July Currently

I cannot believe that it is already July.  Summer is going by way too fast!  I am linking up today with Farley for July’s Currently.

1. I have spent the last four months without cable, so I am enjoying watching the news and Today show this morning.  I felt like I was so out of the loop and had no idea what was going on in the world. 

2. The process of finding and buying our house was so stressful.  Now that the stressful part is over, I have been enjoying decorating and transforming our house into a home. 

A view of our dining room into the living room

Another view of the dining room

 3. I finally broke down and bought a Silhouette Cameo.  The first thing I did was to create labels for our laundry sorter. I love how it looks! I know that I will be using my Silhouette Cameo as I prepare for the new school year.

I think this will help make doing laundry a little more fun  

   4. We unloaded our stuffed POD on Friday, and our house felt packed with boxes.  I have already unpacked many of the boxes, but there are still two rooms that I need to get to.  I can’t wait to be completely moved in. 

Just one pile of empty boxes after our move

  5.  I really need to start planning for the new school year.  I will be in a new school and teaching 2^nd grade for the first time ever.  I am excited about this new opportunity, but have no idea where to start in planning for this year.

  6.  Obviously, I am not the best blogger and shouldn’t be giving any tips, tricks, or hints to others.  However, I do read a lot of blogs daily and appreciate when the blogger responds to my comments.  I will definitely be more likely to follow and comment on a blog if I feel like my comments are actually being read.  

A Six-Month Hiatus is Long Enough....I'm Back

I can’t believe it’s been six months since I have posted anything to this blog.  I am really slacking in the blogger department.  I won’t make excuses, but my life has been a whirlwind since the beginning of 2013.  On January 3^rd, my boyfriend proposed to me and I of course said yes.  Wedding planning was quickly put on hold when he was transferred back to California two weeks later.  This left me in Louisiana by myself with only our two dogs to share the house with me.  This was a difficult transition, but I was managing by keeping myself busy with teaching and going to the gym.  Then in February my world was turned upside down when my grandma and father died within nine days of each other.  It was a difficult decision to make, but I knew I needed to move back to California to be surrounded by my family and friends.  I planned for the rest of the year with my co-teacher, packed up my entire house into a POD, and then drove over 2,000 miles back to California with my two dogs by my side.  I hated leaving my students in the middle of the school year, but I knew that I needed to take care of myself and I couldn’t be a great teacher for them if I had stayed.  Being an only child and grandchild on that side of the family, I had a lot of work to do when I returned to California.  I was glad to have things to keep me busy, but it was all very trying.  I am so glad I had my fiancé, family, and friends to support me during this time.  Although I know I will never be finished grieving them, I have made some exciting changes in my life that I know they would both be proud of.  As of last Friday, my fiancé and I are now homeowners.  We are so excited to start making this house our home.  

My fiancé and I in front of our new house on moving day

The week before we closed on the house, I received a job offer from an amazing school right near our new house.  I cannot wait to be a part of the amazing staff.  Other than changing schools for the 8^th time, I will be teaching second grade for the first time.  I am looking for more second grade teachers’ blogs to follow and would love any suggestions.  I plan to blog regularly from now on.  I find time to read everyone else’s blogs each day, so I have no excuse not to share some of my own ideas into the blog world.  Thanks for sticking with me.

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Overwhelmed with Sadness

My heart is filled with so much sadness over the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.  I cannot even imagine what all of the students, teachers, staff, parents, and community of Sandy Hook Elementary School are going through after the loss of so many innocent lives. I will be taking Saturday and Sunday off from blogging to show my respect and condolences to all affected by this tragedy.  Thank you to Michelle for creating this teacher and Farley for the idea of “blogging silence” for teacher blogs.

December Happenings

I can’t believe that December is in full swing already.  This past week was chaotic with benchmark testing in math & reading and daily practices for the school-wide Christmas play.  I felt like I never had a chance to really teach this week, but my students are enjoying using my new product: ‘Tis the Season for Math Review Centers.  

The centers have been a great way to review most of the math concepts that we have covered so far this year including multiplication, division, fractions, rounding, and word problems.  While the students are working with their groups on the activities, I have been able to walk around to check for understanding and reteach when necessary.

I am excited to start a new writing project this week: My Three Wishes Holiday Writing.  

I have done this writing project for the past four years and the final products are always heart-warming.  Instead of students just listing what they want for Christmas, I have them choose one “gift” for their family, one for the world, and then one for themselves. The “gifts” they ask for for their families and the world often bring a tear to my eye.  Past wishes have been for more time to spend as a family and food for the world so no one has to be hungry.

My students will start by brainstorming the three gifts they will ask for with this sheet (in words and/or pictures):

They will then turn this into a five-paragraph essay.  I usually include this as a parent gift because they are so heart-felt. 

I have also included a holiday and winter version for children who do not celebrate Christmas.