The Beauty of the Beach....and New Blog Design!

Welcome Friends!

My blog's new design was created in honor of my favorite place....Florida's Bonita Beach.

I will be enjoying spring break there in 26 more days.

Believe me...the countdown has begun and some well-deserved rest and relaxation cannot come soon enough!

Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!



I know that way too much time is coming between my posts here, but the work on my Reading endorsement and time spent planning and teaching in my classroom has been a bit of a tsunami this year.  I am truly looking forward to the calm that the beach brings me.  The sound of waves, the sunshine on my shoulders, the sitting in a beach chair, and the doing of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


A few months ago, I needed something to inspire me to come to this blog more often, and decided to contact my designer to help me combine the look and feel of two of my most "happy places."  Laine from A Little Peace of Africa answered my call for a more modern look and captured my "ocean view" and vision perfectly!  She has worked with me for three years now, and has been my "go-to girl" and saving grace when it comes to technical glitches, design ideas, and product resources.  She is not only patient when answering my high-quantity of questions, but she is honest when giving advice.  This picture of us meeting at the TpT 2015 Vegas conference is a favorite of mine.  It captures her kind, helpful, genuine, and artistic spirit perfectly!


Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


As a way to celebrate my new site design AND offer a little something back to you, my followers, I am hosting a giveaway for one of Laine's BRAND IT BEAUTIFUL packages.  Leave a comment on this post about your "happy place" along with your e-mail in order to be entered.  I'll come back on Tuesday, March 21st, to choose a lucky winner of this $25 value!  You can read about what all is included {HERE}.  Laine created a package for me a few months ago and the background papers and label tags used in this post's photos are from it!  I just LOVE the ombre watercolors and the personal palette she came up with.


Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


Be sure to grab this favorite FREEBIE that I created to compliment David Wiesner's
Flotsam.  You will find it {HERE} in a post I wrote last year for The Reading Crew's spring mentor text event.  It includes mind maps, writing response pages, and a slideshow of photos and story vocabulary that you can project on a Smartboard or print out and use in a pocket chart.

I share this wonderful, wordless picture book with my second graders before we head out for summer vacation, and it's like taking them on a virtual field trip!  There's so much to discover and explore, even if you can't go to the ocean!  Imagination and creative thinking are key ingredients in the lesson!


Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!



Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


I hope you will return to my blog often to find humor, hope, and inspiration.  Know that I am honored to share what works and what doesn't work in my classroom with you.  What we do as educators every day is both EXHAUSTING and REWARDING, and I have found that it is better to share both sides of my experience in order to stay centered and sane!  May these photos of my favorite place bring you joy and a positive mindset as you head into another week of school.  

May spring come SOON for us all!
#neverthelessshepersistedandmadeittospringbreak

Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


As always, thank you for sharing my story!  
Continue to hold a song in your heart and teach your children well!


Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


PIN FOR LATER

Students will love exploring the magic and the mystery of what lives in the ocean with David Wiesner's beautiful wordless picture book, Flotsam. Take them on a virtual field trip with the mind maps and writing response pages included as a FREEBIE in this post!


Peace out,




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