Ebook Deals and Steals

Happy December! Did you know you can give eBooks as gifts? In this post, I highlight some of my favorite authors to read anytime of year. Snap them up while the festive deals last!

Looking for a quick holiday read? Love Comes to the Castle, a Christmas novella by my mom, Susan Page Davis, is available now for just $0.99. It's the first in the Christmas at Barncastle Inn series. I'm currently reading this lighthearted inspirational romance, and it's SO much more fun than the literary fiction tome I just gave up on (which shall remain nameless). Also check out my mom's Web page, www.susanpagedavis.com.

I'm always watching for fun-to-read stories about teachers. For a limited time, The Teacher's Bride by Kathleen Fuller, first in the Amish Brides of Birch Creek series, is just $1.99 for Kindle. Looks like a good one!

Just in time for Christmas, Colleen Coble's eBook Christmas Collection: Silent Night, Holy Night, All Is Calm, All Is Bright is available for $2.99. Several of Coble's other books are discounted now, too, so check out those Kindle deals!

Dalene Vickery Parker and Linda Gilden's Words To Live By: 52 Ordinary Words That Lead to an Extraordinary Life is just $1.99 for Kindle. I have given this book to a fellow teacher as a gift, and she loved it as much as I do.

The MacArthur Topical Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Every Major Topic Found in the Bible is a #1 bestseller in Christian Ministry books on Amazon. Right now, the Kindle edition is only $1.99.

This one I purchased as a paperback, but the Kindle edition is now on sale for $1.99. I've begun reading The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent to my kids, and it's already been a great blessing. John Piper's writing is clear and piercing, conveying a whole lot of thought in a few words. Each day's meditation is just two pages, perfect for our busy mornings before school.

I hope you find some time to savor a good book this December! Check out my previous posts to find out what I'm currently reading (and why!). Follow me on Goodreads as I try to crush my 2019 reading goal!

How I Use Famous Shakespeare Quotes to Teach Literary Elements

Visit Brevity on TPT!

Just a few more hours to scoop up savings at Brevity and other stores on Teachers Pay Teachers at the Back to School sale! I've already found lots of great resources to help inject some Core-aligned energy into my lesson planning.

Me and Will Shakespeare

One of the units I teach every year in 9th, 10th, and 12th grade English is Shakespeare. They say "Necessity is the mother of invention," and necessity certainly inspired some of the Shakespeare unit resources I've created. I wanted a memorable way to teach literary elements and introduce students to the plays they would be reading before they ever got to the prologue.

Romeo and Juliet: Wall Docs

I also wanted a way to build character through quotes from the play and the discussions the quotes would ignite.

The wall docs I created for Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar help make connections for students, which is always a good thing. They build understanding of terms students will work with throughout the Shakespeare unit, and they help students remember what they learn.

How I Use Literary Elements in Famous Quotes Wall Docs in My Classroom

At the beginning of the semester, I hand out the full list of quotes and their corresponding literary elements, such as metaphor, symbol, or rhyming couplets. I explain that students will not be expected to memorize the quotes, but that they will need to be able to match the literary element to the quote that demonstrates it.

I then post the first quote doc on the wall and ask the class to read the quote aloud with me, either from the wall doc or from the handout. We then discuss the quote, the literary element, and how the language of the quote exemplifies the literary element. That's it for Day One. 

Macbeth quotes on my classroom wall

Each day, we repeat the reading and discussion for one week. On Monday of the next week, I introduce a new quote. Periodically, we review previous quotes and the terms that match them.

I assess students on terms and quotes as I see fit. This resource allows the teacher to use informal assessment daily without imposing an extra quiz on stressed-out students.

The beauty of working with specific famous quotes in a targeted way is that before students even read a line of the play, they become familiar with some of the famous lines and plot elements. Then, when we read the play and come across these quotes, light bulbs go on all around the room. Students see the quotes in context, understand the richness of the language, and remember the mechanics behind the poetry of Shakespeare. As an added plus, my students often tell me, "I was watching Sponge Bob and they quoted Shakespeare!" I love it when kids recognize literary allusions in the world around them. It's all about making connections!

Purchasing Shakespeare wall docs and other teacher resources from Brevity helps keep me blogging and helps keep ads on ChristianTeacherPublicSchool to a minimum. To take advantage of the Back to School Sale, just enter code BTS2017 at checkout! Thanks for your support!

Back to School Sale at Brevity on Teachers Pay Teachers

Welcome to August, teachers!

I'm excited to announce the Back to School sale at my shop, Brevity, on Teachers Pay Teachers! It's the first time I've participated in this fun sale, and I'm offering a 20% discount off all items in my store! The sale runs for just two days, so I hope you'll swing by and check out all the great deals and steals August 1-2! Remember, TPT shops offer freebies, too, so do yourself a favor, stock up and make your life easier this school year.

What will you find at Brevity on TPT?

• Resources for teaching literary elements in Shakespeare using famous quotes (Common Core aligned!)
• Encouraging e-cards for teachers
• Lesson plan and resources for teaching about bullying prevention at all grade levels
• Leadership in Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose unit plan for high school (Common Core aligned!)
• Core-aligned literature and writing resources and more

8 Encouraging ECards for Teachers, Summer/Fall Collection

What else is new at Christian Teacher, Public School?

Dalene Parker (left) with Amy Ballard

I just got back from a wonderful visit with family in South Carolina and Kentucky. One of the added blessings of the trip was finally getting to meet my friend, author Dalene Vickery Parker, for the first time! Dalene and I talked about teaching, family, faith, and lots of other things over coffee at Due South Coffee in Taylors, SC. It was great to see her and talk with her instead of just exchanging emails and texts. 

If you haven't had a chance to read Dalene's books, please visit her on Amazon. Christian Teachers in Public Schools is a fantastic resource and an encouragement for the heart of the busy teacher. Words to Live By is a devotional focusing on one spirit-building word per week.

During my stay at my parents' home in Kentucky, my sister took me to an open mic at Etcetera Coffeehouse in Paducah. I got to read several poems from my chapbook, Landlocked. The room wasn't packed, but the crowd was great. And I highly recommend the coffee!

In other news, I decided to get off Facebook, so that means Christian Teacher, Public School is also off Facebook. You can still reach me by clicking on "Comments" below each post, or through my Web site, amyballard.com. Thanks for following!

I was recently challenged to organize a prayer walk to invite God's watchcare over staff and students at my school for the upcoming year. We'll see if my busy life can take that on, but in the meantime, let's all stop and pray right now for the new school year. I wish you all the best as you begin teaching soon!

Blessings,

Amy

Tis the Season for New School Supplies

8 Encouraging eCards for Teachers, Summer and Fall Collection

It's the middle of July, and you know what that means--back-to-school sales! Some people gripe that "It gets earlier every year. . ." like stores putting out Christmas decorations right after Halloween, but school supplies at rock-bottom prices are never out of season to teachers.

My husband and I recently took our four-year-old to pick out supplies from the list his kindergarten teacher sent home with us on screening night. Pencils, paints, crayons, markers, glue sticks in the cart. One kid down, one to go.

Even though it's my little guy's first year in school, I think I was more excited about the new supplies than he was. After all, some of us teachers may have secretly chosen our careers because of the school supplies.

I'm blessed to work in a school district where the classroom supply budget is what I consider generous. Shopping for supplies can still be a nightmare, though, as we try to stretch the dollar. And aren't we all looking for that one vendor that has everything we're looking for in a cute design at the right price?

I've purchased my classroom supplies from many different sources over the years, and I'm not sure I've found the best way to get the job done yet. One year I fell in love with a company's free-shipping-to-home feature, only to be frustrated when my items arrived in many installments, each with a separate invoice. I never did get an accurate read on which items had arrived and whether my total matched what I'd thought I'd spent. Even their customer service couldn't provide a totaled invoice.

Scented markers from Mr. Sketch

Fortunately, there aren't a lot of imperative supply needs in high school English. Much of the class work requires only lined filler paper and a pen or trusty number two pencil. I always stock up on 3 x 5 cards and smooth-writing pens (my luxury item!) and of course, Expo markers. And it wouldn't be Mrs. Ballard's room without the smelly markers, a holdover from when I taught kindergarten. We use them on big chart paper to draw Venn diagrams, character maps, thought webs, vocab charts, and everything in between.

This year, I also splurged and purchased a few DVDs for classroom use, including Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, a must when studying British Romantic literature. And yes, even high school senior boys will watch it because the late Alan Rickman is a familiar face (and voice) from Die Hard and the Harry Potter movies.

What are your must-have school supplies to start the new year? Where do you buy them? Know of a steal we can all snatch up? Leave a comment to share.

Catch me Tuesday, July 12th in Twin Falls at the P20 Educator Conference: Reaching for New Heights. I'll be speaking on using Choose Your Own Adventure narrative techniques to teach creative writing. I'll also present Faith and the Public School Teacher. Hope to see you there!

Fun at Nursery School

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Christian teachers belong in public schools as a ray of sunlight in a darkening world, an example of the believer to a world that is seeking. They can't thrive without God's help, though. They need the Holy Spirit to guide and to go before them. And they need encouragement from fellow believers who know that the struggle is not in vain. That's why Christian Teacher, Public School is here. To offer encouragement and light for dark days.

If you agree with the message of this blog, won't you follow us by email? You can also follow the Christian Teacher, Public School board on Pinterest and find us on Facebook.

8 Encouraging eCards for Teachers, Summer and Fall Collection

Support this blog by shopping at Brevity on Teachers Pay Teachers, where I offer many freebies in addition to resources on bullying prevention, literary elements in Shakespeare, and classroom management. See my latest eCards for back to school!

You can also help support Christian Teacher, Public School by shopping with our affiliate links for excellent products from Dayspring Cards Inc. and Dover Publications. I don't advertise for companies I haven't used and loved for years. Right now, both companies are having summer sales. Dover is offering up to 75% off on summer clearance through July 25, and Dayspring creates a sense of suspense with their Secret Summer Sale (shh!!), where you can use code SUMMER30 to get 30% off their top ten summer gifts.

Best of all, you can share this blog with teacher friends. Thanks for reading and blessing me! Teachers need encouragement, and I hope this is a great place to find it.