Today's deal is 
#2fortuesday
on Teachers Pay Teachers! These 2 products can be found for half price today at:
Tales from the Third Degree

 
 

Happy Independence Day! We are getting our grill on, like the true, red-blooded Americans that we are! Hopefully you are enjoying the day with family and friends, good food and drink, and some rest and relaxation!
If you have some computer time and want to get a jump start on BACK-TO-SCHOOL teacher shopping, then head over to TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS, type in #MondayMadness, and grab up some dollar deals! Then come back each day this week for some more savings! There are lots of teachers participating, and on Friday there will be some BIG WINNERs of some amazing gift cards!

Click the picture to go to my DOLLAR DEAL!

Happy shopping!

Well, it's been a while...a really, really LONG while. I've been publishing day to day stuff, but on Facebook--not here. This blog world stuff is really confusing! If anyone out there can help me figure out what to do, that would be great! Where do you post? Where do readers go?
My new latest favorite place is Instagram! All the pretty pictures are there! And of course, Pinterest. I. Must. Pin. All. The. Things. I'm pretty sure I have enough recipes and craft projects saved to last me until the end of time. Or longer.
For now, I think I'll just put this right here:

https://www.facebook.com/talesfromthethirddegree/

https://www.instagram.com/adoubleshot/

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tales-From-The-Third-Degree/

and the latest (although I don't have any idea what I'm doing just yet)

talesfromthethirddegree.com

Let There Be Cake

It was Friday morning after a REALLY long 5 day week. Most of them are. I was having a conversation with one of my particularly challenging students. She is from a PBIS classroom, which means she has some rather significant issues with controlling her behavior. On this Friday morning, things were going well. We were having a conversation about her Life Book (journal). She had written about going to see her biological family, and about a cousin's birthday party she would be attending. She seemed so happy and excited, that I wanted to keep the conversation going. I asked her if she thought there would be cake at the birthday party. She looked at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "Mrs. Butler, there's ALWAYS cake!"
I couldn't stop thinking about her words all day. At first, they just cracked me up--the eye-rolling, the OBVIOUSNESS of my ridiculous question. But, like most things that stick with me for the long haul, I knew there was a lesson here for me to learn. So tonight as I was getting some laundry done, it dawned on me: as a teacher, as HER teacher, I AM THE CAKE! Now, I'm not saying these words in the same way that I'd say I AM THE BOMB! (commonly after I've completed said laundry). This was different. This child and all of the others sitting in our classrooms need to know that there will ALWAYS be cake. They need stability, and they need US to be THAT for THEM.
Now this in and of itself isn't that much of a revelation. Except when you think of how crazy some of their lives are. As my friend Jess says, they are as screwed up as a soup sandwich, some of them. So my steadfastness matters--a lot. When I feel like I'm losing it--and it happens--I'll be thinking to myself, I am the cake. And also? I might be whistling Happy Birthday.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and BE THE CAKE!!!

Coffee, anyone?

While pouring (more) coffee into my cup this morning :
Student: Oh my GOD, Mrs. Butler! Are you having MORE COFFEE???!?
ME: Ummmm....yes.
Student: But you're already SO SHORT already!!

They swear I'm shrinking.

Monday, You Came in Like a Wrecking Ball

Student: (At dismissal...Monday) Mrs. Butler? What are those white and silver shiny parts in your hair on top? Is that gray hair, or glitter?
Me: Glitter. Most definitely it is glitter.

ALWAYS choose glitter. Happy Monday.

Vacation Time

During writing time:
Student: (writing about favorite vacation spot) I love to go to the beach! Except this last time? I got sand EVERYWHERE!  Do you know what I mean, Mrs. Butler?
Me: Ummm, yep, pretty sure I do.
Student: I got sand all up in my bathing suit where sand SHOULD NOT GO, and then I had to go to the doctor because I got a BEAST INFECTION.
Me: Yikes. Those are ROUGH.

Wear shorts, my friends. Wear shorts.