A Look at the Week Ahead

Sundays always come so fast! I'm linking up with the Teaching Trio for another edition of Sunday Scoop.

The week ahead definitely involves a lot of organizing. Our first PARCC assessment is coming up very soon, so I really need to make sure that I am maximizing all possible instructional moments. I still hope to have a little fun by possibly making borax snowflakes.

I definitely know I will be using these books in the upcoming weeks!

I will also be putting together a display that looks something like this:

Find It HERE!

So far, I've been good on my resolution to be a more active member of the teacher blogging world. If you've liked what you've seen. Consider following me with Blog Lovin' in order to get all of the updates and freebies!

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Five for Friday

It has been a fantastic, restful week for this teacher! We only had school on Monday and Wednesday due to either extreme cold or snow, so let's jump right into Five for Friday from Doodle Bugs Teaching.

Snow! It has been very chilly here in Ohio. After growing up in the snow belt, I thought I could handle anything. This week sure gave me a run for my money with temperatures reaching almost -30!

 I am loving my new interactive whiteboard in my classroom. Thanks to IPEVO and their wishpool for making this happen. My students have never had access to something like this before!

 I'm also excited to see my Ohio Bobcats play a local college in basketball tomorrow. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what a great experience the real Ohio gave me.

Look at how beautiful it is!

I'm using my January Print and Go resources in my class this month. One of the things I like most about it is that each activity is directly linked to a standard. It helps keep me accountable and focused! Grab a sample for free HERE!

My number five is a whole hodge podge of things. First, I'm working on my instructional cycle for my states' licensing program which is proving to be quite time consuming. I've been in a very creative mood lately, and there is something about a 7-page lesson plan template that just sucks the creativity right out of you.

Next, I'm really working hard to get quality books into the hands of my students. Our school doesn't have a library, so there is no such thing as library time. I have two five shelf bookshelves in my classroom, but they aren't too student friendly. I'd love to have a bookstand in my classroom where kids can self-select their own books. Sadly, all the ones I have seen are too expensive for me to purchase on my own, so I am hoping my DonorsChoose project comes through for me. I'd love if you could share the link.



Have a great weekend! I hope it's restful and productive!

An Awesome Surprise

Have you all heard about IPEVO? It's an educational technology company that has products that a teacher could afford to purchase on his or her own. They also have a program called Wishpool. Each month they post one of their products and offer it to teachers. All you have to do is write a short description of your students would benefit from using that product in the classroom.

In my current school, access to to technology is extremely limited. Teachers are still expected to use overhead projectors to teach lessons. I have a confession...I have never used an overhead before, and, to be honest, I never plan on it. I was able to purchase my own LCD project at the beginning of the school year at an awesome price thanks to Amazon and a generous gift from the staff at my last school. I love my projector, but I was still missing something. I was used to having an ActivBoard and really missed those features. I knew that I could never afford to purchase something like that on my own though!

That's where IPEVO and the Wishpool came to my rescue. In the month of December, they offered their IS-01 Interactive Whiteboard system. I submitted my "wish," and a week later I found out that my wish was granted. I couldn't wait to bring an interactive whiteboard to my school, as it would be the only one!

It was quickly delivered and arrived when we returned from break! It was delivered from FedEx at 11:25am, and I was able to set it up and have it ready to go by 11:35! No joke! The kids love it! It is great to be able to mark-up a text that there isn't a digital copy available of.

Wishpool really made a difference in my life, and more importantly, my students' lives. I am so happy that this was able to be made possible.

This post was in no way endorsed by IPEVO. I just thought I would share their Wishpool program with my followers in case they were interested in submitting a wish for this month. Each month is a different product. Check it out HERE!

Sunday Scoop

It's my first week joining the Teaching Trio's Sunday Scoop linky. It was just what I needed to help me focus and prioritize for the upcoming week. Best of luck to those of you out there that are finishing your plans, creating resources, and grading papers!

How many days until summer vacation? :)

New Year's Resolution Linky

I always love the start of a new year. It is a time to get things organized and refresh yourself for a successful new start. Even if many people (myself included) don't always follow through with their plans, I still think the process of thinking about ways to improve yourself is admirable. With that being said, I'm happy to link up with Erica over at Erica's Ed-Ventures for a little self-reflection.

In terms of profession goals, I have a doozy. I'm going back to get my master's degree in Learning Design. It's kind of a hybrid curriculum and instruction/instructional technology program. I'm taking my first class this summer and will be taking a few at a time after that.

I'd consider myself a pretty good saver, but I'm still trying like crazy to pay back my student loans. I know I'm not alone in this, but I am making progress, however small it may be!

I don't have a problem planning meals, I  have a problem sticking to them. It's just to easy to swing by Chipotle on the way home and put those plans on hold. I end up wasting a lot of food (and money!) that way. I definitely have room for improvement there.

Taking time to travel and really see the world around me is a personal goal of mine. Unfortunately, that often conflicts with saving money. I am hoping to find a balance this year between all aspects of my life.

January Currently- Ringing in a Shiny, New 2015

Hi all,

It has been a while. And I mean a while. Nearly two years has gone by. A lot has changed. I've moved grades and states, and with that, I've struggled to keep my blogging life active. I'm sure you can understand. I'm teaching the fourth grade now, and it has been a big adjustment going from my smart-mouthed "big" kids to my only sometimes smart-mouthed little ones. :)

With that being said, it's a new year and I've been thinking...being active in the teacher-blogger community has been very inspiring to me. Even though I haven't been regularly contributing myself for a while. I have been reading, READING, and reading! And I've loved what I've read.

Thank to Farley for putting together this month's currently. I am hoping 2015 brings a lot of new things and one of them will definitely be a splash back into blogging!

Happy New Year!

Better Late Than Never! -Five for Friday {Saturday}

Hey ya'll (see that, I'm adapting to Southern life?), I don't know about you, but this time of year just is as hectic as could be! I'm trying to focus on relaxing for my last little bit of summer vacation, but more and more stressful things keep popping up! I guess it's just that back to year time! I'm happy Five for Friday is back to focus me down to five things to talk about, so hopefully Doodle Bugs Teaching can forgive me for posting on a Saturday!

1. Frustration is at an all time high! This week, we were "allowed" back into our classrooms to work. I got to go in on Monday and Tuesday to work and decorate...which is something I love. Something I didn't love was getting an email that I needed to go back and take everything off the walls because they decided to paint my room....which means my almost complete READ: Where will it take you? bulletin board needed to come down. We are also no longer allowed to use tape on our walls. Excuse my horrible pictures...I think I'm one of the few left that hasn't joined the iPhone club.

2. A project I did get to get a head start on this week was my classroom library. I (almost) finished sorting all of my books and I am just waiting on my kind media specialist (who is going out of her way to help me) laminates the cards. At my school, teachers are not allowed to touch the laminator.

3. These last few weeks of summer have led me to do a lot of goal setting. Setting goals for my classroom this year was just the tip of the iceberg. I had to pay for college 100% on my own, and I am looking a what seems like endless amount of student loan debt even though I am very financially responsible. I really would love to get my master's degree in either Instruction Technology or Educational Leadership and Policy Reform soon, but it seems like that dream is going to be on hold. My current state is 46th in teacher salary, so it seems like no matter how much I save, I will be paying for my loans until I have children old enough to be in college themselves. Nonetheless, I still always try to make some kind of plan and excel spreadsheet to deal with it.

via Pinterest

Ain't this the truth?? :)

4. Positive news...I should be able to pay off my car this March! That will be one less thing to worry about. :)

5. I have to give a parent presentation this week about my district's new iPad and MacBook initiative, which has led me to begin thinking...what rules for student use to other schools have in place already? Would anyone care to share? I know they will not be able to have them out until directed to, but what else would be helpful!

Have a wonderful first week back to some, and enjoy your last weeks to others!