First days of school

Oh wow! What a year it's going to be. I will need prayers and I will be on my knees a lot. While one child wanted their mommy (and secretly I did too) another child was taking t temper tantrum because it was too hard for him to answer a few one word questions. Oh what a year u gave ahead if me.

My Cup Runneth Over

Hello everyone.  This post has nothing to do with teaching but I have got to share some good news in my family.  My oldest grandson was saved July 3rd and he is to be baptized next Sunday.  My cup runneth over.  I am so thankful that I have a God who sacrificed his own son  for us sinners.  He loved us that much.  He still loves us!  Thank you Lord for your blessings on me.
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Good day everyone!  Since my last post, I have been on vacation but did not want to advertise because of break ins at our house while we were gone.  I had a wonderful time at the beach (Myrtle).  The ocean was just the right temperature for the hot weather.  There were dolphins that visited the waters just outside our hotel every morning.  The hotel was wonderful and the staff was extremely pleasant to deal with.  Even the Cafe du Port was terrific.  


Now that I am home, I have been going to the chiropractor for throbbing pain in my back and legs.  She is also treating me for migraines which is helping.  Is my back and legs better?  Somewhat.  Am I still experiencing pain?  Sure, especially today.  However, I have been able to go to the fabric store and purchase material for my chair pockets that I am planning on making for my little kiddos in August.  Um, let's just hope that I can get them completed (smirky laugh here)!!


I also need to start work on lesson plans and I am behind on sending welcome letters to my new students.  This sounds a little lot like the way my school year was last year.  LOL!!  I hope I don't stay so far behind and I can see some peace at home during the work week and on the weekends.
TTFN, folks.  
Oh, welcome to my newest followers.  I am tickled pink purple that you have chosen to follow me.  See ya,

Hey! Check it out... I have been awarded the One Lovely Blog Award from Susannah at Susies Seconds  I opened my email this morning and what to my surprise was her award.  I was blown away.  I could not believe it!! I am so thrilled with this that I would like to award some other blogs with this award as well.  Of course, if you have read previous posts, you would know that I am not very adapt at this blogging thingy yet so I can't post a button with the name of the blog, but.... I can give them a shout out and provide a link like that!! Yippey! Here we go: 
http://www.misslwholebrainteaching.blogspot.com
http://subhubonline.blogspot.com/
http://blog.maketaketeach.com
http://www.coffeetalkwithmrbrewer.com
http://mrsriosteachessecondgrade.blogspot.com
http://secondgradesugarandspice.blogspot.com
http://2ndgradeglanceblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.mrsfreshwatersclass.blogspot.com
http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com
http://secondgradesugarandspice.blogspot.com
http://www.blogdesignsbysheila.com

Well, that's about it for now.  I have managed to take a dog to the groomers, help put in father-in-law's french door, wash and fold laundry, and make myself a new shirt for the beach.  Like I said earlier, I can make things I just can't create things.

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Interactive notebooks

Hello everyone! This week has been a doozie. The first two days were devoted to staff development which wasn't half as bad as I was expecting considering I am having back trouble.

The reason for this post is to ask if anyone can lead me in the direction of interactive notebooks. Jane Pollock introduced them but not to the point that I fully understood them. I teach 2nd grade so, umm, how could I adapt them for this age group? Any suggestions would be extremely helpful.


-have a blessed day, Linda

Location:Ritter Ridge,Washburn,United States

Staff Development

Good morning everyone!  Why is a teacher, who is on summer break, up this time of morning?  Well, I have two days of staff development that I must attend.  Perhaps these two days will be worth getting up early for cause lately I have been sleeping very late (thanks to some meds for my back).  Well, this is short but I will post later with today's staff development tips and tricks (HAHA).
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Ok, so I am not so good at this blogging thing yet.  I want to be and I am trying but I feel like I don't have anything to say sometimes and I want to create things as well but I am not a creative person when it comes to school projects.  I can make things when I have a pattern but to create things is another story entirely.  However, I noticed on another blog that the teacher is going to use a lunchbox foldable to review the lunchroom procedures.  I like that idea and plan to use it but I thought I would take it a bit further and make a school bus foldable to review the bus line expectations.  If When  I get it made I will post a picture of it (provided I can figure out how to post a pic).  Have a good day folks and I must say "Welcome" to my very first follower!  Yay!!!
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      Today we had professional development in our district.  Now, I know what you are thinking (probably the same thing I thought when we got our agenda).  Another PD, another speaker, blah, blah, blah.  BUT, it was different today.  The speaker was Jim Harris and he spoke on Truths, Lies, and An Opportunity.  Wow!! Is all I can say.  All year long I have wondered if I need to find another profession to finish out my career.  I am burned out and evaluations/CCSS combinations just had me wondering.  12 more years just looked to long to complete under these conditions.  That was, until Jim spoke...God spoke.  It was as if it was a message sent straight to me to confirm my choice of careers.  Now, I must take a moment here and backtrack a little to my childhood.  Anyone could ask me, what do you want to be when you grow up?  Always, always, my answer was a teacher.  I wanted to be a teacher.  Never did anything else ever enter my mind.  When I entered college I knew the track/path I was going to take and I knew how to get there.  Never, never changing my mind.  I have always loved my choice and loved teaching, not for the summer vacations but for the love of teaching itself.  The rewards came from interacting with the students and TEACHING them new information and getting them to understand the processes.  I was born to teach, I think?!?!
     Now, fast forward to this year.  Add in new evaluations(four a year, 2 announced and 2 unannounced) and CCSS.  I began to doubt question my career.  Could I make it under these conditions 12 more years and what if the state decided to put more on us.? I have prayed about this.  I have meditated on this.  I have pondered, all year long.   All of this came to an end today when Jim Harris spoke.  Two statements he made stuck to me like glue.  "This is who I am.  This is what I do."  The question he asked overall is "what profound positive effect can you have with what you have been given?"  My students, effect, profound, make the best of what you have in front of you, who I am, what I do.  All of this running through my head.  Yes, I chose to become a teacher.  Yes, I have always wanted to to do this.  I have always wanted to have a positive influence on a kid's life.  I am a teacher.  This is who I am.  This is what I do.  Will I remain in education?  Will I continue teaching what I have been given?  Yes, profoundly, YES! I am a teacher.  This is what I was born to do.  I have not, nor will I ever again doubt this.  This is the reason God left me here on earth, when I should have gone on that day.... but that story is for another day.
    I teach.  What do you do?

Classroom project

Hi all.  I am new to the blogging world but I am beginning to love it.  I am just now learning how to write posts and do all the fun stuff that it takes.  I want this blog to be beneficial to me, a teacher, my parents, and other educators as well.  Currently I am beginning to work on new whiteboard "erasers".  I love crafting and have a side business selling homemade crafts (not a plug!). Through crafting and knitting, I have discovered the use of knitted "washcloths" as board erasers.  The neat thing with these is that they can be different colors, different styles, can be washed and reused, and most importantly, cheaper than the regular ones.  If you would like to try one, let me know and I will make one for you to try.

My favorite style

My mind

Hello everyone,
I have noticed lately that it is getting harder and harder to organize and keep my thoughts. Ever since my wreck ( head injury) I have had a hard time remembering things but lately it is getting harder and harder to keep my thoughts organized and to retain information. I know I am getting older but... Many times it's just easier to just be a blank slate than to try to keep my mind straight. I can't seem to stick with one thing long enough to complete what i am doing. It is truly exhausting.

Almost Over

I officially have 3 more days with the kids and 7 days total.  I am excited for the summer to come and reluctant to let this group of kids go.  We have had the best times this year with each other, including the memory of me falling out of my chair.  This has been the best group of kids I have had in a few years.  I am spoiled and can only hope for a great group next year.  What have I done differently this year to make it so good?  I hope I can do the same for next year.  Thank you parents and other professionals for helping to make this year such a successful year.

Hello everyone,
Have you noticed the new look to my blog?  Thanks to Sheila at "Blog Designs by Sheila" I have this new template.  Sheila was very nice and helpful.  I would recommend her to anyone.  The other templates on her site are also very pretty but I fell in love with this one.  You can visit her here: http://www.blogdesignsbysheila.com/

Teacher Appreciation

As all educators know, this week is teacher appreciation week. I have been teaching for several years now and I have had some truly great parents in my career. I would like to take this time to tell them how much I appreciate them for their part in the child's life. Good parents are essential to a teacher and their classroom. I appreciate all you do. Thank you.

Testing Day 3

Hello everyone,
Today is day 3 of our SAT 10 test and I am "uggh".  I have a raw throat and am exhausted.  Oh, and today's tests are mostly dictated to the students :-(  I pray I can make it through with some Magic Mouthwash numbing my throat.  I have 4 puppies at home who are needing their momma right now and she's no longer with us.  Yes, that means I am bottle feeding them.  Mike and I talked about having a baby-now we have four (laughing here). 

Testing

I am so proud of my little guys. As I walk around the room with all the quiet sounds and their heads are bowed over their test books working so very hard, I realize how hard they have worked to get to this point. I am a proud teacher today.