Printable Worksheets for Teachers

I just thought I would share this WONDERFUL Math worksheet generator website I just found.  What a help! It has everything you need including the answers. Here's the link:

Division Worksheets | Printable Division Worksheets for Teachers

enjoy!

Assignment Sheets

In an effort to make life easier, over the years I have created and perfected my own school planner.

This sheet which I have created using Microsoft Word, has helped me and my children to keep track of their assignments. It helps me to know what needs to be scheduled, what has and hasn't been completed, and my students can easily see what is expected of them throughout the day.  

Each week is highlighted alternately white and yellow to make it easier to view. I usually only schedule one week at a time and write everything in pencil to allow for changes in our week (company coming in etc.)

 When an assignment has been completed, I simply check it off with a green pen.  For any subject that they don't need to do that day I put an "X" with the green pen.  If there was something they were supposed to do and didn't, I circle it in red. Horror of horrors! My children HATE to see anything marked in red!

Because it's so large, I use legal size paper and fold it in half.  

Having all  three of my school age children in the same level of science, I don't want to have to write the same assignment three times as that would be too time consuming, and the whole idea is to find easier more efficient ways to do school.  So, I just have a sheet protector hanging on the wall in which I insert the entire week's Science schedule.

This is actually a rather modified image of the actual table. It was modified during the process of  trying to post it on here.  There is actually 3 weeks worth of assignments per side and Friday's row is much more even with the rest of the rows.

I hope this will be of help to someone out there. Even if it only inspires you to create your own designed way of organizing.  

To Every Thing There is a Season

The past year has brought many changes for me and my family. I don’t like changes - especially big ones. They make me dizzy and feel like I have no control and it takes me forever to adjust. I’m not complaining, just adjusting. Here is a run down of all the changes that happened:

One of my closest friend’s daughter got married and moved away (far away)

My close friend herself got married and moved away

After ten years of living in our home, we were foreclosed and had to move

We moved to a new town – we almost moved to a new state altogether

Sometimes I find it hard to let go and let God take control. While I was packing, I thought of the children of Israel down in Egypt. I felt like I knew how some of them may have felt: excited, yet at the same time uncertain and possibly even afraid of the unknown future after being in the same place for so many years. From the night of the Passover, when they ate in haste with their shoes on ad their staff in their hand, from then on, they had to be ready to move on – toward the Promised Land. I imagine they didn’t have as much to have to move as we did.  And that thought inspired me to lighten my load… to let go of this world’s goods.  Perhaps, that’s what the Lord wanted. He doesn’t want me to be attached or comfortable with anything in this world for I am just a pilgrim and a stranger in this world. I know that He is getting me ready for a much bigger change – a body change – the RAPTURE!

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 & 11

Literature for World War 1

It has been a challenge to find living books for World War 1. Here is a list of the few finds that I found J:

The House on Walenska Street by Charlotte Herman

An awesome children’s book of a Russian Jewish girl and her family in 1913. I actually read this one myself and loved it.

Flying Aces of World War 1 by Gene Gurney

Gay-Neck: the Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji

The Story of Albert Schweizer by Anita Daniel

I will be adding to this list, so you may want to check back to this post here and there.

A Blogging Dilemma

I have such a beautiful blog.  It would look so much better if I had more postings.  But, unfortunately, I've been so busy living out my inspirations, that I have found so little time to write.  It's a pity, too, because I really love writing.  I wonder if anyone else has this problem.

So, what of life's treasures inspire my heart, you ask? Oh my! Well, first and foremost, I LOVE to serve the Lord in every aspect; my thoughts, the things I read, what I listen to, my meditations, serving my family and my friends and strangers.  I love to serve. My Lord Jesus is the very life that flows through my heart that keeps my going every day, every hour, every second! I love Him for all that He has done for me and for all that He has shown me.  I love everything about Him.  He is the reason for my very existence!

My children inspire me! I enjoy looking at them, watching them grow like flowers in a garden.  Their interests become my interests. Teaching them is a joy, a blessing, a privilege and an honor.

Oh the symphony of life! Playing the violin is my way of worship ~

Gardening is rejuvenating ~

I have so many ideas for sewing projects!!!  Oh, I wish there were more hours in a day!

Drawing, painting, cutting, smelling the crayons and pencils and books ~

I love children! I love teaching Sunday School

Nature.... trees, rocks, flowers, herbs, sticks, clouds, mountains, creeks and rivers, valleys, storms, rainbows,  stars, the moon, sunshine...

Organizing my thoughts, my house, my drawers, files, Oh MY!

Although not as compassionate as others, I do enjoy cooking nutritious and yummy meals.

Making my table, my house and my bed look pretty.  Those are things that are important to me

Poetry speaks of my heart and makes me smile ~

I know I'll have to edit this post, as I KNOW I'll think of more, but, for now, I have to go LIVE!

Let us, then, be up and doing

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing, 

Learn to labor and to wait. 

~ excerpt from "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Astronomy Treats

I don't like to use the word "bribe" but sometimes giving my children an incentive really makes a difference.  In science, I use Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy, by Jeanie Fulbright along with the Notebooking Journal (an AWESOME invention). When filling in the answers to the "What Do You Remember" questions for each chapter, I have some expectations.  Being very partial to the Charlotte Mason method, I do not want slip shod work turned in.  I expect each of my children to answer the questions to the very BEST of their ability (which, since we review the chapters quite often AND I allow them to find the answers in the book if they don't remember, I expect them to get the answers right.)  Their work must have neat handwriting, and written in complete sentences. Unfortunately, not all my "students" were doing their best.  So, I came up with a plan that has really helped.  Now, instead of dreading those questions, they can't WAIT to do them.

We go over the answers together and then..... it's treat time! I will only give them treats IF they do their best.  Needless to say, I haven't had to deny anyone of their much earned reward.  I thought I'd share a list of the treats that I came up with.  They are all very sweet treats - something I don't always do, but I guess since it's only every other week, I allow it. I wish I had come up with it BEFORE we got started as we haven't used all of my brilliant ideas.  Do you use incentives for your children?

Lesson 1         What is Astronomy?      

Make a universe cake! w/ chocolate icing background, make planets using colored icing, sprinkle star-shaped sprinkles, colored balls for moons

Lesson 2        The Sun        

**Melt Hershey bar as indicated in the lesson using magnifying glass over graham cracker

Lesson 3          Mercury                      

**Edible Marine 10 (sugar wafers, grahams, pretzels,

Lesson 4          Venus                          

Red Hots

Lesson 5          Earth                           

Crush Oreo cookies into some chocolate pudding, mix, put more on top and add gummy worms (earth worms)

Lesson 6          Moon                          

Moon pies

Lesson 7          Mars                           

Mars Bars

Lesson 8          Space Rocks               

Pop Rocks

Lesson 9          Jupiter                         

Jaw Breaker

Lesson 10        Saturn                         

candy necklaces or gummy peach rings

Lesson 11        Uranus & Neptune      

Green & Blue Cotton Candy

Lesson 12        Pluto & Kuiper Belt     

**Homemade Ice Cream from lesson

Lesson 13        Stars & Galaxies          

Starburst candy

Lesson 14        Space Travel               

Astronaut Food Packs

** Indicates that this treat is already a part of the lesson mentioned either in the book or the notebook Journal

Hold the Fort!

As was true of so many of Philip P. Bliss’s gospel songs, this hymn was inspired by an illustration used by Major Whittle, an officer in the American Civil War, while addressing a YMCA meeting on the text from Revelation 2:25.

Just before [Will­iam Te­cum­seh] Sher­man be­gan his fa­mous march to the sea in 1864, and while his ar­my lay camped in the neigh­bor­hood of Atlanta [Georgia] on the 5th of Oc­to­ber, the ar­my of Hood, in a care­ful­ly pre­pared move­ment, passed the right flank of Sher­man’s ar­my, gained his rear, and com­menced the de­struction of the rail­road lead­ing north, burn­ing block­houses and cap­tur­ing the small gar­ri­sons along the line. Sher­man’s ar­my was put in ra­pid mo­tion pur­su­ing Hood, to save the sup­plies and larg­er posts, the prin­ci­pal one of which was lo­cat­ed at Al­too­na Pass. Gen­er­al Corse, of Il­li­nois, was sta­tioned there with about fif­teen hun­dred men, Col­o­nel Tour­te­lotte be­ing se­cond in com­mand. A mil­lion and a half ra­tions were stored here and it was high­ly im­port­ant that the earth­works com­mand­ing the pass and pro­tect­ing the sup­plies be held. Six thou­sand men un­der com­mand of Gen­e­ral French were de­tailed by Hood to take the po­si­tion. The works were com­plete­ly sur­round­ed and sum­moned to sur­rend­er. Corse re­fused and a sharp fight com­menced. The de­fend­ers were slow­ly driv­en in­to a small fort on the crest of the hill. Ma­ny had fall­en, and the re­sult seemed to ren­der a pro­long­a­tion of the fight hop­eless. At this mo­ment an of­fi­cer caught sight of a white sig­nal flag far away across the val­ley, twen­ty miles dis­tant, up­on the top of Ken­e­saw Mount­ain. The sig­nal was an­swered, and soon the mes­sage was waved across from moun­tain to moun­tain:
“Hold the fort; I am coming. W. T. Sher­man.”
Cheers went up; every man was nerved to a full ap­pre­ci­a­tion of the po­si­tion; and un­der a mur­der­ous fire, which killed or wound­ed more than half the men in the fort—Corse him­self bei­ng shot three times through the head, and Tour­te­lotte tak­ing com­mand, though himself bad­ly wound­ed—they held the fort for three hours un­til the ad­vance guard of Sherman’s ar­my came up. French was obliged to re­treat.

The story so captivated Bliss’s interest that he could not retire that evening until he had completed both the text and the music for this gospel song. It later became a great favorite in the Moody-Sankey campaigns both in Great Britain and in the United States.

HOLD THE FORT

by Philip P. Bliss, 1838–1876

Ho, my comrades! see the signal waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.

“Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to Heaven, “By Thy grace we will.”

See the mighty host advancing, Satan leading on;
Mighty ones around us falling, courage almost gone!

See the glorious banner waving! Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s Name we triumph over ev’ry foe.

Fierce and long the battle rages, but our help is near;
Onward comes our great Commander, cheer, my comrades, cheer!