Behind the Scenes

Ever wonder what the the chaos looks like behind the product, or how some people decide on what to create? Well let me tell you, it is a process! This year I am teaching all alternate courses in the core subjects to some pretty amazing kids, however, that means that curriculum resources that are provided to general classroom teachers aren't exactly applicable or accessible to my students. I can spend hours searching Teachers Pay Teachers for a Science or Social Studies unit and the results are usually always the same....spend $5+ for a great product where I would only be able to use a couple of pages because my students cannot write sentences, form all their letters, draw pictures, or verbally express their ideas. So what does one do? Well they create their own product of course! Here is a behind the scenes look at my Day/Night mini Science unit coming to our TPT soon! It includes: a mini reader, read, build, trace, write, task cards, cut and paste sorting activities, and sequencing daily routines!

So Long Summer...Hello September!

This Labor Day weekend marked the end of summer for us teachers here in Newfoundland and Labrador. While many of our teacher friends have been busy preparing and setting up their classrooms in preparation for the new school year, Kendra and I have been soaking up the last sunny days of summer with some rest and relaxation. After completing my Masters of Special Education in May, this was one of my first summers in a while where I didn't have to take courses or work on writing my thesis paper. Needless to say, I enjoyed it to the fullest! Here in Newfoundland, school concludes the end of June, so I spent the rest of the summer taking road trips, enjoying festivals, country concerts, running, yoga on the dock, campfires, spending time with friends and family, and our annual summer tradition berry picking!

Kendra is just beginning her Masters in Literacy Education this month, so she enjoyed having a summer off for an entirely different reason. She is starting to brace herself for the workload ahead and has been working on turning her spare room into an office for both our TPT business and her schooling. Any time that Kendra can spend outside during the summer, she does! So most of her break was spent exploring hiking trails with her husband and dog, as well as working on her backyard vegetable garden. They celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary, watched a lot of baseball games, and she took a road tip back to her hometown to visit friends and family!

How long do you get off for summer break? We would love to hear what you do to recharge for the upcoming school year.

As the school year begins for our Newfoundland teacher friends, many of you have already started. Don't forget to take some time for yourself throughout the school year to recharge your batteries and avoid burnout. I personally like to work out the tough days at the gym, on the running trails, in the pool, or by practicing yoga. What are some of the things you do to relax throughout the school year?

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