Absent Teacher

This teacher has been very absent from the blogging world.  Seems that everything gets CRAZY during May.  Lots of family stuff and school stuff. 

Well, now I'm ready to relax because yesterday was the last day of school.  This is what I've been up to:

My room yesterday...

...and my room today.  So bare looking!

 

Tomorrow is our last day of postplanning and then I'm outta here!  Mr. Biz and I are going on a much needed trip to visit friends.  We both need a break!  Because, of course, when I get back, I'll start thinking about school again...a teacher's job is never done!  :]

Happy summer, everyone!  And if you aren't done yet, you can make it! 

It's CRCT time!

This week has been state testing in my school.  Tomorrow is the last day and I might be super excited about that.  :]  Anyways, I figured I'd share this little gem with ya'll.  My roommate and I made this while we were student teaching.  What better way to get the kiddos pumped up about the CRCT than to rap about it?  Don't worry, I'm not gonna quit my day job.  ;]

Happy testing!

P.S.- A friend of mine from another school wrote the rap...we just added a little bit to make it work for our kids.  I am totally not talented enough to write stuff like that.

Teach Teach Baby...

Super fast post today.  I'm about to run out and get supplies for FUN DAY tomorrow.  My kiddos have earned it, and I'm very excited to do a fun activity with them. 

Anyways, I read this on lamebook today and simply had to share.  This would be awesome to do...major props to the brillant teacher who thought of it!

via lamebook

Oops...but thanks!

Confession time...some ladies out there in bloggy world have been so kind to me, but in return I have dropped the ball.  Oops!  Sorry ya'll!  I was awarded these two THREE(!) super sweet blog awards and I guess I just didn't know what to say.  I'm not really one to toot my own horn, so posting this on my lil' ol' blog kind of goes against the grain.  But that doesn't mean that the awards don't mean a lot to me!  I love hearing that folks like reading what I write...and more than one person said I'm funny.  Say what?!?  I've never ever thought I was funny!  Well, at least funny in the blog world.  I might be funny looking when I'm breaking it down in my car to Domino.  :]

Anyways, thanks so much to these lovely ladies for giving me these awards.  I really am humbled that people take the time to read my crazy rambling.  Make sure to go visit these ladies' blogs...they are all wonderful and fun bloggy friends! 

Emmy @ Daydreams of a Student Teacher

Simone @ Busy as a Honey Bee

Classy Confessions

Once again, thanks so much to those three lovely ladies!  I will have to take a look later to see if there is anyone I can give these awards to since so many of the blogs I follow have already been blessed with them.  Seems I read a lot of great blogs!  :]

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Wahoo!  We have Monday off, and even though it's a furlough day (meaning I don't get paid), I'm going to look at the silver lining and enjoy my extra day of weekend fun!  :]

What I'm "Currently" Up To

Hi everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  :] 

I'm linking up again today with Farley for March Currently.  There's just something about this linky party that makes it my absolute favorite!  Perhaps it is because the graphics she uses are always so cute.  Anyways, without further ado, here is what's "currently" going on with me!



I bought that book on my Kindle last Friday and I've been reading it pretty regularly.  If you aren't familiar with Mindy Kaling, she plays Kelly Kapor on The Office.  On the show her character is incredibly self-centered and silly, but in real life, Mindy is a writer for the show (i.e.- very smart and talented).  The book is an easy, funny read (I mean, she is a comedy writer) and I've really enjoyed it.  I recommend checking it out sometime if you want a good laugh!

If you're just popping over from Farley's page, feel free to stick around for a while!  You can check out one of my favorite classroom management tools, read about my super brain, or just learn a bit about me.  Thanks for stopping by!

There are posts to come later this week about my current unit: the water cycle!  It has been really fun teaching this so far. 

Alright, now it's your turn to go link up!  :]

It's magnetizing!

Just last Friday my 1st grade kiddos finished up a unit on magnets.  I love teaching science at this age because they are so curious about everything!  This magnet unit was a great way to bring in some hands on science practice.  None of these lessons are super intense--all I'm looking for is a way to teach the content, but still keep the main focus on learning English.  So anyways, enjoy these magnet lesson plans and please let me know if you use them!  :]



I hope you've all had a pleasant Monday.  My Mondays are never that bad...Tuesday is when the weekend hits me and I feel exhausted all of the sudden.  Am I the only one, or do any of you guys deal with that Tuesday sleepiness, too?

Random notes:

1) I bought a Kindle Fire a couple weeks ago and I really like it.  So far I've read three different books on it.  For a long time I thought I'd never get one, but I like that it's an eReader and a tablet.  Anyone else biting the bullet and jumping on the eReader bandwagon?

2) Today and tomorrow are parent/teacher conferences!  My first ones ever...can you sense the little bit of nervousness?  :] 

3) Moe's Monday is the bomb.com.  Five dollars for a burrito, chips, and a drink?  Score!

Ok, enough randomness.  Have a marevelous rest of your Monday!  :]



You Might Be a Teacher If...

Who else out there loves a good "you might be a redneck if..." joke?  Well, in the same style of Foxworthy's hilarious one-liners, now we can all laugh about the little quirks that make us teachers.  I'm linking up with Jeannie over at Kindergarten Lifestyle for this fun linky party...go check it out! 

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you all survived with minimal damage done.  :]

Tag, I'm it!

I was tagged in this little game thing-y by Casey over at Cardigans and Curriculum.  I just started reading her blog and I'm really liking it.  Of course, I was an automatic follower because of her cute blog design and her love of cardigans...us cardi girls gotta stick together!  :]  But before I get into the questions, I have to share this video with you.  The title is NSFW, but I'm sure you'll identify with the video.  :]

Ok, now that you're smiling, lets get on to the game. Rules of the Game:

1. Post the rules.

2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself in your blog post.

3. Answer the questions that the tagger has set for you in their post; then create 12 new questions for the people that you tag.

4. Tag 12 people and link them in your post.

5. Let them know that you've tagged them.

12 Things:

1. Chick-fil-A is my absolute favorite place to eat.  I get food from there at least two times a week…normally more.  Every Friday morning I get a chicken biscuit and a large sweet tea to celebrate making it through another week. 

2. I love flowers and the color pink.  I’m not a girly-girl when it comes to how I dress, but my tastes are very girly.  Tulips are my favorite flower…and if they’re pink, then that’s even better!

3. Working in special ed for several months  taught me the benefit of laminating EVERYTHING.  If it’s not laminated, it will get torn to pieces. 

4. I played the cello for six years in middle school and high school.  Sometimes I find myself wanting to pick it up again, but I just don’t think I have the time.  Plus, I was never good a tuning and if it was at my house, I couldn’t make someone else tune it like I did in high school.

5. I eat two packets of oatmeal with a cut up banana for lunch every day.  It’s delicious.  Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.  :]  (Really, I just don’t like dealing with the fridge at school).

6. I was born in Puerto Rico, but have lived in my current home in Georgia for 20 ½ years.

7. I could eat super smelly foods all day long…anything with garlic, onions, cumin, sauerkraut, or any other intense flavor.  But I don’t like spicy food.

8. My favorite Starbucks drink is the salted caramel mocha.  Technically a “seasonal” drink, but they have the stuff to make it all year long—all you need to do is ask!

9. I named my car Tonks, which is short for Nymphadora Tonks of Harry Potter fame.  My car is spunky and cute, so I thought the name fit well.  :]

10. I have a slight obsession with Vera Bradley school stuff.  I have a lanyard in the Watercolors patter that I wear with my ID, key, and hand sanitizer; a lunch tote in Symphony in Hue (my mom gave it to me to celebrate my student teaching a few years back); and a tote bag in Twirly Birds (navy).  I don’t use Vera in everyday life, but it is perfect for school.  But I only buy it on sale…it’s expensive!

11. I am a really bad singer, but I find nothing more fun than singing with my kiddos.  It is a great way to promote English learning!  They are learning and they don’t even know it (insert evil laughter).  :]

12. I dream of one day dressing like Ms. Frizzle for every new topic.  Lightning bolt earrings would be SO cool.

Casey's Questions for Me:

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I have this dream of going on a two week European tour through Rick Steves’ agency.  If you’ve never seen his TV show on PBS you are MISSING OUT.  That guy is awesome.  He’s so low key, but he shows you the best places to visit in Europe.  I would do one of the trips that takes you to Greece, Turkey, and Spain.

2. If you had to live in a city besides your own, what would your top choices be?

I’m starting to truly enjoy living near Atlanta, so at this point I wouldn’t move.   But if I had to go to a different city, I would really like to live in Greenville, SC, or Chattanooga, TN.  Both a great small-ish cities (not like the HUGE-ness of Atlanta) that are easy to get around and they have really awesome artsy stuff (restaurants, coffee shops).

3. Do you follow any sports teams?

HA.  I have more than one person who wishes I was a UGA fan, but I can’t do it.  I say that I’m a Clemson fan, but really it’s just because I had to pick a team back in college (I couldn’t stand watching all of the college football on TV without a team to root for).  Following sports is too much work.

4. What is one lesson/topic that you get REALLY excited about teaching?

ANYTHING about the environment.  When I was student teaching I did an awesome unit based around The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.  It had lots of elements of writing and environmentalism.  It fit so well into our third grade curriculum.  I also have a stuffed animal Lorax, the book, and the (original) movie—maybe that proves how obsessed I am with that particular Dr .Seuss story.

5. If you had to go back and get another degree, what would you pursue?

I'm pretty sure that I would get a degree in library science.  I have a dream of one day being an elementary school librarian.  But who knows--my educational goals change about once a month.  :]

6. What is your favorite dessert, or two?

I could eat chocolate chip cookies all day long…delicious.  At my old school the speech therapist we worked with made a MEAN chocolate chip cookie and gave us all large bags of them for Christmas.  I was in heaven.  I also die for Muddy Buddies (called Puppy Chow by some).  If you’ve never had these before, you are really missing out.  Rice chex, chocolate, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar—makin’ my mouth water!

7. If you could re-do any year in your life, which one would you choose and why?
Gosh, this is hard.  I would maybe re-do my senior year of HS.  I would have liked to spend more time with my BFF before we both left home for college.  Of course, there was a year of college I would like to re-do as well.  A lot of hurts came out of that year, but a lot of lessons, too.  I wouldn't want to lose the lessons learned, so I know the hurt had a purpose.

8. What do you like on your hamburger?

SALSA!  And actually, I don’t eat most meats (I’m like a chicken-itarian…I only eat chicken), so when I eat a “hamburger” it’s generally a Boca or MorningStar burger.  My current faveorite is the black bean burger by MorningStar.  I eat it with cheese, Peach & Mango salsa, a Claussen pickle, tomato, onion, and lettuce, all on a whole wheat tortilla.  Absolutely delicious!

9. What is your favorite type of marker or pen?

I used to be all about RSVP pens by Pentel, but I’m pretty sure the company went under a couple years ago because I haven’t been able to find them.  Sad day.  :[  It took me ages, but I finally found my new favorite pen: Sharpie pens.  I love how smoothly they write, and all the fun colors are great. 

10. What is your favorite recipe?

Probably chicken tortilla soup.  I have the recipe on my personal blog.  

11. Do you have a song that makes you cry? What is it?
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong makes me tear up...it's just so beautiful!  Many songs at church make me get a little misty-eyed, too.  Last night at church we sang "Great I Am," which is probably my new favorite worship song.  I simply have to share it.

12. If you had to go on a reality show what show would you want to be a part of?

To be honest,  I really don’t like reality TV.  I feel like I go against all of female-kind when I gripe about The Bachelor every Monday night.  That show makes me feel like I’m gonna vomit.  But I digress…

There was a show on TV for a couple years called Here Come the Newlyweds.  That is the one reality TV show I can really get behind.  Each episode was very entertaining and fun.  I always said that I felt that I could win that show with my future spouse…I still think we could!  So maybe if they put it on the air when I’m a newlywed you guys will see me get my 15 minutes of fame.  :]


Ok, so now I have to come up with twelve questions.  Yikes!  Let's see if I can do it.


My Questions for You!:
1. When did you decide you wanted to be a teacher?
2. What is your favorite thing a kid has ever said to you?
3. What is your favorite thing to eat for school lunch?
4. Tell us about a couple of your favorite "pump-it-up" songs.
5. What is your favorite kind of peanut butter?
6. If you weren't a teacher, what would you do?
7. If you could take a week-long trip with one person each year, who would you go with and where would you go?
8. What is the last fiction book that you read and loved?
9. What is your favorite magazine?
10. What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?
11. What is your favorite color?
12. Who is your favorite blogger?  And why should we follow them?  :]

Now I get to tag some folks.  Sorry, but I'm breaking the rules and I'm not going to tag 12 people (I'm so rebellious!).  I don't think I know that many people, haha!  I'm gonna go with some of my favorites: Jordyn @ Intangible Goodness, Kim @ A Pound of Thoughts, and Allyson @ Our Adventure Book (even though she hasn't blogged for a while).  And if you're just creepin' around and you'd like to answer, too, please do!  Just comment to let me know that I should come read your answers.  Enjoy, ladies!  :]