Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Summer Lovin'

I love summer!! I’ve loved summer all of my life! I grew up in Vermont, were summer was am welcomed relief from the other 9 bitter cold months! I fondly remember every summer as a child. Camping, our high school pool, a few trips to the beach, cook-outs, and of course talking into the fan to sound like a robot!

The Vermont summers of my childhood were a huge difference from the blazing, and often-uncomfortable summers of South Florida. But regardless I still love summer! I promise I didn’t get into teaching because of summers off.

Being a teacher, and a mom I live my life from school year to school year, not calendar year to calendar year. For me summer represents a new beginning; more so than the January 1st does.

Currently, summer is a time to pre-plan for the upcoming year. Last summer I was given the opportunity to teach our schools first grade gifted class. While I was beyond excited for this opportunity, I really didn’t know what it would entail. In the past, my schools first grade gifted class has really been a high achieving class at best. So I didn’t know what to plan for, what aspect of my regular teaching would need to be stepped up. I had no clue what this past year held in store for me.

My first year as the gifted teacher was defiantly a trial by fire… but this isn’t a post about how crazy this past school was.

My biggest new beginning this summer is this. The creation of a “social media presence.” Now don’t get me wrong, I love social media! I was on Facebook back when you still had to have a school email. I was on Pinterest when you still had to be invited. And every picture I take goes through a million Instagram filters before it hits the web. But up to this point, for me social media has been just me staying in contact with my family, and a few close friends I’ve met along this journey.

A little more than a year ago I started posting things I made for my own classroom on TPT. Then last summer, I started doing projects for my friends. I would create it for my friend, and then post it to my TPT store. Over the last year, I have enjoyed ever success I have had on TPT. Flattered it the best word to describe it. Every time I sell a product I say “wow, someone actually enjoyed what I made.” And listening to my class sing “money, money, mon-ey” every time the cash register chime would go off was just a fun bonus.

Thank you for reading (and hopefully following) my blog. The adventure of the 2016-17 year is about to start.



But first… we still have 6 weeks of summer left!





I've also been busy creating these Read to Friend non-fiction centers. 



about me

Mommy, wife, and teacher of the gifted.....

I am a mommy to 2 handsome little boys. They are smart, energetic, and a little bit crazy. They are amazing at being teacher-kids, as though they were born for this lifestyle.




I am the wife to a handsome, hardworking man. We will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this fall.

And finally, Teacher... of the gifted. I didn't start here, I stared as coach, and then became a teacher. I kind of fell into teaching 9 years ago. My oldest was begin to walk, and talk, and I realized I didn't want to spend every night, and weekend on the soccer field. I feared I would miss to much. So I took a job at a local charter school. And very quickly fell in love with the profession of teaching.


While at the charter school I knew I needed to do everything I could to improve my resume, and experience, to eventually leave that school. The opportunity to work on my Gifted Certification presented itself. So I took it. After 3 years of taking classes part-time, I finished. But it wasn't for 3 more years until I would actually need that Certification.

Last summer, I was asked to take over the gifted first grade class at my school. I jumped at the chance. Not knowing what I was getting into. But soon found my newest calling.

So thats it... mommy, wife, teacher of the gifted, and now... blogger.