I got an award!

This must be how kids feel when I give them a Super Student award every quarter. :) Well first of all let me thank Angela at Hippo Hooray for Second Gradefor the Versatile Award.

Here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you
2. Include a link to their blog
3. Include the award image in your post
4. Give seven random facts about yourself
5. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award
6. When nominating, include a link to their blog
7. Let other bloggers know they've been nominated

So here are my 7 random facts about me.
1. I hate sauces ie. ketchup, mustard, dressings (of any sort) and BBQ. I do like melted cheese though. :)
2. I'm a huge Dave Matthews Band fan. I've been to about 18-19 shows. I lost track and so upset that I never saved all my tickets.
3. My first job was a Dairy Queen.
4. I have taught Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th grade.Third is my favorite.
5. I am Peruvian/Ecuadorian and I speak fluent spanish.
6. I own a 2 year old Yorkie, Bailey, who really sounds like a baby crying when he whines in his cage.
7. I didn't pierce my ears until I was 27. The thought of making holes in my ears freaked me out BUT I pierced my tongue when I was 21. I'm strange I know. (PS..my tongue is no longer pierced.)

Okay on to my nominations. I'm hoping I can find 15 awesome bloggers that haven't gotten this award yet.
Teaching is Bliss
Teaching Third
Mrs. Heeren's Happenings
Kinder's a hootFor the Love of Teaching and Crafts
Leading and ReadingMiss Fuerst Reading Adventures
Miss Siverhus
Still Teaching after all these years
Ms. Marciniak's First Grade Critter Cafe


Okay I swear I tried but I can't find 15 bloggers that don't have this award. I'm sorry. :( But check out the ones I did find. They are pretty sweet.

Newbie Blog Hop

I'm so excited to add myself to this list of newbies but I have no idea if I'm doing this correctly. Here I go!

1. what state you are in: OH-IO!

2. your current teaching position: 3rd grade

3. your teaching experience:Kindergarten (2 years), 2nd grade (1 year), 3rd grade, (2 years),4th and 5th grade (2 years), 7th and 8th grade (1 year) The joys of working in an unstable, large urban district.

4. when you started blogging: Just last month. I'm having issues with making mine my own. I love stalking others though!

5. share a blogging tip / blogging resource: Right now it's just my boyfriend. I'm not giving up though! :)

Call me, maybe

So my parents don't usually make a big effort to come and see me much throughout the year. I don't take offense. I see them at Open House and when I ask them to come see me. That's good enough I guess.  Anyway, I was trying to think of a good way to communicate with them this coming year. I've noticed that many of them are so preoccupied with their phone when they do come in.  They all have cell phones and love to text (like my students! and me). I started a googlevoice number today. It was super easy to start and the best part....IT'S FREE! So I'm going to visitaprint and making business cards with my googlevoice number so they can call or text when needed.  It rings to my current cell and if by any chance I get a nutty parent or student, it's just a quick delete button to end the craziness. I'm hoping to never have to do that but ya never know. I'll let you know how it works.Google Voice!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! I've spent the majority of it indoors.  It's crazy hot in Ohio today! No fireworks for me. I don't get as excited as I used to about them. Maybe because I have no kids and Bailey (my 2 year old Yorkie) and boyfriend are not big fans either.
Anyway, since I was in the A/C all day, I had time to stalk soooo many blogs todays and I'm so jealous of them. I have no idea how to make mine so pretty. A few of them discussed Whole Brain teaching and it renewed my excitement to start with that this coming up school year.  My friends and I are going to the Mid-West Whole Brain conference next week. I'm so stoked that I got so many of them to go considering none of them have ever heard of it. But when I get enthusiastic about something, I really talk it up! ;)
I actually read about Whole Brain teaching like 3 years ago during one of my summer internet days and honestly, the only thing I used was the "Hands and Eyes" in my class. Oh and the "Honk, honk, good job, good buddy!" LOVE THAT! I really need to try something new with this new group of students. I really want to get them enthusiastic about learning. I hope this is the trick.
Anyway, if you want to know more about Whole Brain teaching check out some videos and their awesome website. There's so much...I get overwhelmed so I'm hoping the conference with put it all together for me. I'll let you know about it next week! :)

Whole Braining Teaching website

Oh hello blogging world!

My boyfriend seems to think that I am unemployed because I'm a teacher and I have my summers "off."  So he keeps trying to get me to do something (personally I think so I'll leave him to play video games after work.) Anyway, I thought I'd look for something that doesn't cost a lot of money because, well, I don't have it. So blogging it is.
I am completely addicted to Pinterest and have been reading some awesome teacher blogs and they say it really helps them stay on track with teaching and I need that. I really love my job but there are times when I really need the motivation to keep teaching students that...don't be mad people...really don't have that desire to learn.  Before I get attacked (and please don't...I'm super sensitive) it's not all my students and many are just a product of their environment.  I honestly want to be that inspiration for them all and I know I have been to a few so I trek on year after year.
So that's what I think my blog is mainly going to be about. The things I do for teaching and my reflection on how it works and also maybe some personal ramblings about me. So be patient with me as I figure this blogging thing out.