October Currently

I almost forgot about the Currently this month! I think I just happened to check right as it was posted by Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade.

Listening: I have been binging Prison Break on Netflix the past couple of weeks. A student actually recommended it...they were totally right!

Loving: This Las Vegas Weather! I think we are finally over the hump of 100 degree weather. That means we will have "regular" summer weather in the 90's for the next couple weeks, our fall will last for about 2 seconds days, and then winter will make its debut.

Thinking: About my lesson plans. Ugh.

Wanting: A new car! Well, a new to me car. My sister just bought a brand new car so, obviously, I would like my new car like yesterday.

Needing: A new car. I feel like if you kicked my car hard enough it would just fall too pieces...

Trick or Treat: Treat! Head on over to my Instagram page to enter my $25 Starbucks giveaway! Only 2 more days to enter. :)

Wordless Wednesday (October 1st)

Wow, October 1st already! Time sure flies when you're teaching having fun! 

Today I am in need of some help! So I am linking up with Sugar and Spice for Wordless Wednesday ;)

I have had a wonderful first month of teaching! I couldn't ask for a better group of students and administration to work with. I have only had one problem thus far; 4th period.

Here is a visual for you:

 This is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th period's books. 

This is 4th period. Notice I had to separate their books from the other classes because they used to destroy them all. 

They are all good kids, really. But together in one room they are crazy! CRAZY. I've tried to get some advice on how to handle the situation but most of my advice is something like "you need to be meaner to them" or "embarrass them in front of everyone, then they will learn". I have gotten MUCH stricter with them since the beginning of the year. I am not a mean spirited person and won't purposely embarrass them. 

My question is, do you have any advice on how to handle this one rowdy class without disrupting the routine for my other 4 classes? 

On side note, have you entered my $25 Starbucks card giveaway on Instagram? If not, you should ;)

Five for Friday ( September 25th) and Stabucks Giveaway Update!

I am so excited to say that things are finally calming down around here. Phew! 

Last week not only did I have four 13-hour days, but I also had progress reports due, my first open house, my first conference with a supervisor, and I was stranded at a training.

Don't mind me while I link up with Kacey for Five for Friday to tell you all about it. I also have an update on my $25 Starbucks Instagram Giveaway!

 I had my very first open house last week. Not many parents showed up ( I had about 17 families from my 108 students) so I actually got to know my co-workers better than the parents. Still productive I guess! All the way in the back by my desk, there is an itty bitty light. That is my candle warmer. My room smells like pumpkin and I LOVE it!

 

 I can't remember if I shared this, so I might as well post it again. I got my first paycheck and immediately went to Costco. I bought everything I could possibly want...and only spent $84. I know, I'm a champion. ;)

 

 I went to my very first teacher training where I was actually paid. Paid money! REAL MONEY! My sister and I both signed up and were excited that we could carpool. Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived when my sister's car died about 200 feet from the parking lot. At 7:45 am. (<-- True Story)

We had to find people to help us push the car into the parking lot so we could get to our training. Did I mention that the car wouldn't even roll in neutral and that we had to help push it into that trailer? Gooood times.

 One of my awesome team mates gave me these Batman pillows. I am even more excited for my classroom library. (If I ever get it together!)

Due to my crazy week, I wasn't able to keep up with my Starbucks giveaway. I am going to give it another shot, so head on over to my Instagram to learn more! Those of you who have already entered, don't worry! You still have your entries. :) 

Even if you don't plan on entering the giveaway yourself, any shares would be SO appreciated! :) As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Wordless Wednesday (September 24th)

What a crazy two weeks it has been!

My sisters car broke down while we were at a training, I had to miss my first day of school, progress reports were due, I had my first conference with my Principal, the list goes on and on...seriously.

I will be back on Friday to share more of all that with you. (Including whats going on with my Starbucks giveaway) but for now I am linking up with Christina for Wordless Wednesday.

 This conversation took place after I missed my first day of school. It seriously cracked me up! Kids!

What is the funniest or strangest thing a student has ever said to you?


Suzanna

Wordless Wednesday (September 10th)

It haws been a while since I've linked up! I'm happy that I remembered to head over to Sugar and Spice for Wordless Wednesday.

Today is the day. THE DAY I have been waiting for pretty much my entire life! I will receive my first teacher pay check today! I can't even begin to describe my current level of excitement!

What am I going to buy with my first ever teacher paycheck, you ask? I am going to one of my favorite stores and going crazy! I am going to buy everything I need and want. EVERYTHING! I have never been able to afford a big Costco trip so this is going to be amazing!

What did you buy with your very first teacher paycheck?

My first two weeks!

I am two weeks into my teaching career and I am still alive! It feels like an accomplishment! haha

Teaching, working a part time job, and prepping for graduate school has been a tiring process! I think I have found my groove though, so hopefully things go smoothly from now on.

I thought I would share a couple of my favorite projects from my first two weeks! 

I have four bulletin boards in my classroom. Yes, you read that correctly. I decided to leave one blank at the beginning of the year so I could try one of my "must try" projects from Pinterest. The original, here, shows a "Be" board with adjectives that students would want to be. 

I decided to take it a little further and turned it into a vocabulary lesson. I gave my kiddos a list of  adjectives they may (or may not, little stinkers!) want to be and had them work together to come up with definitions for the words. The next day they chose one word in particular and decorated a sentence strip with that word. This is how it turned out! You can find this project on Pinterest here!

I had a lot of fun with this lesson and will definitely do it again next year! 

This last week of school was a short one. Like super short! Monday was labor day and Tuesday was staff development day so those lucky kids had a 4 day weekend! I spent the last three days of the week reviewing story elements. (i.e. character, plot, setting, theme, and conflict)

The students were given a sheet to brainstorm those elements in their life. What settings do they have in their life? Who are the characters? What is the plot of their life? Then they were given an outline and had to illustrate the most important character of their lives, themselves!

This student provided a great example! The setting was supposed to be around the outside, the characters in the head, plot in the mid section, conflict in the left leg, theme in the right leg.

 

This student didn't follow the directions perfectly, but I loved the effort he put into it. He worked much harder on this assignment than any other so far!  

I had a great first couple of weeks. I can't wait to see what this next week has in store! :)

September Currently

If you follow me on Instagram, you may or may not be aware that my computer crashed last week. It was so upsetting that I lost everything...all of my products, pictures, school work...the list goes on. 

Now that I am coming to terms, I am hopping back on the blogging band wagon. Today I am linking up with Farley for Currently. I also wrote a post on my classroom reveal today! You can read it here!

 

Listening: My kittens usually take some time when getting reacclimated to my school schedule. Since I am home much less often now, they feel the need to let me know that they miss me. By screaming. Pretty much all the time.

Loving: It makes me incredibly happy that I can say I love my job and actually mean it. It doesn't even feel like work half of the time, which is an awesome thing. 

Thinking: My first paycheck is just 9 long short days away. After having to give up the majority of my income back in January for student teaching, this paycheck is long overdue. 

Wanting: It may still be 106 degrees here in Las Vegas, but a girl can still dream about the delights of fall, right? This fall, for the first time ever, I will be making a decent amount of money.  I am going to go sweater and pumkin CRAZY! You have been warned.

Needing: Who has two thumbs and hasn't been to the dentist in years? This girl. I am so excited to finally have insurance and to be able to take care of myself!

Three trips: I have never really had the chance to go on an actual vacation and now that I am a teacher, it is finally my time! I don't even really care where I go this year, as long as I can start traveling. :) 

My top place that I must go one day is Universal Orlando. I MUST see Harry Potter Land (aka The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to everyone else) Other places on my list are Alaska and Hawaii :)

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Classroom Reveal

After a short blogging break, I am back to show you all my classroom!

Let me tell you, this first year teacher was EXHAUSTED after the first week of school! Simply teaching this week was tiring. Then throw in setting up my classroom from the ground up, the extra trainings that I went to last week and working a part-time job...yep...that all happened. It was SO nice getting time to just sit back and relax this long weekend.

My classroom is still a work in progress, but I am happy with how it is turning out so far! My whole school is broken into teams, and I am on the Bat team. That's why my room has bats and batman :) I went with a purple, lime green, and  teal theme and I love it!

  My word wall and crates for student work.

 I used bat cut outs to label my desks and found those purple and green dots that went perfectly with my theme!

 It's definitely a tight squeeze in my lil' old classroom!

I used teal and purple tape to hang up my Springboard posters above the cabinets.

 My "Ms. Paddy" section has all of my classes from student teaching. The kids love trying to find themselves in the photos.

 My mentor and his counterpart, Ms. Gates,  have these great light covers in their rooms. They came in to see my classroom and I told them how I NEEEED some because I was spoiled. A few hours later I came back to my classroom and Ms. Gates had left me hers. Seriously, so sweet! One of the nicest things anyone has done for me!

Thanks for taking the tour of my bat cave! I am so rested after this weekend and can't wait to get back to work. :)

I also posted my September Currently, you can read it here! 

Wordless Wednesday (Aug 20)

I don't even know how it is possible to be THIS tired by Wednesday morning. Setting up a classroom is exhausting!

I have been super swamped...you know being a first year teacher and all, but I found a minute to link up with Sugar and Spice for a quick Wordless Wednesday post.

Here is my little corner of the classroom!  I love how it is turning out so far! I have had a blast working on my room, but with every project I complete I think if three more...

My question is, will I ever feel like my room is finished? Or am I just going to think of more and more for all of eternity?!

Today I will get some more time to work on my room (Thank goodness!) and I will go to the first faculty meeting of the year. Wooooo! Free bagels here I come ;)

My first Contracted Days!

All I can say is TGIF! I have had one whirlwind of a week and will be excited for a little brain break this weekend. I officially began my contracted time with CCSD and I have had two jam-packed days of PD. I have one more day of PD tomorrow before I finally get some much needed time in my classroom this weekend.

I'm so excited to share what I have been up to this week with Doodle Bugs Five for Friday!

 I started off the week on a sad note. I had to drop my grandma off at the bus station because her visit was over :( I sure had a lot of fun while she was here though!

Yes, my grammy is a giant and kneeling to fit in this photo.

Wednesday was my first ever contracted day with CCSD. Our onboarding was held at the Venetian and they definitely went all out. They even opened up the day with a Marching band! 

The podium is up there between those two flags.

I wish there was a way for me to show you the enormity of this room! It amazes me that I was surrounded by 1200 other new teachers just for our district! 

That same morning my twinster and I were interviewed by a local news station. We had never been interviewed before, so that was a lot of fun! Shaunna is still mad that I volunteered us. and put it on Facebook. ;)

 

You can see our interview here!

I got my classroom keys this week and was so excited to finally be able to start working on my room! I made some progress! 

Then the next day I came back to this...

Some more fun from the week!

Celebratory dinner with my love at the lob. 

 

 My twin got the keys to her first grade classroom! We found puppets.

 We love Puppets!

My friend/co-worker Alicia wanted to take selfies at Onboarding. She had to twist my arm.

Okay, I'm off to a fun filled day of Springboard training. Whooooo! I hope your day is more exciting than I'm certain mine will be. ;)