How to Make "Pretty" Social Media Buttons

Summer vacation is the perfect time for a blogging teacher to freshen up a site. 

Do you want blog buttons that match the theme of your blog? 

Here are the directions:

1.) Designs your icons. I designed mine in Powerpoint. (That is my preferred program when I create products for my classroom, so I am familiar with it.)

2.) Upload them to the site where you store pictures. I use photobucket.  

 

3.) Open up your blog. If you’re a Blogger user, go to Layout, and add a gadget. The gadget you’ll need for this is called “HTML/Javascript”. For the title, write what you’d like to appear as the title – "Follow me".  

4.) In the Content section, paste the HTML you’ve amended for your own site.

For each icon that you want to add to your site, you’ll need the following HTML:

<a href="SOCIAL MEDIA LINK"><img alt="ALT TEXT HERE" src="RELEVANT IMAGE LINK" width="50px"></a>

5.) Replace the “Social Media Link” part with whichever profile you want to link and put the image URL to the icon that relates to that profile. Replace “Alt text here” with something like “Follow me on Twitter” (Though for mine, I chose not to have any text and deleted the text in between the quotation marks.) 

6.) Replace the text "Relative Image Link" with the  URL to the site where you stored your image (i.e.Photobucket). I love Photobucket because this step is easy. You just click on the image you want to use from your library. To the left you will see a list of addresses for your image. Click in the box "HTML"; it will automatically copy the link for you. 

 *Note* As you cut an paste, be sure to keep the quotation marks. Paste your links within the quotation marks. 

7.) Repeat as necessary until you have a block of HTML for each profile. Put it all together, and leave no spaces between it if you want the icons to appear in a row.

8.) At this point I saved it and viewed my side bar...oh no! The icons were too big! Not a problem... go back to the template and click on "edit" on the gadget you just added. Once there notice "Rich Text" mode? Click it. 
Now you are in IMAGES, so you will see all your buttons as images.
In this mode you can: drag and drop your buttons to new locations, resize buttons, and line up buttons next to each other. 

This is how I created the social media icons on my right side bar. 

For more tech help, be sure to check out my Pinterest board "Social Media & Technology". 

Linky Party Favorites:

I joined another Linky Party...an easy way to network!
Check out~Mommy and Me Creations

Here are this week's questions:

1) What is your favorite color? PINK

2) What is your favorite food? Cheese Pizza

3)What is your favorite T.V. show? Mr. Bean the Animated Series (**I know**)

4) Do you have a lucky number? And if so, what is it? Don't believe in luck!

Anyway...check out another great teaching blog...

Check it out!

Awards and Sharing

There are so many exceptional teaching blogs on the web to learn from! I love seeing the creativity. This award was passed on to me from one such blog...Fun is 1st Grade! Thanks!

Check it out! Not only is this blog laid out beautifully,  there are some great resources there!

Link

 7 Random Facts About Myself...

1.) Growing up,  I went to a school that housed K-8th grade. So, most years, my   class consisted of the same 13 kids.  

2.) I drink a cup of coffee before teaching math. 

3.) Math is my favorite subject to teach.

4.) I grew up on a dairy farm.

5.) I am allergic to milk.

6.) I drive a Scion XB and I love it! I have a bumper sticker that says: "I ♥ my toaster!" 

7.)The second bumper sticker: "Aerodynamics are overrated." 

If I have passed the award along to you...
Here are the seven rules to follow when receiving this award:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you. 
2. Include a link to their blog.  
3. Include the award image in your post.
4. Give 7 random facts about yourself.  
5. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.  Well, I did 7...
6. When nominating, include a link to their blog.  
7. Let other bloggers know they've been nominated.  


These are the other blogs that I think are great and am passing the "Versatile Blogger Award" onto:

    

http://fantastic5thgrade.blogspot.com/

 

http://thebubblegumtree.blogspot.com/

 

http://1happyteacher.blogspot.com/

 

http://hellomrssykes.blogspot.com/

 

http://www.thecandyapple.blogspot.com/ 

 

http://www.nerdynerdynerdy.com/ 

These a worth checking out (and following!)

Have a great summer!

Hop Along...Blog Hop! Share Your Favorite First Day Activites

Beginning of the year Activities for my Classroom! 

Introductions: This is something that often gets overlooked. Although the students know my name, they do not know me. I am going to  let them know some things about me. Where I grew up, where I went to school  and how long I have been teaching.  The students will see me as a real person if I share something about myself. I plan to include a scrapbook of some of my favorite school pictures from 5th grade and share some of my old school work assignments. This often opens up a good conversation about how students grow and goals we might have for ourselves this year! After all, I still do not write as I did as a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader...as they will all see!

Please Link up to the post with your own post telling everyone YOUR favorite first day activities! Which activities are your most successful "ice breakers"? Do you have any great "getting to know you activities that you want to share?

So join the Blog Hop...Hop Along! 

Summer Shopping Wish List...Join the LINKY party!

The past year I had my classroom just about the way I wanted...FINALLY :)
A couple of things that are on my wish list for items I just must have...
1.) A fabulous fabric (in a "sage" green) for my bulletin board backdrop
2.) A simple yet striking border for the bulletin board...I am thinking a solid color this year!
3.) Student mailboxes...something uncomplicated and efficient to pass back corrected student work.  I have been on the look out for something inexpensive to purchase or to create myself. Space is at a minimum in my room. So, seriously, if you have any fantastic ideas for student mailboxes PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE leave a comment below sharing these ideas. This is the last and final frontier of my perfectly organized classroom and it will save me so much time!

~Link Up~

Happy Classroom Decorating!

Linky Parties, Networking and Gaining Readership

I ♥ linky parties and other ways to connect through blogs. Perhaps this is a new trend or one that I am simply catching on to, but either way I am networking with other teachers in a way I never have before! It is amazing the resources and  that can be found through blogging and connecting online. This past school year, I have utilized so many of the creative lessons and activities. My classroom environment has also become more student centered and organized because of all the wonderful tips and ideas I have found on all these amazing blogs!

{Blogging Tips}                 Getting Noticed...

• Write great headlines...write post titles that will show up on search engines or that will gain attention.
• Make you posts easy to share, create share buttons.
• Create a Facebook fan page with the same name and logo to reach a new audience, link it back to your blog. 
• Comment on other people's blogs. Give great or thought provoking comments!
• Have friends network for you.
• Join Linky Parties...
• Accept blogging awards, but be careful about the blogs you choose to pass them on to. Choose "newbie" blogs. (They enjoy the attention.) More seasoned bloggers get them all the time, don't need the networking , and may ignore them. They are a fun way to network if you have the time to follow all the "steps". 
• Give a shout out to a blog you love in a blog post. Share all the things you enjoy about the blog. Have a direct link to the blog, and mention the author. 
• Add your blog to Pinterest.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I can't wait to visit yours! 

Don't forget...

If you have a great blog and would like to share, please link upon my home page
                                                                                                    or join the Facebook community!


Join the blog hop!

Awards & Sharing

Thanks to the blog  Toad-ally Exceptional Learners for the "Lovely Blog Award"! Be sure to check out her blog ...She's got some fantastic units & ideas! 

 There are so many neat ways to network on blogs. During all this "blog hopping" I found many creative resources and ideas!

There are a few simple rules to receiving this award:  

1) Follow the person that gave you the award.  

2) Link back to the person that gave you the award.  

3) Pass the award to on to 15 new bloggers. 
 

Here are the education blogs that I found inspiration in, and  on I pass the "Lovely Blog Award" on to them:

http://doodleteacher.blogspot.com/

http://gingersnapstreatsforteachers.blogspot.com/ 

http://rightdownthemiddleblog.blogspot.com/

http://msrachelsroom.blogspot.com/

http://www.mangomon.com/blog/

http://mommy-and-me-creations.blogspot.com

http://fourthgradegarden.blogspot.com/

http://www.theautismteacher.com/

http://mrsreynoldsfirstgradeadventures.blogspot.com/

http://conversationsinliteracy.blogspot.com/

http://simply2ndresources.blogspot.com/

http://www.talesfromaverybusyteacher.blogspot.com/

http://www.sweetteaclassroom.com/

http://classroomcreations.blogspot.com/

http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com/

These a worth checking out (and following!)

Have a great summer! 

Teaching and Stress

According to this article, Teaching and Stress: Symptoms and Cures Teaching ranks in the top 5 stressful jobs. This was an interesting article! What can be done? 

Teaching and Stress: Symptoms and Cures What makes teaching one of the most stressful occupations, and what teachers can do to avoid the detrimental effects of stress.
by Alan Haskvitz www.reacheverychild.com/alan.html Regular to the Gazette September 1, 2008 What can help us to cope? Have a specific situation stressing you? Be honest with yourself. Think of the situation that is stressing you. What are the REAL and POSSIBLE outcomes of this situation? Accept the worst outcome. Think: What can I do to proactively avoid negative  outcomes. Think practical.  Let go of what is out of your control.  You know these stress busters: Eat regular, healthy meals Get enough sleep Stay hydrated Exercise All of these can be hard to do when you are busy. Keep this mental mantra: "I perform better when I have fuel and rest. These tasks will happen faster if I take care of myself."     Create a positive social network! It's ok to excuse yourself from negative talk and workplace gossip. Proactively create a positive social network at school.  Seek out teachers that are problem-solvers, not gossip-mongers. Some co-worker will like to complain, but are seeking sympathy not solutions. Exposed to this on a daily basis, it WILL create stress. Throughout the school year, build healthy relationships of mutual respect and common interests (not just discussions of problems). However when a problem does arise, those colleagues will likely be happy to be your sounding board. Don't forget to reciprocate--be a positive, safe place in return!

Warming up to Blogging!

Whew! That was a lot of work but, I think this blog looks just the way I want it to.
I am so excited. Now I can really start sharing some classroom materials that I have designed. I am really into uploading my own original items onto TeacherpayTeachers.

 If you are getting started with the blogging world, here are some links that I have found helpful...

   Blog Traffic

 Use social media

 

Maximize pins

 Pinnable pictures

 The take-away...

Make sure your blog post titles are search engine friendly. You want people to find your blog!

Other ways to increase traffic is to make a presence on social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, ect.) 

Look through your blog posts. Do you have 1-2 "pinnable" pictures that will make your blog posts easy to share? 

Think about your blog as a viewer. Is it easy to navigate? Labels are helpful to visitors. They link similarly themed posts and help your blog to be user friendly. 

Lastly, consider your visual appeal. Some new bloggers have meaningful content, but the template and layout are "hard on the eyes". Limit distracting color schemes (or excessive graphics) and opt for a clean and attractive appearance. 

 

 Happy Blogging!

Have a good night! Happy blogging!