Did Teacher Appreciation Week treat you well? Let’s keep the celebration going with a selection of freebies and giveaways sure to make every teacher smile!

Here’s another reason to smile: Submit a comment to our blog to let us know which of these great offers are your favorites. One lucky teacher will win a prize pack of assorted books—whatever comes in my mail next week! Submit your comment by midnight EDT on Monday, May 21, 2012, to be entered in our drawing. Good luck!

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May is the perfect time of year to get your middle grade readers hooked on a new book series—right in time for summer! The best-selling Beyonders series by Brandon Mull is filled with intrigue. Visit the author’s website, www.brandonmull.com, for videos in which the author discusses what motivates him to write and shares writing tips. In The Merits of Mischief, 12-year-old Seamus gets sent to a special school—one that molds future troublemakers! The website features a Hoodlum Hotline, Troublemakers handbook, and more. Finally, hook students on the Jack Blank series with the author videos on VYou plus an author podcast. And that’s just for starters! Click here to check it out!

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Sign up for free scissors—and for a chance to win an iPad! Westcott is giving away a free pair of student scissors to every teacher, plus a free gift (you’ll love it!). If you complete a school supply list at the website, you’ll also be entered to win an iPad or school supplies for your entire grade. Don’t miss out! Click here!

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Take a few minutes to think about you. Where is your career headed? Are you making an impact? Move your career to the next level with an online degree from American Public University. Click here!

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Are you ready for Harry’s Big Adventure? “Like” Harry on Facebook, and you’ll be entered to win a kit full of resources for teaching about insects. It’s all from Terminix. There’s a new winner every week. Click here now!

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Teachers are wild about the handy resources available from Mentoring Minds. My favorites are the flip charts for handling classroom management, bullying, Common Core, differentiation, and more. There are lots to choose from! Click here now!

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Last chance to enter the fun contests at Learning Magazine.com! You’ll have a chance to win dozens of prizes: a one-year subscription to the Espresso Elementary website, interactive software from Lakeshore, art markers from Prang, books from the Penguin Young Readers series, a Unifix Blends Activity Kit, and much more! Contests end on Thursday, May 17, 2012, so enter now!

Let us know which of these fun offers are your favorites!

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Testing season has arrived. Give your students—and yourself—a little break from test prep with the fun freebies, cool offers, and neat websites listed here. Plus tell us which of these items are your favorites by submitting a comment to our blog by midnight EDT on Monday, May 14, 2012, and you’ll be entered to win a prize that’s truly inspiring: The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck, by acclaimed educator and bestseller Ron Clark. This book features 101 ideas to help kids love learning. Send your comment today! (Update: congratulations to Michelle, who was this week’s winner!)

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Looking for a new way to aid your English language learners (and all your young readers!)? Check out WhisperPhone Duet. This unique tool helps students clearly hear words and their sounds as they read aloud. Twelve lucky teachers will each win a WhisperPhone Duet! To enter this contest, click here. Hurry, the contest ends May 17, 2012! To learn more about WhisperPhone, click here or visit whisperphone.com.

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Add a dose of reading inspiration to your classroom walls with a free poster from Accelerated Reader! The poster features Green Bay Packer Jermichael Finley reading to his son, Kaydon. Click here to request your free poster right now!

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Make sure creativity takes center stage in your classroom with free professional development resources from Crayola. Champion Creatively Alive Children helps you implement arts-infused education in your classroom and school. The free materials include videos, flyers, handouts, and much more. Click here to download now!

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Create your school supply lists in a new way with TeacherLists.com. This site allows you to store and update your list and then share it with parents. Check it out!

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Finish out your school year with a free field trip from Field Trip Factory! These learning adventures are held in your community and help students learn about the environment, health and nutrition, the arts, animal welfare, and more. Get all the details at learning-trips.com or click here.

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Here’s another contest ending soon: enter to win a set of four children’s books from Macmillan! Teach math, science, and more with titles like Zero the Hero and Bird Talk. Enter now; this contest ends May 17, 2012. Click here!

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Revitalize yourself and refresh your teaching practice with education programs from Indiana Wesleyan University. Complete programs in 12-23 months and choose from online or in-person options. Get all the details; click here!

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Submit your comment right now to be entered into our prize drawing. Good luck!

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Not only does springtime mean sunny weather and blooming flowers, but it means something else as well: LOTS of new products flooding into my office. And it’s time to share! Submit a comment to our blog to let us know which of the fun freebies and amazing offers below are your favorites. One lucky teacher will win a prize pack of assorted books! Submit your comment by midnight EDT on Thursday, May 3, 2012, to be entered in our drawing. (Update: congratulations to Samantha P., who was our winner!)

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Have you been thinking about purchasing a die-cut machine for your classroom? Readers of this blog and Learning magazine have access to a special coupon code for $125 off a Big Shot Pro shape-cutting system. Visit ellisoneducation.com/learn and use code E0512LM. The code is good through May 31, 2012. Don’t miss out; click here!

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Educate your students about their neighbors around the world and challenges they face with free materials from Heifer. Choose from activities, posters, books, games, videos, and much more. Download a kit or order a free kit by mail. Click here!

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Here’s another great option for free classroom materials: sign up for a free sampler kit from Sundance. This kit includes materials from two award-winning programs to boost reading achievement and help below-level readers. You’ll receive student books, teacher’s guides, and scope and sequence guides or skills matrices for Laugh-Out-Loud Chapter Books (designed for grades 2-6) and Weird, Wild and Wonderful (designed for grades 2-5). Request yours; click here now!

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There’s a new Fancy Nancy series for older readers: Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth. Students’ favorite fashionista plunges into chapter books for ages 7-10 with all the classic Fancy Nancy flair. Plus check out the new Fancy Nancy apps and sign up for a free quarterly e-newsletter filled with Fancy Nancy happenings. Click here to take a look!

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Get ready for the Common Core with resources from Sadlier! The Sadlier Phonics K-3 reading program has assessments built into every lesson and a flexible design to meet your students’ needs. View and print free samples! Click here!

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Spread the word about how WriteSteps helps your school meet Common Core standards. You could earn an iPad2! Get all of the details at www.WriteStepswriting.com/LM3. Be sure to check out the free 30-day trial!

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Harry’s Big Adventure immerses K-4 students in the sights and sounds of the wonderful world of bugs. Sponsored by Terminix, the site includes a free downloadable curriculum and the opportunity to invite a pest control professional to your classroom. Be sure to check out the Bugopedia. Click here now!

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Have you and your students read the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy? Good news: now you can read it again—for free! Get a FREE digital book version of Princess Academy with a free teacher’s guide from Bloomsbury Children’s Books and NetGalley. Click here! And watch your bookstore shelves—the Princess Academy sequel, Palace of Stone, will be released in August.

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Go ahead, load up on all these fabulous offers. Don’t forget to submit a comment to our blog for your chance to WIN our prize!

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Sunday is Earth Day, and I feel like doing a little recycling. Not in the traditional sense, though. I’m going to recycle some of the amazing science resources I’ve received by giving them to one lucky teacher! Interested? It could be you! Submit a comment to our blog to let us know which of the freebies and fun programs described below are your favorites. One teacher will win! To be eligible, submit your comment by midnight EDT on Thursday, April 26, 2012. Good luck! (Update: congratulations to Danielle, who was our winner!)

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One simple way your students can make an impact on Earth Day is through Pennies for the Planet! With this free program from Audubon, your class collects pennies to help amazing animals and interesting habitats around the country. Every student can contribute! Visit www.togethergreen.org/p4p/educators.aspx to find free activities, videos, and much more. Already started your Pennies campaign? Send in your donations by May 5, 2012, to be eligible to win an Audubon BioBash at your school! Click here now!

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New! Free scissors from Westcott! Sign up at www.themailbox.com/westcott, and you’ll receive a free pair of Westcott Kids Scissors PLUS a free gift. (I won’t spoil the surprise, but it’s a great gift!) Then you’ll have a chance to create a school supply list online; it’s quick to do, and when you submit your list, you’ll be entered for a chance to win an iPad or Westcott school supplies for your entire grade! You can even earn bonus contest entries by sharing the contest with friends and colleagues. These scissors will go fast, so sign up for yours today! Click here!

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Are you ready to take the Prang Challenge? Teachers across the country are getting the chance to test Prang art markers and see how they stack up. Eight lucky teachers will win $400 in art supplies and a digital camera! Enter for your chance to take the challenge; visit www.themailbox.com/prang!

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April is National Poetry Month! Are you ready to “Shel-ebrate”? Visit shelsilverstein.com and click on “Ideas for Teachers & Parents.” You’ll find dozens of free activities, worksheets, “Shele-bration” tips, games and puzzles, and a 2012 Poetry Month event kit. Check it out!

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Planning ahead for professional development? Lesley University offers convenient and timely Advanced Professional Certificate programs that are completely online. Programs cover math, science, instructional technology, autism spectrum disorders, K-12 online learning, and more. Click here now to get the scoop or visit lesley.edu/info/lm.

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Have you heard about Espresso Elementary? This subscription-based website provides cross-curricular, multimedia resources, including video clips, games, printables, and more. To sign up for a free 30-day trial, click here. To enter to win a one-year subscription, click here! The materials are for PreK through grade 5.

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There are so many wonderful things about watermelons—and here’s one more! One lucky teacher will win $1,000 to host a Wild & Wacky Watermelon Day party at her school! Plus five runners-up will win $100 to hold watermelon-themed events in their classrooms. Enter now at www.themailbox.com/watermelon or click here.

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Once you’re done loading up on all these fabulous offers, don’t forget to submit a comment to our blog for your chance to WIN!

PS: Contest ending soon: enter to win a die-cutting machine and dies from Ellison! This prize is valued at $1,200. The contest ends this month, so enter now!

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The last few months of the school year are like a race to the finish line; you’ve been sprinting all year long, and now it’s time for one last burst of speed! Feeling out of breath? We have freebies and fun resources to help!

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Submit a comment to our blog to let us know which of these resources is your favorite. One lucky teacher will win the popular Differentiated Instruction flip chart from Mentoring Minds. This handy chart includes tools and techniques you can try in your classroom right away! Submit your comment by midnight EDT on Thursday, April 12, 2012, to be entered in our drawing! Good luck! (Update: Kelly’s wish came true—she is our winner!)

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Have you heard about the Prang Challenge? Teachers across the nation are getting the chance to test Prang art markers for themselves. As part of the challenge, teachers may also win a digital video camera and $400 in Prang supplies. You could be the next winner! Click here now to enter the Prang Challenge today!

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Get ready to drop everything and read! Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day is coming up on April 12, the birthday of well-known author Beverly Cleary. Check out the DEAR Day site for ideas on holding a DEAR Day event. New on the site are fun DEAR videos. Click here now!

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It’s almost Earth Day! Are you ready? Here’s the perfect way to introduce your students to fascinating habitats and amazing animals: get free resources from Audubon and Pennies for the Planet! With the Pennies program, every student can contribute to help our earth and its creatures. Now’s the perfect time to start your Pennies campaign; click here now!

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Spring is the time for science—and FOSS provides everything you need to help students build a deeper understanding of the world around them. The grades K-6 program is all new! Check it out http://www.deltaeducation.com/science/foss3/fossall.shtml or click here now!

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Submit your comment now and enter now to win that Differentiated Instruction flip chart from Mentoring Minds! Don’t miss out; this is a resource you’ll use year after year!

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