Work it Wednesday: Week 4

It's Wednesday and that means it's time to link up with Katie from Queen of the First Grade Jungle in her weekly Work it Wednesday linky party!

Y'all. I'm not even going to pretend like I had a good week last week I totally fell off the bandwagon while getting ready for my son's 4th birthday party! I definitely did not follow through with any of my goals last week :( Have you ever had a week like that? It's the worst! I'm not going to let it get me down anymore though and I know that I need to brush it off and start over. 

I've been way over due for new running shoes so this past Sunday I decided I needed to get a new pair in order to cheer me up and get me back into the swing of things! Oh man, what a difference they made! I felt so much better while I was running and my knee that I injured a while back didn't hurt one bit after my run. I definitely should have made that purchase MONTHS ago! I'm going on vacation next week but I fully intend on bringing my gym clothes and running while I'm away. I also saved some 21 day fix work out videos to take with me also. I WILL find an hour of my day to focus on ME and what I need to do to accomplish my goals!!

 

While I was on my Target dollar spot shopping spree (Didn't see my haul? Click here to follow me on Instagram @rowintolearning) I also picked up this little fridge magnet to help with my meal planning. I usually just write it on paper with my grocery list on the back but by mid-week my list goes to the wayside and dinner becomes whatever I can put together with anything I have in the fridge! This way, it's out and open so everyone can see it and I can keep my plan going! 

And, as I promised from my last post, here is a before picture. It's painful to post, but I know this is the motivation I need to get back on the right track! See you next week!

TpT Seller Challenge: Dare to Dream

I'm back with week 2 of the TpT Seller Challenge and this week's topic was Dare to Dream! When I first started teaching, there was no teachers pay teachers, no blogs, and social media was NOTHING like it is today! Fast forward to 2 years ago when I decided to head back to the classroom and my how things had changed! I discovered what an incredible resource teachers pay teachers is and it has inspired me to create things myself! In just the few short months I've been active on TpT, I've learned so much and I know it's going to get even better! This is definitely not a place for instant success and I know it will take patience to build a following and create wonderful resources to share but I'm excited to see where this path leads. 

 

Earning income from doing something you love is always a nice feeling. Before I started selling, I would often create my own resources or tweak something to fit the needs of my students and classroom so eventually I thought I'd try to give selling a chance! These are all pretty lofty and far off goals, but hey, a girl can dream, right?! 

{1} 

My first priority with my earnings from TpT is to pay off some of my husband's student loan debt, the car, and save money to move to a new house a little closer to the beach! I grew up living in that area and I knew that I always wanted to be back there. Being closer to family and the boys' school would be fantastic too. 

{2}

I would love to be able to fully fund the boys' college tuition when they are ready to go off to college and provide them with whatever they need while they are attending so they can really focus on their education and start off their adult lives with little to no debt.

{3}

Now that the boys are getting older, I'd really love to take some time and travel as a family and take some trips with just my hubby. I haven't been many places out of the country and never traveled to Europe so I'd love to have the means to take some more elaborate vacations to really explore this beautiful country and the world!

Tell All Tuesday: Teacher Bucket List

I'm writing again in the Tell All Tuesday series hosted by My Day in K and Teach, Talk, Inspire! This is such a fun linky party and I'm getting to know so many other bloggers and hoping that you're getting to know me a little bit too!

This week's topic is your teacher bucket list. I'm always reflecting and thinking about how I want to better myself as a teacher and where I see my career headed down the road. While I'm definitely not ready to leave the classroom just yet, I know that eventually there are other things I'd love to accomplish before retirement!

* Get a second Master's in Literacy Education *

This school year will be my fourth year in first grade and I really love this grade because of the growth kids make in their reading abilities over the course of the year. I have a Master's in Early Childhood Education, but I'd love to go back and get another Master's in Literacy Education to fine tune my abilities to teach kids how to read. It's so amazing to be there to watch the light bulb turn on when kids finally start reading fluently. 

* Become a Reading Interventionist *

Going along with my first bucket list item, I would love to use a second degree to help me eventually become a Reading Interventionist. While I love having my own class, I think it would be a really great experience to serve as a Reading Interventionist and work with struggling readers. At my first job out of college, I worked really closely with our Reading Recovery teacher and it just amazed me what she could do in the short amount of pull-out time she had my student each day. I love working in small groups and one on one with students so I think I would really enjoy this position in a school.

* Stay current with technology in the classroom *

When I first started teaching, Smartboards were not a common thing! There was only a handful of smartboards at my school during my first year and they started getting more after I left to move back home with my husband and family. Since then technology has just boomed in the classroom and it can definitely be used to enhance students' learning and keep them engaged. I'm going to be fortunate enough this year to work in a brand new school opening in my district and it's going to be the first in the district to be a one-to-one school! We will have iPads for every student K-1, and Chrome books for students in grades 2-5. Like it or not, it seems like technology is continuing to grow and become more prevalent in our schools and I definitely want to stay current and take a few classes on how to best utilize it to enhance my teaching.

TpT Seller Challenge: Makeover Madness

I joined the TpT Seller Challenge hosted by  Third in Hollywood, Peppy Zesty Teacherista, Teach Create Motivate, and Sparkling in Second Grade! I have already learned SO much from these wonderful ladies and the groups that I've joined this past week!  The Teachers Pay Teachers community is such a wonderful one to be a part of. Everyone who I've talked to has been so sweet and helpful! 

For this challenge, I decided to makeover my very first paid product - the ABC Countdown to Summer! For the last 26 days of school we do a countdown that goes along with the alphabet with a snack and activity going along with each letter. I made these posters and hand outs to go along with the countdown that we used in our school. The reason I decided to makeover this product was because it later dawned on me that, duh! Not everyone will want to or be able to do the exact same activities that we did in particular, so it would make so much more sense for this to be an editable document! It took some research on my end on how exactly to create an editable document with still maintaining the main aspects so the awesome facebook group I'm apart of lead me to this blog post. 
 

{click image to download}

After hours and hours of tweaking and coming up with ideas for activities and snacks for each letter, it's finally finished!! I've decided to put it up as a flash freebie until I go to bed later tonight {don't worry, I usually don't make it to bed until 11:30 or 12 lol!}. If you download it, feedback is always appreciated! Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of the ABC Countdown to Summer!!

Work it Wednesday: Week 2

I'm back with another post in the Work it Wednesday linky party hosted by Katie from Queen of the First Grade Jungle!

 

I'll be honest with you- last week I was doing really well with my goals that I posted in my last post. I jogged Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and really watched my water and food intake. I was a part of a dear friend's wedding this weekend and I did indulge in some yummy cake and some adult beverages that did not go with my get fit plan. 

I'm back at it this week now that we're home and back to our regular busy schedule! I went to Target today and bought a new water bottle that I can fit in my car cup holder because my other bottles are too wide. Now there are no excuses to not having water with me at all times!! I also prepped out healthy snacks in containers to keep in the fridge after I went grocery shopping. Hopefully this will keep me on track so when we're on the go I can grab something fast and healthy for myself so I don't get caught in a hangry situation!

We also braved this 100 degree weather and went for a bike ride/jog in the late afternoon after the sun cooled off just a little. It was just the little afternoon pick me up that we needed to get our engery back after a busy day of errands and karate camp! 

After we were finished, the only natural way to cool off is with the sprinklers so the boys played for a while as I was prepping dinner.

 I made one of my *favorite* summer salads! I tweak the recipe a little bit but, this Southwestern Chicken Salad REALLY hits the spot. It's super filling plus it makes a lot so I have leftovers for lunch or dinner for the next couple days! 

I'll be back next week with hopefully some  exciting results and *maybe* if I get brave enough I'll post a before picture so you guys can help me be accountable with progress pictures along the way!!

Tell all Tuesday

I'm back again after a 5 day vacation!! I tried to get a blog post up before I left Friday morning, but it just did not happen. So sorry everyone!! I'm writing again in the Tell-All Tuesday linky hosted by My Day in K and Teach, Talk, Inspire! 

Did you guess my fib in last Tuesday's post?! It was number 2!! While I *LOVE* everything there is about Charleston, I have not lived there my whole life! I was born in New York City and when I was little, my family moved to South Carolina. I went off to college in Columbia, SC (GO GAMECOCKS!!) and after college my husband and my first teaching job took me to right outside of Charlotte, NC!  The other two things about me were all true! This week, the topic is Summer Snapshot! 

Being in the beautiful Lowcountry, we have TONS of beach options so my summers are spent chasing after my two little boys at the beach! We go as often as we can and we love to build sandcastles and find seashells! The beach we visit the most usually has TONS of sand dollars. Even though I've found too many to count, it's always fun finding new ones every time we walk the shore.  

Last summer we spent relaxing and didn't plan any vacations but this year we are going to Florida to visit my grandparents and take the kids to the Miami Zoo, Miami Seaquarium, and Jungle Island! When I was growing up we would go to Miami every single summer so I have many fond memories that I want to share with my boys now that they are old enough to handle such a long road trip.

photo taken by Marc Averette

Lastly, our wedding anniversary is in the summer and just so happens to be today!! Today marks our 8 year wedding anniversary. Seems like just yesterday we were walking down the aisle saying, "I do!"

Work it Wednesday Linky!

I'm linking up with Katie from Queen of the First Grade Jungle in a Work it Wednesday post!

If you're looking for a teaching related post, stop right here because this post has nothing to do with teaching! This is a hard post for my to put out there, but one that I think is really important for me to write. One of my personal goals this summer is to find my routine and balance with healthy eating and exercising again. 

Six months after this sweet thing was born, I realized that I needed to make a major change with my body. My baby weight was not melting off like it was with my first little guy and I knew I had to do something about it!

Would you look at those cheeks!! Hard to believe this was almost 4 years ago!!

That's when my hubby and I decided to give P90X a try. It was really a challenge for us at first with a 6 month old and a 3 year old to chase after. I wasn't teaching at the time and only subbing part time a handful of times a month so I would make time during the day while the boys napped and eventually it became a routine. After we completed the 3 months, I picked up running and fell in love! I ran in many 5Ks and one 10K. It took a lot of work and discipline, but I managed to get into the best shape of my life weighing less than I did in high school and feeling stronger than ever!

Fast forward to the fall and I landed my first full time teaching job after having kids! I was so excited and knew that I'd be able to have it all and have time for everything I always used to do. My oldest was starting 4K too at a school that was 45 minutes away from where I'd be working. At first, I maintained my work out schedule, but as the school year really took off things started to get crazy and hectic and I would make excuses. I was constantly busy with meetings at work, waking up before dawn and sometimes getting home after dark, running around with after school activities with my boys and I felt like I was never really getting to focus on me! 

Now that I've been back full time for 2 years, I feel like I'm more comfortable in my working mom role and can really start focusing on myself again! I've let it go way too long and even though I've gained back weight with holidays, too many yummy treats at school, and not making the time to exercise, I know that I've done it once, I CAN and WILL do it again! I'm almost done with my first round of the 21 day fix and I've started running again now that school is out for summer. I'm writing out these goals to keep myself accountable and so that when school starts back in August, I have a plan in place so I can keep up the hard work. 

{1} Drink more WATER! I don't do so well with this during the school year and not having the freedom to use the restroom, but I will make sure I get that gallon in every day this summer!

{2} Be active EVERY day. Whether it's a walk with my kids, a jog by myself, or a video during downtime around the house I will make sure I do something active daily.

{3} Make healthy choices in my eating. When I first started P90X I relied heavily on the nutrition plan and meal planned religiously. I will be getting back to this to make sure I am on track. 

I'll be posting my progress weekly with Katie so I can stay accountable and share my successes and frustrations along this journey!

Teaching with Intention Book Study: Chapter 2

I am  linking up again to discuss and reflect on Chapter 2 of Teaching with Intention in our book study put together by Greg, from Kindergarten Smorgasbord! This week is hosted by The Primary Gal, Mrs. Dailey's Classroom and Flying into First.

This chapter is all about your visions and beliefs as a teacher and making sure you practice what you preach! I'm going into my fourth year teaching and I still feel like I am finding and redefining my beliefs as a teacher and this chapter really made me think!

Debbie Miller talks about an amazing classroom she visited in Chapter 1- one where the children are buzzing around the room fully engaged in conversations and making connections to the books they are reading and the work they are doing while the teacher is conferring with students individually and in small groups and really listening and taking note of what the students are discussing. She then goes on to say in Chapter 2 that odds are, this is not what the classroom looked like in the beginning of the year and that ever decision and plan has been deliberate in order to get her students to where they were during the visit. I know that in August when we go back to school, it is a learning process and we are all working towards getting to know one another and what works for the new group of students. Establishing clear expectations and procedures in the beginning of the year will set the tone for what the end of the year will look like. In order to get my students to where I want them to be in May, I have to carefully lay the groundwork for them in August!

As I was reading this chapter, I felt like Debbie Miller was really speaking to me and what I want to see in my ideal classroom. The quote that really stood out to me was "Real life isn't scripted. Neither is real teaching." I once was a long term substitute at a school that had a yearly goal that they continued to learn about and work on for the year. While I was there, the goal was to create an authentic learning environment and experience for your students. I really learned a lot from that experience and it made me really think about my lessons and activities in a whole new way. What is the purpose? How can the kids really take ownership over this?  I feel like kids really remember the authentic experiences the most. My belief for my classroom is to create a safe, loving environment where kids have ownership in their work and learn to work together and take responsibility in their own learning. One way that I love to do this is through arts integration. Some of the most memorable moments my students have said were their favorites was when we created writing or did a math activity and we created art to go along with it. My beliefs are still evolving each year as I teach but I hope that I've created this kind of environment so far in my classroom.

Tell all Tuesday

I'm linking up with My Day in K and Teach, Talk, Inspire today in their weekly summer linky party called "Tell all Tuesday" in order to get to know some other bloggers since I'm so new in this blogging world! What a great idea to get to know and connect with fellow teachers and bloggers! 

The first topic in this weekly linky party is two truths and a lie! Guess and see which fact about me is a lie and I'll come back in 3 days and tell you which one it was!

Two Truths and a Lie: All About Me

  
I landed my first teaching job fresh out of college and was hired on the spot to teach first grade. I've only taught first grade in my career and really love this grade/age level of kids. I absolutely love teaching kids how to read and seeing that little light bulb click when they go from reading basic sight words to chapter books is the most rewarding feeling! I'm definitely open to teaching other grades, but for now, first grade is where my heart is!

  
I'm a born and raised Lowcountry girl! I love everything about living in South Carolina- from the beaches, cobblestone streets of downtown, the sweet tea, and that Southern charm. I've never lived outside of the SC Lowcountry area and I couldn't think of a better place to live and raise my family!

I'm deathly afraid of bees, wasps, and all other flying and stinging creatures. I'm not really sure where it all started but for as long as I can remember I can't stand anything that flies, buzzes, and stings and have actually injured myself more than a sting would by trying to run away, haha!!  

Now it is your turn to try to guess my Two Truths and a Lie.  Write your thoughts in the comment section and I will share the answer in three days.

Teaching with Intention Book Study: Chapter 1

As a teacher, it's always important to reflect on your methods and practices and to be a life long learner. This summer I'm participating in a book study put together by Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard. Chapter 1 is hosted by Primary Possibilities, Mrs. Plemon's Kindergarten, and Enchanted Kinder Garden. We are reading the book Teaching with Intention by Debbie Miller. I'll be posting my thoughts and responses to the reflection questions on Wednesdays!

 

This chapter was all about how your ideal classroom should look, sound, and feel. It was an easy read and really inspired me to think about how my classroom set up will be in the fall. I'm moving to a brand new school and I'm already thinking of ways I can make this new classroom my own.

 

At the end of the school year, I often find myself reflecting on how well my classroom set up worked this year and what aspects I will want to change for the next year. I want my classroom to be a warm and inviting place filled with calming colors and super organized. In her book, Debbie talks about how kids are gathered around tables, desks, and rugs on the floor working independently, with partners and in small groups. I arrange my students in small groups around tables. I feel like this is a great way to allow for collaboration to happen so students can truly learn to work as a team. I also love for students to be able to move freely and have space to work while they are engaged in centers around my room. My biggest project this year was my classroom library and it was definitely one of the favorite places to be in my classroom this year. 

So many great things happen when students work together and have a chance to communicate with one another. This year, our school used Daily 5 in our literacy block and it lends itself nicely to collaboration amongst students. In the time we had allowed, I was able to pull 3 reading groups a day during Daily 5 and the rest of the students were engaged in the 5 stations of Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing, Listen to Read, and Word Work.  My students' favorites were the Word Work, Read to Someone, and Listen to Read stations. Daily 5 takes a long time to set up and put in place but once the students know what to do and what is expected of them, they can really take charge and run it like a well oiled machine! It's wonderful because it allows me to work with children in small groups and one on one to really make sure all of my students are truly understanding the concepts being taught.

This year I really tried to make sure my classroom set up was organized and that everything had a place when the first day of school rolled around. It was by no means perfect, but my piles of papers were kept to a minimum on most days and my desk was cleared off a lot more often this year than in any other year of my teaching career so far! My work at the beginning of the year in setting up really paid off. 

I also think that my Daily 5 worked better this year also. I purposefully selected activities and had determined where I wanted my students to be in the room working and made sure that they knew the routine well. It allowed for more authentic learning and the students really had ownership on their activities for the day.

I'm constantly reflecting on what I can do to make my class better for the next year and how I want to improve my teaching. I really loved the part in this chapter where Debbie Miller talked about conferring journals. While my students were in the Read to Self station of Daily 5, I would love to make conferring journals for my students to write down the title of the book they read and any reflections they might have after reading it. It would really help me get to know my students even better as readers and really make sure they are 1. being held accountable for their reading and 2. choosing a variety of books and seeing what really interests themselves as readers.

Five for Friday

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching in her weekly Five for Friday post to share what's been going on in my week!! 

  

 

 

We are in the final countdown for the end of the school year!! Only 4.5 days left (not that I'm counting or anything!) and boy can we all feel it! My class is high energy with the ABC countdown winding down to a close! Monday is letter W day and we are doing to decorate white t-shirts with an iron-on patch and everyone is going to sign them for a little first grade keepsake. They are also going to enjoy some delicious watermelon. Nothing says summer like a big slice of watermelon! 

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We had field day on Wednesday this week! The kids had an absolute blast. Our PE teachers really know how to put on an excellent field day. We played a bunch of relay races, water games, and tug of war. It's so fun to be able to kick back and really just play and enjoy the students. I even got in on the tug of war action when we did kids vs. adults and man those kids are strong! They had me on the ground in about two minutes, haha!! Field day is always so exhausting, but it's one of my favorite days of the year.

With summer right around the corner, I always worry about my students losing a lot of what we worked so hard for during those summer months away from school. I like to send home packets of quick daily activities over break to help them keep that knowledge and prepare for the next grade. I made a packet for the kids this year and included a few games this time as well. Hopefully this will prevent a big summer slide as the move into 2nd grade! This pack is on sale 20% off for the next 24 hours so make sure to snatch it up!

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I got a new fitbit and I'm really loving this little gadget! I love the accountability and it's so motivating to see the amount of steps I can accomplish in a day. Today I mowed the grass (for the second time in my life, what!) so that definitely helped me go over my steps for the day. I think this little visual will help me stay on track towards my fitness goals!

 

This little guy had his kindergarten graduation today! I can't believe my little baby is now going to be a first grader! I shed tears and laughed at stories his teacher told of their year during the ceremony. It was so sweet! I'm so proud of him and can't wait to see where his future takes him.