I'm still here!!!

Well wow. It  has been a super long time since I've posted!! I am very sorry :( I have be insanely busy and every time I come on here I get lost looking at everyone else's fab blogs and then am too tired to post! I am planning on paying my blog some much needed attention around Thanksgiving!! I just wanted to apologize, and thank you all for having such amazing posts on your blogs! I don't know how you keep up on here!!

Quick Question:

Managing NON-STOP talkers? They even talk to themselves when no one else will listen to them.... Any ideas? I feel like I've tried every thing. I am planning on making their desks into islands tomorrow to see how that goes.......... :-/

Confession Linky Party!

Anything you'd like to confess about your first days/ weeks/ months of your school year?

Confessions of a 1st year Kindergarten teacher:

1. I ate 7 donuts in the last 2 days... I'm attributing it to stress eating!

2. I had a nightmare about a student in my class last night.

3. If I have to say "That's not my name that's my job" one more time responding to "TEACHER!" I may explode.

4. Daily hugs from my students make my days better.

5. Dismissal in the sheeting rain is NOT okay.

6. I ate a rice krispie treat while teaching my math lesson last week because I didn't get to eat lunch, and all the kiddos stared.

7. When a parent tells me "you're doing a great job, my daughter comes home every day so excited about school" it reminds me of why I teach :)

CONFESS!! 

Top 10 Award

Hadar from Miss Kindergarten awarded me a Top 10 blog award!! That makes me feel so good! Thank you Hadar :) 

Tomorrow is the day!

Oh boy... tomorrow the kiddos come tomorrow, and I AM NERVOUS! I have my room all set, or I thought I did until I found out today the school put two more tables and 8 chairs in my room... ugh! I have no where to put them. I guess I have some rearranging to do tomorrow at 6:30 am! Here are pics of my room as of last Friday! Good luck to everyone who starts tomorrow!!!

 

                                     

Meet the teacher Monday!!

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Well, I am 23 years old and am from the lovely state of Michigan. I am a huge sports girl! I play fantasy baseball and football in a league with my boyfriend (this is my 4th year doing it) and love to go to Tigers games! I'm also a Red Sox fan for all your Bostonians!  I love to bake and look at wedding things in my lack of free time. I have always secretly wanted to be a wedding planner at some point in my life, but planning my own may just have to do for now, whenever that may be! (HINT HINT boyfriend!). Speaking of which, I have been with my boy for over 4 years now and he is an uber sweet police officer in our city. I also have the cutest dog, Emmett George (yes he has a middle name)

How long have you been teaching...

This will be my first year with my own class! I student taught in kindergarten this past Jan-May and have also taught gymnastics and tutored the kiddo's I've been nannying for 10 years. 

Something you may not know about me...

My cooperating teacher during student teaching got me hooked on the blog world! I also have a family full of teachers.. my mom, cousin, grandma, and grandpa are all in or were in the education field. This may have been why I tried to go against the norm when I started college at Michigan State. I originally started as a fashion design student... then marketing... then special ed...then regular ed, all in a matter of a few months! Needless to say, I came back to my roots. (Also that I had already typed out this whole thing and then it didn't save :( )

What do you need to improve on...

Well, I may have a better answer for you in a few months! But for now I would say it's not stressing over the little things and knowing there is help for me in my building and through my blog buddies if need be :)

What teaching supply can you not live without...

LABELS. I live for organizing, and could not do this effectively without the help of lovely labels! I also love my Mr. Sketch markers, and still can't stop myself from smelling them :)


What are you looking forward to this year...
Being a first year kindergarten teacher!! As well as getting to know my wonderful co-workers.

Classroom update!!

I worked a little more on my classroom this week in between screening :) Someone broke the laminator at our school and I'm SO annoyed because I have about 200 things to laminate and hang :( Then my room will feel more complete! Sorry the pictures are a little dark, they were taken on my iphone into the sun! Also, I'm awaiting blinds to be installed, and then putting up these adorable polka dot valances my mom made!

 

 

Also, my amazing neighbor painted me this little chair for my "star of the week" student!! Isn't she talented?

 

 

Kindergarten Screening

Since my school is brand new, we are currently going through the screening process of the already enrolled Kinders... instead of doing it at the end of the previous year like most of y'all probably do.

I am SO shocked at how high these incoming kiddos are!! I had a girlie today not only know all her upper/lower case letters and sounds, but recite me the Greek alphabet and read me the whole Hop On Pop Dr. Seuss book......... and she is still 4. I mean, c'mon!! Another little girlie came in reading at a 4th grade level according to her mother who is a reading specialist at another school ( I'm worried the curriculum we've been given is going to be tossed out the window on day 1!).

It's so great to see how much parents are working with their kids at home these days and how well pre-schools really are preparing kids for elementary school :)

PS. more classroom pictures by Friday (or Saturday)

Favorite Quote of the week:

Teacher asked " Do you know your phone number?"

Kinder response "...I don't have a phone! But I have an app on my ipod where you can text people, want me to tell you that number? It's a real sneaky one"