Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Words On Wednesday


Breathe in......mmmm, I can almost smell this rich, warm, coffee.

Morning is still not my favorite time of day, 
but I've become attached to the ritual
of waking up to coffee at 5:30am.
This pocket of time is my bridge from yesterday to today.
I try to let go of the things that didn't play out as planned, 
to take note of student behaviors while also preparing to 
let us all begin anew, ready to learn.

My new job requires mega amounts of documentation.
This requires a vigilance in remembering details, names, times.
Some nights, I go to bed with a spinning head,
worried that I've forgotten to take note of something
that will become an issue tomorrow.

So, back to that yummy cup of coffee.

For thirty minutes, as the dawn appears, I let go.
Yesterday is history.
If it makes an appearance in my "today", I'll deal.
But before the day spirals into a story to be written, 
I breathe in......

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Back-To-School Sale on TpT! & FREEBIES!


I have one week under my belt!
My class number is at 18, and growing.
With a new lesson plan format to follow, 
plus an initiation into Blackboard Configuration,
I'm just a teeny, tiny bit overwhelmed.
Thankfully, I can stock up on materials for
Writer's & Reader's Workshops 
on TpT during the BTS13 (that's the promo code) sale!

Everything in my store is 20% off!
What can you find?






Grab these for FREE!


Thanks for checking out my store!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Teacher Week '13--Talk About Me Monday!

Today was my first day of school in the new district!
I'm trying to take a mental break from the lesson planning 
and linking up HERE seems like the perfect diversion. BUT-- 
because I have a 45 minute commute and need to be awake at 5:45am, I'm cutting the number in half. 
1.  I've moved from teaching kindergarten in a Christian school to teaching K in a large urban public school district.  To my surprise, there are many similarities in the two schools.  Not the doctrine, of course, but the limited resources and need for extreme flexibility are familiar to me.  Look for a Donor's Choose project soon, in my sidebar!

2.  My oldest son is now a junior in college...wow... I still see his three-year-old smile when I think of him.  Second son starts his senior year of high school tomorrow.  Darling daughter will be a sophomore and youngest son is going into 7th grade.  This summer, there was one day where they were all in the house at the same time.  I have proof!

3.  I'm thinking about earning a master's degree in gifted education.  This year, I'll find out just how time consuming it will be to maintain Blackboard Configuration boards for five subjects, daily, as well as writing lesson plans in the Madeleine Hunter format.  If I can successfully keep up with all of that, a graduate degree might be doable!

4.  I need coffee at dawn, peanut butter Balance bars, and a book on my iPhone.

5.  I prefer teaching in an air conditioned room during a hot Missouri August, wish I had tickets to see Keith Urban next Friday, and read young adult fiction for fun.

*Bonus Fact*
The Perseid's Meteor Shower holds a special place in my heart (hello, 18-year-old self!) and it's tonight!!!  Well, there goes bedtime!  

 Follow along this week with Blog Hoppin'!