Yes, these are red hot questions, and if you answer the questions immediately, your name will be entered in a drawing for a free car! Okay, it’s Friday, and I’m seeping with hyperboles. There is no free car, though there is prize involved! Here are the questions: • How often do you go to the Teachers…
back-to-school
Artifact Introduction
The start of a new school year is always such an exciting time. In our district, fourth grade marks the transition from elementary to intermediate school. Each year, I tell my fourth graders that the upcoming school year will be a new and exciting time for them—a new school, new classroom, new friends, new responsibilities,…
Classroom Prep Challenge
Okay, teachers! I’m putting together a list of the top ten tips for setting up a classroom at the start of the school year. And I need your help. Send me one tip, two tips, or more that will help other teachers stay cool, calm, and confident as they set up their classrooms for a new…
New or Reuse?
Yesterday, I spent five enjoyable hours at School Tools, a teacher supply store in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Spending a day in a teacher supply store pairs two of my favorite things: teachers and school supplies. My day was a blast, a bit of a gabfest really. I was there to talk with teachers about the…
Twitter Chat!
When I taught, August was always a tortuous month for me. Half of me wanted to cling to summer like glitter clings to clothing and the other half of me was ready for a new year of challenges. I truly loved getting the room ready for a new group of little ones even though just…
Blog Winners and Student of the Week
First, let me clarify. All readers of The Mailbox Blog are winners in my book. Being a teacher and a member of The Mailbox family defines winner! Today, I’d like to congratulate both Peg and Mary for being the winners in the random drawing for the “Make a Difference to Children Giveaway.” Both Peg and…
First Friday Giveaway!
It’s the first Friday in August and y’all know what this means, right? School supplies are on sale! Oh, and it’s time for a giveaway, too. 🙂 I’m thinking one lucky blog reader will be tickled to have an extra $20 to spend on school supplies for his or her classroom. And guess what? That’s…
Pop Poll!
In case you’re unsure of what a pop poll is, it’s a surprise poll. I considered a pop quiz, but it didn’t fit the bill, because there are no right or wrong answers to the questions I’m asking. And besides, who wants to take a pop quiz in summer, right? To thank you for taking…
Holiday Creep
So Thanksgiving is now nipping at the heels of Black Friday for the title of Biggest Shopping Day of the Year. What a shame. Many stores were playing holiday music to lull shoppers into a gift-buying mood when they were shopping for back-to-school, which itself now seems to begin sometime in late April. And I…
Building Bridges
Team-building exercise. Three words. One hyphen. Plenty of trepidation. I’m not a fan of team building. I should be, but whenever I hear someone at the front of a room I’m in use the words “team-building exercise,” I look for the nearest exit. If you’ve got a few hours, maybe we can trace the origins…