All Book Prices Slashed Permanently

My first book Ten Cheap Lessons celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and the follow-up Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word just celebrated its 8th.

I have been humbled and amazed that even years after I stopped actively updating this blog, people have still been downloading or buying physical copies of both.

As a thank you and as a Christmas gift, I've permanently reduced the price of all digital versions of the books to $1.99. The print versions of each book range from $5-7.

These prices are available now through my Lulu bookstore and will be reflected on Amazon and other online outlets in the coming weeks.

Enjoy, and once again, thank you!

'Ten Cheap Lessons' Five Year Anniversary

 

On January 31, 2008 I published my first book, Ten Cheap Lessons: Easy, Engaging Activities for Every Secondary Classroom, a collection of ten of my best lesson ideas meant to be adapted to fit different content and subject areas.

Last week was a huge milestone. I can't believe it's been five years since I fulfilled the dream of publishing and sharing my work with other teachers. I still get a kick out of walking into Barnes & Noble, typing my name in the computer and seeing my books pop up on the screen. 

I just want to thank everyone that supported me over the years, both in and out of the classroom and through this website.

The original version is still out there, but I published an updated Second Edition that I believe is a bit better. You can find both on my page on Lulu.com, and you can still find the original on Amazon.

Independence Day Sale On My Books At Lulu.com

Here's a holiday coupon code for 25% off any order at Lulu.com: FIREWORKS.  It's a great chance to add either of my books to your summer reading pile. It's good until 11:59pm this Friday, so use it quickly!

Have You Read One Of My Books? If So, I Need Your Help

I know a lot of people have read one or both my books on teaching, Ten Cheap Lessons and Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Job.  Between the number sold and those I've given away, there's roughly a thousand of you out there.  Here's my problem:

0 reviews for Ten Cheap Lessons on Amazon, only 1 on Lulu.com.

2 reviews for Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word on Amazon and 0 on Lulu.com.

I don't know about you, but I rarely buy anything online that has few or no reviews. So no matter where you got your copy of my books, you can help me out by logging in to either site and posting a brief review.

Positive or negative, I'd like you to share your thoughts with others who might be interested.  Any feedback I receive will help me reflect, improve and hopefully be able to publish better work in the future.

Ten Cheap Lessons: Lulu.com, Amazon.com.
Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word:  Lulu.com, Amazon.com

Get 15% Off My Books for International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so it's only fitting that Lulu.com offer a coupon with the code PIRATA to get 15% off any order.

It's as good of an excuse as any to pick up either Ten Cheap Lessons or Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word.  If you're a new or struggling teacher, I think you'll get a lot out of both of them.  As one reader recently emailed to me, regarding Ten Cheap Lessons:

Just wanted you to know I loved your book!! It gave me some great ideas for this coming year! I also just downloaded your other book, Teaching is Not a Four-Letter Word. Haven't read it yet, but I'm sure I'll love it too!

Just enter the code PIRATA at checkout.  The coupon expires this Friday, September 21, 2012.

Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word & Ten Cheap Lessons Paperbacks Now Under $10

I've cut the prices on both paperback versions of my books (the first edition of Ten Cheap Lessons and Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word) so that they're under $10 each when you get them direct from Lulu.com.  This is most likely a permanent price cut.  There are also various e-book versions you can find through my author spotlight that are an even better deal.

Looking for coupons to save even more?  Follow me on Twitter and Facebook, where I share coupons for free shipping and more from Lulu regularly.

*Note that the prices on Amazon and B&N are higher because I'm required to mark them up so that those companies can get their cut of the sales.  The best deal was and is through Lulu.

Parent Function Poster Idea

Last week we were reviewing parent functions in my math models class.  After introducing and taking notes on different families of functions (linear, quadratic, square root, cubic and absolute value), it was time to dust off an old favorite to help cement it in their minds.

Adjusting the mini-poster idea from Ten Cheap Lessons, I had my students illustrate three parent functions (linear, quadratic and their choice of one other).  Their posters included the graph, equation, domain and range as well as 2 examples of other functions from that family (labelled as "babies," "kids" or simply "examples").  I'm a strong believer in the power of having students illustrate key ideas while creating their own examples to supplement them, and this idea was no different.

Above you can see a completed example.  I sketched something similar for my classes so they could easily see what I was asking for.  Below are directions they were given.

Versions of this mini-poster idea have been invaluable over the years.  Just recently I had my Algebra I students compare and contrast solving equations and solving inequalities.  It's a project that requires a minimum of supplies and preparation on your part: you just need unlined paper (color if possible, but it's not necessary) and markers or colored pencils to draw with.  You can also assign it as homework without worrying too much about whether your students will have what they need to do it (you can always provide some materials to those that do).

This should take students no more than one 45-55 minute class period to complete.  I counted it as a minor assessment (aka quiz) grade, but of course you should do whatever makes sense for you.

Have you used any variation on this theme?  Share it in the comments.

Happy Thanksgiving! Get 25% Off My Books

Recently I received an email with the subject line "Your book is phenomenal!"  Okay, I thought, I'm listening:

Dear Tom,

I just wanted to shoot you an email to tell you that I love your book. It has so many fantastic ideas that I already have  implemented  in my classroom. As a fellow teacher, our job can be a little overwhelming at times because we need to both really engage the students and also get them to learn the material. Many people can do one of the two things mentioned, but it takes a really hard-working teacher to do both simultaneously. Your book has really provided me with a lot of different ideas and I just wanted to say thank you. I really appreciate you publishing it and making it so easily accessible to anyone. I use your website/blog and I purchased your book on my iPhone so that it is always in my pocket. Thanks again!

Ryan Smith
Mathematics Teacher

Ryan is referring to my first book, Ten Cheap Lessons.  This is one of the best compliments I've ever received, and it came at a time when I was struggling at school and needed the boost.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm excited to share a great deal on either of my books:

Get 25% off my books now through December 14th: Go to my Author Spotlight on Lulu.com, order a book (or two), and enter the code BUYMYBOOK305 at checkout.

Have a great holiday!

Book Giveaway: Ten Cheap Lessons!

I just received an shipment of my books last week, which I ordered mainly so I could find ways to get them in the hands of teachers who would benefit from them.  It's been a while since I've had extra copies of Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition, the updated version of my first book.

If you haven't heard about it before, TCL is a teacher resource book built around ten adaptable, low/no cost lesson ideas.  Each chapter  contains a complete lesson and a framework for extending/adopting it to fit the widest range of subjects and grade levels.

The second edition adds bonus ideas and examples and a photocopier-friendly spiral binding.  Read what readers have said about TCL just last year.  You can still get the original on Amazon, but this version is only available on-demand from the publisher.

I'm giving this copy away to a teacher that really needs it: just email me by 11:59 CST tonight and tell me how this book might help you.  I'll pick one lucky reader and send them a hard copy.

Thank you, as always, for your support!

Ten Cheap Lessons FREE eBook Download through Tuesday

The PDF (eBook) version of Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition is available to download for FREE today, Monday, and Tuesday only.  By Wednesday, the deal will be gone... don't miss out!

The Domain and Range Song World Premiere! [Video]

Season 2, Episode 1:


Here are the lyrics to the song:

THE DOMAIN AND RANGE SONG
To the tune of “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce

To the right, to the right
To the right, to the right
Everything in the domain from the left to the right

On the graph, domain’s the x
From least to greatest, and here's what's next
I'm talking about the range--that's the y
how far up and down the graph goes at the same time
Put those in order from least to greatest too
So you can answer the questions that I gave you

Sitting in Mr. D's class, thinking bout how he's such a fool,
How we'll never ever forget how to do
domain and range yeah

You must now know domain, you must now know the range
I can help you understand in a minute
Matter fact, you’ll pass the test in a minute, baby

You must now know domain, you must now know the range
I can help you understand for tomorrow
So don’t you ever for a second ever forget, domain and range!

So when you have a coordinate point
A pair of (x, y), just remember this
Baby the first number’s the domain,
The second number’s the range
Cause the truth of the matter is… domain and range are so is easy!

[Chorus]

Read about how I originally used this in class in Teaching Domain and Range (with a little help from Beyonce), and then read even more about it from my 2008 book, Ten Cheap Lessons: Easy, Engaging Ideas for Every Secondary Classroom.

Mr. D TV is my weekly teacher advice video series.  I cover just about any topic related to education and teaching.  If you have a question you'd like me to answer, email me (teachforever@gmail.com). If you like the video, check out last season's finale and my YouTube channel for more.

Ten Cheap Lessons = FREE Today Only!

Around this time two years ago, I made my then-new book, Ten Cheap Lessons: Easy, Engaging Ideas for Every Secondary Classroom available to download for free.  It was my way of showing my appreciation for my fellow teachers.

Well, I don't see any reason not to repeat the giveaway this year!  For today only, Ten Cheap Lessons will be available to download for free.  It's already pretty cheap ($2.50), but free is always better.

Get Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition

Free Shipping Coupon for 'Ten Cheap Lessons'

Just got word of a free shipping coupon you can use to get Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition from Lulu.com:

Just enter the code FREEMAIL305 at checkout.

The deal ends 5/1/10, so you only have about a week to take advantage of this.  The fine print is below.

Disclaimer: Use coupon code FREEMAIL305 at checkout and receive $3.99 towards your final shipping cost. This amount is the US mail cost for a single book order. Please note: there will be a shipping total listed on your order receipt. This coupon code will reduce your final order total by $3.99, which is the US mail cost for a single book. Purchase must be 3rd party content. Self-purchases of your own content are not eligible. Discount cannot be used to pay for, nor shall be applied to applicable taxes or shipping and handling charges. Shipping destination must be a valid US address. Promotional codes cannot be applied to any previous order. No exchanges or substitutions allowed. Only one valid promotional code may be used per account. Coupon cannot be used in combination with other coupon codes. Offer expires on 5/1/10 at 11:59 PM. Lulu.com reserves the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime. Void where prohibited.

Permanent Price Cut for 'Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition'

Due to the success of my Spring Break sale on downloads of my book Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition, I've decided to make the $2.50 price permanent.  I've also dropped the price for the spiral paperback (seen in the  picture) to $9.95, $2 off the price of the original.

I've realized that it's more important to me to get the book into the hands of as many teachers as possible than anything else.  As I've said time and time again, knowing that my lessons and ideas are being used to help hundreds, if not thousands, of students all across the country (and the planet) is why I do what I do.

You can still find the first edition of Ten Cheap Lessons on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and elsewhere online, including some reasonably priced used copies.

Get the spiral paperback for $9.95
Download the digital version for $2.50

'Ten Cheap Lessons' Spring Break Sale: 50% Off Downloads

From now through Sunday, you can download Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition for $2.50, 50% off the original price!  Consider it a little thank you to all of the teachers who are convalescing over Spring Break.

Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition is a collection of some of my best lessons, projects and games.  While the examples in the book are drawn from my experience teaching math, these activities were chosen because they could easily be adapted for just about any subject area.  Each chapter contains a complete lesson, supporting materials, and ways to adapt and extend the idea for ELA, social studies and science classrooms.  In short, this is not just a math teacher resource book; this is a book of good ideas for any and every middle and high school teacher.

Once Monday rolls around, the price will be back to a (still reasonable) $5, so get it for 50% off while you can.  Please pass this deal along to others as well!  Thank you, as always, for your support!

Download Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition

'Ten Cheap Lessons' Celebrates Cotton Anniversary, Excited About New Socks

Today is the second anniversary of the publication of Ten Cheap Lessons: Easy, Engaging Ideas for Every Secondary Classroom, my teacher resource book. I've been so humbled by what readers have had to say about it over that time:

"I have used several activities in your book, and since I am the Algebra I lead teacher that means all Algebra I classes used the activities.  We especially liked the Independent vs. Dependent Variable posters.  It really help the students, and as they personalized their poster, it allowed us to know more about each student... Thanks for a great resource."  - Katie Owen, Corpus Christi, TX

"First, let me say, 'AWESOME book!'  I love doing meaningful activities to reinforce learning in the classroom, especially for math.  I purchased your book a couple of months ago during my student teaching.  What a great resource!"  - Laurie Line, NV
"Easy to use and adapt. Check it out." - Eric DeSobe, via TFANet.org

"I love this resource! It gives a lot of great, easily adaptable and continuous ways to structure formative assessment in your classroom!" - Kate Barbato, via TFANet.org

"Hi. I've downloaded your book and had a read. It's great. Thanks very much!" robertd1981, via Twitter

"great resource. Already have some ideas to implement in my classroom from your book." SErwin, via Twitter

"Thanks very much. Lesson one will be use the first day back from break. Perfect!" Schadenfreude, comment on teachforever.com

Last year, I released an updated Second Edition, with additional lessons and a spiral binding for easy copying (as a teacher, I know we need to copy a lot).  The download version of the Second Edition is just $5, which means you save a dollar but get more content!

You can get Ten Cheap Lessons from the teachforever.com Bookstore, or online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

If you really want to help get the word out, ask your local bookseller to order a copy for you.  As far as I know, the book isn't available in stores, but if people request it, who knows what might happen!  If you already have the book and are ready to pass it along, there's a few people waiting to trade for it on PaperBackSwap as well.

Thank you to everyone who's purchased a copy or downloaded it for free!  It's important to me that I'm making a difference for teachers (and ultimately students) all over the world.  Happy anniversary!

Download My Book for Free Until Tomorrow

I realized that I neglected to make my book Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition available for free download as promised on Monday (I was traveling home for the holidays), so I'm making it available for the next 24 hours.

Click here to download it!

Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition = More for Less!

I've noticed that since I published my updated, expanded Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition last month, most people have still been buying the first edition (paperback and download). In the case of the paperback, it made sense because the Second Edition was slightly more expensive. I can understand that.

However, the Second Edition download has been $5--one dollar cheaper than the first edition--since day one! Since the Second Edition has more content, people are paying more for less!

So to anyone who's thinking about picking up my book, consider this:

I've lowered the price for the spiral-bound Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition to $11.95, the same as the first edition paperback. So now you'll get more content for the same amount of money.

Frankly, as much as I like seeing my Amazon sales rank climb from #1,500,000 to #1,499,999 from one day to the next, I don't make much off each book sale there. Long story short, if you're aiming to support this website, I make more from each Second Edition sold than any first editions I sell.

Either way, you're getting a better deal and helping me and the website out more. So if you're interested, click the book cover on the sidebar of the blog or click through here:

Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition

...and thank you!

Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition Now Available!

There's a new, updated version of my book Ten Cheap Lessons now available exclusively at Lulu.com!

Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition contains new supplemental material, updated versions of lessons, and is presented in a spiral-bound format for easy copying. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while, and I'm happy to report that it's ready to go. Be sure to check it out, if only for the snazzy new cover!

Just to avoid any confusion, this is not a sequel full of ten new lessons. It's an updated, better version of the original. In the future, I'd like to put out another book of lesson ideas like this, but it will probably have a different format and theme. I can tell you that I'm working on a different type of book that should be out by the end of the month (keep those fingers crossed).

As I said, the new edition is available only a Lulu.com. You can't get this version at Amazon, B&N or anywhere else.

The spiral-bound paperback is $13.99 and the new ebook is only $5! If you never got the chance to pick up the original, now you have no excuse: it's better than the original.

Order Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition today.

Fundraiser for Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

My girlfriend is currently fundraising to participate in the Boston 2009 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in May. In order to help her reach her goals and support this worthy cause, I've come up with a fundraiser here on I Want to Teach Forever.

For every donation of $10 or more towards her fundraiser, I will send you a free digital copy of my book Ten Cheap Lessons: Easy, Engaging Ideas for Every Secondary Classroom.

Here's how to participate: When you donate, go to the section marked "Personalize Your Gift." In the "Personal Note," include teachforever.com and your email address. I'll use that email to contact you so that I can quickly get you your copy of Ten Cheap Lessons.

My girlfriend is skeptical that my fundraiser here on the blog will be very successful, and I'd love nothing more than to prove her wrong!

Donate now for the 2009 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!