My First Day

Well, the first day is over and...I DID IT!! lol It wasn't the first day in a veteran's classroom I'm sure, but I know it could have been worse. I have a gaggle of super cute kids who are very sweet and excited to be in school. I only confused the set of twins once, forgot to monitor only one recess, and managed to have time to eat my lunch. Overall, I'd say it was a pretty darn good day :-) I'll add details later, but right now I just want to get pics of my classroom up. This first pic is from the front door so it's what the kids see when they first walk in.

My "Under the Sea" reading nook and neighboring dress up/kitchen play area. Notice the jelly fish light, yeah! Awesome!

I LOVE my tables...they're the cutest! And of course we can't forget the alphabet and vowel sounds

I'll post more this weekend...I have stories to tell :-) But this will have to do for now

Ciao Ciao

So far...

I've officially got three days under my belt. All three have been fairly full and slightly hectic, but I'm starting to get into a routine and get settled. A couple of the teachers have taken a special interest in my room and it seems like every time I walk in I have new "treasures" to decorate with so that's been a HUGE blessing. They have good taste :-)

My biggest challenge is learning the curriculum. There is so much! There are two reading curriculum's that I'm supposed to combine and use, math, writing, spelling, handwriting, Bible, science, and then I make up my own social studies. Now, I wasn't aware that there were actual curriculum's for spelling and handwriting, but now I know that they not only exist, but they are pretty crazy. I feel like I have too much to learn and not enough time to learn it. Hopefully it will all fall into place.

The teachers and staff I work with are all very nice and have been really helpful. It's crazy to think this time next week I will have taught two full days! Eek!

Tomorrow!

Well, my first day of work is TOMORROW! I don't think it will be anything super de dooper since it's just in-service, but it's still exciting. I'm also pretty nervous though. I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of organizing, cleaning, and just generally getting settled. I'll try and remember to take pictures so you all can see how cute my room turns out :-)

Be back with details later!

A New Beginning

Well blogland...I have been absent for a very, VERY long time. A lot has happened since I last blogged. I actually passed my college classes and graduated with a BA in Elementary Education. I not only survived student teaching, but loved every minute of it. I've said many teary goodbyes to friends and family, but also had many joyful reunions. I am dating the most wonderful man in the world, moved 300 miles, got my first apartment, and finally, after almost 24 years, got over my fear of being alone in a house. Lots more has happened, but I won't bore you with all the details. But the big news of the blog is to inform you that I got a job. A real life, professional teaching job. I'm super excited, but also incredibly nervous. So as I begin this new adventure, this blog will transition from being a chronicle of surviving college student, to sharing the joys of a first year teacher.

I will be in a K-1 classroom, so I'm sure there will be many mishaps, cute sayings, adorable pictures, and hysterical circumstances to share. I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave any lasting words of wisdom :-)

Spring Break?

Ahhh, spring break...brings back memories of family vacations, road trips, leisurely evenings under a blanket with a good book, an entire week of freedom. Freedom to choose whatever I want: books, trips, movies, time spent talking or hanging out with friends, etc etc.

So at what point did this dream week disappear? Hmmm, could have been the day I signed up for a certain chunk of classes, the day I decided to be a teacher, the day I realized my life isn't affected solely by my choices but also by the choices of those around me, all of the above? Who knows...either way, the bottom line is I miss my spring break. I want a dream spring break again.

Dream on, dream on....