September Currently

Wow!  Where did August go?  I remember thinking of all the things I wanted to do in August and then…WHAM…it was over!  It’s “Currently” time!  Link up with Farley over at Oh Boy, 4th Grade!  Here’

Listening:

Yep!  I think I am listening to Bachelor Island….or whatever it is called.  I haven’t really been paying attention because I have been making things for my first day back – TOMORROW! I don’t actually watch this show, but I am in too much of a groove to get up and change it when the remote is all of 20 feet away. OMG!  It’s like the grown of version of high school – awful melodrama.  I am not a convert!

Loving:

I think I have mentioned that I elected to return to 3rd grade this year!  I am so excited!!!!!  I love third and I have an amazing team.  So many different personalities, but our team meeting was like a breath of fresh air.  Plus, I am team teaching/co-teaching with another teacher and a special education teacher.  We have been working together planning for a few weeks and are like siblings!  It is an amazing dynamic and makes me feel like my heart will be back in my job this year.  Plus, I think my Para is super amazing! Here’s to a great year!!!

Thinking:

Yep!  Tomorrow is the first day of my 14th year teaching.  I am pretty chill about it and in the back of my mind, that makes me nervous.  I’m usually pretty laid back, but I have so many things that I should have ready...plus a student teacher starting on day one!!!  The teaming dynamic will be awesome, but I feel like I am putting so much more time in to make it all jive.

Wanting:

I am NOT a morning person.  Oh, how I wish I were.  No being one makes the job of teaching a bit tricky because, not only to you have to be up and at work on times, but little people arrive and you have to be both ready and…pleasant ! If only I could be chipper in the morning (did I mention my co-teacher talked about working out a 5AM – before work???)

Needing:

I am obsessing over a new planner.  I can’t do the Erin Condren planner. I watched reviews on YouTube – yep. I’m that person. It is SOOO expensive and I would have to buy it every year. Plus, the days are set up vertically and, I know this makes me a bit neurotic (okay, a lot), but I can’t deal with that. Plus, I am sick of rewriting things in the planner every year.  Hence, I may have a very expensive new addiction – but it will be less expensive in the long run…THE FILOFAX! It is a binder type planner, but the size of an Erin Condren. So, I can move pages that work from me from year to year and not do that whole awkward carrying around two planners at the end of the year thing.  Plus, people design pages that can be printed off for just about everything you would want Ii n a planner. I just need to make the purchase…

3 Trips:

Oh, how I love to visit new places. I have an obsession with Alaska. It may be my husband’s addiction to the numerous Alaskan shows on TV or my preoccupation with self-sufficient living, but Alaska would be amazing!  Ever since I saw the Tweeto’s on Flying Alaska fly in teachers from remote schools to attend staff developments, I have be stuck on the idea of teaching there.

The Grand Canyon is on my bucket list.  I love seeing amazing geographic locations and I hope to see this one while I can still make the trek down into the canyon.

I love, love, love Spain!  I went my senior year in high school and feel like it would be an amazing trip to take again as an adult.

Leap on over to Farley’s to link up!

Back to School Shopping

So do you still go back-to-schooling shopping? I'll admit that I am a bit of a fashionista. I love clothes - especially items that have a unique flair. I had a huge clothing haul from Maurices, capitalizing on their 75% off sale. Since then I have tried to limit my clothing budget, but a few things have snuck in!

I am totally obsessed with Target's Ona Flats! They are so comfortable that it's like you are wearing slippers. Plus they look really nice with so many different outfits. You know how the feet ache those first fees weeks of being back to school and these are perfect for those days. I bought them in black, nude, gold, and cognac. On Monday, I just happened to browse the shoe section when I returned a skirt and saw they had LEOPARD Onas! Oh my! My old leopard flats are beat and I think you can never have too many items in animal print (I'm not gaudy,I swear!).

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I also picked up a gray patent leather skinny belt from the clearance rack. A cute belt can make the outfit!

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I also picked up this beautiful shirt from Forever 21. I saw it on a blog and thought it was so gorgeous. Too bad it is more of a spring/summer item.

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I also picked up two scarves on clearance from F21. Not that I need anymore scarves...but the were so pretty and on sale and I needed them for free shipping...yep, I'm sticking to that!

       

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Did you know that Forever 21 is offering a 15% off teacher/student discount on Fridays? Just bring your id in up until the end of August on a Friday and get the deal! It's an awesome deal, I just lose my mind in that store. If you do Ebates, you can also get 4% back!
I also had a small thrift store haul, but I need to decide what I'm keeping before I'll share!
So, what about you? Do you shop for your BTS wardrobe? Would you like to know more about the outfits I put together for work?

Show Us What You Bought Linky!

I'm linking up at Blog Hoppin' for the Show Us What You Bought Linky! Of course, I broke the bank, but it is all good stuff! Can I tell you I made THREE separate purchases?!? See, if you work out the math, you can stack the sale with credits. I made a purchase and then used the credits to get a discount on my next purchase. That way I don't have credits lingering and I make use of them right away! Finally, I can use coupon tactics with teaching! Stack those deals!!!

I LOVE everything that One Extra Degree puts out. The quality is amazing and I love how she thinks about reading. She is brilliant and I so want to be her when I grow up (even though she is younger than me ;). I am so excited to include these activities into my reading workshop and reading groups!

I have been obsessed with making more of my buddy reading time. I just never seemed to find the time to wrap my brain around the routines I wanted to set. I picked up this goody from Clutter Free Classroom and can't wait to incorporate it into my classroom!

I'm always looking for a bunch of BTS activities.  Every year I find that classes react differently to the activities I have planned and, based on the chemistry of the class, I like to have a bunch of things to pull from. Can't wait to give these a go! It was a total impulse buy because it popped up on the front page of TPT and I added it to my cart right away!

 

I LOVE to teach social studies and it is one of the thing is LOVE about our 3rd grade curriculum.  (Is that enough love for ya?) We teach cultures of the world and I love to incorporate content into my reading block. I am so glad many of these items were still on my wish list from last year when I taught 3rd. Now that I am returning to 3rd, I am so excited to add them to my curriculum!

Finally, the items that broke the bank! We are beginning Lucy Clakins' Units of Study this year...seriously, where have we been? Next we will be rediscovering Fountas and Pinnell! So sad when amazing practices fall through the cracks because the crazy testing culture!  I picked up these two amazing packs to help me through all the change this year!  I think indeed to go to school today to print and start planning!  Can't wait to play! 

Now I am back to trying NOT to think about school ;) Soaking up those last few days of summer! What did you buy during the BIG sale?

Summer Reading

 

Thinking of Teaching is having a summer reading linky! 

So, I have to admit, I have a stack of books that I want to read, but I haven’t gotten down to it yet . I am seeing people blogging about going back to school soon and seeing the back to school displays and it all makes me a wreck!  I literally started summer last week!  My school ended on the 26th and I packed through that Friday.  The I finished my college course last Tuesday.  Sooooo I just started to wind down!  I have sone a little cooking, a little sewing, a little lougning around watching YouTube and awful daytime TV.  Haven’t read a book yet.  However, here is my To Read list:

 

Yep, I’m a YA fiction and historical fiction lover.  At least, that is what I am currently into.  I am halfway through Insurgent and want to finish the series before watching the movies, but I own all three books. 

I finished City of Bones before the movie and own all the others, just haven’t gotten around to reading them.

I am halfway through Dragonfly and Amber – have been for about 2 years and just couldn’t keep up with it.  There are 8 - 800 page books in the series and a couple spinoffs – so, so, so good, just heavy! 

I have heard amazing things about The Bronze Horseman – very daunting text, but sounds amazing.

I have never read anything by John Green – oddly I usually prefer female authors. However, the movie trailer made me cry instantly and I think I need to read the book before the movie

So, what are your reading plans for the summer (that has just begun!!!!)?

Life

A few weeks ago, I was so saddened to hear of the passing of one of my teaching mentors. It was not long after the passing of my grandfather and was a complete surprise. It caught me so off guard because this gentleman was around my father's age and had just retired in June of 2013. He had barely begun to live his life as a retiree and his death was a tragic surprise to everyone. The funny thing was, I had been thinking about him and thought about giving him a call this summer. He was on Facebook and we had communicated that way.  He was one of those mentors who was not an obvious one. He wasn't assigned to me or paid by the school for his advice. He was just there - sometimes part of the crew.

What I loved most about him was his humor. He had a sarcastic whit that caught me off guard and kept me thinking (I don't really get sarcasm from others, so I did a lot of thinking). It was so unexpected in the world of primary teachers! I often told him that he reminded me of my father - at which, he would become a little riled and state that he was no where near the age of my father. The funny thing was that he was born in the same year.

When I left the district he was in, I was saddened to leave my good friends and even commenced to roast this gentleman and another teacher. I spent weeks planning what I would say and tried to keep a straight face. I will never forget the way he lounged in a school chair - as best as be can - and laughed hysterically. After a really bad year at my new school, he was the one to call me and give me advice when I spilled about my bad experience. He was there to subtlety tell me that I was making a good choice in leaving and to come home to my previous school if there were openings. I ended up finding another position before any openings became available. But often thought that I should have just returned to the school I thought of as home.

I'm not sure why I felt the need to write about this. Perhaps it was to share how short life is or how the small things can make an impact, or perhaps it was to merely write it down.  I was struck by the fact that services will be this Sunday and I anticipate, that when I go, the tears will flow and I will see many old friends. Teaching isn't about the job, it's about the people.

When I left that district, this man gave me a card and it had a picture of Eisenstein in it. I have not found it yet to retread the quote he wrote, but it was one that I kept in my journal for several years and would look at occasionally. The picture was an appropriate one because, while teaching takes intelligence and is serious business, it is also a profession where you have to remember the silly times!

So, here's to my friend. I will remember the impact he made in my life.

P.S. Another thing I learned from my friend - never be afraid to wear pastel plaid - even in a fabulous pair of dress pants!