Sometimes with my job I wish I could get a glimpse into the future to really see how my students will turn out.

Today was just one of those days with my job, where my heart just sank because I just want the best for them and want to teach them the simple importances of life. It's just hard because I want them to succeed and be respectful. It's just hard because I know I might be the only one in their life showing and teaching them those characteristics..it doesn't set in as quick.

Oh, poor Picky-Picky

I have been reading Ramona Forever to my class for read aloud. Today I read the chapter where Ramona and Beezus find their cat, Picky-Picky, who has passed away. I couldn't help but tear up since I know what it feels like to loose a pet. I even knew that the part was coming up because I've read the story before, but it just hit me today. A few other students in my class were a little teary. Two girls got me a kleenex, one for my eyes they said and one for my nose. Then we had to pause and talk about all of our pets and ones that we still have and the ones we don't have anymore. I just love those moments of teaching, were we connect and that they see that I have real feelings, and can relate to them. Even if it's me just being sappy about a children's book.

For the rest of the day, I found several random notes on my desk from several of my students saying,
'I'm sorry you've lost your dog when you were young, I lost a dog too'
'I think your are great Mrs. Allen,'
'I know how you feel, I lost my dog last year and it was really sad,'
'I think you are the best teacher ever, I really mean that, you are'
'I am glad you have Ellie, I like the name Ellie'
' I like that you read, You're the best!'

Now, if that can't make your day, I don't know what will.

Hello November!

I am amazed that it is already November! I sure can't wait until it really feels like Novemeber outside- it's been way to hot! Life has been quite busy and I can't believe how bad I have been with posting here. I need to make sure to be better with it, just like I'm trying to be with working out. I'm doing good though with that! I've been doing yoga, weights, riding my bike or a cardio work-out a couple of times a week! Chris and I are trying to be in better shape by Christmas and motivate each other to be on top of it! Ellie even seems to want to do yoga with me, since she always goes a lays on my mat. It's pretty funny.

We love Ellie so much and she loves us too. She always wants to be where we are. For example, when we go to sort the laundry, you'll find her there too!

I am also excited that my garden is coming along, I have a few seedlings coming up and I also have some herbs planted in some pots on our back porch. I will be planting lettuce and some other things this week as well. It's always fun to see what all comes up in the spring! I have planted some of the same things, but some new flowers this time too.

Yay!

I have rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme, and basil! Sure is fun to add to your cooking!

Lastly, Ellie would like to say hi and wish you a great week! I do too!

My Classroom

Here we go again! I am so happy to be in my third year of teaching and teaching 3rd grade for the second year now. I feel so much more organized and know what to expect! In the picture above is me showing off the beginning process of setting up my classroom. This has been the third year in a row that I've had to move my classroom, I'm hoping I won't have to anymore now!

Here is my awesome classroom tree that my brother Jeff painted for me! I’ve always wanted it painted on the wall, but didn’t get around to it until now. I had a paper trunk in the past, but this just looks a million times better and more realistic! It’s nice to have such an artistic family. This tree changes with the seasons. Soon it will be having fall leaves by the end of this month. It's a lot of fun and I like to give it a personalized touch with my students help! Each apple on this tree has one of my student's name on it, I have 21 little apples in my class. 8 of them I had when I taught 1st grade, so that's a lot of fun! It's really cool to see how they have grown academically and that I get to help with that again!





This is a picture of my workshop board that I change every week to go with the story we are reading, math we are working on, and many other activities for my students to do independently during reading group time. I am all about reinforcing things and giving them as much exposure to it so they can master the skill. You can also see the homey touch I like to add to
my classroom. I have a classroom job that is a gardner, they are the ones responsible and who oversee the plants and make sure they are watered weekly. I want my classroom to be as welcoming and enjoyable place as possible for my students to learn and comfortable.


Lastly, I will end with another view of my classroom. This is my classroom library area and my desk. I have tons of books on other bookshelves just ready to be read by my students. I have to pillows on the floor under the tree that you can't see, that my students ask everyday to go sit down there and read. I had to start making a list of who's next to sit down there. Can't beat a class that loves to read! I think it is going to be a great year! I already feel like we have connected with each other and that the respect is there. They know what is expected of them and know what the consequences are if they break those expectations. I feel that I keep learning new things and know what I show implement and do to makes my students have the best learning environment possible. I want to make sure that I teach them the best I can academically, yet make sure that they learn life skills and relationship skills that will better them for the rest of their lives. I am excited to watch them grow! It is the greatest to be giving tons of hugs, notes that say 'you're the greatest teacher ever', and that they are so happy to be in my class. It's pretty nice to have kids say they are sad to go, that they want to stay at school. It is nice to be in a profession that is so rewarding. Believe me, you will be hearing plenty more!

Hello..I'm alive.

I have really been bad about writing here. I have decided that I need to try to make it a weekly goal to write here at least once. So, I plan to update this blog this weekend with pictures of my new classroom, stories of the beginning weeks of school, and other life happenings!

So.. stay tuned..I will be posting soon and more often!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ellie Bea!

Ellie had her 2nd birthday yesterday, June 18th! I can't believe how time goes by so fast! She had a nice day..we gave her little surprises throughout the day. Her first one was a fun toy her cousin Molly has, it's a log that you hide three little squirrels in it and she has to get them out. She wasn't sure of it at first, but then got the hang of it. She loves it when the squirrels have their tails hanging out to get them. Then, she got a bouncy Kong bone that I put the special dog peanut butter on it..she licked it clean! She still is licking at it when it doesn't have anything on it any more. Then she got a little bit of vanilla ice cream and a walk around the block when it was cooler outside to end the day! We love her tons! She's so much fun!

Happy Father's Day!

Chris and I had a nice evening with my parents and my brother for Father's Day at their house. My mom cooked a yummy dinner of BBQ steak, potato salad, and cucumbers and tomatoes. I'm very grateful to have my dad and to have had such a nice time with him and my family!

Fun times! Great Memories!

This past weekend Chris and I headed up to Sedona for our friends Jeremy and Katie's wedding. It was a lot of fun. It made me think back to our wedding and all the fun time planning it and how beautiful it turned out. It was a nice garden wedding and their reception was outside as well. It was very romantic. Chris was the best man and he gave a very nice toast. We all had fun dancing and just spending time with our friends.

There is just something about being around your friends and people you get along with that give you a natural high of happiness and just make you want to plan more and more times of getting together with them. It's really fun and it's nice to know that these are friends of ours that will probably be friends for a long time and that is nice to think about and look forward to seeing our friendships grow even more.

Another year ending..

My second year of teaching has come to an end. It’s exciting to say that I’ve taught longer than a year and that I’ve grown from so many experiences and situations. Growing is good. Not only did my class make me grow this year, I had to deal with others that made me grow. I’m happy with how this year has gone; I’ve really seen my class grow and I grow as a teacher and a person. I know that there will be some that will hold onto the memories and things they learned this year and experienced with me. But, I know that their will be a few in time that I will fade out of their thoughts and memories. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, but I do hope that I have given them something that will go with them for the rest of their life. Not only did I teach academics, but I taught life skills.

I thought of being many different things when I grew up, but I’m glad I chose to become a teacher. I know it’s what I should be, but most of all, it’s what I want to be.

Something that made me smile

On my way home today from work, I stopped by Safeway to grab a few things. While I was in the produce section getting some tomatoes, one of the workers was stocking the area and smiled and said hello to me. I say hello back and then he told me the offer on avocados. He paused and then said, "You look like a teacher." I smiled and said, "Well, actually I am, I'm a third grade teacher. He's like, "Wow, really?You just look like a patient person." I smiled and agreed that you have to be one when being a teacher. But how random this was, it came from nowhere.

I must of looked extra teachery today. If teachery is a word... I don't think it is. :) I'm glad to be a teacher and now I know even strangers can tell I'm one too! haha

Grow Grass Grow

We have been working hard in our backyard to prepare the ground for planting grass seed. Chris has been work really hard all week and has a pretty sore hand because of it. He got a new tool to help loosen up the ground since it was so hard and compacted. I've been helping him break up the dirt clumps, lifting up the dirt with the shovel and raking in the mulch and then this morning I raked in the grass seed with the mulch. This is round two for planting grass seed, we tried a few weeks ago, but nothing really came up. We realized we needed to give it a little more T.L.C. because there hasn't been grass in the backyard for over 2 years. The ground got to compacted and hard, plus needed some good mulch added into the soil. We are crossing our fingers!

I am looking forward to the completion of our backyard, even though it's going to take a few weeks for the grass to come up. But, I have gotten some more seeds to plant in my garden area, cosmos, zinnias, corn, and sunflowers. It's fun gardening and doing improvements around the house. I will keep up posted on our grass! Say your prayers and cross your fingers for it to come up!

I was told a story once, about a boy who was on a beach throwing starfish back into the sea. A old man came up the boy and asked him what he was doing. The boy said to the man, 'I’m trying to save them.' Then the old man said to the boy, 'They’ve been here awhile, I don’t think they’ll make it. 'The boy replied, ‘As long as I save one of them, I will be happy.’

I put a lot into my job, a lot that produces an ample amount of joy and tiredness. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I see how what I do has changed some and how the respect has been built within my students, some it has taken them longer than others. I feel that I have saved a starfish this year, actually a few. And that makes me happy. That is why I keep wanting to come back, even after the bad days, hard days, and certainly the good days.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I felt like had to do what everyone else does on this holiday and go green!

So, Chris and I had a green beer with our dinner tonight! Hope you had a fun St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Flowers are blooming!

Sorry it's been so long since I've last posted something! Life has been busy, but I should try to be better at posting! Here are my first to blooms in my garden! It's fun to see them start popping open, especially since this has been my first offical garden and first time planting seeds and bulbs on my own!

Such a fun way to start the day! I love to look at my garden throughout the day because it's ever changing!

Happy Spring!

Teacher stuff & other stuff

It's been a nice day off, went to a fabric store and Joann's with my mom this morning..didn't really get much but some Valentine's Day pencils and bags for my class. Speaking of Valentine's Day, I finished my felt heart for Chris. I think it turned out cute and will be fun to use to write him notes to tell him I love him or to have a good day!

I have also been busy with school stuff, I have my observation tomorrow by the principal. This will be my last formal observation for the school year, until next year. I will be doing it during science time. We have just started our plant growth and development unit. It's going to be a lot of fun for me, since I love gardening and plants in general. Tomorrow my lesson will be on "What is inside a Seed?" The students will observe their soaked Lima bean then get to open it up to see the parts inside that make it grow. They will also be drawing a scientific drawing of the bean and doing some journal writing on what their predictions are and what they have learned from that lesson. I feel that it will go well since I've done the material before and I'm confident in my teaching and the effort and passion I put into it as well.

Here is what I get ready every week for my workshop board. The students complete 20 different things that are based off of what we're learning or have been learning in all different subject areas. I really want my students to grasp concepts, not just with the lesson, but by repetition and seeing it and doing it in different ways. My favorite thing this week on my workshop board is my Power Test. It's where I get my students up and moving and helps to get their ants out of their pants too. The will be doing the YMCA song actions and then the bicycle for 2 minutes (that's where you lay on your back and peddle with your legs!) They really enjoy doing the whole workshop and I see them really grow from doing it! That's the best part.

Back to Work

Back into the swing of things again..dragging a little bit though. It was all in all a good first day back to teaching and my class seemed well rested and ready to go with the second half of the school year. I reminded my third graders that they are half way to becoming fourth graders, I got several wide eyes, thinking like whoa. But I had to tell them it is important to focus and get into gear because they want to be successful for these next two quarters. I am quite surprised as to how fast the school year is going. I think the whole past year went fast in general.

It did not help that Monday was a very rainy day for us. This meant, kids having to "go to the bathroom", but in reality, just wanting to go out into the rain. This also caused lunch recess and and afternoon recess to be held inside my classroom, just when you need a break from them, you can't get one! I survived and they were pretty well behaved with not being in the swing of things because of the break and because of the rain.

I had my class journal write about some goals they wanted to make for this upcoming year, 2008. I told them it would be good to have at least three goals, one for home, one for here at school, and a personal goal, like their character. Here are a few of them:

*To stop arguing with my friends
*To have better handwriting
*To work on my frustration
*I want to get up earlier
*To be more organize
*Less talking at school
*Fixing my bed in the morning

I thought this was a great way to get their mind thinking of ways to make life better for them and to get them in a good mindset for life in general.

My feelings so far for 2008 are great! I things organized here at my house and then at work..I'm going to try to stick to that. I want to learn how to cook new things, master knitting, and so much more. I'm excited to see what this year brings!

Arts & Crafts

Any time I pull out any of my artsy stuff, Chris always says "It's arts and crafts time!" With it being one of my last days of freedom before I go back to teaching, I felt like doing something crafty. While cleaning this Winter Break, I found tons of felt. I was inspired when I thought of making a tiny heart pillow.This is a little pouch to put love notes or whatever in for Chris. I thought it would be a fun little thing to have for Valentine's Day! Hopefully he isn't sneeky and reads that's what I'm doing! It's turning out cute.

Learning how to Knit

I have been inspired to start knitting and here are my first three balls of yarn. I love the purple blue mixed one the best! I've gotten the hang of casting on my yarn, now it's just getting the knitting part down. I've found that my new smaller knitting needles help, the longer ones I had were just awkward.

When looking at knitting stuff at JoAnn's with my mom, I found two awesome books to help me and inspire me. Someday I want to make a hat just like the one the girl has on the front cover. I love how they incorrporated beads to it as well! I know with practice I will get it down and be able to make great things. I just stood in Michael's today looking at all of the yarn. I saw tons of yarn I wanted to get, but I'll wait until I've had some more practice. I'll be like Sarah with her basket full of yarn! Sarah mention to me that we should have knitting/movie nights when I go up there to Idaho this summer. I think that's a great idea.

There is so much you can make, there are some really fun mittens with pink poka dots, socks with fun stripes, and so much more. I will show you som of my work in progress when that time comes.

Fresh Start

I have felt very motivated to write on here again and try to keep up with it. Maybe it's been my time off from work that has caused me to float around in the Blog world. My other thing is to work on doing more photography, so that I can have pictures to put up on here. Let's see if I can really stick to that! It's a new year, a fresh new start.