What I’m Loving Lately

Today has been a long day. I had a sub this morning so I could go to a computer training, subbed in the afternoon, finished up some prep for our Family Reading and Math Night, and stayed at school until we cleaned up from that at 8.

Any other teachers pulled a 12-hour-workday lately? Whew! Good thing I love teaching.

I am feeling tired, but still thinking positive- so I wanted to share some of my favorite things lately.

My Daymaker gave me the cutest little package of Post-Its and my favorite candy—peanut butter M&M’s. I may or may not have eaten a lot of these instead of dinner tonight when I stayed at school!

Jolly Rancher Watermelon soda? Crazy delicious. I’ve been trying to drink less soda lately, but this is absolutely worth the calories once in awhile!

I’m usually not a designer girl, but I found this on sale because it’s “last season’s pattern," and I just loved the bright colorful design. Even better, this is basically just a wallet with a strap, so I can’t really stuff way too much in it!

Victoria’s Secret Sparkling Citrus—Lemon Escape hand & body cream. I’m not usually a fan of coconut, but this lotion makes me smell like a yellow Starburst!

Picked up this elephant necklace from Target. It’s random, but I love it!

I also got these at Target- cute flats that are actually comfortable. I normally can’t really do flats, but I am wearing these constantly because I can actually wear them all day and they are so CUTE too!

Oh, and I can’t believe I forgot to take a picture of Candy Cane Hershey kisses! I can’t wait til they come out every year, and this year I didn’t know they were out yet until my husband surprised me with some. So sweet- and delicious!

The last thing I’m loving?

I posted my November edition of Super Text Detectives on TpT, and people have been leaving me such sweet feedback! Thank you— I get an email whenever there is a new sale or piece of  feedback, and it truly makes my day!

If you liked my freebies for Finding Text Evidence, be sure to check out this Super Text Detectives pack! It includes 10 non-fiction and 5 fiction passages.

What are you loving lately? :)

My Truth Monday- and a Motivation Freebie!

Today I want to get a little more personal. A few months ago, I tried MyFitnessPal for tracking my food and it really helped motivate me to eat better and get more active. I wanted to do it right-- gradual, and still enjoying my favorite foods but in moderation, so that I'd stick with it!

When I moved and gave back the school's iPad, I lost momentum and since the end of June, I've gained back the 15 pounds I lost- plus added another 5 for good measure. (The stress of job searching combined with using MFP's website instead of the app didn't help my willpower, for sure.) 

The last few weeks, I've been trying to get back on track with some other teacher friends.So when Denise started a new Monday blog post party, I had to join!

I'm tracking my food again, I'm trying to get a little more exercise, and I'm headed back in the right direction! It's been tough, though, to get my body back to where I know it really should be to be healthy. I've always had curves, so I'm not trying to lose those- but I want to feel good in my body again, you know?

I have been really working at working out more, drinking more water, and tracking my meals- but I need to start using what I know about myself and join something that I will really enjoy!

I also needed a little motivation, so I worked on making this that I can print out. It will work for your personal goals OR for in your classroom. 

      

You can pick up a free copy of the black and white or color version by visiting my Facebook page.  (Of course, it won’t have the watermark going across the middle.) Thank you so much for following my blog!

Want to share your truth? You can link up with Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade or share in the comments. Hope you have a GREAT week!

 

Moving Woes and July Goals

I moved everything out of my classroom yesterday, and cried on the way home.

You would think it's just a room, but when you spend countless hours there over the course of a year, it's hard to see it all empty and bare, especially with knowing I won't be back at this school- and that there's a chance I won't be at any school this coming year.

Maybe I should be excited that I could just stay at home or work part-time, but I love my job- and honestly, I would really miss it if I wasn't teaching this fall. I really, really hope things fall into place.

Am I the only person who gets weepy for things like moving out of a classroom? I feel a little bit crazy.

Anyway- by this weekend, I will be completely moved out of this town and into my new one.

It's officially New Adventure Time.

Here's the plan for making July awesome:

 I'm normally a very positive person, so even though this whole moving thing has gotten me down lately, I'm ready to do what I can to get psyched (including using ridiculous phrases like "get psyched").

You can link up your goals with I {Heart} Recess!

ABC’s of Summer!

This is the first summer since high school that I haven’t worked full-time, and so far I am loving a little bit of time to unwind. I start summer school next week, and from there life speeds up VERY quickly until our move- but I’m still excited for the summer, and I had to link up my ABC’s of Summer!

Have you linked up yet with What the Teacher Wants? I also linked up to the Summer Bucket List linky here, here, and here!)

 

I have a lot to get done this summer, but I’m hoping to spend some time trying things on my Pinterest boards, getting myself in shape in a fun way, and spending time with family and friends (especially before I move! I’m also going to give this TpT selling thing a try, so be sure you’re following me at my Facebook page and my TpT store!

So… any suggestions of books or haircuts? (Here’s my current hair- long, straight, and BORING! I need something new!)

And if you’re not on summer break yet… don’t worry! I’ll be jealous in mid-August when you’re not back in session yet :)

Memorial Day Memory

Both of my grandfathers, one of my uncles, one of my cousins, my brother-in-law, and other loved ones have all served in the military, so I really try to take some time to remember the true reason for this holiday.

For me, that means re-reading The Road Home, re-watching some Band of Brothers, and reminiscing about one of my most memorable days as a teacher.

 

You can read about it here.

Thank you to all who have served.

 

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A Way to Help Others!

Whew! I am down to 25 days left til summer- and instead of getting me excited, I feel a little panicky. We've got SO much to do, and I know it'll feel like such a whirlwind!

I know I haven't posted anything about my classroom in forever, but I wanted to share about something amazing happening. In light of recent events in the news, it makes me feel great to see good happening, and to be able to help it spread.

A girl I knew in high school has been in the adoption process for some time now, and she and her husband just found out they have been matched with two siblings from Ethiopia. Their referral came MUCH much sooner than they expected, which is a huge blessing- but they need to raise $17,000 to bring the two children home with them.

They are thrilled and excited, but the task at hand is daunting. If there is any way you can help them bring these two orphans home, please visit their blog here and read about their story: http://thegrubersblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/referral.html


 They have been so blessed in this journey so far, and are even running a donation giveaway for a Keurig right now. (If you donate, you will be entered in the giveaway!) As teachers, we sometimes see kids who don't have a loving, supportive, safe home- and we know just how important it is.

Seeing recent posts by Amy Lemons about her newly adopted daughter makes me all the more excited for them!

Even if donating isn't in the cards for you right now, I hope you'll keep them in your prayers and pass their information along to anyone you know who might feel called to help. Thank you SO much! :)

Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple

I spent this whole week catching up and took zeeero pictures… so, I’m going to show you a little more about my trip. Warning: There is basically no teaching content in this post.

My husband always tells me that I take pictures of things and scenery, but complains that I’m never in the pictures. Besides, I’m a blogger… don’t I have to take awkward mirror pictures?

A beautiful city!

I was pretty excited to be there. You could juuust barely see the Hudson River from my hotel room window.

As a birthday gift, my husband got me tickets to Phantom of the Opera.

They were incredible seats in a beautiful theater, and the show was downright amazing.

We heard a talk from author/ illustrator Henry Cole- so inspiring.

He also signed a book for each of us- the wordless picture book Unspoken.

Here’s me with Scholastic Book Clubs’ President and the Scholastic CEO/ Chairman. They were both wonderful and truly wanted our feedback.

The Scholastic building was definitely a book lover’s paradise.

Of course, I got a chance to shop at the Scholastic Store in SoHo, too. So many wonderful books to choose from!

So, basically… it couldn’t be much more of an incredible trip! I also got a chance to see Mamma Mia, eat at Guy Fieri’s restaurant, see the 9/11 memorial, visit Rockefeller Center, and pass all kinds of famous landmarks.

At this point, I’m down to about 6 weeks of school left, and only about 3 weeks until my husband graduates. Hard to believe this semester has gone so fast!

Next week, I’ll remember to get a few more pictures at school to share with you! :)

What was the last great trip you went on?

It's March! :) Yaaaay!

It's my birthday month! I'm also hovering neeear 500 followers, it's been about a year since I really started up my blog, and Spring Break is within sight! If you'd be interested in helping me out with a giveaway in a couple of weeks, please let me know (comment or email!).

Anyway...

 I think half of my Currently's have the same "listening." But the reruns are better than the recent episodes!

Dinner last night was delicious. (You can check out the recipe by clicking on SkinnyTaste's photo below.)

 

I'm addicted to using my own fonts. Does this happen to everyone? P.S.- If you haven't picked them up, they're FREE! :)

I feel like such a grown-up. My husband asked if there was something specific I wanted or wanted to do for my birthday, and I couldn't think of anything. (Well, anything reasonable.) Any suggestions?

There's nothing like getting wedding photos back from a friend's wedding and feeling like a cow to make you want to SERIOUSLY start getting in shape. It also helps when a high school friend you haven't seen since invites you to her "fitness accountability" group on Facebook. Uh, thanks for the subtle hint... So yeah. Any apps/ websites for easy tracking that you would suggest?

I am enjoying this jammies morning! :) This past week of test prep has helped me remember how much joy I *usually* get out of my job, and I am hating these test prep jitters. I'm nervous about testing, but my kids worked hard this last week and I think they're ready. And I'm ready... to be done with it! :)

I'm also excited about the first weekend of NEXT month... I got some amazing news this week, but I'm not sure if I'm free to share it with you yet. Let's just say I'll be able to cross something off of my Teacher Bucket List, and visit NEW YORK CITY for the first time in the process. So excited!!!

Make sure you link up with Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade! :)

Stone Soup Celebration (and bacon?!)

I am sliding in juuuust under the wire to join in Jennifer’s Something Good linky!

Something Good at Home: Can you say 3-day weekend? I got to hang out with my mom, 2 family friends, my mother-in-law, her boyfriend, my cousins, a couple of coworkers, and 3 good friends- plus, of course, my husband. We spent some time watching improv comedy, playing with a puppy, watching The Muppets (a Valentine’s gift!), and visiting the Indianapolis Children’s Museum (which is just plain amazing).
Something Good at School: My students hosted a Stone Soup celebration last Friday to honor some people who we appreciate in our school. It was a great opportunity to write letters detailing the things we love about some of the people who make our school work.

My students each brought in one ingredient (okay, well, most of them did). We thankfully didn’t have too much overlap, and most parents washed and cut things first.

Of course, we added stones first. (Oh, and a crock pot liner. Seriously, these things are SO worth it.)

We added to the crock pots and let the soups cook for a few hours.

They turned out delicious, and when each person stopped in for soup, we paused to raise hands and share specific compliments or things we liked about that person. A couple of teachers nearly teared up. The kids also got to eat lunch in the room and try a little cup of soup. It was such a sweet way to end last week!
*Random side note: my husband does improv comedy, and recently acted in a (kind of ridiculous) local Internet commercial. He was paid in money and bacon, so I keep joking about him (literally) bringing home the bacon. If you have a minute, check it out.


By the way, the bacon was deee-lish. Hope you are having a great week!

Custom Lesson Plans to Easy Sub Plans!

So, if you're here, chances are very good that you found me through my customizable, editable lesson plan template. (The thing has- no joke- over 98,000 page views. Thank yoooou, Pinterest!) Well, if you've made one, I have news for you...

It's now super easy to make sub plan templates in Microsoft Word. It takes a little time up front, but trust me when I say that it makes sub plans so much easier later, when you need them.

I make my plans at the beginning of the year, but for the next few weeks, I try them out and make notes to myself of what I need to change or add. Things like "Johnny to speech" and "Kasey to O.T." are great little notes to add in in a tiny font as they come up.

Once I feel like I've got it just about perfect and definitely not right before I actually need sub plans for the first time, I make sample sub plans. If I have the basic format, this is so easy to do ahead of time, and makes it much simpler to just fill in later. Here's how:

First, save a copy of your lesson plans with a different name. No need to accidentally lose your lesson plans! Then, I like to open it so I can see a 2-page spread.

Next, you'll need to split the cells that are merged going across, if you have any. Just highlight the cell, right-click, and go to Split Cells...

Now, highlight the column you want to make plans for. I'm making sub plans for Friday. Copy this column, and then open a new Word document.

Paste it into the new document.  You may want to adjust the margins. When I did this, my table fell off the side of the page. Oh no! What to do now?

Not to fear! Go down to the views and click Web Layout. It'll let you see the edge of the table so you can bring it back in again. You don't have to be exact- just bring it in a little.

Then you can switch back to the normal page view to adjust.

I go back and copy/ paste the time column, too, to stick in front of the Friday column.

Hit Save As... and name it something like Sub Plans- Monday 2012. (I put the Sub Plans part first so that they all end up right next to each other in my folder.) I totally suggest using DropBox for this, so you can access it from home or school!

Now, I go through and type in more details where a sub would need them. I always include this in a folder that has more information about normal procedures, but I want to put the most necessary things here, such as attention-getting, behavioral system, and any special health needs.

It's okay if your table goes over one page. My sub plans are usually 2 or 3. I still like how the table breaks up the day into parts and makes it really easy to tell when something major (like a special or lunch) is happening. I leave the subject spaces empty to fill in later.

 If you want to keep making plans for each day, keep this document open so you can copy and paste the explanations that stay the same from day to day.

You can go back to your lesson plan page and copy relevant columns to make a document for each day of the week. Delete or add columns until you have just the time and day. Then, proceed to copy/paste any relevant explanations (for instance, my explanations for lunch, attendance, and dismissal stay the same every day) and fill in any that are different.

Now, when I need to be absent, I have a file ready for each day with most of the complicated stuff written out, and spaces for each subject.

My sub folder usually includes:
- these lesson plans (and an extra copy of them)
- a map of the school
- classroom roster with photos
- allergy or medical info they need to know
- behavioral issues they need to know
- more detail about procedures
- seating chart (using Post-Its in a file folder made this EASY to leave!)
- list of student jobs
- some "just in case" activities (Color By Number works well for this because it can take up plenty of time as needed!)

I always include an extra copy of the sub plans in the folder, and underneath I put copies and resources in order, paper-clipped together, with Post-It notes labeling each one.

I usually also leave enough change for a Coke in the teacher's lounge with a little thank you note, and the plan for bribing motivating my kiddos to behave. (5 cotton balls for our behavior jar are a BIG motivator!)

Of course, if you're looking for sub plans that are easy to leave in a pinch, I posted about some of my favorite lesson plans to leave for subs at the last minute and linked to 5 freebies for you, so be sure to check out this post!

Meanwhile, you may be wondering why I put myself through all this work to leave sub plans for last Friday.

Well, my "twin" got married this weekend! We've been friends for as long as I can remember, she was one of my bridesmaids, and it was incredible to stand up with her on her beautiful (and incredibly crafty) wedding day. Congratulations, Sarah! :)

With Love.

You may remember that I had to miss a bit of school a few weeks ago to attend a funeral.

Well, my uncle (and godfather) painstakingly created these beautiful photo boards of her life. Nearly the whole time they were up, someone was standing by these boards and reminiscing about what a wonderful woman my godmother Joanna was.

My Aunt Joanna with my cousin and me {left} on the day she officially joined our family.

One picture in particular really made me smile.

At first, my uncle said that he found the photo and was confused. He said it took reading the inscription on the back for him to realize the story that went along with it.

My godmother Joanna was always a huge fan of Hemingway. In fact, she called her husband- a talented, creative man- "her Hemingway." At one point long before the two of them met, though, she went with a friend to Key West.

She had always wanted to go, because- in case you didn't know- Hemingway lived there, and you can tour his home.

When they went on the tour, she was giddy. They made special note to stay behind the guardrails and not disturb anything, as it was just how Hemingway had left it, and not to take photos.

They were in Hemingway's bedroom when Joanna couldn't help herself. The tour guide led the group to the next room, and my Aunt Joanna grabbed her friend by the arm to pull him back.

She shoved a camera into his hands, pushed aside the ropes, and jumped on the bed.

Hemingway's bed.

And came away with this wonderful photo.

My aunt Joanna was one of those bold, beautiful women who lived her life, and didn't let anything get in the way.

Not raising her kids on her own after a messy divorce.

Not even MS.

I hope to someday have the optimism, faith, determination, and moxie that my godmother had. Her laugh was infectious, and she was constantly finding ways to spread the love, even when things got tougher and tougher for her.

I miss her, yes, but she is finally in Heaven and without constant pain... and for that, I am happy. If you don't mind, though, toss up a little prayer for my uncle. It's hard to suddenly lose such a bright light in your life.

(I love blogging about teaching, and I have been swamped with school stuff this month, but sometimes you just have to write about what's in your heart, right?)

With love to my Auntie Joanna.