Truthfully, I haven't seen ol' Gary in quite a while. I'm not sure if it's because we keep different hours, or if I'm just that good at avoiding him. Wouldn't it be crazy if he was avoiding me? Nah. Impossible. Anyway, I got a call from my weird neighbor today that I thought worthy of posting about. Read More...

I received an email this morning that included a section with several teachers responses to the question, "Why do you love to teach?" It seemed to come at a very opportune time. During the past couple weeks I've been asked several times about why I stay in a job that I seem to complain so much about. And honestly their questions have made me do a lot of thinking about teaching....because, yes, there are many days where I do vent....but, at the same time, there are so many rewards too. So why do I love to teach? • Every day is different. There's no boring routine to my job! Every day there's new things happening, new topics being explored, and there are new challenges to face. In fact, in ten years of teaching, I doubt Read More...

I know moving into new digs is always an adjustment( hence why this is my first entry since school started), but boy oh boy, did I get some fun surprises. Many of the faithful readers might remember that my classrooms are usually haunted by a ghost named Bob. Somehow, Bob is still MIA. Unless he is the one swelling the door on its hinges. Bob, bud, if that is you, second graders aren't as strong as the big kids. When they need to go...they NEED to go. Ease up on the door. I am also mourning the passing of my white board. My classroom only has a chalkboard that has seen better days. I was told the former teacher brought in her own board, I just might have to do the same. I just moved furniture again. I haven't quite found the arra Read More...

I just got back from a fifteen day excursion through some of Americana. There were some places I wanted to see that seemed to be essential sights for my bucket list. We saw Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone/Old Faithful, and the Grand Canyon, and a petrified forest. On the way back, we stopped to see a reproduction of the Parthenon in Nashville. Along with time spent with the family, it was an awesome vacation. A day spent resting, and tomorrow I will start setting up my classroom. I don't officially start back for two weeks, but other than this fifteen day vacation, I have done something school related almost every day this summer. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure. Read More...

Right now, I'm working on Finn's library because traditionally August is the month that I sort and resort books. It just feels right. I posted these thoughts on home/classroom libraries over at Paper Wings. It got me thinking, when I was teaching I wish I would have done more with getting the kids and parents to give their home libraries a redesign. Being sensitive the fact that not all kids have a "library", I think it would have helped my call to read at home if they had a well-organized and inviting home library. I know that when I encouraged them to make book nooks, some made amazing ones. But I think that it might be nice to encour Read More...

We've all heard of blogs, read blogs, and maybe even written one too, but how can these online interactive journals be used in the classrom? I've recently sat down to further ponder this question. Wait 'til you see what I've come up with. Read More...

Dear Responsive Teachers, I have been away from blogging for so long. It has been a crazy year. I decided to accomplish yet another one of my items on my "Teacher's Bucket List"; to become a NBCT. So, last year , right around this time, I took a deep breath and put a few plates on these skinny dowels and started spinning them. Read More...

First grade kids are really just "older Kindergarten" at the beginning of the year. We are now on day 12. Each year I never know what to expect when the bright faces become personalities to me. What I am finding out is that whether using the Daily 5 approach or the Reading With Meaning/Growing Readers approach--it is in my power to create readers. I know that I have touched their reading hearts. You may wonder how I could know this after only twelve short (or long) days. I was not certain myself until this afternoon. I have given them bookshelves of their very own since day 1. We started off with a few copies of old basal "real books" that I had enough copies of. Song books: Down by the Bay/Color books: Rain/David Shannon books/ Read More...

School has been in session for 11 days now and boy am I tired. Every year I forget how little and needy my incoming new kinders will be. I remember the good times of May when my kids knew how to walk in a line, sit on the carpet, type in their lunch numbers, log on to the computers, and all those little things I take for granted now in August! I have to say I have a pretty good group of kids this year! One little one that has been having some rough days, but nothing this K teacher can't handle in a few weeks time! On the first day of school when I got out my camera to take some pictures, one of my little girls said, "You look like the paparazzi!" I had to laugh! Where do these kids that stuff? Does she watch TMZ like me?? Oh no! Read More...