#TEACHERWEEK2015...My Fave Subject!

It's the last day of this fun jaunt through a week of teacher life!  It's been a great boost to get me blogging agin and I've learned some great recipes, seen some amazing classrooms and learned cool things about people and teaching along the way!

Here is a look at the final topic.

Favorite subject has always been a tough one for me.  Probably because my attention span isn't really long and i can only be really excited about something for just so long and then something better comes along!  But it's probably more because kids are my favorite subject to teach.  I know that sounds corny and some of you may even be saying, "come one, we're teachers here, blah, blah, blah!"  But I really do love teaching in general.  I love the learning-beside-a-child part the most.  As in I am learning and he is learning too!  I love watching kids have ah-ha! moments and I usually have one at the same time as I watch what finally makes it all clear to a child. 

I have taught every age and been passionate about teaching mathematicians and then writers and readers and I've always loved young scientists to pieces.  I guess if I really had to choose a subject that I love to teach, it would be two...reading and writing.  I'm not a great writer but I have been fortunate enough to have amazing mentors who for a period of about 6 years shaped and molded the teacher of readers and writers that was hidden within me.  I learned to stand on the shoulders of amazing children's authors as well as professional educators who made reading and writing come alive in my classroom and classrooms across the state of South Carolina.  People like Katie Ray, Heidi Mills, Tim O'Keefe and Susi Long, Bobbi Fisher and Jerry Harste just to name a few, all played a part in shaping who I am as a teacher of readers and writers and they each made the teaching of readers and writers a passion for me.  

So if I had to choose, I guess I'd say language arts, but my real favorite subject is kids!

That's it for the week!  Tune in tomorrow for Five for Fraturday!  I actually woulda shared it today but I already had this and Lord knows we can't have two posts in one day! :)

Big shout out to Blog Hoppin' for hosting this fun week of link ups!

Geographic Goodness!!

Be careful what you wish for...you just might get it! :)  I use to be a crazy presenter.  I presented to teachers and kids and administrators and preservice teachers and pretty much anyone who would listen!  I presented on every topic as well.  It started with math many moons ago and then I became a language and literacy fanatic and sang that song everywhere I went and now, its Montessori!
I had the pleasure of presenting to 60ish Montessorians on Saturday afternoon at the 2014 MEPI conference in Myrtle Beach.
I came about getting to present in a funny sort of way.  I submitted a proposal because Ive felt the need for more teacher voices when I have attended Montessori Conferences so rather than complain I offered to present.  Unfortunately, I wasn't accepted but being the optimist that I am, I sent off an email and told the people in charge that I would love to present if anyone opted out.  Low and behold they needed me!  Little did I know it was the last presentation on the last day.  I figured that no one would show up...me of little faith!  But guess what...the teachers came!  And I was a happy camper!
I spent an hour sharing everything I could cram in.  It was a geography topic but I threw in a few other tidbits as well.  It was a great crowd and I am back in love with presenting!  Stay tuned for a later post...maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow with lots of links to what I shared!  Thanks to those who were there!  You were a fabulous audience!

For the Love of Lunch!

I have a love hate realtionship with lunch.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm a live to eat. To an eat to live kinda chick but when it comes to school day lunches I may just lose mine.  I spend Monday through Friday eating my mid day meal with 3-6 year olds.  It's good times.  Well, at least the company and the tiny tables and the tiny chairs and the nicely decorated cafe that makes you forget that you are really in a double-wide.  But I could do without the food part.  It's all good, laughing and chatting and telling stories and then the next 19 minutes is a pleading battle of trying to convince the 3 year olds especially that it would really be in their best interest to eat something.  Anything.  

The occasional kindergartner turns her nose up at the school lunch or the lunchable that is squeezed into the lunch box but for the most part it's a battle of the 3 year old will. So here's the thing:  No.  More. Lunchables.  They tell you they want them.  They freak out on the lunchable aisle and throw down like their life depends on it but they are fibbing!  They heard a rumor on the playground, they watched a commercial, they saw their BFF with one.  I don't know what the deal is but they can't stand them and they won't eat them.  Best bet is to cut up a few pieces of meat and cheese and throw them in with some crackers and call it good!

Problem number 2 is school lunches.  Just forget it.  If your child doesn't eat adult food AKA collards, spinach, shepherds pie, meatball subs at home, they sure as heck aren't going to eat them at school.  It's hot food but it's adult food and they just won't eat it.

Now before you get all mad and think that I have kids who eat happily every day, no mam...it just isn't so.  That small punk complains about everything!  I have two sites that I have started frequenting for ideas, http://www.momables.com is an awesome resource for recipes and http://wendolonia.com/blog/ is just a menagerie of cuteness and who doesn't want a cute lunch?!?  Good luck on the perfect lunch quest and please share ideas that make your kiddos lunch a healthy, happy experience!

A continuous work in progress

That is what my blog seems to be!  I have blogged for quite a few years but never seem to stick with it. I am so inspired by so many amazing bloggers of many different genres that I am promising myself to get it together and stick with it this go around.  I'm sure there is so much that I have to tell that you really want to hear!

So, here goes.  For the teachers out there who have spent all summer sitting by the pool sipping umbrella drinks and dreaming of a perfect class for the 2013-2014 school year you will appreciate the fact that while I did lounge once or twice and dream a few more times than that, I am now in full on back-to-school-mode!  Our classrooms were the lucky recipients of brand new carpet and linoleum this summer...which really means this week!  there are 5 classrooms in our sweet little school and we hauled everything we owned out of said classrooms (except furniture) at the end of the school year.  Those fabulous carpet guys came in and tore out the yucky carpet about 5 minutes later.  And then THEY went and sat by the pool and drank umbrella drinks all summer long!!!  Last week they completed one room and today at 3:04pm I got the call that my room was complete.  (Yes, 3 rooms are still waiting to be completed!)  Please know, my sweet little school is a colony of precious double wide trailers learning cottages.  They are small, include a bathroom and a small office.  We aren't talking a lot of space here people...yet it took ALL SUMMER! I am not a carpet installer nor do I have any experience with such endeavors but I'm thinking each room shoulda taken about 4 hours...considering 4 GROWN MEN were involved in the install!  Ok, you get the picture and hallelujah-praise-Jesus I get to start setting up my classroom!

Here is what we are looking at people


A HOT MESS!

So, here I am working on a glass of wine and thanking my lucky stars that my principal pushed to have the school open tomorrow so I could get in there and get hauling!  Stay tuned