Back So Soon

You know I was really quite excited about heading back to work. I love consistency in my life and as relaxing as vacation was I'm happy to have the consistency back in my life. However it has not been easy getting back into the alarm clock aspect of it. While I was always up early between Flip Camp(VBS), waking up with Jack and being up early on vacation I wasn't really 'sleeping in' but there is something much different about waking up for work and waking up to go explore a vacation spot (or snuggle with your adorable nephew).

Best CPR Trainer Ever!!!

 

Last week was rather crazy. Monday I had my CPR training and got my class list...mostly. I had one spot open and a parent coming in to register at 3:30. Normally this is only a 30 minute process. Parents fill out the emergency car and family information sheet and we make a few copies and that's it. Except this did not turn out this way I was there until 5 with my boss and the mother. Talk about a long day!

I then followed my first day up by becoming a secretary for Tuesday morning. My boss asked if I would step in because she was registering people all day and needed the doors and phones taken care of. Yup, teachers can truly do anything!!!

The rest of the week I got to spend meeting all of my little kiddos and let me be the first to brag about how ADORABLE they all are. It is most definitely going to be a fun and energetic year. I have 12 boys and 4 girls. So if anyone has had any experience with a mostly boy classroom I would love any suggestions available. Last year I was the exact opposite so I think I'm in for a rude awakening.

There is chalkboard paint under all that newspaper.

 

I also spent a big portion of my week and weekend finishing up my awesome chalkboard table. I am so excited with how it came out! My painters tape wasn't sealed so great so I have a few spots that I'm not 100% happy with but to the average 4 year old it's perfect!!! I'm working on letting it go, because I am not sanding that bad boy down again.

Take Two

 

I had to repaint the chalk board the first time I did it because I didn't sand down to the wood like I though I had. When your chalk starts turning black something is not right! lol!!!

The Never Ending Project

 

I've also been working on my new rocking chair. This guy is taking a really long time to sand down because I must admit I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I want to make sure I'm down to the wood as must as possible. Which if you notice from the picture means getting into every one of the grooves and everything! Like I said taking a really long time. But I am finally onto just the bottom part and basically just the grooves of it too. I'm hoping to be able to take it in on Tuesday. Here's to hoping!!!

This past week I have been doing a bit too much online shopping thanks to Amazon. But I've gotten a few great gems! Deciding which is my favorite would just be way too hard. Plus I haven't gotten a few yet so I'll only show you what I have.

Loving The New Update To My Wheels

 

My awesome bike basket is just down right awesome. I can put my teacher bag, my purse and my lunch in so I have zero balancing to deal with. I don't have any back sweat from a backpack. Life is so much better with a basket. I love biking to work. Its not a long ride but I like to think about all the exercise I'm getting plus not having to drive my car and waste my gas is an awesome bonus!!! I actually haven't put gas in my car since I've been back from vacation (almost two weeks now) which is AWESOME! And lets face it whatever I can save on gas I'll probably just end up putting back into the classroom. Lets just think of all the great goodies I get with just one gas tank! Cameo Silhouette come to momma!

For The Office Supply Junkie

Plus thanks to a fellow blogger, The Clutter Free Classroom, I snagged a personal laminator on super sale!!! I can't wait to take it hope and use it. I'm resisting the urge to just laminate something because I want to use it! I'm sure I'll have a holiday before I know it but I must say it's just so darn tempting!!!


Well it is a school night and like I said before I'm not used to these morning just yet so it's bed time. Sorry it's been so long. I won't disappear again hopefully.

Lesson Planning On Vacation...What Am I Thinking?

Well today had been one of those productive yet I feel like I've done nothing kind of days. I started the day by cleaning out my email... the work one. 😥 Such a daunting task, considering I've neglected it all summer. Sure I've checked it for the important things (after all you can't exactly ignore your boss) but other than that it was pretty full. Oh the joys.

 

In my exciting mailbox clean up I stumbled upon the lesson plan schedule. I got very ambitious at this point and decided to work on some of my lesson plans.

(of course I had to use pretty pens)

 

Now at my school we have a rotating schedule where each teacher does 3 or 4 weeks of lessons at a time and then rest of the year you are given your lessons from the following teachers. I know what your thinking? Only 3 or 4 weeks. That's a dream! How are they able to do that? Well we just have that many preschool classes in our small school system. And yes I do mean small. Each graduating class has no more than 150 students. Being from the Detroit area that is pretty small for a district. Anyways...Its nice in many ways but it also has many disadvantages. First and for most for me its challenging because those other teachers don't know my kids, the supplies I have and my schedule. When I get a lesson plan it ends up getting a LOT of tweaking, or even being changed completely. I tend to just take the main theme and come up with my own ideas. Thankfully we don't have to turn in lesson plans but being in a GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program) I have to make sure that my lessons are at the ready for my PQA observer to view.

 

Which leads me to another issue I have with our lesson plans. In GSRP we HAVE to use the High Scope Curriculum. Which means planned two months in advance is not following the High Scope Curriculum. Two very contradicting concepts there. So like I said while it sounds like a fantastic plan over all not the biggest fan. Plus I really just like writing my own. I know my kids. I know what I have in the classroom to work with. Heading into only my second year in a brand new classroom (third year teaching) that was started from scratch means I really don't have much at all. Tough to do a lesson when you don't have the supplies saved up over the years.

 

But I'm working on my collection. Slowly but I am working on it. In fact found a few key items to my classroom at the Dollar General.

 

 (6x9 clip boards and mini dust pans with broom)

 

I was so excited to find the 6x9 clip boards with the kind of clip they have. The old school style clips are too hard for my little kiddo's to handle on their own and believe it or not these are not that easy to find... at least at a reasonable price. And the mini dust pans with broom are a steal! I seriously spent 7$ last year on a set that they broke in about a month. Mind you it had a longer handle but still...only one month!! A bit expensive you have it break and have to use it like the ones above.

 

Oh well, lesson learned. 1$ dust pans are the way to go. And I bought two one of each table. I like making my kiddo's accountable for their actions at all times. This includes breakfast, lunch and snack. All of which are eaten in the classroom.

 

Any Dollar Store finds you'd like to share? I'd love to hear what else is hiding on those shelves that I've yet to find.

 

~Katie

Just The Begining

I'm new to this whole blogging thing but I think I should give it a try. I've been very into following a bunch of teacher blogs in the last few weeks and feel that I have a bit I could put out into the world as well. I plan to do most of my posting about my teaching strategies, struggles or surprises, (sorry couldn't resist being cutesy with the wording there) but I will also be sharing the up's and (hopefully less) down's of my personal life as well. I'm incredibly excited to start this journey and hope you are ready to kollaborate with me. I am always up for constructive criticism as well as any idea for sharing too! Happy Blogging!

As for this official post it will mostly be personal. It is summer break after all. As stated in my about me section I love to travel... which is exactly what I am currently doing. I have about a week and a half left before I go back to work (three weeks before the kids start) and I am lucky enough to get to spend the last two weeks on vacation. I'm currently spending the week in Savannah Georgia with my sister, brother(in-law) and nephew (also previously mentioned in my about). I love being here with them. I get to spend 100% of my time with them and have no distractions. Its always wonderful when they come up to Michigan to see us but because I'm home things always come up and it feels like I'm only getting to see them at dinner. Not nearly enough time in my book. But down here it's all them 24/7 (except for Josh because he does have to keep working unfortunately).

We tried to go to the pool today and boy was that an ordeal. First of all we had to get two toddlers(my sister babysit for someone during the summer) ready to go plus ourselves. Then we get down there it's perfect, we have the whole pool to ourselves. Best way to have it when swimming with two toddlers. About 10 minutes after the boys jump in with my sister we are told we have to get out. We can't swim because they put chemicals in the pool. We need to rinse off immediately and should probably go use soap. Tons of fun telling that to two toddlers who were so excited to swim. We were able to get them out after a bit of struggle and we had them going for a "swim" in the bath tub. They loved it, we gave them bubbles and all. Such fun to a 2 year old and 3 year old.

Can't wait to see what the rest of the week will lead to but I'm sure when the day is done it will be a blast! I just hope that my little man lets me sleep in a bit more tomorrow. Especially because he didn't actually go to sleep until after 10:30!!! That does mean he'll sleep in right? Here's to hoping!!!

Until my next post....

~Katie

P.S. Hoping to get some personalization with the design up here soon... assuming I can figure out how to!!! I'm not the best with coding. Help anyone?