So I have painting on the brain—interior house painting, to be exact. My husband and I are in the process of moving to the house he grew up in, and it needs some cosmetic improvements. His mom, who was a wonderful lady we all miss, had a thing for flowered wallpaper. We had the wallpaper…
As an adult, I’m pretty immune to scary things. I can watch a horror movie by myself during a thunderstorm and still sleep soundly afterward. But when I was a child, I was creeped out by a lot of things. That’s why I liked the story The Woman Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by…
This Thursday, April 21, is Big Word Day! Yes, it’s one of those non-holidays…but this one sounds pretty entertaining to me, simply because you can make it a fun day in your classroom. Try out some of these engaging activities with your students: Challenge students to seek out and learn a big word, use it…
January is National Soup Month, which isn’t surprising since the month tends to be chilly. I love soup! It’s usually simple to make and the leftovers last quite awhile. Tonight, taco soup is on the menu. It involves opening a lot of cans and dumping them into a soup pot. It doesn’t get any easier…
Every day I get a news email that includes a pangram puzzle, which I always stare at for a couple of minutes in an attempt to solve the blasted thing. Most days I fail, shrug my shoulders, and go about my business. Yesterday I actually solved it, and I felt victorious all day long. I…
Tim Conway, the legendary comedian, passed away last week. When I found out, I spent some time watching some of his best outtakes from The Carol Burnett Show. They’re hilarious! If you’ve never watched them, you really should. Laughter is the best medicine. It relaxes the body and relieves stress. So when we can combine laughter…
Tomorrow, November 27, is Kevin Henkes’ birthday! He’s the author of over 50 books, most of which he has illustrated as well. He’s well known for creating relatable characters that deal with familiar problems in whimsical and engaging ways. I did a bit of digging looking for interesting Kevin Henkes facts, and here’s what I…
Wednesday, August 8, is International Cat Day! As you can see from my photos, all three of my cats are eager to celebrate–or take a nap. 🙂 To spotlight this holiday, here is a selection of fabulous skill-building cat-themed activities! This kitty cat action rhyme is perfect for preschoolers!…
All teachers know that managing transitions between classroom activities is the key to a smooth day. Without a plan, things can quickly devolve into a chaos only slightly more civilized than Lord of the Flies. So not only do you plan transitions, but you have to switch them up every once in awhile to keep…
Did you know that William Steig, award-winning author and illustrator of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, also wrote Shrek, the source for the fabulous Dreamworks movie? He sure did! And tomorrow is his birthday. William Steig was born in 1907 and passed away in 2003 at the age of 95. In addition to Sylvester and…