Life Between Summers

Elementary Teaching Blog

FREE bookmarks to go with
Our Class is a FamilyGET YOUR FREEBIE
FREE bookmarks to go with
Our Class is a FamilyGET YOUR FREEBIE

FREE bookmarks to go with
Our Class is a Family GET YOUR FREEBIE

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Meet Shannon

picture of Shannon
Thanks for stopping by! I've taught second grade for 15 years and am a mom of 2 girls (so I'm tired and happy)! I am passionate about creating helpful resources for elementary teachers, and writing picture books for the classroom. When I'm not doing the work that I love, I enjoy spending time with my family, laughing with friends, and having travel adventures. Hope you enjoy taking a look around!

A Letter From Your Teacher

#1 Read Aloud for the first day of school!

Here’s what teachers are saying about it:

“This book perfectly sums up all that teachers hope, dream, and wish for their students each year.”
“It really helps to express the special connection built between teacher and student!”
“I love the inclusive, colorful illustrations.”
“This is the book I’ll read to my class on the first day of school for the rest of my teaching career!”

Available on Amazon, Target, or at discounted pricing when ordering direct.

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Our Class is a Family

Have you picked up a copy of “Our Class is a Family” for your classroom library yet?
Here’s what teachers are saying about it:

“This book is PERFECT for building classroom community. 10/10 recommend!”
“This will definitely be a staple in my beginning and end of the year read alouds.”
“A MUST-HAVE for every classroom!”
“The beautiful illustrations show a diverse set of children.”
“EVERY TEACHER NEEDS THIS BOOK!”

Available on Amazon, Target, or at discounted pricing when ordering direct.

Learn More

Virtual Author Visits

I’d absolutely love to meet with you and your students to talk all about class community, as well as the writing and publishing process for Our Class is a Family and A Letter From Your Teacher.

Learn More

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Life Between Summers

3 months ago

Life Between Summers
SURPRISE!!! 🎉 Sandie Sonke Illustration & I just finished up the cover for our 4th book together, coming in 2023! 📙🥳In the past, I haven’t shared new book titles/covers until closer to the release date, but this time around I’d like to try and share more with you throughout the actual book-creating journey (sketches, sneak peeks, etc.) so here ya have it! 💞As you probably guessed by the title, this new one will be a follow up to Our Class is a Family! 🥰The premise:Kids have their immediate family that they live with, but extended relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) make up a special part of a family too! You can see where this is going- it’s similar at school! Students have their teacher & each other within their classroom walls, but they also have an extended family there to support them ❤️Specifically, all of the amazing people who are a big piece of the heart of a school:Librarians, speech pathologists, school counselors, administrators, custodians, school secretaries, reading specialists, cafeteria workers, and parent volunteers, just to name a few 🏫 And you’ll find them all represented in this new book! 🙌🏼 My hope for “Our School is a Family” is that it will help students feel extra safe, loved, & supported, and encourage kids to form positive relationships with (and show appreciation toward) the helpers at their school!I am so excited to share more about this book with you in the months to come!! 📖 P.S. Speaking of “months,” my very warmest congrats to Sandie, who is Society of Children's Book Writers & IllustratorsIllustrator of the Month! So very well-deserved!!! 🥂💗#ourschoolisafamily #ourclassisafamily #aletterfromyourteacher #shannonolsen #shannonolsenauthor #backtoschoolbooks #teacherreadaloud #schoollibrarian #schoolcounselor #speechpathologist #schoolcommunity ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers

7 months ago

Life Between Summers
New book companion to go with Our Class is a Family! Class Family Memory Books for the end of the school year 📖💕This is a nice & simple writing activity for students to work on during those final weeks/days leading up to summer break 👌🏼 It’s a meaningful way to reflect on all their memories from the year, and they can take it home as a special keepsake on the last day of school! If you’re thinking you might want these memory books for your students, the timing couldn’t be better because they’re 25% off today & tomorrow (along with all other resources in my TPT store!) with the code THANKYOU22 💛 This comes available on its own, or in a discounted bundle with more extension activities for all 3 of my books 📚 I will share the link in the comments! 💕 ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers with Lakeshore Learning.

1 years ago

Life Between Summers
Check out these top 5 favorites from Lakeshore Learning! They are having their biggest sale of the year for back to school. Use the coupon code 6392 for 20% off any non-sale item! bit.ly/2Usm24T Coupon valid ‪through 8/31/2021 for one-time use in stores or online. Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid on items with shipping restrictions. Other exclusions may apply. Visit bit.ly/3bbUXIj for details. #LearnwithLakeshore #ad #sponsored ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers

1 years ago

Life Between Summers
Standard Form, Expanded Form, Word Form. Maybe not the most exciting math concept to teach, but definitely an important one…so why not make it fun and engaging?? 😄Guess Who math games encourage higher level thinking/reasoning and using math vocabulary verbally. They’re an instant favorite for math centers and early finishers!Find this game and others at bit.ly/guesswhomathgames ... See MoreSee Less

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  • Do you have beginning writers or reluctant writers in your elementary classroom? I came up with a fun and motivating way to teach the writing process which includes using a baseball theme. This writing activity can be taught during your writing mini lessons and use throughout your writing workshop all year long. I have writing posters brainstorming writing ideas, editing and revising, writing conferences and more. Students get to use a writing checklist as they write.
  • Reviewing classroom management strategies after a long break is so important. Today, I am sharing my top classroom management tips and classroom management tools that will help get you to the end of the school year. It is important to review classroom rules, routines, and procedures like no name papers secret walkers. You also want to do activities that help build classroom community. This will really help with behavior management. Learn more today!
  • Are you looking for a fun Rosa Parks activity to help celebrate Black History Month or Women’s History Month? This close reading passage & Rosa Parks writing craft is perfect for you first, second, or third graders. Students will do a close reading of the passage where they can annotate the text to help them identify the main idea and details. Students get to work on comprehension skills but also get to do a fun Rosa Parks craft at the same time. You can incorporate this into reader’s worksh
  • Do you have beginning writers or reluctant writers in your elementary classroom? I came up with a fun and motivating way to teach the writing process which includes using a baseball theme. This writing activity can be taught during your writing mini lessons and use throughout your writing workshop all year long. I have writing posters brainstorming writing ideas, editing and revising, writing conferences and more. Students get to use a writing checklist as they write.
  • Looking for Valentine’s cards for parents? In this blog, I am sharing a Valentine’s card craft that is a favorite among elementary students and their parents. This Valentine’s Day craft also helps students with letter writing. Students get to write a Valentine’s note to their parents with the Valentine’s Day writing paper. This writing activity and hands-on craft is perfect for centers or morning work. Great for you Valentine's Day party!
  • This resource can be used in a number of ways in any reading or writing lesson about Martin Luther King Jr. The download contains a close reading passage about Martin Luther King’s life , short answer comprehension questions, and stationery perfect for any MLK writing assignment. This close reading comprehension passage is perfect for reader’s workshop or writer’s workshop. You can also use this Martin Luther King Jr. activity for morning work or early finishers.
  • Are you looking for a way to teach your students about walking in a line when they leave the classroom? Check out this free classroom poster about walking in line. This free classroom resource can be used as a reminder to students about classroom management and classroom expectations while they are walking in the halls. Students love using visual reminders for teacher expectations. Don’t miss out on this free template of this classroom management poster to use in your classroom today.
  • These telling time math games are perfect for math workshop or math centers. This Guess Who math game provides elementary students opportunities to practice telling time to the hour, telling time to the half hour, quarter hour, and to the nearest five minutes. This telling time activity includes a recording sheet for students and game board clock cards. Students will love telling time with this math activity. Great for early finishers as well.
  • Reviewing classroom management strategies after a long break is so important. Today, I am sharing my top classroom management tips and classroom management tools that will help get you to the end of the school year. It is important to review classroom rules, routines, and procedures like no name papers secret walkers. You also want to do activities that help build classroom community. This will really help with behavior management. Learn more today!