremely tight, and I’d left the classroom to be at home full-time with our two little kids.

I was desperate for a creative outlet, and was also struggling to define myself in my role as a stay-at-home mom. And so in the midst of post-partum depression I began to write (purely for myself) about things I was finding to do each day to keep my everyday life of potty training, dishes, and penny pinching—creative. I’d share anything from a recipe I created using only beans and rice, to a fun project I’d done with my two-year old. My blog has morphed and become more public since then, but I still write about many of the same things and it remains my creative outlet.

Blogging in general as well as on my own blog has changed a lot since the early days of online journaling as blogs have become more curated and theme-based. But the shift has actually helped my teaching immensely because it’s pushed me to seek clarity in my teaching and parenting philosophies.

Ultimately though, I think blogging has helped and continues to help my teaching for the root reason I started a blog: it helps me be more intentional and accountable about making time among the everyday routine for creative learning—for myself and with my kids.

Oh, balance. It seems to be the thing we’re always searching for, isn’t it!? And in my season of life with five kids (ages 10-1), I’m not really sure there is such thing! But there are a few things I do to try to keep the chaos under control.

Flexible Routine

My husband and I are very opposite in that he loves routine and I love “creativity” (which is a nicer word to me than mess and chaos!). But research in the traditional classroom shows most behavior problems are a result of unclear routines and procedures, and I can definitely see this in my home as well. Our days run smoother with better established procedures, and routine can eliminate so many of the typical “home” battles (chore time, anyone?).

I say “flexible routine” because my creative spirit struggles with too many boundaries and while we do try to keep the same order of things each day we don’t always stick to a clock (unless we have a set appointment).

What does this have to do with balancing family and blogging? In our daily routine we’ve set aside “creative time.” It’s when the baby naps and the other kids have to entertain themselves because I’m working (blogging, creating teaching resources, etc.). It’s taken a lot of training, but the kids have learned unless they’re bleeding or dying, I’m unavailable and they’ll need to figure things out for themselves. I know it sounds mean, but it’s really been one of the best things I’ve done to allow myself some downtime and creative growth, as well as teach them to stretch their own independent and creative muscles.

Weekly Planning

I typically spend an hour or two each Sunday night planning out my week. It’s a habit I’ve tried to carry on from my classroom teaching days of writing Friday afternoon lesson plans!

I get out my planner and colored erasable Frixon pens, and then write out any scheduled appointments. Next I sketch out my projects and goals for the week in home and work responsibilities and plan when I’ll spend time accomplishing them. Part of the weekly planning session also includes a 15-minute check-in with my husband where we coordinate calendars and talk about the budget.

But in reality, it happens this way in the perfect week. As I type this on a Monday morning, my weekly planning is still waiting for me—being replaced by catching a virus from my kids and choosing to steal an early Sunday evening bedtime. I think balance is one of those things that you can feel good about if it’s happening most of the time. And the other times, you have to give yourself some grace!

Non-Negotiable Work Time

Another thing I do to strive for balance is schedule a non-negotiable work night. A couple of years ago I had a serious talk with my husband and shared how important it was to me as a wife, stay-at-home mom, homeschooler, blogger, and individual to get some non-negotiable time away from the house each week to be able to work, shop, craft (or anything else I wanted!) uninterrupted. I plead my case that I came home happier and more focused and better for the family if I could rely on a time to step away for a bit, and he fully supported that.

So for the past two years I’ve booked Tuesday evening as a non-negotiable work night, and it’s a standing rule that nothing else ever gets scheduled on that night. We have a routine where my husband comes home from work and takes over dinner, baths, and bedtime and I leave the house.

My non-negotiable work night varies a bit, but most Tuesdays I take myself out for dinner, set up somewhere with wi-fi, and spend the next several hours writing, or listening to my favorite creative- and business-related podcasts while drawing clip art or scheduling Pinterest. That’s also the night I meet with my mastermind group over Google Hangouts. 

Just keep swimming.

Ha. Honestly, it’s hard for me to share any advice, because I feel like I’m constantly trying to figure it out myself and I’ve definitely been a slow growth blogger and teacherprenuer. But I guess one thing that keeps coming to my mind is to remember blogging and building a business is a marathon not a sprint.

I know it’s so cliché, but seriously, blogging is not a get rich quick idea, or something most people will be immediately successful with. It is, however, an incredible platform that’s worth a business’ investment because it gives you a place to establish yourself as an expert and build a relationship with your followers and fans.

I firmly believe inside of each of us is a spark of creativity and that we all have something important to say or share. So blogging your story (good and bad!) teaching ideas, and perspective, can be a soul-satisfying way of developing that spark while serving and connecting with your community of like-minded followers.

It’s so hard to say because I’m not sure you’re allowed to choose favorites among your babies! But I guess I’d say my printable storytelling props are probably my favorite because they were my first products and the reason I began creating teaching resources.

In my earliest mothering years I was searching for some ideas to make storytelling more interactive for my toddlers, and recalled object lessons, stories, and songs my mom had taught on a homemade flannel board.

My own childhood learning memories moved me to search for flannel board pieces I could use in teaching my own children, but flannel board stories seemed to be old-school and hard to find. And when I finally did find some, they were dull and outdated. I knew if I was bored with the images, my kids would be too.

They say invention often comes from necessity, and soon I began to spend my babies’ nap times with a stack of felt and pair of scissors–experimenting with shapes, and creating my own flannel board pieces.

I had no intention of sharing these creations, but friends began to ask for storytelling pieces for their kids, and I soon realized flannel board storytelling is a classic teaching method — not old-fashioned — and a really fun way to get kids involved in learning the stories!

Since then, I’ve created and shared many stories in printable formats, and have received overwhelming and humbling words from parents, teachers, and church leaders of encouragement, teaching success, and requests to continue creating these interactive props. These testimonials have pushed me to keep creating during my babies’ naptimes and are developing into one of my own favorite resources for teaching.

2nd Annual Teacher Blogger Interview {with Ari from The Science Penguin}

Hey guys! I am so excited to share my interview with Ari from The Science Penguin!

 

 

I went to a teaching conference back in 2011 where teachers were boldly sharing what they did in the their classrooms.  It gave me the guts to put myself out there and share what worked in my classroom.  

 

Blogging helped my teaching in two different ways.  First of all, blogging helps me be more creative.  I try to come up with new ideas to support students and teachers, try them out, and share!  Secondly, the community formed is so special.  When I changed schools and grade levels, the blogging community was there to provide support.  My students benefitted from the great ideas teachers across the country shared!

My top blogging tip is to always provide value.  Even if you want to promote a resource, always provide ideas and tips that help teachers.  The blogging community is stronger when we are all sharing what is best for kids!

My favorite resource is STEM Sports.  It required a lot of planning, creativity, and differentiation to compile the ideas I had into a solid resource.  Students and teachers love it, so I'm happy!  

  

 

You can follow Ari from The Science Penguin at her Teacher Store, Instagram, Facebook, Blog, Bloglovin, and Pinterest. She has fabulous ideas that you don't want to miss out on! 

I hope you enjoyed learning all about Ari as much as I did!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Annual Teacher Blogger Interview {with Jillian Starr from The Starr Spangled Planner}

I had the joy of meeting this amazing teacher-blogger this past summer at the Teachers Pay Teachers conference! It blew my mind how much we just clicked! I admire her heart and her TPT journey so it makes sense that I interview her for this 2nd annual round of Elementary Entourage interviews!

"My best friend and teammate moved.  She had been my rock.  I went to her with every problem, every celebration, and every time I needed a reality check.  What was I going to do without her?  I decided to start blogging in hopes of recreating that support network.  I had no idea what I was doing, or what an incredible blessing blogging would become!" 

"Blogging has connected me to an entire corner of the internet that I never knew existed.  The online teaching community has had a huge impact on my teaching.  I now have unlimited resources at my disposal, a wealth of ideas for creative problem-solving, and an incredibly supportive group of teachers that always push me to be my best.  

Some of my most personal struggles have become the focus of my blog posts, and it has been so cathartic to share those feelings.  Teaching can be such an isolating profession, and blogging often helps me to realize that so many other teachers have been through similar experiences, and I can learn from them!  The experience as a whole has been rather mind-blowing!"

1.  Write when the passion strikes!  My best blog posts are ones that came from the heart.  Whether they are more personal reflections on my own teaching, searching for a variety of ways to support a specific student profile, or to share a new class obsession, my passion comes through in my blog.  Fluff is a great filler, but it doesn't offer much to your audience. 

2.  You don't have to write often, just be consistent with your writing.  You don't have to write every other day, or even every week. If you can and want to, that's totally up to you.  Just be predictable for your reader!

3.  Be honest.  Share your triumphs, your struggles, your interest, your pet-peeves, your Pinterest moments, and your epic fails.  Your readers connect with you as a person, so give them a variety of ways to connect.

4.  Limit your Linky parties and posts that lack content.  The majority of your readers are going to be teachers, so make sure that the majority of your posts are written for that audience.  While linky parties are a fun way to connect with other bloggers, they are not your primary audience.  Build great content and your audience will come!

1.  Write when the passion strikes!  My best blog posts are ones that came from the heart.  Whether they are more personal reflections on my own teaching, searching for a variety of ways to support a specific student profile, or to share a new class obsession, my passion comes through in my blog.  Fluff is a great filler, but it doesn't offer much to your audience. 

2.  You don't have to write often, just be consistent with your writing.  You don't have to write every other day, or even every week. If you can and want to, that's totally up to you.  Just be predictable for your reader!

3.  Be honest.  Share your triumphs, your struggles, your interest, your pet-peeves, your Pinterest moments, and your epic fails.  Your readers connect with you as a person, so give them a variety of ways to connect.

4.  Limit your Linky parties and posts that lack content.  The majority of your readers are going to be teachers, so make sure that the majority of your posts are written for that audience.  While linky parties are a fun way to connect with other bloggers, they are not your primary audience.  Build great content and your audience will come!

Even though it was one of my first products on Teachers Pay Teachers, my {Math Journal Prompts series} is still my favorite!  I feel that it really reflects HOW I teach.  I had become increasingly frustrated with how my students approached their math work.  I found that they were only focused on finding the "right answer," and I needed to find a way to push their thinking. 

I started creating open-ended prompts, forcing my students to generate multiple solutions to the same problem.  The prompts really pushed their understanding, and encouraged them to think flexibly. It was a great turning point in my teaching, and also provided a fabulous way to document student learning.  The K-4 series are still some of my best sellers, but more importantly, they are still my go-to math resource in my classroom. I can't imagine teaching math without them!

You can follow Jillian from The Starr Spangled Planner at her Teacher Store, Instagram, Facebook, Blog, and Pinterest. She has fabulous ideas that you don't want to miss out on! 

I hope you enjoyed learning all about Jillian! 

An Interview with Teacher-Blogger {Sarah from A Rocky Top Teacher}

Hey y'all!  I'm thrilled because I got a chance to interview Sarah from A Rocky Top Teacher.  Sarah is a fifth-grade ELA and Social Studies teacher.  She is such a passionate educator and an encouraging blogger to follow.  I LOVE her reading graffiti wall!  Her fifth-graders add quotes that they love from the books they are reading.  I mean swoon right!  And if you haven't watched any of her Monday's Moment videos, you need too!  She is so encouraging!  Here is our interview...

I have always enjoyed journaling/documenting important parts of my life. I was impressed with the teacher blogs that I was viewing and realized that I could create my own blog to help document my life as an educator. For me, my blog is like a digital journal. I enjoy sharing what is going on in my classroom and collaborating with others!

Blogging truly has changed my life. Thanks to my blogging and social media platforms, I have meet some amazing educators who have truly positively impacted my life and helped me grow as an educator. I now have a large network of teachers who are my friends and role models. I look up to them, share my teaching ideas and experiences with them, and have been able to learn new teaching practices and strategies from some wonderful teachers. 

I don't believe that there truly is "balance" between my personal and professional life. For me, my balance(or harmony as my high school teacher friend Jason Ness likes to call it) is all about realizing that some days I will need to spend more time focusing on work and other times my personal life will need more attention. I am grateful that my husband and family understand that as well and they are always right there with me supporting me and assisting me however possible to help me accomplish my dreams. 

Blogging looks different for everyone. So, my advice is to just "do you". Write as often or as little as you like. post about what interests you, and remember that your blog is YOUR place to share your teaching experience. Don't compare your blog to others. You have something amazing to share. Let blogging be a fun and exciting experience! 

Creating is not really my niche BUT I really love the close reading bookmarks that I made for my second graders a few years ago. I am teaching 5th grade now, and I enjoy pulling out the same bookmarks and using them with my older students. Mostly though, I love sharing about what my talented teacher friends are creating and implementing in their classrooms. You all so wonderful, and I love helping everyone learn about what amazing teacher-created resources there are out there in the TPT world. 

I wanted to give a big thank you to Sarah for letting me interview her.  It was so great to get to know her a little better through her responses.  Make sure you follow Sarah because she is such a passionate and motivating blogger.  I just got done reading her latest post about the importance of fostering a love of reading.  Such a good read!  Thanks again Sarah!!

You can follow Sarah here on ...

Blog

Facebook

Instagram 

TpT

2nd Annual Teacher Blogger Interview {with Amanda from The Primary Gal}

Hello!  It's Stephany from Primary Possibilities I am so excited to be a interviewing Amanda from The Primary Gal.  Amanda and I started in the blogging/TpT world  around the same time and I have always been so impressed with how much work she puts into her blog and store.

Amanda has taught primary and intermediate grades so she has covered a ton of topics and has a variety of resources in her TpT store.  You can find Amanda's TpT store by clicking HERE.  You can check out all of her awesome ideas at her blog "The Primary Gal" by clicking the button below.

I think I decided to take the plunge into blogging because it appealed to so many of my teacher passions.  I have always loved sharing ideas and resources with others.  My blog became my outlet to do just that.  

Blogging has helped my teaching in so many ways.  It has allowed me to connect with other teachers all around the world who are passionate, devoted, and eager to try new things.  I also believe that it challenges me daily to keep things fresh and engaging for my students.  It also forces me to reflect on activities, outcomes, and the needs of my classroom.  Blogging as deeply impacted my teaching!

It is hard…like, really hard!  I go through spells where I feel like I am totally loosing at the balancing act!  I do my best to create a schedule for myself and stick with it.  I am also a very routine person, so I think that helps me stay on track and juggle all areas of my life.  I also try my best to keep things simple, which is very difficult task for me! :)  

My greatest tip is to find what makes your teacher heart happy, and share information, resources, and tips with others!  If you are following your heart, blogging won’t feel like such a chore.  It will be a rewarding adventure that you can be proud of each and every day.

My favorite resource is seriously a simple one.  I had implemented “Bubble Pages” in my classroom for two years, but didn’t know if anyone else would “get it” if I shared it with the world.  After being posted for a year, I receive emails and Facebook messages from teachers all over the country telling me how much they have loved implementing Bubble Pages into their classrooms.  My heart overflows each time I receive one!