We looooooooove our readers ❤️
It took five tries to get this picture, and the heart still isn’t very good! 😂
Hopefully, it comes through in every email we send … but just to make it clear …
We’re pretty fond of our readers. (Yes, that means you.) 😊
Here at Ditch That Textbook, you’re on our mind all throughout the week every week. We’re constantly asking ourselves:
What do our readers need from us?
How can we make our educators’ lives easier — and better?
What can we help them do in their classes that support their students?
You trust us enough to let us in your inbox twice a week, and we don’t take that lightly!
That’s why, every April, we dedicate a whole week to YOU. (And it’s not even Teacher Appreciation Week … that’s separate from this!)
So, to kick off our self-proclaimed “Reader Appreciation Week,” you’ll find 🎁 a digital gift basket 🎁 (open link / click yellow gift to open!).
It’s curated by our talented blog/social media editor, Karly Moura. Every year, she spends weeks looking for fun freebies that you’ll love to include in the virtual gift basket. (It’s a labor of love for her!)
PLUS: When you open your basket, you’ll find a giveaway for free copies of my books, free Ditch That Textbook merch, and even a free $100 Amazon gift card. Don’t miss that!
🕹️ FREE STATE TEST PREP GAMES?!? — Also, in today’s 💻 Tech Tip section, you’ll find an incredible set of gamified test prep resources from Groovelit — all aligned to specific state test criteria! Worksheet packets? Nah, ditch ‘em and try this instead.
🚀 COMMUNITY LAUNCH THURSDAY: Another way we’re showing our appreciation for you? We’re creating a free place online for you to gather with fellow DITCHers (ya know, folks that subscribe to the Ditch That Textbook newsletter).
Starting Thursday, you’ll be able to join this new free community! Meet new people. Read what everyone is doing in their classes and schools. Share what works for you — and borrow what’s working for others!
Another sneak peek: This is the #TeacherLife channel, the place to share good ideas, ask questions, and talk about what matters. (With only ~60 participants right now, the conversation has already been busy!)
The #TeacherLife channel in our new DTT community.
Inside:
📺 FREE WEBINAR: My Spring Google Roundup
👀 DTT Digest: 4 resources worth checking out
💻 Tech Tip: Ditch the packet. Make test prep fun with Groovelit.
💡 The Big Idea: Your subscriber appreciation gift basket! 🎁
😄 Smile of the day: Speaking their language
👋 How we can help
📺 FREE WEBINAR: My Spring Google Roundup
Spring is the perfect time to refresh your toolkit.
Join Trafera and award-winning author Matt Miller from Ditch That Textbook for a fast-paced, idea-packed 45 minutes built for everyone who supports learning — teachers, instructional coaches, curriculum leads, IT directors, and tech coordinators alike.
Matt will rapid-fire his favorite tips, tools, and creative strategies for getting more out of Google for Education tools — the kind of practical, ready-to-use ideas that work in the classroom and across your entire district.
👀 DTT Digest
4 teaching resources worth checking out today
🌎 Earth Day Mini-Puzzle Challenge — Teachers need a brain break too! Solve the first puzzle then move on to a second challenge. There’s a prize at the end if you crack it.
📺 See Dav Pilkey live — In this special Storyvoice show, Dav Pilkey—creator of Dog Man—will treat students to a live drawing session and a read-aloud. Catch it live at 10am PDT / 1pm EST on Thursday April 16.
🤩 Upgrade your worksheets — In this post we share 20 ways your classroom technology or simple resources can help transform your worksheet to "WOW"
🤔 Research-Backed Strategies to Keep Students on Task — This post from Edutopia shares how teachers can help students build their capacity to stay on task by ensuring that they have a clear path to start working, reasons to continue, and support when they lose focus.
💻 TECH TIP 💻
😎 Your students are ready. Ditch the packet.
This message is sponsored by Groovelit.
If testing season has you buried in prep packets, we found this one for you. We've heard from thousands of teachers in 40 states who swapped the packets for free 5-minute games — and they're loving it.
Groovelit's free game collections are built for your state test. Five-minute games where your students:
📱 Debate whether schools should be allowed to read their texts to stop bullying
🦈 Decide if shark-spotting drones actually make beaches safer
🚗 Argue whether self-driving cars should protect the passenger or the pedestrian
Every game targets the exact constructed response and vocabulary skills their assessment measures — but it feels like an argument they want to win.
✅ 40 states covered — STAAR, SBAC, FAST, GA Milestones + 36 more
✅ Used by thousands of teachers so far this spring
✅ Free for unlimited games and students
💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡
🎁 Your subscriber appreciation gift basket!
We love our readers … and that means YOU. You’re the reason we do what we do and we are so thankful that YOU chose to subscribe!
That’s why subscriber appreciation week is dedicated to YOU. We have a subscriber appreciation basket full of digital goodies just for you. Because you’re amazing and we want to thank you for being part of the Ditch That Textbook family.
Instead, we have a superb digital gift basket full of wonderful stuff!
Directions:
Click on the red button to get to your gift.
Click the yellow gift to open it.
Click around on your gift basket to explore all of the gifts!
Here’s what you’ll find inside …
1. A “raffle ticket” for books and merch 📗 👕
I put it in quotes because it’s not a real ticket … but you can register to win five Ditch That Textbook swag packs! They include your choice of …
TWO of my books (see them on Amazon here)
An item from the DTT merch store (visit the merch store here)
... plus some DTT stickers!
HOW TO ENTER: Open the gift basket (with the red button above) and click on the raffle ticket. Then, fill out the form. That’s it! (Once per person.) We'll draw FIVE winners at random on Sunday, April 19 and notify them via the email address provided.
2. A “raffle ticket” for a $100 Amazon gift card 💰
You can get just about ANYTHING on Amazon …
… and you know this doesn’t have to be for your classroom, right? This is $100 for one lucky winner — to do WHATEVER he/she wants with it.
HOW TO ENTER: Open the gift basket (again, red button above). Click the Amazon gift card. Fill out the form (once!). We'll pick ONE winner at random on Sunday, April 19 and notify them via the email address provided.
3. An April Mini Games Bundle 🎮
Looking to bring a fresh, seasonal spark to your classroom? The April Mini Games collection is an interactive way to blend springtime fun with meaningful skill-building.
This set features eight “bite-sized” challenges—from relaxing puzzles to brain-bending logic grids and math ciphers—all wrapped in a vibrant Earth Day and spring theme. They are great for a quick brain break during testing weeks, morning work, or a playful way to celebrate environmental awareness.
Watch for Thursday’s email!
Subscriber appreciation week rolls on all throughout the week! Watch your inbox on Thursday. We’ll tell you more about the things in your basket — and continue to appreciate you even more!
😄 Smile of the day
🧢 Bruuuuuuuuuhhhhhh
Source: Karen Kalena Laepa'a via Cheezburger.com
👋 How we can help
There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:
Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.
Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.
Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!
