Year in Review

It is the last day of 2013 and so many thoughts are going through my mind! 

I am grateful that I had a job teaching 2nd graders last year. I never saw myself in the primary setting having taught 4th and 5th for seven years. Turns out, I loved teaching 2nd graders. I miss the kidos and the lessons I taught. 

I began September with no job! I sent out resumes galore. November came and I had an interview. I waited, and waited... then in December I was called for a job in a classroom setting out of my comfort zone! After a weekend of soul searching and making my pro/con list.. I accepted. 

I have a lot to be thankful for from 2013. My husband always calls me Eeyore and will say "Yep, its raining again. I'm full of gloom" when I am being a pessimistic. This lead me onto my word for 2014:  

 

I need to trust in the path I am taking. I need to trust that the sad, the worry, the over thinking, the Eeyore in me will pass. I need to trust in the positive and remember to feel THANKFUL and happy!

Go ahead and share your own word for 2014: 

One Little Word Linky Party  

Happy Reading ! 

13 in 13 Linky Party

It is time to remember the past year and think about a goal for 2014! Here you go: 

13. Favorite article of clothing: 

My Loft Jeans 

Yes, this is me! 

 I used to blog about my outfits. 

 I love this top, too (also from Loft) !! 

 12. Favorite movie you watched: 

 11. Favorite TV series:

 Dancing with the Stars. 

 10. Favorite restaurant: 

 MMMM… Carrabba’s 

 9. Favorite new thing you tried: 

 I have been eating fresh spinach salads. 

 Prior to this year I had never tried spinach! 

 8. Favorite gift you got: 

 Spa Gift Card from my sweet husband. 

 7. Favorite pin: 

 6. Favorite blog post:

Click here: 
       Favorite Blog Post   

 It was full of random ideas, 
but I remember feeling so happy during that time. 

 5. Best accomplishment: 

Being published in the Mailbox Magazine 

 4. Favorite picture: 

  My Mom and me at the Memorial Day parade 

 3. Favorite memory: 

 One of the second graders from last year called me a rock star. 
He made me the sweetest card at the end of the year.

 I read it whenever I feel low. 

 2. Goal for 2014: 

 Trust in God’s plan. 

 (This is SO HARD for me.) 

 1. One Little Word:

 Laugh 

Go join the linky party here:  13 in 13 Linky Party

Happy Reading!

Happy Winter Break!

It did not feel like winter today- it's raining after seven days of snow! The rain came yesterday and all the snow is gone! I wonder if there will even be a white Christmas. 

I had a crazy week. Here's what has been going on in my life: 

Last Friday, I had a call from a school district I had interviewed with a month ago. I was offered a job!!! I took the weekend to think about it. On Monday, I called and accepted the job. 

I started on Tuesday. I am working as a teacher's assistant in an autistic kindergarten. There are 8 sweet kidos. I will be in the classroom for 12 weeks and then the TA should return from a medical leave.  It is nice knowing I am going to the same place everyday again. 

I did a fun crafty yesterday with the students and another class which is a bilingual class. Here's the pic of the craft: 

I made a candy cane for myself to remember the idea. I told the teacher I am working with I was stealing her idea for the future. 

I also tutored on Thursday night. We have been working on blends:

After work yesterday I met my friends for coffee and our gift exchange. One of my besties gave me this little gift: 

She went to the Football Hall of Fame 

this past fall and thought of me! 

It's a cute tiny cup! 

Happy Winter Break everyone!

Happy Reading! 

Last Week

I have been sick since Thursday. GRRR!! I woke up with a scratchy throat. I have been in the house since Friday after I came home from the doctor! 

Wednesday I played "librarian" and the teacher came in to review the plans. She had no voice and was coughing a lot. As a sub, I don't have any control over how CLEAN (germ free) the room will be when I arrive. When a sick teacher comes in to go over plans, I get really annoyed because I usually end up sick! Yep, it happened last week! I have asthma, so I am a major germ freak from October to March especially when I am subbing. 

Here are a few random things I did this week when I was teaching. 

 

I helped students use an index to find weather facts.

I also talked about how to take notes from the almanac. 

 

Christmas around the Word

Grade 1 students learned what children celebrate in Italy.

I had never read this book. I loved it! 

 

Basket full of math problems.

Students took turns working out a problem. 

I can see this as a game for a math review.

Sample Problem below: 

What I woke up to one morning: 

It was so quiet when I took these. 

More snow coming this week!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I was planning on finishing my holiday shopping... no such luck. I will not be subbing tomorrow. I am taking one more day to rest and get better. 

Happy Reading everyone! 

In First Grade Today

I was in a first grade classroom working with a small group for reading. They were playing a game called "BOOM." 

The teacher had a cup full of sticks with words. The students would pull out a word and finger spell the word. Then they would use it in a sentence. I love how the teacher had them finger spelling the sounds as well has using the word in a sentence to express their understanding of word meaning. Some of the sticks had "BOOM" on it. If they pulled boom out of the cup they had to put all their sticks back in the cup and they are out of the game. 

I am pretty sure I have seen this game floating around a blog. I just can't remember who had it posted. 

I also think this would be a great review game for a test with vocabulary words, science terms, social studies concepts. The ideas are endless. I am sure with 4th or 5th graders could use this in a small reading group, but after reading a chapter in a book there could be comprehension questions.  

I loved the game and I think I may use it with the kido I tutor. 

Happy Reading! 

Currently...

It's that time of year again! I don't think I had any teacher related posts. I need to start taking a pic or two at school when I sub to write about  I what am doing. Sometimes it's just so hectic, that I forget! 

Well thanks to Farley it's that time of year again: Currently

I love Hallmark movies and I love the fact that I can watch a movie every night during December. I was a busy bee this weekend, its my favorite weekend of the year and it always goes too quick! 

I have a lot of family traditions. I went to church every year with my Gam and now I take my husband. I just love midnight mass. 

I hope everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! 

Go ahead and click here to read more Currentlys: 

December’s Currently 

Happy Reading !