Find Amazing Bargains in Back-to-School Sale on TpT

The annual back-to-school sale on TeachersPayTeachers.com begins next week on Tuesday, August 3rd. You will have two days to save up to 25% on thousands of resources that you can purchase, download, and use immediately. 

Be sure to enter the code BTS21 when you check out. Many sellers are pricing their resources at 20% off and if you enter the code, TpT will take off another 5%.

Busy teachers will especially enjoy the back-to-school activities that are printable, and many resources also provide a link to a product in Google Drive™ or offer the opportunity to work in Easel by TpT™.

Here's a link with more information on how to use Easel by TpT™. 

I have spent much of my summer making 50 of my resources available to use in Easel. If you wish to see which of them have been converted to Easel, click here. 

If you have already purchased a resource that has been converted to Easel, please go to the "my purchases" tab in your TpT dashboard and download it again.

Here's a great opportunity to enter an amazing contest sponsored by Victoria Leon and The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. You can win a $100 TpT Gift Certificate. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

One of my goals for the coming school year is to write a blog post and an email each month to help you teach a grammar, writing, or creative writing lesson to your students. If you have any special requests about concepts you would like to see me spotlight, please tell me in the comments below or send me an email at charlenetess@yahoo.com. I would love to help you in any way I can. 

You may find these two back-to-school lessons helpful. 

This back-to-school unit will get your new semester or school year off to a good start. Everything you need is included in this unit. Five pages of instruction for the teacher and a four-page handout packet for the students. 

When completed, students will have introduced each other to you and to their classmates, and you will have taken three assessment grades.

The twenty back-to-school-themed sentences in this exercise all begin with the subject and the verb.

Good writers vary their sentence patterns by sometimes placing phrases or clauses at the beginning of their sentences. 

In this exercise, students will rewrite sentences by varying the sentence patterns.

I hope the 2021-2022 school year is a happy and healthy one for you, your family, and your students.

Best,

Charlene

Sun, Sand, and Savings Sale Week of July 19-23

Sun, Sand, & Savings Sale  

$1 resources $2 resources and FREE resources. Week of July 19-23

It's that great summer sale again. You can choose from amazing TpT resources and save BIG!

You can find all the sales and giveaways for grades K-12 here.

Every Monday in July, I will mark two of my resources down to $1.00. Click on the link below to shop deals on 7/19. (I will not reduce prices until tomorrow!)    

Three Ways Authors Reveal Characters

Comparing and Contrasting Two Short Stories

Every Tuesday in July, I will mark two of my resources down to $2.00. Click here to shop deals on 7/20. 

(I will not reduce prices until Tuesday!)    

Scenarios to Plot a Mystery Story

Show Don't Tell

Every Wednesday in July, I will mark two of my digital resources down to $1.00. Click here to shop deals on 7/21. (I will not reduce prices until Wednesday.)

Guide to Understanding a Novel

Using Irregular Verbs Correctly Set One

Every Thursday and Friday in July, you can enter a $100 TpT Gift Card giveaway. Winners are announced on the main website on Saturday.

You can enter the giveaway on Thursday and Friday here.

Every Friday you can grab one or two of my Freebies.

Finding Prepositional Phrases Video

Practice with Possessive Nouns Worksheets

You can find all the sales and giveaways for grades K-12 here.

Bookmark it for use during July.

Sun, Sand, and Savings Sale Week of July 12-16

Sun, Sand, & Savings Sale  

$1 resources $2 resources and FREE resources. Week of July 12-16

It's that great summer sale again. You can choose from amazing TpT resources and save BIG!

You can find all the sales and giveaways for grades K-12 here.

Every Monday in July, I will mark two of my resources down to $1.00. Click on the link below to shop deals on 7/12. (I will not reduce prices until tomorrow!)    

How to Develop a Thesis Statement

How to Write a Character Analysis

Every Tuesday in July, I will mark two of my resources down to $2.00. Click here to shop deals on 7/13. 

(I will not reduce prices until Tuesday!)    

Sentence Pattern Worksheets for Back to School

Getting to Know You Activities for Back to School

Every Wednesday in July, I will mark two of my digital resources down to $1.00. Click here to shop deals on 7/14. (I will not reduce prices until Wednesday.)

Halloween Song-Writing Activity

How to Keep a Reading Reaction Journal

Every Thursday and Friday in July, you can enter a $100 TpT Gift Card giveaway. Winners are announced on the main website on Saturday.

You can enter the giveaway on Thursday and Friday here.

Every Friday you can grab one or two of my Freebies.

Reducing Wordy Sentences

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Worksheets

You can find all the sales and giveaways for grades K-12 here.

Bookmark it for use during July.

Sun, Sand & Savings Sale Week of July 5-9

Sun, Sand, & Savings Sale  

$1 resources $2 resources and FREE resources. Week of July 5-9.

It's that great summer sale again. You can choose from amazing TpT resources and save BIG!

You can find all the sales and giveaways for grades K-12 here.

Every Monday in July, I will mark two of my resources down to $1.00. Click on the link below to shop deals on 7/5.    

All About Verbs

How to Write a Critical Essay

Every Tuesday in July, I will mark two of my resources down to $2.00. Click here to shop deals on 7/6. 

(I will not reduce prices until Tuesday!)    

Show Don't Tell 

Action and Linking Verbs Complements

Every Wednesday in July, I will mark two of my digital resources down to $1.00. Click here to shop deals on 7/7. (I will not reduce prices until Wednesday.)

Proofreading for Capitalization, Punctuation, & Spelling BOOM Cards.™

Practice with Apostrophes Boom Cards™ Deck 1

Every Thursday and Friday in July, you can enter a $100 TpT Gift Card giveaway. Winners are announced on the main website on Saturday.

You can enter the giveaway on Thursday and Friday, here.

Every Friday you can grab one or two of my Freebies.

Who, or Whom, Fewer or Less, Bad or Badly BOOM Cards.™

Gratitude Booklet Creative Writing Activity

You can find all the sales and giveaways for grades K-12 here.

Bookmark it for use during July.

Advance Preparation for a Substitute Is a Must

Dear Teacher Friends,

It's finally the end of a long and stressful school year. You deserve a restful and fun vacation. This tip is one that will help make your next school year get off to a great start. Preparing this now, before you need it, will be so reassuring.

One of the biggest worries for teachers is what to do if you have an unexpected need to be absent. Sometimes you just don't feel like writing out a lesson plan that incorporates the lessons you have been working on in class. At other times, during a family crisis, you don't have time to think about a lesson plan at all. You have to pack, or go to the hospital, or rush in to help a family member who needs you. 

At such times, I always relied on a folder that I kept in the drawer of my desk. 

I would call a teacher friend at my school and ask them to get the folder out of my drawer and put it on my desktop. In addition to the lessons I had prepared, the folder contained my schedule, my seating charts, notes about my class rules, information about the teachers' lunchroom and break room, fire drill information, and any other helpful information I thought a substitute might need.

My go-to lesson was a short story that students would read in class and worksheets they would use to analyze the story. In the folder, I included printed copies of the story and the worksheets. You will find that lesson here.

If I had to be absent for more than one day, I had my teacher friend pull out a second folder in which I had placed a different lesson that could take up to a week to complete. You will find that FREE lesson here.

If you prefer lessons for distance learning, I have many resources that you could use. My Google Drive resources are here, and my BOOM Cards are here.

I learned that if you take the time to prepare these two folders before you need them, they can be a lifesaver later on. 

Take a look at all of the fantastic lessons you could use as substitute plans that were written by teachers who write for TeachersPayTeachers.com. These lessons are classroom-tested and ready to print and use. Why not download them and get your folders ready? Enjoy!

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a fun and restful summer break.

Here are some interesting blog posts my teacher friends in The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative wrote. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Two Day Sale on TpT April 6 & 7

Are you ready to grab some amazing products from the teacher/authors on TeachersPayTeachers.com and SAVE BIG?

This site-wide two-day sale (April 6th and 7th) is a huge bonus for teachers who want no-prep materials to help them finish out the 2021 spring semester. 

Whether you teach remotely, in the classroom, or a hybrid version of both, you will find lessons and resources that will make your job easier. 

At the same time, you can save up to 25% if you enter the code FORYOU21 at checkout.

If you use any version of my Simple Steps to Sentence Sense program, you will find some new BOOM Card™ decks that will allow your students to practice each step and receive immediate feedback. 

It's a win-win for you. You could even use it as a quiz before giving students the final test in each step. Why not wish-list the ones you need now and buy them for 25% off tomorrow.

Here are links to the BOOM Card™ decks on TpT

Step 1 - Prepositional Phrases

Step 2 - The Verb

Step 3 -  The Subject

Step 4 - Action and Linking Verb Complements

Step 5 - Adjectives and Adverbs

Step 6 - Verbal and Appositive Phrases

Step 7 - Adjective, Adverb, and Noun Clauses

Step 8 - Classifying Sentences 

            (Simple, Compound, Complex, Compound/Complex)

If you're not using the Simple Steps to Sentence Sense program, but you've heard how easy it is to use and how much your students are going to love it, now is the perfect time to save 25%. 

You will find those products here.

Thanks for reading,

Charlene

3 Tips on Using Apostrophes Correctly

Knowing when and how to use apostrophes can be really confusing at times. The key to using apostrophes correctly is to know when they are needed and for what purpose they are used. 

Here are three reasons to use an apostrophe: 

1.  Use an apostrophe to show that a letter or letters have been left out of a word or that numbers have been left out. 

For example, can’t and ’80. 

Be sure to place the apostrophe in the exact location of the missing letters or numbers. (can’t = can not) (‘80=1980)

2.  Use an apostrophe to show ownership or possession of nouns and indefinite pronouns.

  (Cathy’s car.) (someone’s fault)

**********************************************************************

The rules to form possessive nouns are simple. 

First, determine if the word you are making possessive in form is singular or plural. 

If the word is singular, add an apostrophe and then an s. (cat’s meow) 

Note: In words of more than one syllable that end in an s-sound, you are permitted to add only the apostrophe to avoid too many s-sounds. (Moses’ tablets) 

If the word is plural, you must first check the spelling of the word before making it possessive. 

If the plural word ends in an ‘s,’ just add the apostrophe. Flowers = flowers’ fragrance 

If the plural word does not end in an ‘s,’ you would add an apostrophe and then an ‘s.’ 

men = men’s wardrobe 

Never add an ‘s’ and then an apostrophe. (s’) 

(Doing so would have made the word plural and possessive.) 

**********************************************************************

3. Use an apostrophe to make individual letters and numbers plural. For example, there are four s’s and four i’s in Mississippi. There are three 0’s in my phone number. Mind your p's and q's.

You do not use an apostrophe to make a word plural.  

For example, one boy= three boys

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sometimes you need to make a word plural first and then make it possessive. 

Here's an example.

 

A family named Wilson is having a party. Because there are several members of the family who are having the party, you would make the name plural and then possessive. On the invitation it should read: You are invited to the Wilsons’ Christmas party. 

However, the Wilson family would sign their Christmas cards: The Wilsons. (Note: There is no apostrophe because “Wilsons” is a plural noun but not a possessive noun.) 

******************************************************************

Indefinite pronouns refer to something that is not specified.

Singular indefinite pronouns do not end in an “s”. To make an indefinite pronoun possessive, you would add an apostrophe and an ‘s.’ 

•anybody = anybody’s guess 

•anyone = anyone’s idea

•everybody = everybody’s right

•somebody = somebody’s idea

•nobody = nobody’s business

•no one = no one’s business

•someone = someone’s house

********************************************************************

If you follow these rules, the use of apostrophes becomes easier to understand. I have several resources that address the use of apostrophes and may be helpful for your students.

Practice with Apostrophes BOOM Cards Deck 1 $3.75

Practice with Apostrophes BOOM Cards Deck 2  $3.75

Avoid the Misuse of the Greengrocer's Apostrophe  $3.15

Using Apostrophes Correctly Grammar Worksheets FREE

We have something to look forward to since it's almost spring. Here in the Rockies, we just had 28 inches of snow at my house. I'm ready to skip spring and go straight to summer.

Stay safe and well. Thanks for reading.

Charlene

Some of my teacher friends have written some interesting blog posts. Take a look below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

5 Capitalization Hints

Capitalization is often a complex issue, and one's best friend is a good dictionary when trying to be correct. The five hints that follow are examples of frequent errors in capitalization. Learning them will make it easier to write correctly.

5 Capitalization Hints to Remember

1.  Don't capitalize seasons: summer, fall, autumn, winter, or spring

2.  Don't capitalize school subjects unless they are followed by a number or if they are a language.

        Correct:  biology, Biology II, French, history, math, Algebra I, algebra 

3.  Capitalize directions if they name a region of the country, but not when they indicate a direction of the compass. 

        Correct:  I love the food in the South.

                         Go two blocks north and then turn west and the stop sign.

4.  Do not capitalize earth, sun, or moon unless they appear in a list of other capitalized celestial bodies.

        Correct: I love the smell of the earth after a rain.

                        Today, we studied Earth, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus.

5.  Do not capitalize web, web page, or website but do capitalize World Wide Web and         Internet.

        Correct:  I am going to use the Internet today to create a new web page.

                         I cannot imagine how many websites exist on the World Wide Web.

I offer a FREE exercise to practice these five hints to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter. My newsletter will keep you informed about new lessons that I create and frequently includes FREE lessons and grammar tips and tricks. If you would like to subscribe click here.

Thanks for reading,

Charlene

Here are some interesting blog posts from my teacher friends:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

How to Reduce Wordy Sentences

Email, text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, Zoom, and other forms of internet communities are the way people interact with each other.

Am I against using these new ways to communicate? Absolutely not. I use them, too, and find it quite enjoyable to interact with friends both old and new.

Am I tempted to shorten my messages and tweets with letters and numerals such as, "I want 2 C U 2 day?" Not really.

Because I am a writer and a grammar teacher, I try to condense my words into succinct phrases, clauses, and sentences that convey my exact meaning while using fewer words.

With practice, anyone can become a better writer. One of the best ways to improve one’s writing is to cut extraneous words from essays, emails, texts, or manuscripts.

It takes work to say what you mean, but anyone can do it well with practice.

Learn to:

• repeat a word or phrase only when necessary.
• avoid a careless or needless repetition of a thought in different words.
• avoid clumsy, roundabout expressions.
• eliminate needless words and choppy sentences.
• avoid the double negative.
• use adverbs sparingly.
• choose the precise word to convey your meaning.
• avoid clichés.

*********************************************************

It is quality, not quantity that counts in writing. Most good writing is not cluttered with superfluous words.

Here are three ways to improve your writing:

(1) Eliminate extra words and the unnecessary repetition of ideas. 

For example:

Wordy: The dog played with a small, little, round ball, which was made of rubber.

Better: The dog played with a little rubber ball.

(2) Reduce clauses to phrases and phrases to single words.

For example:

Wordy:  We decided that we would leave the meeting early.

Better: We decided to leave the meeting early.

Wordy: The illegal immigrants who had been captured were deported to Mexico.

Better: The captured illegal immigrants were deported to Mexico.

(3) Avoid trying to sound like Shakespeare. Write naturally. 

For example:

Wordy:  Illumination is required when the sun has sunk into the west and left the premises in darkness.

Better: Turn on the lights at dark.

What about you? Do you sometimes use more words that you really need? I know I do, so when I go back and proofread what I have written, I often find myself tapping the delete key.

********************************************************

Twitter is a great place for people to learn to practice reducing long, convoluted, rambling sentences into 280 characters.

Click here to download a FREE exercise to practice reducing longer sentences into shorter, concise statements.

Here are some related resources in my store that you might find useful for your students.

Avoiding Redundancies - A Revision Technique for Writers

Just Say It! How to Avoid Wordiness in Writing

Revise and Edit Papers and Manuscripts

“It ain't whatcha write, it's the way atcha write it.”

                                                ------- Jack Kerouac

Thanks for reading,

Here are some interesting blog posts from my teacher friends in The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. Enjoy!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter