Midwest Teacher Blogger Meet Up - Four Days Left to RSVP!

Hey Midwest teachers! There are only four more days to RSVP to the 2017 Midwest Regional Teacher Blogger Meet Up! Believe me, you don't want to miss out on this awesome opportunity to collaborate with other teachers, grow as a blogger, expand your TPT business, and just have fun! Oh, and did I mention prizes?!

This Saturday, January 21st, 2017 event takes place in Wisconsin Dells, so consider bringing your family along to have fun at one of the indoor water parks (that's what I'm doing), indoor theme parks, movie theaters, casinos, etc.

Already ready to sign up? You can RSVP by clicking HERE!

Be sure to follow on Instagram:

@mwteacherbloggers

You can also find more info at:

mwteacherbloggers.blogspot.com

We sure hope you can join us!  If you have any questions, send 'em my way and I will do my best to help.

You All Got Me Thinking...

I may not have gone to the TPT Conference in Las Vegas, but I sort of felt like I was there as I followed so many of you on Instagram.  Thank you for all your positive and uplifting energy!

I have been thinking a lot lately about myself as a blogger and TPT'er...wondering, "Why have I not become the blogger and TPT seller that I wanted to become?"  So I started to think about what has happened in my life in the last 8 years:

undergrad school

student teaching

met my boyfriend / later-to-be-husband

job searching

moved in with my boyfriend

long-term subbing position

engagement

job searching (again)

first full-time position (Kindergarten)

wedding planning

wedding

grad school

on-the-job student teaching

pregnancy

changed teaching positions (ESL)

became a mommy

planning team for a brand new public charter school

changed teaching positions and schools (Kindergarten)

job searching (again)

changed grade levels, schools, and school districts

And that's where I am at now, but oh-so-HAPPY about it!

When I list it out like that, it makes me realize that I haven't exactly had all the free time in the world...and I guess that makes me feel a bit better.  I also realize that I will not become the blogger and TPT seller of my dreams this summer or this upcoming school year either - and that is okay!  This summer, I will be enjoying my time setting up my new classroom and preparing for my upcoming grade level change (Kindergarten to first grade).  In the fall, I will be starting my dream job in the school district in which I live (yay!), so I will be busy getting used to all the changes.

My goal is next summer.  Next summer I should have time to focus on blogging, creating, and selling.  My husband and I recently had a conversation about turning our (unused) loft into a play space for our son and turning this quaint area in our condo into my very own teacher office space.  My sweet hubby said I can decorate it any way I want.  I'm so pumped for that!

So I guess the key word is "yet."  I haven't become the blogger and TPT seller that I set out to be...yet.  :)

I recently saw a quote on someone's Instagram that totally made sense for me at this point in my life.  It said something like, "You can only be happy when you stop comparing yourself to others."  So many of YOU are such fabulous bloggers, TPT sellers, Instagramers, etc.  I don't know how you do it and I applaud you!  But I am going to try my best to stop comparing and feel content that I will get where I want to be when the time is right for me and my family.  :)

For now, I will blog when I am able...though (side note) that may be difficult, since I keep getting this message on my home computer (I am on my husband's computer at the moment):

What's the deal?  Anybody know?  I used to blog on my previous work computer, which I loved, but had to turn it back into my previous school district in June.  *tear*  So this is a new problem.  Any help would be appreciated!

Well, if you actually took the time to read all this, thanks!  #hugstoyou

I plan to soon write a blog post about the awesome Whole Brain Teaching conference that I went to yesterday, so please stay tuned!

Monday Made-It (Late, Of Course)

Good morning to you!  Is it wrong of me to look forward to my son's nap time, so I can blog?  Someone please amuse me and tell me I am not the only one!

Really quick before I get into my Monday Made Its - Check out my NEW and improved and totally awesome social icon buttons!!  I am super excited about them.  The one-and-only and totally amazing Erin at Creating and Designing updated them for me.  If any of you out there are interested in giving your blog a facelift, I would recommend Erin in a heartbeat!  She is great to work with (I e-mailed her about adding new social icon buttons and not only did she get to it in like a day or two, she took it upon herself to make them even cuter than before)!  Thanks, Erin!  I so appreciate it!

So that leads me to my next point...Bloglovin'...yes!  I am lovin' me some Bloglovin'.  I was at first hesitant to try something new, but I am so glad I did.  Bloglovin' makes it so much easier to follow and quickly read the blogs that you love the most.  So if you love my little blog, pretty please follow me!!  (My Bloglovin' button is to the right.)  Thanks!

Ah - one more thing... I (finally) created an account on Instagram.  I would love if you followed me on there!  (Just click on the Instagram button to the right.)  I only have one picture on there now, but there will be more.  I intend on using Instagram as a quick way to show what I am doing in my classroom, particularly when I do not have the time to write a long post about it.

Now on to the show!

 

So yeah - I am late on my Monday Made It... no shocker there.  I was just going to wait until next Monday, but then I read that Tara is not hosting her weekly linky party again until next summer (she will continue to host once a month though).  I am too impatient to wait until next month, so here we go!

 

 

 

I found this ADORABLE teacher gift on Pinterest last year and I knew I wanted to make it for a teacher friend one day.  Then come along these two new, sweet teachers at my school and I knew exactly how to welcome them!

 

Here are the items I included:

Band-Aids

glue stick

chapstick

tacks

Post-It notes

fun paper clips

Starburst candy

binder clips

small roll of tape

 

 

By the way, the FREE cutesie wootsie printable comes from Jena over at First Grade with Miss Snowden, so be sure to hop over there to snag your own copy.  Thank you for sharing, Jena!

 

 

 

This was a very small, simple project.  Originally I was thinking I was going to paint or iron my name on to my pink tote somehow, but... I am not all that creative and I did not trust my lack of artistic ability, so I went with a key chain instead, LOL.  I just created something on the computer, printed and cut it out, then wrapped it up with some clear tape.  Maybe one day I will grow the courage to put my name directly ON the tote...one day...maybe.

 

That is it for projects, for now!  I have the supplies for a "Homework Club" sign waiting for me in my loft, but I just have not gotten around to making it yet.  Soon...I hope.  In the meantime, be sure to hop over to Tara's linky party to check out other amazing projects that other awesome teachers have been working on!

 

 

Random Not-Teaching-Related Thought:

Three years ago today, I married the man of my dreams.  He is everything I ever hoped for in a husband...truly.  I love him SO much and I am very proud to call him my hubby, so I just had to throw that out there!

 

 

(This picture was taken on our wedding day.)

 

 

(And here Mr. Unger is again, being sillly!)

 

Thank you for stopping by!  :)

 

Bloglovin?!

I am intrigued by all of this "Bloglovin" talk I have been hearing / reading about lately.  I am not 100% sure what the dealio is quite yet, but I have a feeling a need and want to get on board! 

 

So Bloglovin is saying I need to paste this link in a new blog post in order to "claim" my blog....

 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5222307/?claim=ahk86nqqdn7">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

 

I hope this works!  :)

A Quick Update Regarding My Freebies

This is the first time I have ever written a blog post at school!  But this one is quick and important....

I just received an e-mail from "Teachers Pay Teachers" regarding copyright issues.  I find it so unfortunate that teachers cannot create and share extension activities that can be used after reading certain books to their classes.  Here is my thought:  If I share a document that peaks the interest of other teachers, they are more likely to either BUY the book themselves or request that their school library BUYS the book!!  So wouldn't others be happy about our free advertising?  Do you agree?  Or is there something I am overlooking here?  If so, please fill me in!

Grr - Okay, I am stepping off my soapbox.

Anyway, what you need to know:  I did go ahead and completely delete a few of my freebies from "Teachers Pay Teachers."  So if you find dead links, I do apologize for that.  Fortunately, there were only a few of my documents at risk.

Okay, that's it!  I hope you're enjoying your Monday!  (I am guessing many of you are on summer break right now?  LUCKY YOU!  Enjoy!)

Classroom Photos and a Blog Makeover!

I am oh-so-excited right now... my blog makeover is complete!  Thank you to Erin at Creating and Designing for all her hard work.  I just love my new blog!

 

Other good news:  Everything is going very well with my new ESL position.  I do miss being a homeroom teacher, BUT this position has many perks - small groups, the ability to more easily differentiate instruction, flexibility to teach to the students' needs (vs. focusing my attention primarily on standards), etc.  And best yet... I have a lot more time to spend with my little family!

 

 

(Side note:  My family had "Five Generation" photos taken last month.  Pretty cool, huh!?)

 

 

Okay, back on track!  I would like to share some photos of my classroom.  Things are starting to come along...

 

 

While pumping at work is a pain... at least I get to have a fridge in my classroom!  :)

 

 

This area is a bit messy right now, but this is where I store things I will be using for instruction throughout the week.

 

 

 

This is my desk area.  I cannot wait to cover that ugly metal file cabinet!

 

 

I love teaching tools that can hang on the wall all year through!

 

 

I started putting this up today.  It will eventually be our ESL Word Wall.  Originally, I thought I would not need a word wall (since I am working with students 4K through 5th), but after a couple of weeks working with kids, I realized I sure do!

 

 

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of our "Happy Birthday" wall, but there was a shelf in my way.  Anyway, I think it turned out cute!  My students are holding signs that say their birthdays.

 

 

I just had to cover that ugly green chalkboard!

 

 

 

I covered up this book shelf because I cannot stand the unorganization!  LOL  I will get to it....eventually....

 

 

This is a simple door sign I threw together.

 

 

 

I covered up my corkboard with glittery scrapbook paper.  How pretty!

 

 

Well, that is it for now!  I have to attend a workshop tomorrow.  I hate having to cancel ESL services for my kiddos, BUT - I do enjoy not having to lesson plan tonight!  :)

 

As always, thank you for stopping by!

HELP?!

Oh no! What a conundrum! I'm hoping someone can help.

My birthday is in a month, so I asked my husband if he would buy me my own blog design.  Being the sweetie that he is, he said yes - AWESOME!  (Side note:  My husband also came home with a surprise "just because" gift for me recently, too - Google's new Nexus!  I love that man!)  However, when I went to my favorite designer, Alicia's, blog - I discovered that she is not taking custom orders until after her maternity leave at the end of September.  I don't think I can wait that long!

By the way, if you want to visit Alicia at "Dreamlike Magic," click the image below.

  Soooo, then I went to another designer's blog that I have had my eye on - "Bitten By the Blog Bug" - only to find that her store is closed!  Oh no!  What is going on here!?       Help!  Can you recommend a blog designer that you like?  I want someone to customize a fun, colorful blog design for me.  Any suggestions from you would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks everyone!  

 

My First Blogger Award! Yippee!!

I woke up this morning to find a message from Lisa over at Criss-Cross Applesauce that she awarded me The Versatile Blogger Award!  Yay!  Thanks Lisa!!  My first blogger award...I am so flattered.  Thank you for re-lighting my fire and desire to blog and share all things teaching!

I so appreciate this recognition, so I want to be sure to follow the blogger award rules:

1 - Thank the person who kindly nominated you by linking back to their blog.  Thank you again Lisa!

2 - Say seven things about yourself - see below, if you're interested.

3 - Pass this award on to 15 newly discovered blogs and let them know they have received an award.

Seven semi-interesting things about myself:

1 - I am pregnant for the first time - 5 months right now!  I cannot tell you how excited we are all around here.  This baby (which is due at the end of May) will be the first grandchild on both sides of the family.

2 - I love to eat!  My favorite foods are guacamole, prime rib, and sushi (which I cannot eat right now, due to the pregnancy...boo).

3 - I am currently reading The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks - my favorite author.

4 - I am slightly obsessed with Cindy Middendorf and her Kinder-friendly approaches to teaching and learning.  Her awesome books are like my teaching bibles, which I have read and re-read.  I have been fortunate enough to see her present 3 times in the last year.  I regulary implement her ideas and strategies in my own classroom.

5 - My favorite band is Collective Soul.  On our wedding day, I walked down the aisle to the all-instrumental song "Pretty Donna" (played by a string quartet).  This song was written by the lead singer of Collective Soul.

6 - I am the mommy of two fat black cats, Sushi and Roscoe.  They were a birthday present from my husband a couple of years ago.  I love them!  I feel so lucky to have found such great kittens at the Human Society.

7 - I love living in the Milwaukee area - the smallest big city in the world!  Okay, the cold and snow in the winter stinks...but everything else makes it worthwhile!

6 blogs that I have recently found that I just love:

Picture Perfect Kinders

Teaching Happily Ever After

Dishing It Out

Mrs. Bauers Buzz

Fantastic 1st Grade

Eberharts Explorers

Okay, I'm going to cheat just a little.  For the remaining 9 blogs, I am going to list some of my old favorites.

Learning with Mrs. Parker

Little Miss Kindergarten

Mrs. Guntorius Class

The Inspired Apple

Kinder Gals

First Grade Blue Skies

Erica Bohrer's First Grade

Chalk Talk

Castles and Crayons 

Happy last day of 2011!  Cheers to the New Year!  Thanks for stopping by.  :)

New Blog Alert - Picture Perfect Kinders!

Alright, maybe I'm a bit biased because Melissa is a friend of mine.  :)  But seriously, she has a great thing going on over at Picture Perfect Kinders!  If you like creative, fun, and student-centered ideas...this is the place for you.  If you are a visual learner like me, you will LOVE all of the pictures she posts.

No doubt you will sense this teacher's genuine passion for teaching after you read a post or two.  Melissa puts so much effort into what she does in the classroom...how lucky are the students in her classroom!?

Okay, why are you still reading this post!?  ;)  Head on over to Picture Perfect Kinders, have fun, and be sure to become her newest follower!  Thanks for stopping by.



Ms. M Teaches Us How to Make a Blog Button!

How great is this!?  The amazing Ms. M has provided all of us with an easy, step-by-step tutorial on how to create your very own blog button!  How exciting!!  I have always wanted to know how to do this...well, at least for as long as I have been blogging, hehe.  THANK YOU, Ms. M!  You are so kind and thoughful!!  I cannot wait until I have some time to sit down and do this.  If you want to find out how to make your own blog button, click HERE!  Have fun!

Useful Information for New Bloggers

As a semi-new blogger, I was super interested in this information that Jenn shared over at Finally in First.  Basically, she gives us the inside scoop on what is okay (and what is not okay) to do when joining a Linky Party.  Thanks again Jenn!  :)