Monday, June 29, 2015

TPT Seller Challenge Week 3

I am linking up again this week for week #3 of the TPT Seller Challenge!  This week is all about making a masterpiece.  This can be sometime new or something you've been meaning to finish up.  Here's the link to Sparkling in Second to get the template and to get started!


I realized that I need to introduce coins to my kindergarteners.  They do more in 1st grade in my building and I wanted them to be prepared.  So...tada...I made this pack.  It is ideal for kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms.


See the above picture to see what all it includes.  Below I'll list some pictures from the pack.  My favorite thing is the posters.  I can't wait to hang them up!

Here are those posters!  The second set of the posters include a popular rhyme about each coin.


Here's that rhyme! ^


I included a couple of short quick checks to see if your students know what the coins are or their worth.  There are 2 on a page (I love to save paper when I can!)

Practice sheets for each coin are in this pack.  They have to find and color the coin, trace and write how much the coin is worth, trace and write the coin name, and draw their own coin.

I love sorts!  My kids love sorts!  Included is a sort that you can do as a whole group, in small groups, or students can do at a math station.  I can't believe I had a huge pocket chart and never used it much till last year.  Now, I LOVE it and love to make things for it.

Lastly, I included a printable reader that you can cut (again, I wanted to save paper), put together, and staple.  The kids fill in some things on each page and color the coin.  I forgot to snap a picture of it.  Oops!

I enjoyed this motivation to finish this resource.  I started it a couple of weeks ago.  

Click the link on the Make Your Masterpiece picture at the top to see the product in my TPT Store.  This will be on sale 50% off for the next few days!  Enjoy!



Friday, June 26, 2015

Dollar Tree Summer Round Up


I don't know about you but I kept seeing these beautiful and colorful bins on Instagram that teachers are posting that are from The Dollar Tree...so I had just had to go to my local Dollar Tree to see them for myself.

Now, I didn't need bins...but any time I go to the Dollar Tree I always find some great things for my classroom.  I did end up staring at the pretty bins though. ;)

Here's my latest mini-haul!


Okay, so I ended up with a few bins!  Ha!  7 to be exact.  They look like a great size for leveled readers.  I have a new knock off Ikea cart that my mom found for me at Sam's in a marked down area.  I figured I may put my leveled readers on that cart in these little bins.  During my Teaching With Intention book study, I learned that it's best to spread out your library to not just one area of your room...but multiple areas.


These dice I had to have!  I got one of each color.  I'll use them in math tubs, whole group math lessons, and maybe even small groups for math.

I thought this border was cute!  I picked up 3 since I'm unsure where exactly I'll use it, and how much of it I need.  The teacher section was a little sparse in spots so I may have to go back and see what else is there.

I got some silly straws for birthday prizes.  Included below is a *FREEBIE* that is a topper to these fun straws!

Here's the *FREEBIE*.  Just click the picture and it will take you to TPT to download it for free.  Don't forget to leave feedback and show some love!

Lastly, I bought some very bright straws!

I want to do a sensory bin this year.  I keep seeing them and I want to try it.  In college I had to do a lot of hours in the child development center upstairs in our education department.  The preschool classes there had them.  I have to make mine academic since I'm not encouraged to do "centers".  Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard shared an awesome post on how to make little clear stone alphabet stones.  So to start off the year I'll have those inside it for students to find.  Here's my last purchase for that sensory bin...straws!  Cut up a bunch of colorful straws for the kids to sift through. 

If you look close enough you can see little clear stones...

Watch out when cutting.  I set up my iPad and other items to deflect the straws because the straws FLY EVERYWHERE! 


I got 25 things for $25.00.  Can't beat that at all!  





Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Teaching With Intention Chapter 4


Today I am linking up with Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd and Positively Learning for Chapter for of Mr. Greg's Teaching with Intention book study!

Chapter 4: Creating Classroom Cultures That Support and Promote Student Thinking!

One of the first things I jotted down while reading this chapter is Debbie Miller's idea of being a reflective teacher (reader and writer) by carrying a notebook around with you for when you want to write something down. She talked about how she went to the Hawaiian ice place and the mood struck to write a poem.  She then shared that poem with her students the next day.  LOVE that!  There's always things I wish to share or remember for a writing idea for my Writer's Workshop minilesson and sometimes, I simply forget.

This chapter is in 3 sections...
1) putting our thinking on display 
2) the intentional use of language
3) making thinking visible, public, and permanent

Putting Our Thinking on Display!
* show your curiosity to your students!
* show what thinking looks like
* show how to consider other people's perspectives
* model being reflective
* show them what it means to have a "healthy" skepticism

Telling is NOT showing.  You have to model and show the students what thinking looks like.  How are they supposed to learn how to think and question things when they haven't been showed what that looks like.  I teach kindergarten so I feel like it's the perfect time to show them how to think.  They are learning how to be little learners in my room.  

This may be a sign from the Lord or something...but everywhere lately I have been hearing this phrase "BE PRESENT".  I've heard it in church with our recently finished series, I've seen articles on Facebook talking about putting down your phone and living in the moment, it's in this book, I saw some cute prints at Hobby Lobby about being present.  I feel like this statement is my theme for the summer.  But it totally makes sense.  In your classroom, you need to be aware and present.  When you're present with your kids you are hearing what they have to say and you are really focusing in on what is going on.  That's what good thinkers do!  Boom.  Makes perfect sense to me. 

When you're present...Debbie Miller says you are thoughtful, curious, and reflective.  Don't get wrapped up in the stuff.  We can be so busy managing that we are really listening.

Students need to see it, thinking needs to be visible.  She lists comprehension strategies and how we have to show them our thinking. Students need to learn how to think like that!

The Intentional Use of Language:
Be present.  :)  There it is again.  Students know when we are not just talking, but making it meaningful and thoughtful.

I love her example about the student who is explaining something and it takes forever and you're wondering where they are going.  How sometimes we ask another student to help him.  She says not to do that.  Ahhhem...guilty sometimes!  She suggests letting them keep going so they know you believe in them.

She provides some other scenarios about the kids who you aren't sure what they are talking about or they say something totally off the wall.  I love that last one.  That's my life in kindergarten some days, especially the beginning of the year!  Debbie Miller shows it's important to really listen to these students and not just dismiss their crazy answers or their long stories, to ask them questions, prompt them, and show their learning is important.  

We want students to be able to explain their learning, but when we dismiss them quickly or call on someone else...they aren't going to learn how to do that.

Making Thinking Visible, Public, and Permanent.
* Thinking aloud your thinking...it's the best way to make it visible!
* Evidence of thinking should be all over the place! -anchor charts, quotes, student work
* Making thinking public and permanent in your classroom, it shows the students that their thinking matters.
* Document students' thinking.

In my classroom I have what the students are learning posted every day.  I know lots of people do.  I have never done this much before this school year.  My school (and district) started doing visible learning.  I needed to find a way to post our learning intentions and success criteria.  That way students, me, and anyone who comes in can see what we are learning and students should be able to say what we are learning and how to do that.

I didn't have the picture on my phone but remembered I put one on Instagram.  This is when I was first putting it up in my classroom.  The white sheets I ended up sliding on the colorful sheets to write on. I laminated them and wrote each week what we were learning in each subject area.  The bottom row was "I have mastered it when..." and I wrote the "I can" statement with the steps to master that learning.

This by the end of year became easier for my students when someone would come in and ask them what they are doing and how do they know if they can do it.  Our school's goal was that at any given time students can tell what they are learning and how or what steps need to be taken to learn it.

I LOVE my clothesline in my classroom.  I hang anchor charts and student work on it. I also try to hang work outside in the halls.


I enjoyed this chapter because it made me think about how I need to show my thinking and learning more than I do so that my students learn how to show their thinking as well.  It's definitely given me some things to think about!  




Monday, June 22, 2015

Weekly Summer Link Up

Mondays now include two link ups...the Weekly Summer Link Up and the TPT Seller Challenge.  This week for the Weekly Summer Link Up hosted by I Heart Grade 3...the topic is: One Item That Means the World to Me.

My one item that means the world to me is my college diploma from MSSU.


I worked so hard throughout school to get where I am.  I graduated in December 2011 Cum Laude with my degree in Elementary Education - Early Childhood (of course my emphasis is Early Childhood and I have the extra semester it shows for it...but they told me they don't put the emphasis on the diploma. Boo).

My dad had gone to college and graduated and is now an architect.  My mom wanted to be a teacher and got a few semesters in and realized she couldn't afford it all on her own.  None of my grandparents had gone to college.  Many of my older cousins got degrees.

I'd say more than 1/2 of the girls I went to high school with started college and then eventually stopped due to a boyfriend who convinced them otherwise, having a child, money problems, or just life happening.  I worked at the Y after school program, did classes in the mornings, and kept my focus strong.  I have always been focused on my goals when I set them.  College was no different.  

I have my diploma framed and hanging in my classroom by my desk.  In a couple of years I'll have my master's degree diploma below it.  :)

I believe education is something that you can't have taken away from you.  You can have all your material items taken away...but no one can take away your knowledge.  

My little brother Hank and I at my graduation.  In 3 years Hank will graduate from the University of Arkansas with his degree in architecture!


TPT Seller Challenge Week #2: Dare to Dream

Happy Monday!  Aren't Mondays so much better during the summer?

Today I'm linking up with Third in Hollywood, Teach Create Motivate, Sparkling in Second, and Peppy Zesty Teacherista for Week #2 of the TPT Seller Challenge!  This week's challenge...

Dare to Dream!


I started TPT almost one year ago.  I'm still new at it.  I think it's been awesome to connect with other teachers, learn new things, and share my creations.  I don't expect to hit gold...that's not why I do it.  But the little extra income is certainly nice.  We put so much of our own money into our rooms and kids every year...it's nice to get a little extra too.

Dream 1: Buy a house!
I have been saving up money by living at home.  I also thought at one point last year that I would be moving in with someone (and in a different state).  That fizzled.  So last year I was getting over that heartbreak and continued staying at home.  I know renting is great for some people, I just really would rather not. I'm close to being able to have a very nice downpayment.  I'd love to find a small but nice house in my town.  TPT has helped me save even more than I thought.  

Sigh.  I want one.



Dream 2: Travel!
If you follow me on Instagram (@misskatesdesk) or on Bloglovin...you have probably noticed that I love to travel.  Since 2010 I have traveled to 7 countries as a student or almuni with my university I graduated from.  I've been to China, England, France, Spain, Belize (did student teaching there for a month), Italy, and Germany.  China is where I found my travel bug.  I'd love to continue traveling for the rest of my life.  Thankfully as teachers, we have all summer to do that!  Last year I was using part of my TPT earnings for a trip to Paris in July. That trip fell through.  So instead, I'm sticking some of it back for Vegas next July!  Also, a professor I've traveled with a lot has retired but still is going to do some trips here and there.  Her next one is Greece!  Count me in!

Here's the latest group I went with in 2013.  We are pictured above Florence, Italy. (I'm in the white)

Dream 3: Help Others!
I'd love to be able to do something nice for my parents.  A trip or a nice gift maybe.  They have done so much for me and have been my biggest cheerleaders.  I also enjoy helping people through my TPT store! For several years so many people helped me with providing awesome resources when I was a new teacher and unsure of ideas and what to do.  I hope that my TPT store can help others!

My family doesn't love pictures!  I was tired of scrolling through to find one with all of us.  Or just my parents.  So I gave up and chose this one of my brother and mom in Fayetteville, Arkansas when we went to visit Hank one weekend.  Woo pig sooie!

Those are my dreams!  Go link up and share yours!  Have a lovely week!

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Teaching With Intention Chapter 3 Linky

Hey everyone! I'm back for another week of Teaching With Intention book study that the fabulous Mr. Greg (The Kindergarten Smorgasboard) started.  Today's chapter is about Environment, Environment, Environment!  Not going to lie, I was kinda giddy to read this one.  I may spend countless hours looking at other classrooms on Pinterest.



Environment, Environment, Environment (gosh why is that word so hard for me to spell..every...single..time)

Debbie Miller starts off Chapter 3 suggesting us to "Clear the decks!".  Did anyone else read that in a pirate voice?
* Get rid of things you don't need!  This is a hard one.  But, make the 3 piles that she suggests (keep, someone else might want it, and trash).
* Clearing physical clutter clears mental clutter.  That is so very true!  When I organize and get rid of stuff every August, I feel so much better.

I also love her suggestion of making a table and filling it in.  I decided to make version to print and take with me when I get back into my room in August and start organizing and purging of items.  It's a *FREEBIE*.


Creating your thinking classroom...

This next sections is important as far as your room arrangement.  Debbie Miller answers some questions about meeting areas, small group areas, library areas, and about desk configuration.  This kind of seems like a "duh" section.  But think back to your first year of teaching?  These were huge and valid questions.  I am currently struggling with moving my carpet area (meeting area), moving it away from the SmartBoard and putting it in one of my corners.  When I read how she had hers arranged, I was immediately thought that I should at least try it.  I may not have room but we will see.  :)  

Below are some of the areas of the room she mentioned and what it looks like in my room.

You can see that currently my meeting area is the big colorful rug in front of the board.  I'm thinking of moving it where my library area is (the green carpet corner).  Somewhat combining the two (having more book bins in other places as well plus other spots to read in the room).


Here's my small group table (or my teacher table as I like to call it).  It's hard to see but on the shelf behind it, I have tubs with the 4 main levels of readers we read in kindergarten that came with our reading series and some from the old series.  I have lots of Scentos and Mr. Sketch back there!  I also keep some of my binders such as running records and writing conferences.  The little colorful drawer cart stores lots of small group and RTI activities.  

Here's my library area.  The no one true library area scares me, but also makes sense.  I loved how she suggests spreading out tubs of books between different areas so you don't have a mob scene.  I have had the occasions where the mob is in full effect and a kid falls on or over that chevron bean bag.  That's when we stop and relearn how the flow of the library works and practice.  Spreading bins in different areas would definitely help

Thinking about room arrangement...

* Push everything to one side or out of the room.  Look objectively at your room or possibly even with a friend!  
* Work with what you have!
* I love how she says good teaching is on us, not on the room.
* In her lists of suggestions, it said to replace rusty and old trashcans!  Ha.  I have 3 of them!  I'm pretty sure they have been at our school since it opened in the 60s!
* Tables or desks, whatever works for you...as long as you can group them together well to encourage students working together.  Side note: Oh how I despise desks.  I teach kindergarten and I can't even imagine getting them to have their inside of their desks organized.  Eeek!  


Thinking about organizing books and materials...

I'm sensing a reoccurring theme here in this section...involve the students!  Show them how to use the materials and trust them to use them.  It's hard to trust a kindergartener, especially the first month or so of school.  But, I always try to give my kids more credit than some do.  As far as organizing books, in a sense I do involve my students in that on occasion.  Some days throughout the year when I start noticing the trends of what they enjoy reading I ask them what book tub of books like would like to be on the shelf (that isn't already out there).  Last year's class wanted books about jobs...so I found some I already had and found some cheap nonfiction and age appropriate books about community helpers.  I should really do that more.  :)  

I also love how Debbie Miller says that it's okay to have bare bulletin boards and empty areas because soon those will be filled with things when the learning starts.  This reminds me of Maria Manore's (Kindercraze) blog post about how she had a pretty empty room and sparsely decorated at the beginning of the year because of lack of time before the first day or a move.  She put pictures up of what the room looked like the first bit of school, and then later on in the year.  It's okay for everything not to look perfect!  I will definitely find that post later and link it on here.  

Overall...
This was a great chapter.  It got me thinking about my classroom and is arrangement.  It's June and I already want to get in there and purge some unwanted or needed items.  I'm also ready to try to move my meeting area.  This will have to wait until late July/early August when I'm allowed back in.  








Monday, June 15, 2015

TPT Seller Challenge Week 1: Makeover Madness

I am participating in the TPT Seller Challenge! How awesome of an idea is it?  If you want the details.  Go to this blog post on how to get started.  Today starts week one.  Below I will share my beginning stats and then I'll share my Makeover Madness.

July will mark my first year of creating and selling on TPT.  My stats are kinda low but nevertheless, I'm still proud of them. I've enjoyed this experience!


Alrighty!  Now onto Makeover Madness!

One of my most popular resources in my store is my Subitizing Cards.  We use these ALL THE TIME in kindergarten.  I use them in small groups, whole group, and also have them in a tub for students to use together.  This was one of my first resources I created and now looking at the cover and some of the resource elements, I realized it needed to be updated.

Here is the before...

and the after...click the picture to go to the link.

I will be putting this product on sale for a few days...50% off to celebrate its update.  It's great for mental math, thinking on your toes, and number sense.

I am now inspired to go back and update some of my other older resources on TPT as well.  :)

Weekly Summer Link-Up: My Teaching Quirks

Me? Quirks?  Never.  Ha!  I'm linking up with I Heart Grade 3 for her Weekly Summer Link-Up.  This week is all about teaching quirks.  
#1- Calendar Kate
My hallway refers to me lovingly as Calendar Kate.  If someone wants to know without pulling up their calendar on their laptop if we have an assembly that day...I know right away (the time and where).  I like knowing when drills, assemblies, and things are.  I hate being surprised and feeling silly for not knowing.

#2- Early bird 
I occasionally beat our building engineer (custodian) and sometimes even the cooks in the mornings.  Yes, I get to the school at about 6:15am or 6:20.  We start at 7:35am.  Most teachers get there after 7:00am.  I'm a morning person and I would rather come an hour early than stay an hour late. I just work better bright and early!  Plus, I hate rushing around in the morning...starts my day off funky.


#3 Stickies!
I have a sticky note obsession.  I think this is a quirk.  They are EVERYWHERE in my room.  At my teacher table, on my desk, on my teacher cart (whiteboard cart), on my laptop stand, by the sink in the back, and on the file cabinet by the door when kids walk in so I can jot down notes talking to a parent or stick it on lunch money.  It's a very rare occasion that I run out, but it has happened...and it is terrible!

Those are my main teaching quirks.  They match right along with my type A personality.  


Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Teaching With Intention Chapter 2 Linky


Today I am linking up with Mr. Greg and the 3 lovely chapter hosts for the Teaching With Intention book study!  Whew.  I don't know about you, but chapter 2 makes you think!  Here's what I took away from the chapter.

Chapter 2 is called Defining Beliefs and Aligning Practices.  It's short but more powerful than you'd first think.  I jotted down some notes and even tried to write down my beliefs.

* The anchor classroom teacher (from Chapter 1) that Debbie visited had a vision of what she wanted for her classroom.  This classroom took well thought out planning and putting her vision into action.  It showed by Debbie's reaction to the classroom visit.  I highlighted this phrase in the book in reference to that teacher:

"and she's made conscious decisions and taken deliberate actions to get them there ever since."

Wow!  I feel like sometimes I have these ideas but immediately shoot them down or wonder if I have the time or the space.  This chapter has made me realize that I really need to sit down and list what my beliefs are and make it match my classroom practices.  Here's how Debbie Miller suggests going about doing that:

1. Develop your belief statements.
2. Align those statements with your classroom practices.
3. Find evidence throughout your day of those beliefs you listed.

At the end of the chapter it is suggested to take 15 minutes after each day and jot down your reflections of the day. Keep those states short, clear, potent, and powerful!  Um, let me go find an awesome journal to keep these in ASAP!  (seriously, it's on my list of things to buy)  I think this is a great idea. I keep hearing "be reflective, be reflective".  Oh I reflect, but I never write it down...therefore 3 days later I have no idea sometimes what I wanted to change or things to remember about a lesson that went well or didn't.  A key thing here for me will be keeping them SHORT.  Um, Debbie Miller...I don't talk short nor do I write short!  That will be my challenge is not going into stories and keeping it simple!

Can I get an amen for the very last paragraph?  "Take the high road. Don't let them defeat you.  Do what you have to do; in the end no one can mandate how you feel about children, the ways you interact with them throughout the day, and the things you say and do that reflect who you are and what your believe about teaching and learning."  - page 20 Teaching With Intention by: Debbie Miller.  I'm not going to say much other than, how do I insert the hands in the air emoji?!

Things I am most definitely taking away from this chapter:
1. Develop my belief statements and match my practices to them.
2. Reflecting at the end of the day, must jot it down!

Now, I wrote down a very ROUGH draft of my beliefs.  This was easy but at the same time hard...if that makes any sense at all.  I know what I believe...but I'm a talker.  I want a narrowed down list that hits all the main beliefs.  I am going to be thinking on them and when the book study is over I will post them on here!  I also want to post them in my classroom as well.

Have a lovely week everyone!  If you're still in school...hang in there.  I don't know how you do it!

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Teaching With Intention Chaper 1 Linky

Today I am linking up with Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten for Mr. Greg's (from Kindergarten Smorgasboard) book study! Lots of teachers are reading and linking up each week focusing on one chapter.  This week is the first week!  I'm so excited for this book.  When I met with Paul Bloomberg (with Core Collaborative) with my teaching partner for an Impact Team...he gave me some experts and some books I should read.  This book was one of them!  Debbie Miller did a great job opening up this book with chapter 1.  Let's dig in!

I am going to answer the questions that Mrs. Plemons provided to guide my discussion on what I got from this chapter of Teaching With Intention.

You can see it right?  I think when everyone closes their eyes they can see their ideal classroom (now we are thinking if we had all the money in the world and got to decide how big it was...that's my dream!).  When I close mine...there is always one are that stands out, or that I see first.  That area of the classroom is the library.  I'm a book lover.  I teach kindergarten.  I'm supposed to not make reading a chore but show kids what a love of reading looks like.  So I immediately see this big area in a corner of the room filled with tubs of books, warm, inviting, seating options.  Oh my, I could go on.  
Here is my list of things I jotted down when I thought of my ideal classroom:
- large and inviting library
- large and open classroom space with learning areas throughout the room
- windows, lots of windows
- cozy meeting space
-a loft (I've always wanted one!)
- more student run (compared to what I'm doing now)
- the "hum" of learning
- focused students
-smiling students

Back in May/June of 2011 I went as an alumni with a group from the education department with MSSU to Southampton, London, Paris, and Barcelona.  In Southampton, England, we spent two days in a school with a teacher to observe them.  I was in a class at a primary school that would be our equivalent of a kindergarten.  The room was HUGE.  At each 4 corners were an area divided by half walls or shelves.  These 4 corners were four different classes.  The teachers team taught and the students all day went to different areas, different teachers, and there was a TON of choice.  Most of it was learning through stations or play.  But several times a day they were with a teacher in their little meeting areas.  They also had an amazing outdoor classroom area.  It was so cool to see.  The K & 1st teachers in my building have joked about if we could all combine to a big area and team teach it'd be amazing.  It's a dream of ours...

Here's a few pictures I could find from that experience in England.  The second pictures shows very well one of those meeting areas...the teacher is standing in the doorway of it.





In my ideal classroom, I am working with students at my table and occasionally walking around observing and asking questions about the students working at their station, area, or table.  The students are smiling, discussing their learning, focused, and you can easily tell what they are learning.

I have expanded my library.  Check out my library from my first year of teaching to my third year of teaching (this past year)! Wow!  I would love to make it slightly larger but simply do not have the space.  Students can sit on the bench (with the red cushion), at the two red pillows by the wall, or on the chevron bean bag (which is now flatter than a pancake, Target fail).  My ideal library would be twice this size if I had the room!


This year I changed my literacy stations to where the students got to pick each of their 4 stations they went to.  This was a lifesaver.  Now, it certainly was scaring giving 5 year olds a choice of where they wanted to go. But after about a week of practice, they had it.  Each student has a clip with their name on it.  Each of my 5 stations have a sign with a certain amount of dot stickers along the edge.  Students can only go to a station if it has an empty dot to put their clip on.  My off task behaviors and other not so great behaviors have gone down tremendously since.  I think choice is key!  

I need to work on less teacher led and transition to more student led.  This has always sort of made me nervous.  I know in kindergarten it won't happen right away.  This is one of my goals for the next few years is give them more tasks to lead in the classroom.

I'm excited for next Wednesday for Chapter 2.  If you haven't bought Teaching With Intention yet...go do it!  :) 

See you next week!









Monday, June 1, 2015

Why I Started Blogging...

Today I am linking up with I Heart Grade 3 for her weekly summer link up!  This week's topic is "Why I Started Blogging" (click the link to go to her post).

I did my first blog post last June...June 6th to be exact.  This was about the same time I decided I wanted to make resources for Teachers Pay Teachers.  I also am a huge Pinterest lover and through that I have came across many awesome blogs.

For two years I had been seeing these awesome kindergarten blogs (such as Kindercraze, Kindergarten Smorgasboard, Little Minds At Work, and more!).  I wanted to be a part of that.  I wanted a place where I could share ideas, post pictures, and do fun link ups/giveaways with other teachers.  I actually admitted in front of Paul Bloomberg when he asked who my favorite lower elementary experts are...I said a few names but I told him that I get most of my ideas from bloggers.  I love reading and also sharing information.  I just knew starting my own blog would be a fun adventure.

In January I contacted Kassie with Designs by Kassie.  She was awesome to work with!  She gave me a blog look that I was incredibly excited and proud of.  Now that I have the way I want it to look, I'm excited to use it more.

Yes, I'm still trying to get a hang of this whole blogging thing.  My goal this summer and the coming school year is to blog more...to make it a fun habit!  :)