After digging for hours, the pirate only found an old boot! 

​Use this mystery prompt to see what ideas your students come up with about 'what could have happened?' 

Prep: Print and laminate the image below into a card to use as an early finisher task or writing center activity.
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​Display on the board for a whole class writing activity. 

There are plenty of ways you may wish to use this prompt. If you would like some ideas, keep on reading.

​A wise teacher once told me that you need to have a 'bag of tricks' to deal with certain classes. So, in this post, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite tricks that you might want to add to your management bag if you wish. Free download included. This 'Secret Agents' strategy worked well for me when subbing in different classes.

The article this week is a guest post from Descript. Being a teacher-author and blogger myself, I found the information in this post relevant and helpful to my world of creating resources. I spend a lot of time writing and re-writing mystery and quest stories, sometimes I re-write them multiple times before achieving the final product! Frustratingly, when writer's block strikes, it may mean putting a project down and not touching it again for months!  If you too experience moments such as this, whether you're a writer of books, essays, scripts, blog posts, report cards, or develop resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, this article is for you. 

​Welcome back! Start your year with these great products, activities, and projects featured from various TPT sellers. To celebrate the new school year, we will also be running a giveaway! Be sure to read till the end of this post to enter for a chance to win a TPT Gift Card to help kick start the back to school season. 

Since I love mysteries, this week I want to share with you a mystery icebreaker game that is a fun way for kids to get to know their peers. I've included the templates that go with this game free to download. I'll first write a game overview, then I'll outline the prep and set-up that must be completed before beginning this mystery icebreaker game.
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Download the free templates with instructions HERE. 

It's no mystery that a healthy teacher is a happy teacher. Happy teachers are calmer, more effective, and are an integral part of maintaining a positive classroom environment. I've found that when I eat healthy and nutritious food, it helps me go into a positive frame of mind, and the kids seem calmer around me too. It took me a while to notice it, but now I truly believe that kids feed off your energy! So if you are tired and need a healthy energy boost, these yummy brownie bliss balls are the perfect guilt-free teacher treat!

The recipe for these healthy brownie bliss balls is easy to make, can be made in advance, and can be kept in your bag!  Everyone might enjoy them in the teacher lounge too if you dare to share.