Thy Will be Done

"Thy will be done" The prayer that never fails. Sitting in church this morning, we were discussing the Lord's Prayer. One of the parts that stands out to me each time I repeat it, is "Thy will be done". It reminds me of one of my favorite book series, the Mitford Series. Throughout any challenges, the main characters of the book always pray this prayer that never fails. And I needed the reminder for the week - so here it is for you too!

I pray it'll bring you as much comfort as it does me.

Save this image to your phone and enjoy!

Stop by the blog every Sunday for a new phone wallpaper!

Thanksgiving Phone Wallpaper

It's here! Thanksgiving week! Time to hang with family, eat delicious food, enjoy bloody marys (if you're anything like my family), and maybe run a turkey trot or watch the Macy's Day parade. Happy happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Just save this image to your phone & enjoy!

Drumroll Please....

The winners of our giveaways are..........

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HUGE thank you to all who entered! Please stop by my store for some deals, everyone is a winner!

Hurry! Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Have you entered yourself in our giveaway!? It ends tonight at midnight! Be sure to join us for your chance to win some great prizes!! Hop on over to Instagram or enter below! Visit The Hungry Teacher and Miss L's Busy Bees for more chances to enter!!

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Win $50 to Amazon ... and it takes less than 1 minute to enter...

 Because it's time to be adventurous.

Save this as your phone wallpaper and enjoy throughout the week!

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!

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The NaNoWriMo Experience

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? If you haven't - check it out, now! Every November, writers all over join together to write a novel (National Novel Writing Month).  There's even a version for your students! Why am I bringing this up NOW, you may ask? 1/3 of the way through November? Well, 2 reasons!

1) This is my first year participating in NaNoWriMo and I am writing my own novel

(eeeeeek!) It's scary and hard and time consuming. But if I ask my students to push themselves as writers, and I talk all about writing, I figure I should be walking the walk as well as talking the talk. By no means does this mean I am a good writer. I'm horrible. But you only learn by doing and practicing and pushing. So here I am - sharing with you that by the end of November, I hope to have a novel written. Typically novels are anywhere from 40,000 words to over 90,000 words. NaNoWriMo's typical goal for most writers is to have 50,000 words written by the end of the month. My goal is 20,000. It's Children's Fiction and I've never written anything more than 5 pages. So 20,000 words seems like a great goal for me right now. And is still over 600 words a day!

2) Writing a novel not your thing? Your little writers can get involved.  The website has all sorts of resources you could need to get your students to write a novel! (Or you can always use this!) Let's be honest - it's not necessary to do this in November. January, March, or April work just as well! I LOVE how it pushes writers to keep going. Writing stamina these days is at an all time low, and NaNoWriMo encourages writers to push through that! What's not to love?

With a Dare Machine, who wouldn't want to get writing?!

Have you written your own novel before? Have you used NaNoWriMo? I'd love to hear! Tell me more in the comments below!

And don't forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win some ahmaaazing prizes! *Cough*$50 to Amazon*cough*

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What Should Writing Conferences Look Like in the Classroom?

Are you a Writing Conference master? Writing Conferences are something most teachers squeeeeze into their day. And when they're squeezed in, they begin to look weak. But did you realize we're doing a huge injustice to our students by not being prepared? Check out my quick tips for making sure you have Writing Conferences nailed!

 Challenging, I know! But if you let yourself mingle with students for 15+ minutes, you'll never be able to meet with everyone. It's a fine line you need to walk between quality & quantity.

If you discuss these 3 things every time, you should have a strong grasp of what your writers are working on at all times. Make sure the majority of your time is spent discussing the student's writing goal and how they plan to achieve it. (This is where I love to pull from the masters, like  Cynthia Rylant and utilize mentor texts).

Grab Free Writing Conference Forms Here!

 They're free and pretty - what more could you ask for? For personalized Conference Forms with the CCSS standards included, be sure to purchase one of my writing units!

Don't forget to enter our giveaway! AND check out the FAB Miss L's Blog for some seriously amazing tips for breaking up those November blues!








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6 Habits for Surviving the Holidays as a Teacher

Before we even get to the tips, a few teacher buds and I are spending the week sharing our favorite tips for getting through this crazy time. Stop by all week + enter our giveaway!

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1) Focus on the BIG picture.
This time is crazy hectic. It just is. But when I start each day with a little She Reads Truth over coffee, I feel the Holy Spirit within me. Not just for the moment, but for the day. It sticks with me and reminds me that I am here to serve those kiddos. (even as a not-currently-in-the-classroom-teacher). They need you. They need your patience. Starting the day off by pointing you in the right direction makes a world of difference. (Truth moment - this isn't easy. I have to force myself to stop and read, but I pray that one day I won't have to force myself and that it will become something I need).

2) Rely on your friends.
Teacher mentors, Lucy Calkins, you fave teacher bloggers. These are the people I turn to when life gets insane. Embrace the insanity and find ways to steer your kiddo's enthusiasm into some good ol' fashioned learning. Find great activities that fit your curriculum and use them to keep your learners engaged. Check out some of my favorites here, here, and here!

3) Stick with it.
Just because I recommend embracing some fun activities, does not mean get off schedule. Stick to your routine! Kiddos crave structure. Even if Writing doesn't look like writing, call it writing and do it during your writing time. It helps keep structure and expectations in your schedule.

4) Don't be scared to laugh.
You're reaching that time in the year where you know your kiddos. They know you. Show them the real you. Don't be scared to laugh, make mistakes, and get messy. January is all about building back those expectations. Use this time to build relationships and gain their trust. You'll never regret it.

 5) Stay organized.
Keep with it. Always hand out student papers as soon as you get them. File away papers the second you get back into your room. Delete e-mails once they are no longer necessary. Don't get bogged down. Stay on top of those piles and you won't feel the weight of this season (This coming from a woman who hides stacks upon stacks under her desk... but it's still a goal that I reach for! You can do it too!)

Save this image to your phone!

6) Surround yourself with pretty reminders.
Grab this weekly reminder and save it as you iPhone wallpaper. Then stop back by my blog every Sunday for a new one. It reminds you to keep hustling and remember that YOU ARE AWESOME. You've got this teacher friends!

Now hop on over to my dear friend Martina's blog! She's sharing some other amazing tips with you today :)

Weekly Inspiration

 Preach.

Happy November! Save this image and make it your phone wallpaper!