The times. They are a-changing.

Hello, friends!

Every time I start to type a post on my sad little blog I make all types of resolutions about how I'm going to be better.  It's just so tricky for me to find that balance during the school year.  It's at the very top of my summer to do list, and I'm hoping to find lots of inspiration in the relaxation (or crazy busy-ness) of the summer.

I'm here today to share some incredibly exciting news.  (Well, at least it's incredibly exciting to me.)  After 4 years with my current school, I decided to take a new position at a different school next year.  Teaching kindergarten!  Which is funny, because if you know me I always swore up and down that I would never go younger than first.  But, the school that I'm moving to has all the things I'm looking for, so I'm testing the waters of kindergarten, and I figure if I decide it's not for me I can probably adjust grade levels again in a year or two.  Right??  While I have no idea where/what I'm going to do with all the stuff I've accumulated over 4 years (no garage, live in an apartment), I am really excited for a new start in the fall.  It will be hard to leave the friends I've made over the past 4 years, but I'm pretty confident that I made the right decision.

Over the summer I'll probably start to transition to some more kindergarten based content, but I'm hoping to still share some first grade shenanigans.  I'm also planning to read Smarter Charts over the summer (I've heard a TON of great things about that book!)   In case you're not familiar, basically the author talks about how to make charts useful to kids by illustrating processes and making charts interactive.  

And I'm also planning to finish Putting the Practices Into Action, a great book about the SMPs (standards for mathematical practice) in the Common Core.  I actually got this book (an embarrassingly long time ago) at a PD and started it, but then got busy with school and didn't finish it.  I'm excited to go back and re-read/finish it because it has tons of actionable ideas for a variety of grade levels and it's a very easy read.

And in non-teacher related news, I'm planning to read The Fault in Our Stars.  Just because.  Should anything else be on my summer reading list?

Enjoy the rest of the week!
xoxo

A prize for teachers!

Okay, y'all.  I can't even really properly express how proud I am for actually doing some weeknight blogging.

I really think that I'm close to having some more closure on my life for next year, which is making me feel a little more zen.  Tonight I just wanted to share a super exciting treat that I'm sure other (nerdy) teachers will feel just as excited about.  I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with this amazing and super great math program called Splash Math.  It's available for K-5 and it's basically a self-paced math site that lets kids practice all their grade level standard.  I LOVE it because it auto-differentiates, and it collects data on each kid.  And, here's the best part!  Normally, because of how totally fab is, Splash Math charges you either per kid, or a particular amount for an entire class, but until the end of the year Splash Math! is giving you an entire class of kids, activities, and data tracking FOR FREE!  That's right, teacher friends--FREE!  You can sign up your entire class for the rest of the year using the link above.  It will guide you through the entire process of registering.

I hope you all enjoy the last few days, or weeks, of school with Splash Math.  =)
xoxo

May Currently...WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

I canNOT believe that it's already May!  The Derby is already past and tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo.  How can that be?!  And while everyone else in the entire world is counting down until they are out of school I'll be in school all the way until JUNE 21ST!  Yikes.  Serenity now.

Anyway, I figure it's okay to be tardy to the party this month, considering how crazy my April was.  I mean, really, that month literally just zoomed by.  And every dang month I swear I'm going to blog more and then it's the next dang month's currently.  I really don't understand how this keeps happening to me!  =)  I'm going to try and blog once a week this month.  Without any further ado, here is my May currently.

Honestly, I think most everything in my Currently this month is pretty self-explanatory.  I would just like to encourage everyone to check out Fabulous in First.  It's the first blog I ever read, and I still love to check it out.  I also love her TpT store; she has so many incredibly helpful products.  

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y'all!  

xoxo

Super Focused

Okay, y'all.  The entire month of April has been super crazy--my parents came out to visit, it was spring break, we went to NYC, the twinnies moved to North Carolina, it was Easter, I turned 30 (ack!), and my siblings-in-law came out for my birthday.  Then, it was May.  Seriously.  So pardon the dust that is gathering on the blog.  We're going to kick it off today.

First, I'm here to tell you about an AMAZING giveaway going on at the Primary Chalkboard.  (By the way, if you don't follow them you should.  It's an amazing collaborative blog.)  They're giving away $35 to TpT right before the next sitewide sale.  Great timing, right?!  You can enter the most amazing contest on the face of the planet right here:  you get a giftcard, you get a giftcard, EVERYONE GETS A GIFTCARD!  Sorry--I couldn't resist doing my best Oprah impression.  But seriously.  Go enter the contest.  I'll be back later today after Jillian Michaels kicks my hinney and I go to Eastern Market to share real classroom things.  =)

xoxo