It’s April 30, and you know what that means: it’s the last day to get your name entered in our April book drawing! Simply comment on any blog post made during the month of April, and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a new book from The Mailbox Books. Two winners will be selected.

Since it’s the last day of April, and because April is National Humor Month, I’ve got a giggle for you! This past Tuesday, I was getting my hair tended to. The salon was buzzing as usual and, as usual, my antennae were fully activated. That’s how I heard another customer telling a story about her young son. It went something like this:

“When I asked him how his day had gone, he gave his usual reply of ‘Fine.’ But a few minutes later he asked, ‘Mom, what’s a chick maggot?’

And I said, ‘A what?’

He said, ‘A chick maggot. Today my teacher said I was a chick maggot, and I don’t know what that is.’”

I let out such a big whoop that I had to confess to eavesdropping! Ha! I see a new angle for a lesson on magnets, don’t you?

Happy Friday!
Diane

PS: The contest is over now—congratulations to Darlene and Pammie, winners of our April drawing!

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With only three days left in April, it seems like a perfect time to share some favorite teacher moments from the month! Is there an activity your kiddos absolutely loved? Did your students knock your socks off with their test scores? Do you have a teacher-to-teacher giggle to share? Or maybe you have a learning moment or two you’d like to tell us about?

For me, April has been all about learning. I was reminded about the importance of play—that it’s good for a person no matter his or her age. And, as you all know, I also learned that I need to make sure I’m wearing my clothes correctly! (If you missed this story, see the post “Still Chuckling.”)

All ears!

Diane

PS: Remember, if you comment on this post (and any others from April), your name will be entered in a drawing for one of our new books. You get one entry per post you comment on, and we’ll draw two winners! Deadline is April 30. The contest is over now—congratulations to Darlene and Pammie, winners of our April drawing!

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Have I mentioned that I have two furry children, Lexie and Theo? Well, I do. And when I head out of town as I did this past weekend, my sweet friend Lynn stays with them. (Yes, my pets are spoiled!) Anyway, because “Auntie” Lynn is familiar with my pets and where I keep things such as towels, pet food, and pet snacks, I don’t need to do anything to get ready for her arrival. I’m a lucky duck, and I know it!

What do you do when you need a sub? Are you able to request someone who knows your students and classroom? Do you have a substitute folder prepared for unexpected absences?

Superthankful for subs,

Diane

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Yesterday was a blur—a great day, just a busy one. After a full day at work, I made a mad dash to be at the veterinarian’s office by six o’clock. Then, with pooch in tow, I zipped into the grocery store and a neighborhood hardware store, gassed up the car, and headed home. Why am I telling you all this? Ha! Well, at about nine o’clock I glanced in the mirror. My first thought was, “I don’t remember this top having such an unusual neckline.” But that wasn’t it at all. All day long I’d been wearing my top backward! Yep, you read that right—backward! I’m sure I’m not alone here in making a fashion flub. Have you arrived at school only to find yourself in an embarrassing fashion situation? We could all use a good chuckle at the end of a busy week!

Your fashion diva,
Diane

PS: Don’t forget! Comment on this post (and any others from April) to enter your name in a drawing for one of our new books. You get one entry per post you comment on, and we’ll draw two winners! The contest is over now—congratulations to Darlene and Pammie, winners of our April drawing!

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I’m giving a shout-out to teachers for being green! After all, who’s been recycling, reusing, and reducing for years? Teachers have! Tomorrow’s Earth Day, so I say let’s begin our celebration today. Let’s see how many suggestions we can list for reusing. Twenty-five? Fifty? Maybe even 100! Here are a couple ideas to get us started.

• Turn a four-pocket cardboard beverage holder into a picnic caddy for plastic knives, forks, spoons, and straws!  Or use the holder as a paint caddy for four plastic cups and four colors of paint!
• Reuse water from pet bowls, water glasses, and so on to water plants.

Now it’s your turn! And, by the way, if you’re in need of a last-minute Earth Day activity, we’ve got you covered. Check out “Get Free Stuff!” at TheMailbox.com—register now and get instant access to timely resources for Earth Day, spring, and much more!

Think green!
Diane

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Happy Monday to you! I know, I know. Happy Monday might be a stretch. Hopefully your Monday is going well, but just in case it’s gotten off to a shaky start, here’s something that’s sure to improve it!

In case you didn’t know, each spring we introduce new titles from The Mailbox Books. This spring, the topics range from arts and crafts to literacy to math to classroom management. And guess what…I’m going to give away two of our brand-new books! All you have to do is respond to one of my April blog posts. If you respond to one blog post, your name gets added to the drawing one time. If you respond to a second blog post, your name gets added another time, and so on. So far, counting this post, there are six April posts. And there will be more! So check out the new books at TheMailboxBooks.com and check back here for more blog posts (and more chances to win)! This book giveaway ends at midnight on April 30! Now, didn’t your Monday just get a whole lot better?

Smiles!
Diane

PS: Each winner gets the book of his or her choice!

The contest is over now—congratulations to Darlene and Pammie, winners of our April drawing!

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Haven’t times changed? As a kid in elementary school, I only stressed over weekly spelling tests. And that was really only in fourth grade. My teacher loved telling that class about the student who earned 100% on every fourth-grade spelling test—my older sister. Ugh! I so wanted to measure up to my sis. Since spell-checker is my BFF, you can imagine how well that went!

But getting back to the test-related stress felt by today’s teachers and students: a couple of days ago, Krystle, a colleague of mine, shared what I think is a unique and effective way of reducing test anxiety. As a fourth-grade teacher, she named her end-of-the-year tests the “show what you know” tests and presented each one as an opportunity for her students to show off everything they learned during the school year! This positive approach settled her students’ nerves and increased their confidence. Parents enthusiastically embraced this creative stress buster too!

Thinking of you,

Diane

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This morning I popped into the office of a colleague and found her shuddering. Marsha, one of four fabulous copy editors, had just opened an email from her son. It wasn’t the email that made her shudder—it was the photo attachment that showed her one and only son, Wes, tandem skydiving! Even though she’d just talked with Wes, who promised his feet were now firmly planted on the ground, she still couldn’t shake her shudders! Can you blame her? It reminded me of the time my backyard neighbor, Tom, nonchalantly mentioned that his down-the-street neighbor had misplaced his pet boa constrictor. I couldn’t conceal my shock or my shudder. “Misplaced his boa constrictor!” I shrieked! “What’s its name?” I have no idea why I thought I needed to know the snake’s name. What I do know is that I shuddered over that missing snake for days only to find out that Rambo was found nestled in his owner’s box spring mattress. Yikes! Sure hope your day—week! month!—is shudder free!

Smiles,
Diane

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How’s that for a blog title? Couldn’t resist peeking, could you? Here’s the deal. My recent flurry of spring-cleaning has given me a new appreciation for men with a shiny dome. Truly! Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve always thought Chris Daughtry is a fantastic musician and quite easy on the eyes. And I have a friend who sort of resembles Telly Savalas (a.k.a. Kojak), whom I describe as handsome in an intriguing sort of way. However, the bald-headed man who has stolen my heart this spring is Mr. Clean!

Have you tried the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original? It’s the size of a small sponge. You simply dampen the eraser, take a swipe at grime, and—voila!—the grime is gone. I cleaned grout, windowsills, and door frames. I wiped out crayon marks and stamp pad ink. I even spiffed up a pair of white leather slides! I’m thinking these super-duper sponges are just what teachers need to tackle the tops of classroom desks and tables! If you’ve been putting off your spring-cleaning, give this fun-to-use product a try. Or, better yet, place a couple of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Originals inside a magician’s hat and invite your kiddos to perform the “magic” themselves. Happy cleaning!

Head over heels,
Diane

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Do you know that each year we update our early childhood and elementary plan books? I’m working on that today. Well, in all honesty, I’m simply pulling the pieces together! Our in-house editors have selected and edited 52 brand-new classroom tips for the The Ultimate Teacher’s Plan Book Early Childhood and over 80 fresh and fun writing prompts for the The Ultimate Teacher’s Plan Book Elementary. I update the calendars, forms, and organizers. Another colleague makes sure the online registration is set so teachers who purchase the plan book can easily access its programmable online components. Then an artist (this year it will be Zane) puts all the pieces in the right places. I’d love to know what you like best about our plan books—along with any suggestions you have for improving them. Please share your plan book wish list!

All ears!
Diane

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