Home Sweet Home

Well after about two weeks I have decided I made a GREAT decision for me to move schools. I couldn't be happier. I really feel like I have found my home, as far as schools go. The grade level switch is an adjustment, 3rd graders are very different from 1st graders. But 1st graders are so cute and they pretty much love everything. I have a phenomenal team and mentor teacher. I have gotten really close with another new teacher on our 1st grade team and we have been planning TONS of collaborative activities with our classes and the library! We have already gotten our classes together for a Biography Research Project! It turned out awesome! So what's been happening at school for me these last two weeks? It has been busy, busy...


Florida Literacy Week - January 25-29
100th Day January 29th - I dressed up at Rainbow Fish because it was also Story Book Character day!
Groundhog's Day - predictions with adorable groundhogs for our hallway bulletin board
Black History Month Biographies - 34 first graders researching and writing about famous African Americans
Fundraiser kick off - I have already had 3 students earn space monkeys for all the items they have sold!
Mardi Gras - we celebrated by earning Mardi Gras beads for good behavior and enjoying King Cake

Coming up...Valentine's Day and President's Day!

We are having a class celebration Ice Cream Party and are doing a super sweet activity with conversation hearts and The Velveteen Rabbit!


President's Day we will be making George and Abe and thinking about what life would be like if we were President!


This has seriously been a great change for me. I am still getting the hang of things and learning the ins and outs but I am truly a happier teacher. So excited for the rest of the year!

Exciting News

So I haven't blogged in AGES! But I feel like now is a good time to start back up again.

Many of you know that this has been a rough year for me. I started at my second school in Florida and demographics of this school were incredibly challenging for me. I struggled both in my professional career and my personal life because of these challenges. I loved my students as individuals, they were interesting and creative, and smart but teaching them in the classroom wasn't working for me because of their behavior which was affected by their home lives and other outside factors. I didn't blame any of my students for these circumstances but it definitely made my experiences in the classroom very difficult. I struggled with what the best course of action for me was. Do I finish out the year, do I try and transfer schools mid year or do I just leave teaching. After lots of soul searching I decided I did in fact want to be a teacher but that I needed a different teaching situation. I thought this was best for me and my students. I had been applying at other schools since Thanksgiving. Not seriously but just looking around to see what if anything I might be interviewed for or offered. I made it though Christmas and came back with a positive attitude after an amazing break. I started team teaching with an awesome colleague of mine and we were working on things and seeing growth and productivity in my kids. They were actually engaged in the lessons I was teaching and working with their peers collaboratively. It was so great to see. I thought maybe I can do this, maybe I can make it through the end of the year. As luck would have it, I was asked to come in for an interview and then was offered the position at a school in a neighboring county. Making this decision to take this position was difficult for many reasons, firstly I would be switching schools midyear, secondly I would be leaving my current students who already have a track record of adults letting them down/leaving them, and thirdly what would me leaving mid year look like to other districts or schools I might be applying in, fourthly I would be switching grade levels, maybe the grass wouldn't be greener. I decided that I needed to do something for me so I made the leap and accepted the position at this school in the neighboring county. I am really excited about this new endeavor. I was able to meet my new kiddos today and spend some time with the staff at my new school. Today was amazing! I was so happy. I thought about the kids I left behind lots today and will probably think about them often. Sometimes we as teachers put so much into our students and forget to think about ourselves. I am excited for this opportunity and can't wait to share it with my bloggy followers! Thanks so much for your support!