"300" Celebration Scavenger Hunt and Giveaway!

300! 300! 300!
Well actually, it is over 300, but these CELEBRATIONS take a little planning!


Erin and I have joined forces to celebrate reaching the magical mark of "300" followers.  We wanted to thank our long time bloggy friends and new followers for allowing us to be a tiny part of your lives.  I would love to bake everyone cookies, but the logistics of that would blow my mind.  

Obviously, a Scavenger Hunt Giveaway and a Grand Prize Giveaway are the only logical options.  So, we have asked some our bloggy friends to join us for the giveaway and scavenger hunt by telling us about their favorite teacher. 
You will need to visit their blogs in order to find the answers you need to unlock the Scavenger Hunt Prize folder.  Just in case you don't have them all on bloggy speed dial, links are provided below:)

My Favorite Teacher

This is a difficult question to ask a teacher.  As I grow more "experienced," I find that my current students and class influence who I think of as my "favorite" teacher.  This year, I find myself thinking about Mrs. Sample.  She saved me.  It wasn't until I was an adult and a teacher, that I fully understood what she had done for me.  Just for me. 

As a child, I had a serious speech "defect" - it was the Dark Ages, that was what they called it.  This was before IDEA and mainstreaming, if there was "something wrong" with you, there was little to protect you.  My mom took me to the school up the block and tried to enroll me in kindergarten.  The administration refused, but the kindergarten teacher took me anyway (according to family lore, she was retiring the next year and made a stand).  After two weeks of the office telling my mom to take me home, and two weeks of my mother and teacher pretending not to hear them, they relented.  It might have seemed that the fight was over, but it was just starting.  At that time, the teachers could refuse students with "defects."  My mother and kindergarten teacher had to find a 1st grade teacher willing to take me, and they started campaigning early.   

I have vague memories of being sent on "errands" to 1st grade classrooms; apparently, I was supposed to charm them into taking me.  Some of the 1st grade teachers came to visit me, and I remember feeling like a zoo animal.  Then one day, a beautiful lady came to eat her lunch with me as I painted.  She had a pink suit on and fancy hair, just like Diahann Carroll (I loved her TV show).  She talked to me, and pretended to understand me when I answered.  Her name was Mrs. Sample, and she agreed to take me.

She was tough, but I adored her.  She never babied me.  I was expected to answer questions in class, and I was definitely not allowed to cry when kids made fun of me.  She told me, "Kids are going to make fun of you, because you do talk funny, now no crying in this class!"  Sounds harsh, but after that I do remember her standing on the playground during recess with her coffee, staring kids down.  She also encouraged me to be friends with a "Kelly."  "Kelly" was a brawler, and quickly became my playground defender.  Mrs. Sample even took on my mom when she argued that I was ready to recite a poem for the Christmas Concert.  My mom was going to keep me home; she was sure I would be embarrassed.  What she didn't know was that for weeks at every recess, Mrs. Sample and I had been practicing.  Mrs. Sample won, and my little reindeer poem brought the house down.

The first day of second grade, I was so excited because I in Mrs. Sample's class.  I remember hugging her when she told me that she had picked me for 1-2 combo.   As an adult, I learned that she volunteered for the combo after finding out that the 2nd grade teachers refused to take me.  After I started teaching, I made the mistake of complaining to my mother about a certain "challenging" student.  She looked at me and said, "Mmmm, I wonder if that was how Mrs. Sample felt with you."  

As time goes by, I appreciate her more and more.  I hear her in my voice when I am dealing with struggling students.  I understand what a struggle and pain in the butt having me in her class must have been, and yet, she picked me and kept me when other teachers would not.  She saved me.  

Favorite Teacher Scavenger Hunt

Now that you know my current "favorite" teacher, click on my name in the first Rafflecopter below and write "Sample."  Then visit each of our fabulous participating bloggers to read about their favorite teachers, fill in the names to unlock each of the options below to reveal a link to your prize pack.  Included in the prize pack are products from 12 fabulous bloggers, and my Vertical Number Line for display in your classroom!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize Giveaway!

The second raffle is the Grand Prize Giveaway. This prize pack includes more than 20 amazing products, a $10 Starbucks card, $20 in TPT gift certificates, AND a package of goodies from New Zealand!  No "hunting" required.  The more entries you unlock, the better your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for joining us!  We hope everyone enjoys the giveaways, and we hope you might be a little inspired by our tales of favorite teachers!

Special Graphics and Fonts used for Giveaway images by Confetti Graphics, The Learning Site, Lovin' Lit, and Shelia Melton

7 comments

  1. Your story is so touching! I rolled up with my class this year because of a few students that other teachers thought might be "challenging" and I haven't regretted it for a minute! Those are my favorite kiddos and I can't wait to see what they become in the future! Everyone needs someone to believe in them! Congrats on 300!

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  2. Amazing story! I think we all need to be a little like Mrs. Sample for our challenging students.
    Have a great weekend!
    Michele

    Coffee Cups and Lesson Plans

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  3. That was fun! Thanks! And thanks for sharing your favourite teacher story. I agree with you - I would have a hard time choosing just one... Enjoy your weekend!
    -Lisa
    Grade 4 Buzz

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  4. Thanks for all of the goodies!

    One question though: the "Cupid Shuffle" says it's an ELA Scoot Activity, but all of the task cards are completely BLANK. Was there a mixup or something? I've viewed it in PPT as well as Google Drive, and they're blank no matter what.

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    1. Tasha, Thanks so much for telling us! I'm not sure how that happened, but it IS fixed now. Please let me know if you're unable to get into the folder again so I can send you the link!

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    2. It's working for me now! :) I refreshed the page I had open and clicked on it, and I've got it--and I'm glad I do! This looks awesome, thank you!!! :)

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  5. Aww...Susan...I started tearing up reading this! WOW...Mrs. Sample sounds like an amazing teacher and someone I would have definitely wanted to be my teacher! I am going to remember this next time I have a "challenger" in my room! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your wonderful celebration.
    Alison
    Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'

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