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Mme R's French Resources

July 31, 2016

5 Ways to Make This Your Best Year Ever!

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best-teaching-year

I love summer and I never want it to end!  Tomorrow is August 1st and for me, that means the end of summer.  We start back to school, I’m crazy busy, and life flies by.  I eat when I can, sleep not enough, and go to the bathroom…wait, no I don’t get to do that!   You know what I’m talking about!

Being a teacher is a great job, but it sure does take a lot of time and energy.  There are tons of tips about how to manage a classroom, how to organize things, how to save time, but for me, my best year ever is the year where I enjoy life to the fullest in and out of school.  It’s the year where I don’t wait for summer to do my living or see my friends. It’s the year where I am not catching EVERY SINGLE COLD.  It’s the year where I treat myself as well as I treat everyone else!

Here’s what I propose for the best (and happiest) year ever:

1. Take care of yourself.

I know that is much easier said than done.  I have a family, so I cook, clean, get clothes ready, pack lunches, do bath time, read books, complete reading logs, and … the list is never-ending!  On top of it all, I work a 60 hour a week job!  That said, I need to be in my best shape to keep going.  So I eat well, exercise, and try not to drink too much coffee!

Want to know how exercise helps me stay sane? Check out this post.

How to do this:

Keep a fridge in your room and stock it with fruits and vegetables.  When you need a snack, you’ll have something healthy rather than that bag of chips or cookies that you find in the teacher’s lounge.  On Monday morning, fill up your fridge and cupboard with healthy things (and maybe some treats…like dark chocolate) and you’ll be good to go all week!

Exercise!  I love to sleep, but I don’t get to do that much.  I get up at 5 a.m. to grade papers so that I can run after school.  Or, I get up and run before school.  It is so much better for my mental and physical health, and I rarely get sick.  If I don’t make time for this, others just don’t do as well around me.

Take a 5 minute break at the beginning of your plan to just enjoy the quiet.  Maybe do some stretching.  (Yes, I have had admin walk in on me while doing yoga on my mat.  It might have been a little weird, but oh well.)

Don’t feel guilty taking time for yourself, but put that time to good use.  If you take time from your friends or family to exercise, don’t half-way do it.  Be efficient and move on to the next thing.

Want more self-care tips? Find some here.

2. Enjoy every second of your family time.

I know we are pulled in a million ways, and there is always so much to do.  Here’s what works for me:

Do not touch that phone during dinner.  Yes, Facebook will give you all the happenings of your friends, but do you need to see that while with your family?  Be in the now, be with your children, talk about their days.  You won’t get to do this forever.  If you can’t resist the pull of social media, find a quiet 10 minute block where you can indulge your guilty pleasure.

If you fall asleep during story time (I do…a lot) maybe do it on the couch instead of in the bed.  Could you do it before dinner instead of after?  I had to admit that the schedules other people went by just didn’t work for me as a teacher.

Have one week-end day where you do not touch school work.  Could you even do both weekend days??? I stay 2 hours late on Friday night every week so that I NEVER take work home on the weekend.

3.  Find positive colleagues and enjoy being with them.

If people are negative, just stay away.  That negativity will start to infect you, and you will become very unhappy.  If you are in a negative environment all-together, then just put on some music that you love, shut your door, and buckle down during your planning period so you don’t have to stay a minute longer than necessary.

Reach out to others.  Start a welcoming committee to increase the positivity at your school.  Bake something delicious and share it just because.  If you can’t find positive people at your school, maybe you can help change the school climate.

4.  Meet colleagues that you like outside of school.  Meet your friends.  Just go out!

Don’t talk about school.  AT ALL.  Just enjoy being a grown-up with grown-up friends.  Go to outdoor places when you can.  Share good meals.  Invite them to your house.  Reach out to others and remember that social life does not have to happen only in the summer!

My goal:  To have a monthly get-together with my favorite girls.

5.  Don’t feel like you have to do it all by yourself.  

There are so many great teachers out there!  If buying a resource on Teachers Pay Teachers will free up a lot of your time, do it!  Isn’t your weekend with your little one, your best friend, or your significant other worth the $5-10 you don’t want to spend?  I know how underpaid teachers are, but  I also know how much harder I had it when I tried to do it all myself.  One of my favorite resources that I bought from Teachers Pay Teachers cost me about $10, but it saved me so much time.   In the end, I got a tax deduction, found something amazing that I will use for years to come, helped a fellow teacher, and gained some extra free time!  I’d say that was a great investment!  In case you’re wondering, here’s that resource I love!

French graphic organizers by French Frenzy

Your time is so valuable, and I know how hard you have to work every week.  Save yourself the time and energy so that you can do more of what you love.

 

Click here to visit my store!

Have your best year yet!  

Filed Under: Back to school, Middle and high school teaching, Seasonal activities, Teaching tips Ashley 3 Comments

Reader Interactions

10 tips for teaching challenging teens
Student grouping has never been so easy!

Comments

  1. Prof. Sara says

    August 8, 2017 at 8:34 am

    Hi!! I'm reading all your blog…it is wonderful!! I am an italian teacher and I teach german. I find your resources really interesting because I am always searching for the "ultimate" method for my lessons!! Just one question for now…what is it the resource you are talking about? Thank you so much. Sara

    Reply
  2. Ashley says

    September 7, 2017 at 2:58 am

    Hi Sara! Thank you for such sweet words! Italian and German…Wow! I lived in Milan during high school, but I remember so little now.
    This is the one I mentioned… and I don't know why I didn't link it in the post, so I will now!
    It was an amazing time-saver for me when I got a new grade level (again) and was in a scramble for something that would work with a lot of texts. :).

    https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/32-French-Graphic-Organizers-for-Reading-Writing-PART-1-2-BUNDLE-SAVE-20-2302205

    Reply

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Spending a perfect day with two of my favorite peo Spending a perfect day with two of my favorite people! ☀️⚾️👑
FREEBIE 🎉 Grab this summer-themed freebie so y FREEBIE 🎉  Grab this summer-themed freebie so you've got something ready for fast finishers or in case you've got a sudden schedule change! It's bound to happen at some point!  #frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #tptfreebie #tpt #teacherspayteachers #freeteachingresources #profsfrancofun #corefrench #teachingfrench #teachingfrenchtokids #teachingfrench #frenchteacher #frenchteachersoninsta #frenchteachers #profdefrançais #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #teachergram
SUMMER! 🌴⁣ ⁣ It's finally here! ⁣ ⁣ I w SUMMER! 🌴⁣
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It's finally here! ⁣
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I wait all year for summer! Not kidding. I hate winter and the cold. I could be ALL my life in shorts and sandals!⁣
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Just a few things I'm excited for: ⁣
Loads of ice cream 🍦⁣
Camping ⛺⁣
Chicago 🏙⁣
Dates with my husband 👫⁣
Drive in movies 🚗⁣
Pool days with my kiddo 👙⁣
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What's on your summer bucket list?⁣
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#teachersinsummer #teachergram⁣
#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta  #middleschoolteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofig
CHECKING OUT⁣ ⁣ Anything more frustrating than CHECKING OUT⁣
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Anything more frustrating than being all ready to go, but you can't get that last signature on your sign-out form? 😩
EVEN BIG KIDS LOVE TO COLOR 🖍⁣ ⁣ One of my EVEN BIG KIDS LOVE TO COLOR 🖍⁣
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One of my favorite quiet activities for those days when students are a little over-stimulated is a color by code for grammar.⁣
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Even high schoolers like to color, but I have to admit, I didn't think about doing these types of activities when I first started teaching. It wasn't until I had accidentally left out the coloring books I kept for those times my son was in my classroom that I realized it, because they ALL wanted to color when they finished their finals. ⁣
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I had a total 💡 moment! ⁣
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So, since then, I've always tried to make a few color by code activities to review parts of speech or verbs, and they love it! ⁣
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You can find this page and a few more in my summer packet.⁣
Link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
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#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #conjugaison #frenchverbs #frenchteacher #teachersofinstagram
SELF-CARE⁣ ⁣ I love bubble baths a little more SELF-CARE⁣
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I love bubble baths a little more than the average person, but when I think of self-care, that's not the only thing that comes to mind.⁣
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Here are a few ways I love to take care of myself when I'm overwhelmed - or how I like to keep myself in good shape mentally and physically.⁣
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If you know a little about me, then you know that I love to run and read. Those are not on my list, because they are habits for me, so they aren't my self-care routines I tend to forget about.⁣
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This list is the things I need to make myself do when I'm down so that I feel a little more myself.⁣
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What do you do to take care of yourself? ⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #teaching #middleschoolteacher # #teachersfollowteachers #iteach456 #teachersofig #teachersinjune #teachersinsummer #selfcaresunday #selfcare #teacherselfcare
WHAT I'M READING⁣ ⁣ Disclaimer - I've read thi WHAT I'M READING⁣
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Disclaimer - I've read this before and I'm reading it again, because I just tend to do that with books. 😉⁣
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A lot of the time, the classroom was not a happy place for me. I didn't really understand why, but I would cringe when a teacher told us to go find a partner.⁣
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I knew I wasn't going to like what was coming because:⁣
A. I don't enjoy working with people.⁣
B. Going and finding my own partner was really stressful for me.⁣
C. The activity was bound to be noisy, and I really don't like that.⁣
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It wasn't until many years later, as a teacher myself, that I realized that there wasn't something "wrong" with me, although people often thought I was snotty or mean because I don't talk much or reach out to people.⁣
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As a teacher, especially a language teacher, I understand the importance of group work, but I have also been extremely cautious to not have students just "find a partner." I know the anxiety that created for me, and I think there are always students like that in the classroom. ⁣
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I'm intentional about putting students in groups, and I have had students tell me in my student feedback survey that they really appreciated that.⁣
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This book is a great read if you are an introvert yourself, because it definitely helped me understand that it's okay to want quiet and prefer being alone a lot of the time.⁣
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It's great for extroverts, because I know many times people have not understood when I was overwhelmed with the noise or the people and I needed to go home.  For teachers, it would give a good insight into those students who really don't seem to like groups. ⁣
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If you're looking for some summer reading, it's not the lightest read, but it is a book that I've found really helpful.⁣
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#booklist #whatimreading #teacherbooks #readinglist #bookshelf #teachers⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #teaching #middleschoolteacher
LISTENING⁣ ⁣ I don't know about you, but help LISTENING⁣
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 I don't know about you, but helping students improve listening skills has always been the hardest part of teaching French. Whether it was in immersion or FSL, the students have always been very used to my voice or the voices of their other teachers, but when we listen to songs, watch movies, or listen to audio tracks, they have a hard time understanding different accents.⁣
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I wanted to find a way to make listening to a native speaker more accessible, even to beginners, even when they don't understand all the words, even when they can't see the teacher gesturing.⁣
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If you've used my differentiated reading activities, then you know that they make the same text accessible to different levels. My listening activities do the same thing, but this time, it's with audio tracks recorded by native speakers around the francophone world.⁣
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Learn more about my listening activities at my blog. Link in bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #teaching #middleschoolteacher #frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchimmersion
VOCABULAIRE⁣ ⁣ Teachers love my reading activi VOCABULAIRE⁣
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Teachers love my reading activities and ask for more all the time, so I thought I'd make a fun summer-themed vocabulary activity that incorporates some reading.⁣
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This texte à trous activity has 4 summer-themed readings for core and immersion classes that will help you bring a little seasonal vocabulary into your class this month!⁣
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Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
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#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #vocabulaire #iteachfrench #iteach456 #teachersfollowteachers #teachergram #frenchteacher #frenchresources #frenchimmersion
END THE YEAR RIGHT!⁣ ⁣ It's getting to be that END THE YEAR RIGHT!⁣
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It's getting to be that time! No matter how ready I've ever been for a school year to end, it somehow ends up that I'm scrambling on the last few days to get stuff done. ⁣
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Sound familiar?⁣
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Here are a few things you can do to make a smoother transition into summer.⁣
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1. Throw stuff away. Seriously. Do not save things for projects you may never do. Just throw it out. (I am terrible at this.)⁣
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2. Put the meaningful things in a locked cabinet or take them home. Your classroom isn't really yours, and during summer school, maintenance, or just when it's empty, something you value might get lost or broken.⁣
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3. Get organized. I'm a huge fan of the dollar store, and I love pretty bins, so this is actually really fun for me. ⁣
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4. Plan ahead if you have to sign out with a checklist. Try and do a few ahead of time if you can so you aren't running all over the building on the last day.⁣
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5. Have fun! You spent all year building a family, and now it's time to say goodbye. As much as everyone is ready to sleep in a little, it's hard to say goodbye. Make some good memories on your last few days.⁣
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6. Empty your snack drawer. I won't even tell you how disgusting it is when you leave a few non-packaged snacks (bags of fruit 🤢) in your drawer over the summer. So much for healthy eating...⁣
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Any other year-end tips? Share them below!⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #teaching #middleschoolteacher #frenchteachers  #mmersfrenchresources #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers  #enseignement #enseigner
JUNE Can you believe it's June?!? June is my favo JUNE  Can you believe it's June?!? June is my favorite month, so I’ve been waiting!  Things I love about June : longer days and late sunsets, fireflies, root beer floats, watermelon, sandals, swimming, picnics, hikes with my son.  Do you have a favorite part of summer?
BONJOUR !⁣ ⁣ I have “met” so many differen BONJOUR !⁣
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I have “met” so many different teachers from around the world here on IG, and it's so fun discovering new facts about everyone! I thought I'd share a few things about me you might not know.😊⁣
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1.  I'm the youngest of 4 kids. My oldest brother was a senior in high school when I was in kindergarten, so my mom had little kids at home for a LONG time.⁣
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2. I love roller coasters! This is me and one of my sisters in Vegas just after we rode the ride at New York, New York. It was really fun - just in case you're wondering! ⁣
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3. I have moved 14 times to different homes in various states and countries, but I bought the house I live in now and have had it for a long time! I can't imagine trying to pack up a house now...⁣
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4. I'm mom to a middle schooler (7th grade now!) and I don't have any idea how that is, because he was just a baby a minute ago. 🤔⁣
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5. I seriously love to eat and I think I'm pretty much always hungry. I'm also always going, so I guess that makes sense!⁣
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Do we share anything in common? Let me know in the comments! ⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #mmersfrenchresources
NEW BOOK📚⁣ ⁣ If you've been following along NEW BOOK📚⁣
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If you've been following along for a while, then then you might know that my goal is to read 52 books this year. It used to be a book for each year of my age, but I was doing that easily, so I just decided a book a week would be a nice goal.⁣
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I've been reading The People We Keep by Allison Larkin and it's great!⁣
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It's a coming of age story that really resonated with me, because it's about a girl who ends up on her own and, as a result, she drops out of school. It's a story of amazing resilience that I found particularly touching as a teacher, because we never quite know what kids are going through when they aren't in our classrooms. ⁣
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I'm always adding to my list, so share a favorite in the comments! ⁣
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#teachersummer #teacherreader #readinglist ⁣
#whatimreading ⁣
#bookshelf #bookaddict #readingtime #igteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #middleschoolteacher
Yesterday I took a social media and news break. Ne Yesterday I took a social media and news break. News in America is rarely good, and I just have to step back.  I woke this morning and heard of yesterday’s school shooting while my husband was listening to the news. I opened up my phone to learn more before my son woke up, because I wanted to talk with him before school.  My son woke up for his last day of school and came downstairs to find me crying. When he asked me what was wrong, I struggled to find the words to explain to him what had happened.  These kids were having their last week of school. They did all the normal things, never knowing it was the last time they would do them.  How do I tell him what happened and then send him off like everything is normal? He’s in middle school, so he’s going to hear about it. I don’t want to hide it from him. I also don’t want to scare him. But it’s scary. And it’s real. It’s scary that it keeps happening and lawmakers just won’t make changes to keep us safe.  I don’t tell him of the many active shooter drills I’ve done. I certainly never imagined that when I was doing teacher training.  I don’t tell him that this happens in America far too often.  I don’t really quite have the words to tell him, because I can’t wrap my head around it myself.  So I tell him what I know, hug him the hardest I can, and send him to school.  How do we just keep going on like it’s all okay? None of this is okay.
FREEBIES!⁣ ⁣ It's always a good idea to have s FREEBIES!⁣
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It's always a good idea to have some resources on hand just in case, right? I thought I'd help you find some ready-to-go resources for the next few weeks so you can focus a little less time looking and more time doing what you enjoy. 😊⁣
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Find links to free French summer resources from a variety of TpT authors in this blog post.⁣
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I hope you find something to save yourself some time!⁣
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#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #tptfreebies #frenchteacher #frenchimmersion #teachersinsummer #summerbreak #teacherspayteachersfreebie #profsfrancofun
🌴🌴SUMMER IS COMING! 🌴 I'm so ready! How 🌴🌴SUMMER IS COMING! 🌴  I'm so ready! How about you?  If you are still teaching for a few more weeks, maybe some seasonal fun would make it less stressful?  I've got a brand-new summer-themed bundle with 10 resources to save planning time and have fun!  𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱?
🌴No-prep worksheets 
🌴Texte à trous reading activities
🌴Summer bingo
🌴French speaking cards
🌴Boom Cards
🌴J'ai... qui a... ?
🌴Word wall cards
🌴Write the room
🌴Board games
🌴Puzzles  𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲:
Present tense verbs
Parts of speech
Sentence structure
French summer vocabulary
Writing sentences in French
Asking and answering questions  This is perfect for Core French beginners, but all resources are in French-only, so this would also work in a late French immersion class.  Find the link to the summer bundle in my bio @mmersfrenchresources  #frenchteacher #frenchresources #teachingfrench #profdefrançais #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #frenchimmersion #teachingfrenchtokids #frimm #teachfrench #elementaryfrench #françaislangue
New book suggestion 📚 I have been reading this New book suggestion 📚  I have been reading this by @kristinharmel the past few days, and I’d highly recommend it!  I love historical fiction, and I know a lot of you do, too, so I wanted to share! I haven’t wanted to put it down, but I’m spending a long weekend with my sis and don’t want to leave her waiting for me! 😂  #readinglist #frenchteacherlife #frenchteachers #whatimreading #booknerd
Happy Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is always b Happy Mother’s Day!  Mother’s Day is always bittersweet for me, because I lost my mom years ago.  I have an amazing mother-in-law and aunt, and I’m thankful to share the day with them. Plus, I have beautiful flowers in my garden from my mom’s house, so I know she’s still with me.  As a mom myself, I so appreciate having a day where I can relax and be with my family. I wanted so very much to be a mom and it didn’t happen easily, so I’m extra thankful for my son! ❤️  I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day if you’re celebrating with your mom and a day full of warm memories if you can’t be with her. 💕
🌟STUDENT AWARDS 🌟 Do you have my end of yea 🌟STUDENT AWARDS 🌟  Do you have my end of year awards? If so, you won't want to miss the HUGE update!  The original set was made way back when I first started putting my resources on TpT - around 2014 or 2015 - so I figured it could use a refresh.  It's on sale for just a few more hours, too! 😀  Link in bio @mmersfrenchresources  #teachersofinstagram 
#tptsale #teachfrench #iteachfrench #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachingfrench #middleschoolfrench #corefrench #profsfrancofun #profdefrançais #frenchimmersion
#teacherspayteachers #mmersfrenchresources
HELLO MAY! April brought nothing but cold weathe HELLO MAY!  April brought nothing but cold weather and Covid to my world, so I'm hoping May looks better!  Today was beautiful and I went for a nice run, so things might just be looking up. 
🤞  I've got a few huge things planned for this month, but life has been showing me that I can make all the plans I want, but things are just gonna happen how they want to. I guess I'll get to them in good time, right?  #frenchteachers #frenchteachersoninstagram 
#frenchteacher #frenchteachersoninsta
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