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