Keep Calm

Have I mentioned that I LOVE my job as a 3rd grade teacher?! Most days I thoroughly enjoy going to work...

 

I love my students and the grade I am teaching. The group of students I have are such a hoot to teach and they are so ridiculously funny. They really enjoy making fun of me and my little twerks, like forgetting where I put my coffee, having difficulty turning the smart board on and off "is it green?!?!", dropping countless things on the floor, using the color purple and wearing it almost every. single. day.  They seriously get me through the day and although I have a few, and I mean, few that test and push my buttons each and every day, but that challenges me to find new ways to get through to them, push them (not literally obviously) and connect with them on new levels to help them thrive in the classroom and outside the class. 

My co-workers this year are amazing. They laugh with me, work with me, and help me be the best teacher I can be at this point in my career. I know I can only get better each and every day and I am so lucky to be working with some of the best teachers I have ever had the chance to meet. I feel like I belong at my school and I really matter this year - I am not in a hole, I am out there, helping and creating curriculum that I am hoping to continue to use year after year. 

When I tell people where I work, their response is usually: "Where is that?". My school district is very tiny and a decent commute each morning. Each student receives a free breakfast AND lunch each and every day because of the poverty level and the community in which the school is located. The high school and middle school are combined and each class has maybe 40-60 students each? Yes, it is very small. The level of students we have in our classrooms vary and we deal with a lot of bilingual students who struggle with english as their main language. Some days I contemplate learning spanish so I can better understand some of my students and I want to be able to communicate with their families as well. Luckily, we have an amazing support staff who helps us in that department!! 

Most people think that because I have weekends off, and like this weekend I had 4 days off, that I spend my days thinking like this:  

  

 I wish!!

Yes, I do have my daughter napping right now and I went around the house organizing and cleaning up a bit.. but I am about to open up my planbook online and complete my planning for the week.. want to see what I do each week? Take a peak...

And this isn't even completely finished. I still need to add my Common Core Standards for each day that I will be teaching to along with finish up math and science for the week. Feel sorry for me yet? Well, don't. I love it. I actually was responsible for implementing this website and it's use into our school. Most teachers will be using this template each and every week so when our principal wants a copy of our lessons, he can easily obtain them all in the same format!  Anyway - that is just a peek at my week. It really entails so much more than that!!


Most days, I feel like I need one of these bad boys.. 

But thankfully, I have cut back on my soda consumption, like a ton, and I only drink one when we go out to eat or if I really really need a pick me up, which is very often for both of those anymore!

Lastly - I can't help but smile lately due to a lot of different things. My daughter is healthy and happy (most days), she sleeps through the night about 90% of the time now, I workout and eat healthy (most days), our small house is coming together slowly but surely into our own (post to come later about our updates!!), I love my husband.. I could go on and on, but for now.. I will just..



while I...