Beyond The Worksheet

*****SPOILER ALERT: LONG, THOROUGH REVIEW***********

Don't feel like reading? In summation, this bundle is a gift from the gods. For those of you who prefer a detailed review, read on...

BACKGROUND:
Initially, I came to this TpT store to purchase the notes bundle. I saw this bundle listed in the "Featured Items" section and was curious. I read the reviews. They are all glowing reviews, which I love!! However, many were from first year teachers, which prompted me do some further research. ABSOLUTELY, first year teachers need support and I am SO, SO, SO glad that so many first year educators were lucky enough to find this bundle!! As a sixth year teacher, I was concerned that this would overlap too much with my existing resources, curriculum, and activities. 

After reading the reviews and feeling a little hesitation, I decided I needed to look through the resources I had purchased from this store and Lindsay. Almost each and every item I had purchased (if you read the "Available in the Following Bundles:" section of the individual product) was inside THIS BUNDLE!!! Then, I knew I wanted this bundle. If I adored everything I had from her, which was included in it, then what else was I missing out on that I would ultimately pay an arm and a leg for cumulatively, over time that I could have right now!?!?! 

I have a TON of amazing resources. I create projects for my classroom. I purchase many other games and activities. I scour the TpT for amazing free/paid resources. This bundle is a game changer though. Reasons below.

WHY I PURCHASED:
First, I slept on it. I added it to my cart and went to bed. I woke up and knew I had to get it. Almost my entire week's worth of plans are from this store, regardless. Why wouldn't I purchase the bundle, spending more now, BUT saving a LOT in the long run. My scheduled "Mental Health" day today (a.k.a. catching up on grades, plans, and emails day on the couch) was sponsored by Lindsay's Emergency Equation Sub Plans. Not staying after school for hours prepping for a substitute? PRICELESS. Knowing my students are working on authentic, interesting, much needed practice with detailed instructions while I'm prepping for the rest of the semester? Yep. Still PRICELESS. We are using her notes, a coloring activity, and a logic puzzle tomorrow alone. I knew, I just had to get this bundle since the student requests for these types of materials (which are rigorous I might add!) was continuously increasing. 

IF YOU'RE A FIRST YEAR TEACHER:DO IT! 
Do it, do it, do it. I wish I had this from the beginning! You'll be broke the first month, but truly, everyone is their first year, so I say, go for the Gold!

IF YOU'RE NOT A FIRST YEAR TEACHER:
The thing is, we all have a boat load of activities and routine worksheets we use. We use the state assessments for some higher level questions. We have access to boring questions and practice pages. We know where in the textbook we can go for practice problems. We have task cards. We have old textbooks some of us have to scour through to find questions that align to the new expectations. We spend a lot of time searching for resources, creating our own games, etc., etc., etc. 

We DO NOT have it handed to us, tied in a very attractive package, that we know we can trust. We DO NOT have the way my students are engaged using the resources in THIS bundle. Time and again when I use an item from this bundle, my students engagement level is extremely high! Students enjoy a lot of the activities I have from other sellers as well, but HANDS DOWN the resources in this bundle are my students' favorites and that clinched it for me. After I saw their responses with some of the puzzles, games, and activities, I purchased more and more, leading to the purchase of this bundle. 

I know I can trust her resources to be just what I need to balance learning styles, various learning levels, increase student engagement, all the while assessing student learning and intervening when necessary. I can focus my time on reaching those students that are too high level or too low level. I can focus on what my students actually need rather than spending my time filling out a frame and desperately searching for resources that I *think* will do the trick. 

WHY YOU SHOULD PURCHASE, (in my opinion)
As one of the proud owners of this bundle, I want to share the excitement! I am so very happy I bought this!! I wish all teachers had access to such an amazing product!

Time: Save yourself time!! It's all laid out with amazing instructions, a suggested lesson topic/guide/activity pairing, AND it even downloads organized rather than being a jumble of resources! (THANK YOU!!!!) Having just planned a unit, yes I said UNIT, in an hour this morning after purchasing this resource, I am even more of a die hard fan!! Organized by topic, I was able to pull exactly what I needed easily and plug right into my District mandated frames in minutes!

Her notes are a real game changer for me. I am always looking for the best way to introduce a new topic. I have been utilizing this store and one more amazing seller for notes this year and my test scores are OFF THE CHARTS!!!!! I am now in love with Lindsay as a fellow educator because she helped my students feel successful and that means the whole world to me. Her notes are perfect. Buzz words, academic vocabulary, computation, scaffolded perfectly, multiple representations, AND modeling word problems!?! While also being engaging for students!?! To see my student's achievement increase and to see them *voluntarily,* *without prompting,* pull out their notes to reference is a joy!!  

Student Engagement: If I haven't said it enough, yes. The kids love her activities and projects! The Cupcake Project was a HUGE hit!! Issued as a take home, I had struggling students coming for 3 weeks straight to tutoring, and was able to get a chance to one-on-one reach many students with their fraction misconceptions! Wouldn't we love for our students to come to us knowing exactly what the expectation said they would? It's often not the case and her projects are the perfect way to spiral in those missing vertically aligned pieces while also reviewing grade level standards!- 

Well Thought Out: Literally, if you have purchased any of her products, you know the ease of use is phenomenal! - 

Scaffolding: I love how she builds up student learning to increase success! It helps me a ton when I'm working with small groups and planning my differentiation.

Differentiation: There are SO many pieces in this bundle, you'll never be able to use them all! The best thing about that is, you'll have so many additional resources to use in tutoring, small groups, Saturday School, and even upload to your (*private* @copyrighted material) Google Classroom for spiral reviews or homework! 

Assessments: Rigorous, as always. Not having to plan assessments!?! YES!! I LOVE that she has various types of questioning from you to choose from. Multiple choice, griddables, open ended, word problem, visual representations when needed, and rigorous across the board! Includes benchmark testing, MANY formative and summative assessments, periodic "checks," and even an awesome assessment tracking piece broken down by Standard. 

Umm, answer keys! Not having to solve it? Thank you!!

Editable items!!!! High-, mid-, low-, as needed, but also getting to put in student's names or even include pop culture references? Check!

Updated resources: Some future resources will be available for download!!! ***(★ Future 7th Grade Activities will be added at no additional cost to you! )*** After seeing everything in here and spending the day mentally rejoicing, I can't imagine what else she could create and include, but the generosity of it is SOOOOO appreciated!!! 

Projects: They speak for themselves!

TEKS vs Common Core: Teaching in Texas, we utilize the TEKS rather than CCSS, but I am 100% still able to use this to it's fullest! I snagged a free conversion chart from another of the Secondary Mathlete TpT sellers and have it on hand, should I need it. However, the way she lays out this bundle, I haven't had to refer to it once! She also lists her products in the bundle with and without the CCSS, depending on your preference. 

Time: No more searching for the most rigorous, engaging, well laid out, easy to use, perfect resource, because you will HAVE THEM!!! Saving time, as we all know, is so very, very valuable and worth every penny of this bundle. 

SO Much Included: Activities, Instructions, Assessments of all Types, Guides, Notes, Stations, Real World Connection Sheets, Reference Guides, Vocabulary Cards, Extra Practice, Math Folders, Reviews, Mini Books, Games, Puzzles, Holiday Themed Activities, PROJECTS (!!) and even a LOT more!! 

Nice Person: Lastly, she's just a darn nice person. I don't know her one bit excluding my purchases and feedback interaction, but I do know that even though she creates products for this store to make money, she was incredibly kind to me, to the detriment of herself. Recently, I posted feedback on an item (notes, one of many I had purchased) and said I wish I had thought ahead and purchased the bundle. The money I spent on a few of the notes, I COULD have afforded to purchase the note bundle. 

She responded and told me that, should I ever choose to purchase a bundle, from any seller, I would be eligible for my money back. If I had purchased items contained within a bundle separately from the bundle prior, that within 365 days of the bundle purchase, I could contact TpT to see if they would refund my money on the single item purchases. I may be explaining it poorly, but I hope you get the general idea.

I would have not known that, if it weren't for her. I recently purchased this bundle, as well as 3 other small ones (TEKS stuff for teachers). All had items included that I had purchased partial items of. For her to tell me that, even though she knew that she would be losing money, was incredibly... Nice isn't the right word, but after this lengthy review my brain won't pull an appropriate one. Insert heart emoji? I'm very grateful for Lindsay for her AMAZING resources, generosity, hard work, and to TpT for connecting us to amazing curriculum writers and educators like her!