Continuing in the theme of Top 10 Lists, I’d like to conclude with the most popular free Teachers Pay Teachers downloads of 2022. I’ll provide you with a direct link to the resource on TPT, as well as to any relevant blog posts, so get ready for a lot of links! If you missed the lists for most popular blog posts, underdog blog posts, or most downloaded free blog resources, you can use the previous links to catch up.

10. Modal Verbs Four in a Row Board Game

Four in a Row games are popular in my classes and we use them to practice quite a few different skills besides modal verbs (including context clues, verb tenses, infinitives, adverbs of manner, and vowel sounds). You can get the modal verb version for free from TPT, or a general game board from the Task Cards: Five Alternative Uses post. More options for practicing modal verbs are described in the Modal Verb Practice post.

9. Playing with Homophones

Homophones require a lot of practice! This card set includes 44 pairs of homophones and two Old Maid cards. Directions for playing three different games are also included in the download. For practice with specific homophone/homonym sets, check out these blog posts: your/you’re, they’re/there/their, two/too/to, are/our/hour.

8. Escape! Games

Moving up from number 10 in 2021, are my Escape! games. There are several varieties, including irregular past tense verbs, question words, irregular plural nouns, and infinitives (and they’re all free!). There are even digital versions of the game for question words and irregular past tense verbs (still free!). You can read more about the irregular verb version in the blog post from October of 2021.

7. Regular Past Tense Verb Pronunciation Packing

Last summer I taught a class that was 100% focused on pronunciation for the first time. It was a big step out of my comfort zone but ended up being a lot of fun (I’m teaching it again this summer!). This game was one of the products of that class, and I guess a lot of other teachers needed to practice the same skill. You can get all the details in this blog post. If you need more free games to practice the pronunciation of the -d/-ed ending, try Spoons and Fishing. I even have a Spoons and an Uno-like game (both free!) for the pronunciation of final -s/-es. If you’re not familiar with my Fishing For… games, check out this post from July of 2021. For more details about how to play Spoons, give this post from April 2021 a read.

6. Operations with Integers Foldable Notes

Another repeat from 2021, and moving up a spot on the list, is this set of foldable notes. Teaching math was a challenge I reluctantly (and with a lot of help from more mathematically gifted colleagues) tackled. These notes were just as big a help to me as my students! I also have a poster/anchor chart we also referenced as well as a partner match up activity and several games. Integer Fishing (nothing like my Fishing for… games, use the link to read about how to make your own physical game or get the Google Sheets digital version in my store) was probably our favorite, though Integer Jeopardy ran a close second. We also played Integer Slap and War, as well as worked on task cards and a digital mystery picture. As an aside, you can learn how to create your own digital mystery pictures in this post.

5. Inferring Dialogue

This activity also made my list of top free blog downloads, though only at number ten. It was only posted in October of 2022, so it became very popular very fast. The download includes both a PDF and a PowerPoint (uploads to Google Slides well) version. You can get all of the details in the original post. I tend to start inference lessons by discussing the difference between an inference and an observation. We then use a set of pictures to practice making both (the pictures were a top blog download last year from this post). From there, I’ll use a variety of activities chosen based on the proficiency of my students and their other needs at the time. Another good inference practice activity that also includes writing practice is Ambivalent Inferences (a Google Slides version is available as well and both versions are free). If you need an activity to practice making inferences with lower proficiency students, I highly recommend Inference Picture Challenge.

4. Compound Word Guessing Activity

Yet another activity improving its top ten standing by one is Compound Word Guessing Activity. You can get all the details about this activity from the May 2021 post. Compound words being another activity I practice a lot with my students, I have quite a few different activities we utilize, from cards for our Match Up Boards to Spoons, to flashcards, and even things specifically focused on open compounds. I have tried to gather them into a single bundle so they can be quickly obtained (and at a discount).

3. Solving Equations Poster/Anchor Chart

Activity number four making a repeat appearance from 2021, and also moving up a spot, is this poster/anchor chart. The steps for solving one and two-step equations got reviewed a lot in my classes! This poster/anchor chart had a permanent home on my math bulletin board as part of my decorations with a purpose philosophy. It, along with a writing expressions scoot activity and a St. Patrick’s Day themed task card set (check out this post for alternative uses of task cards), is in my equations bundle.

2. Lesson Plan/Outline Sets

Maintaining it’s spot on nearly every top ten list (free TPT downloads of 2021, free blog downloads of 2021, top blog posts of 2021, free blog downloads of 2022, and top blog posts of 2022), these lesson plan/outline sets are in very high demand! I’ll link to the various blog posts, where you can find links to TPT and/or direct downloads from the blog. Once again, the available curriculums are: National Geographic Inside (middle school), National Geographic Pathways Reading & Writing (high school and adult), National Geographic Pathways Listening & Speaking (high school and adult), Reading and Writing for Academic Purposes (mostly LLI teal system and Reading A-Z). Also available are bundles of resources to go with levels A & B of Inside and Pathways (all eight books or separate sets for listening/speaking and reading/writing).

1. Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (original blog post)

And taking the number one spot are the resources from the 10th most popular blog post of this year and the 8th most popular TPT download of 2021: CER posters, graphic organizers, news investigation activity, and an advertisement investigation activity–all free! For even more practice with claim, evidence, and reasoning, see the recently expanded board game! You can also get everything in one easy download via the CER Bundle.

We are looking back at the best of 2022. We’ve already listed the most popular posts, and the posts that probably should have gotten a bit more attention, so now it’s time to look at everyone’s favorite: free resources! This week we’ll look at the most popular free downloads from my blog and next week we’ll take a look at the most popular free downloads from my TPT store. Besides naming the various resources and linking the original posts, I’ll also provide direct links for most of them under the post images. Many of the posts contain links for other related resources and posts, so don’t skip checking them out just because you were able to download the one specific file.

10. Speech Bubbles Quotes Activity

Though only number ten on this list, this activity makes it to number five on next week’s free TPT downloads list. From the October Inferring Dialogue post, this version of the activity ended up being more popular than its sister version, Writing Dialogue. I provided links to the PowerPoint version of both activities for you under the picture and I encourage you to check out the original post for all the details and the PDF versions.

9. Was/Were Slap Game

Slap! is one of my students’ all time favorite games to play. Though the post this game appeared in wasn’t overly popular, this download was. The original post includes a description of how Slap! works and a bonus noun reference sheets download.

8. Grid Conquest Game Board

This download was actually included with two different posts in 2022, perhaps giving it a bit of an advantage of some others. It first appeared in Grid Conquest, where I described the game in full and explained some of the ways I use it. The download then reappeared a couple of weeks later in Task Cards: Five Alternative Uses. Even if it did have a bit of an advantage of other files, I think it earned its place on the list because it’s a very fun game and has become quite popular amongst my students. I encourage you to give it a try with yours as well.

7. Regular Past Tense Verb Pronunciation Chart

You’ll see the game I made this chart to use with next week on the Top Free TPT Downloads of 2022, though you can get it now in the original post for the chart download. I don’t spend a lot of time on pronunciation in my classes (except the class specifically dedicated to the skill), but the correct pronunciation of the -d/-ed ending is something we practice a fair amount. . If you need more free games to practice the pronunciation of the -d/-ed ending, try Spoons and Fishing.

6. Vocabulary Word Wall Cards

Dropping from their number 2 spot last year, these word wall cards I made for the vocabulary in National Geographic’s Inside (levels A & B) series continue to be popular. The original post describes how I organize our word wall and some ways we use it. For another fun (and free) use of your classroom word wall, check out Word Wall Spinner Challenge!

5. Phrasal Verb Chart

Ah, phrasal verbs! My students use them regularly but still get looks of confusion on their faces when I bring them up. Thankfully it doesn’t take much to wipe those looks from their faces, and I have a lot of activities for practicing phrasal verbs. This chart is one that my students find reassuring to have around though, so it usually gets shared every semester. Be sure to read the details in the original post for some teacher-specific information about the chart.

4. Lesson Plans and Supplemental Materials

These downloads occur on nearly every top ten list (free TPT downloads of 2021, free blog downloads of 2021, top blog posts of 2021, free blog downloads of 2022, and top blog posts of 2022)! There are more files involved than I want to take space for here, but you can get them from the original posts: National Geographic Inside (middle school), National Geographic Pathways Reading & Writing (high school and adult), National Geographic Pathways Listening & Speaking (high school and adult), Reading and Writing for Academic Purposes (mostly LLI teal system and Reading A-Z). Also available are bundles of resources to go with levels A & B of Inside and Pathways (all eight books or separate sets for listening/speaking and reading/writing).

3. 6 Quick and 2 Important Accommodations

Another frequent flier post, Accommodating ELLs was number two on the most popular list for both 2021 and 2022. This year I found and added the handout I used when giving this particular professional development session and I’m happy to say many of you have chosen to download (and hopefully use) it!

2. WIDA Common Core Alignment

The only surprise for me here is that this resource dropped to number two on the list. The file was number one on 2021’s top free blog download list, the original post was number five for views in 2021 and number six in 2022. In the post I talk about how students who are not yet proficient in English can still show mastery of state standards, including the Common Core. I also include this alignment of the old WIDA I Can Statements and the K-8 ELA CCSS.

1. Student Resources

And the top free blog downloads of 2022 were first offered on Helpful Student Resources, the number one most popular post for 2022. They are two PDFs that list ten different helpful free resources for students and eight free websites and apps to practice English. These lists are something I give students every semester and they are always very appreciative of them. I hope they are helpful for your students as well!

We live extremely busy lives as teachers and that means we sometimes forget about things that are actually very interesting to us, especially blog posts. Hey, I get it! I’m guilty of it myself. I get an email or see a post I want to read, don’t have time to do it immediately, and by the time I do have a free moment I’ve forgotten about it. Well, consider this your reminder for these ten posts! All of them had low views in 2022, but I think they deserved a lot more attention. So, in no particular order, I would like to remind you to take a look at these posts you may have missed last year.

Task Cards: Five Alternative Uses

This one really surprised me, especially since it’s sister post, Sort Cards: Alternative Uses, came very close to making the top 10 list for 2022. If you didn’t read this post because you thought it would be the same ideas as the sort card post, you were wrong. The five ideas in this post are quite different from the eight previously shared. The post also contains a couple of free downloads of game boards that can be used with any set of task or sort cards.

Connected Vocabulary

This post has actually been getting a little more play since the start of 2023, so possibly it was a victim of timing, but I’m not sure. In the post you’ll find links and downloads for two free vocabulary graphic organizers (not the most exciting activities, I know), a digital vocabulary glossary template, labels to create CD spinners for a word wall game, and links to five other vocabulary practice activity ideas.

What to Wear?

This post may have also been a victim of timing as it too was released right about the time school restarted for the year. It contains the directions and cards for Outfit on a Budget Challenge (free!). This is a speaking or writing activity that is especially popular with female students, though most of my male students enjoy it as well. The activity doesn’t require purchasing any special materials and can even include some cross-curricular practice with percentages (another low view post from 2022).

Getting Perspective

The low number of views on this post really surprised me. It was shared right at the beginning of the school year, which probably had something to do with it, but it includes a free downloadable resource to practice writing from different perspectives and was reshared several times. Usually posts that include free activities (especially writing and speaking activities) and are reshared multiple times end up on or close to my top ten views list, but this one didn’t for some reason. I can’t explain it, but if you missed it the first time around, here’s your reminder!

Alphabet Pizza Pan

I suspect this DIY post didn’t get the attention it deserves because it didn’t get shared until the middle of December. Talk about bad timing, but something has to get written and shared then, and this one just happened to draw the short stick. The post talks about a fun activity you can make and use with students to practice matching lower and uppercase letters. Another teacher on Facebook did have the idea of using a label maker to create very small labels and use the basic idea to practice irregular verbs. I don’t own a label maker as yet, but I might have to buy one just to try this idea out!

Where do I need to go?

This is a fun activity that allows students to practice following and giving directions around town. Students use maps and brochures I get for free from the tourist information center or city maps from the local Chamber of Commerce and business cards from around town. I combine these with whatever game board and pieces I have available at the time and it is the perfect way to get in some unscripted speaking practice as well as good review of community place vocabulary and prepositions of place.

World Poetry Day: Shel Silverstein

OK, so a lot of us may not know about World Poetry Day, but how does the name Shel Silverstein get missed? He is easily my favorite children’s poet, and I suspect many of you feel the same way. I’ll never forget growing up on poems out of Where The Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and A Light in the Attic. Then there are all the great stand alone books such as The Missing Piece, A Giraffe and a Half, and The Giving Tree. Please don’t ask me to choose a favorite, because I can’t, and neither can my students–even my adult students love when I bring one of his books to class!

Eggcellent Activities

I’m cheating again with this one and including two posts. I use plastic eggs (the kind you find in stores around Easter) for quite a few different activities. In 2021, I shared about how I use them to practice contractions. In 2022, it was Scrambled Words (spelling/vocabulary) and Coin Eggs (USA coins). Fair warning, another eggcellent activity is coming in 2023, this one focused on the alphabet.

Match Up Boards

Another DIY post, these boards my dad designed and built for me have a lot of uses! The building plans are absolutely free and the cards are easy to design, print, and use. I probably use mine to practice question words the most, but I also have sets to practice academic vocabulary, parts of speech, occupations, USA coins, compound words, etc. They’d also be great for practicing math facts!

Advice for Future Educators

If I had a quarter for every time I have seen a social media post along the lines of, “What’s your best piece of advice for a new teacher?” I could retire! Since this question can’t realistically be answered in a quick Facebook reply, I wrote this post. It’s the five things I wish someone had told me (although if I’m being honest, someone probably did tell me) when I was first starting out.

Last January I shared four posts listing out the most viewed blog posts, the most popular free blog downloads, the most downloaded free Teachers Pay Teachers products, and the ten posts I felt didn’t get quite as much attention as they deserved for 2021. This year I’d like to do the same thing, beginning with the most viewed blog posts of 2022.

10. Morning Bell Work

This post described the morning bell work routine I followed when I taught a self-contained middle school class for beginning English language learners. In it I also included links to the various books, programs, and other resources from which I sourced the activities.

9. CER: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

I’ve used the claim, evidence, reasoning strategy when teaching every subject from science to math and writing to speaking. It’s a great way to help students organize and communicate their thinking and understanding of any topic. Besides briefly describing the strategy, the post also has links to posters, graphic organizers, a couple of activities for practicing the use of it (one of which was a top free TPT download last year), and a board game I use regularly. The paper version of the board game has recently been expanded to include topic card sets for elementary, middle school, high school, and adult students.

8. Vocabulary Word Wall

Coming in at number 8 for the second year in a row, this post is obviously very popular. Our class word wall is one of the most used features of my classroom and so I agree that it deserves a lot of attention. The free vocabulary cards available in the post were among the top five free blog downloads of 2021 and came in number six for 2022.

7. Classroom Supplies

I chose to award this spot to two posts that are similar in focus and finished neck and neck in the rankings: New Teacher Classroom Purchases & Setup (which was #1 in 2021) and Out of the Blue Favorite Classroom “Supplies”. In the post for new teachers, I answer the often asked question, “What are the must haves for my new classroom?” In the second post, I share some of the classroom items that I and my students have particularly enjoyed and I continue to have (and replace as needed) in my classroom.

6. ELLs Can Common Core

Dropping only one spot from the 2021 rankings, this post covers a topic that is very close to this ESOL teacher’s heart. In it I talk about how students who are not yet proficient in English can still show mastery of state standards, including the Common Core. I also include what was the number one free blog download of 2021 (and the number two free download of 2022), an alignment of the old WIDA I Can Statements and the K-8 ELA CCSS.

5. Speaking Practice with a Side of Reading Comprehension

This post surprised me, not because of the topic (I know we all need more speaking activities), but because it didn’t hit the blog until December and it still gained enough views to land in the top five most viewed posts of the year. The post shares seven games my students and I enjoy that elicit less scripted speaking practice.

4. Lesson Plans

I again cheated a bit on my list and awarded this spot to multiple posts. I’ve had four different posts that introduce and offer links to download my teaching outlines for various curriculum I use and like. All of them made the top views list and the lists for top free blog downloads and top free TPT products. The available curriculums are: National Geographic Inside (middle school), National Geographic Pathways Reading & Writing (high school and adult), National Geographic Pathways Listening & Speaking (high school and adult), Reading and Writing for Academic Purposes (mostly LLI teal system and Reading A-Z).

3. Back to School Activities–Ice Breaker Alternatives

I know I’m not alone in my hatred of ice breakers. I also know we teachers are always in search of some fun new way to start off the school year. This post addresses both of these with five fun activities you can use to start off a new year or semester. The best thing is that they’re not specific to any season or time of the year, so they are also great activities for easing into a break or back into routine after a break!

2. Accommodating ELLs

Holding it’s position from 2021, the number two post goes over some quick accommodations classroom teachers can use with their ELL students that are actually reasonable to implement and benefit all students, not just ELLs. This one will also show up again on the top free blog downloads list as I found and added the handout I used when I presented this professional development session.

1. Helpful Resources for Students

Coming in number one on both this list and the top free blog downloads, this post has two PDFs that list ten different helpful free resources for students and eight free websites and apps to practice English. These lists are something I give students every semester and they are always very appreciative of them. I hope they are helpful for your students as well!