A Happy Milestone and a Giveaway to celebrate!

A year ago (about 2 years after I started tutoring professionally), a wise person (my mother) told me I should start trying to sell the education materials I have always created for my kids (whom I've homeschooled from birth) and my tutoring students. I thought she was crazy! So I blew it off as one of those hyped up motherly remarks.

Over the next few months I started to search out the possibilities, including selling online in the digital market. I found a few outlets that I thought I would play around with, and set up accounts. Then I basically left them alone thinking it wasn't worth my time. Over the summer (my busiest tutoring time) I had to create several resources for my students, and so I revisited the outlets...to my wonderment, one was advertising a blow-out Back To School Sale, and the excitement caught me.

That August was truly the beginning of my journey as a seller on Teachers Pay Teachers, and I spent a few hours each week adding to my store, making connections, and learning what it takes to be successful. Here I am today, a few months later with just over 100 followers of my store!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tutoring-Supplies-By-Design

I know this isn't much, and its no Superstar rise to fame. However, a year ago I thought it was pointless to even try!

What does this mean for you? First, if you are toying with an idea that you think is pointless, give it a chance before you count it out! And Second, you get to celebrate with me by entering for a chance to win my latest bundled resource. Read all about it at CreativekKids.com. The giveaway started this morning and will continue until March 6th.

Here's a quick look at some of the top selling resources that have helped me reach this little milestone.

Fun With Multiplication

Equivalent Fraction Match Up Puzzles

Skip Counting Practice

Finally, here is the link to the rafflecopter to enter for your chance to win the Bundle of Subway Art Multiplication Match Up Puzzles 2-11:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Madness: Match Up Puzzles

This is the first post in the new series Monday Madness. Everybody loves Mondays, right?! Ha! Said no teacher EVER, right? When I have students to tutor on Mondays, I honestly have mixed feelings. It's great to get the week started right away, but quite frankly, these kids DO NOT want anymore "school" after a Monday back to school.

So, how do I remedy this situation? The answer is games. About 80-90% of my students are math students, and most of them are working on multiplication facts at any given time of the year. So I created these fun, interactive flash cards that kids actually WANT to practice. I typically use these as an icebreaker, or warm-up activity when I first arrive. Recently I've been making smaller sets and leaving them with my students to practice in between sessions.

Here's what my folder looks like:

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I've designed 3 boards for each set of flashcards, and in this particular set I've included facts for times 2, 5, and 10. I have students at various levels, so I designed two sets of boards, one for facts through 9 and the other for facts through 16. I also made each set follow the same pattern, so each puzzle can be printed as backs for each set, giving me about 18 different combinations. Now my students aren't just memorizing each puzzle, they actually have to learn the facts!

Like I mentioned, these work great to break the ice in the first few minutes of a session. However, I like to asses the student's progress on the facts, so I designed small companion assessments (in the schools I hear they are calling these exit tickets). They are super short, and specifically related to the facts in each puzzle. I store them right in the front pocket of my folder.

If you think your students might like these puzzles, or you want to add them to your bag of goodies to beat the Monday Madness, head over to my store on Teacherspayteachers.com!

What do you do to beat the Monday Madness? Sound off in the comments and I'll award a free copy of this activity to the most creative solution!

Packing the Bag

This past week I had to restock some items for my tutor bag, and that got me wondering what other tutors have to have in their bags with them at all times. I asked my Facebook fans and received many different responses.

You can read the responses by clicking on this tutor bag from (the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com)

FB

Some tutors are very specific in what they have to have on hand, I am one of them. Here's a list of my MUST HAVES.

So what about you? What do you have to have with you when you're teaching/tutoring? Do you have a favorite type of bag? Sound off in the comments below.

Here's a quick peek at a project I'm working on right now... I REALLY hope it turns out the way I planned!!

Teaching Challenges

Most of my tutoring work involves math in some way or another. This math class imagined by kids is adorable, yet eye-opening. Isn't it true that sometimes it doesn't matter how we re-word the question, the kids just don't get it?!



I'd love to hear from you. What is the most challenging math concept you teach? Do you have a favorite resource that helps your students "get it"?