TpT ClassFund

I know there are a lot of educators following MommyMaestra who use TeachersPayTeachers. So I want to be sure you know about a new tool they have to help you raise funds for those TpT resources that you have stashed in your wish list.

(Hey, I totally get it. I have a confession. I just checked and I currently have 330 items in my wish list! ¡Qué locura!)

Anyway, did you know that TpT has rolled out a new feature called TpT ClassFund? It allows you to create a TpT ClassFund page and your community can help you get the resources your students need. There no fundraising minimum. AND you can use the funds right away. Yay!

You just fill in the fields and then share it with your friends and colleagues, students' parents, PTO, neighbors, local business owners... WHOEVER you want! Share it on your social media, in an email, in a newsletter, post it on your blog or your school's website... you see where this is going.

The best part is that it is FREE!

Seriously, I know that school budgets are tight. So this is really a blessing for educators.

Ready to get started? Click here.

Enjoy and good luck!

New FB Group for Spanish Teachers

Spanish teachers! There is a FABULOUS new resource for you to use on Facebook. If you haven't already heard and joined, there is a new group called Spanish TpT Resources that has been organized by Spanish teachers/sellers on TpT. I'm happy to participate in it, simply because all the other sellers are posting links to such excellent products.

It has only just formed, but already these teachers are sharing their remarkable products for a wide range of grades and ages. I was happy to learn about the AP Spanish products for older high school students. And also enjoyed discovering new materials for teaching young students to read in Spanish.

I continue to be amazed at the creativity and dedication of teachers. One of them shared a set of Spanish poems that she wrote herself to teach younger students classroom expectations and rules. So clever!

If it continues as it currently is going, this Facebook group will certainly be a valuable tool for parents and teachers alike. Go and take a look. It's a closed group and if you join and don't like it (I can't imagine why you wouldn't), you can always leave. No biggie. But I don't think you will!

Go over and join and scroll and read and comment.

You're welcome. 😉

Teacher's Guide Re: Immigrant & Refugee Children

I was really happy the other day to find this online educator's guide regarding immigrant and refugee children. With the recent executive actions and anti-immigrant rhetoric coming out of the White House, it's important that teachers and school support staff be aware of what their rights are concerning their immigrant and refugee students.

For example, did you know that ICE is prohibited from conducting raids in the following locations?

• schools (including preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities, and other institutions of learning, such as vocational and trade schools);
• hospitals; 
• churches, synagogues, mosques and other institutions of worship, such as buildings rented for the purpose of religious services;
• funerals, weddings and other public religious ceremonies; and
• public demonstrations, such as a march, rally or parade.

There is also a federal law - the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - that prevents schools from sharing student information without parental consent to federal immigration agents if the information would potentially expose a student’s immigration status. Even if they have a removal warrant/deportation order, the school is still at liberty to refuse to share student information.

The guide shares facts about undocumented students, answers frequently asked questions about immigration raids, gives ideas and tips on what you can do to support these students and their families. It also gives advice on how to take action outside of the classroom.

You can download the guide at the Teaching Tolerance website. The download includes tear-and-share resources for students and their families.

Other Posts About Immigration

• Studying the Immigration Experience with Children
  
  
• 10 Children’s Books About the Latino Immigration Experience
  
  
• Mamá the Alien, Mamá la extraterrestre Review, & Download
  
  
• Understanding the Child Migrant Crisis