Teacher Reflections Day 5

Sorry I'm late on posting! Here's Day 5! :)

How do you keep your classroom organized?

Oh my goodness! What is this thing called organization?? I don't think I know what that means, haha! I always try to get things organized but they never seem to stay that way!

Here are a few things I use to try to keep my classroom organized:
- Bins - I use bins for everything! And of course they are all labeled (books, SS HW, LA HW, lined paper, white paper, journals, etc. etc. etc.)
- Trays - I use trays every where! I have trays for homework that needs to be graded, homework that has been graded, important papers, to be filed, and have trays for materials for teaching for every day of the week
- Caddies - I use caddies at tables and desks so there are always materials ready for the students. So they always have crayons, markers, glue sticks, etc.
- Shelves - I use a lot of shelves, my room is bookshelf galore! :)
- Files - I file everything!!!
- My computer - I would absolutely DIE without my laptop! :)
Here's a picture of my laptop amidst the mess of the surprise decorations from my students for my birthday! :)


I'm constantly on the look out for new ideas to organize my classroom. If you have any please share! :)

Teacher Reflections Day 4

Day 4
What were you most worried about as you approached your first day as a teacher?

I remember my first day as a teacher when I was driving to school and was actually crying in fear! I was so worried that I wasn't going to be able to get 30 2nd graders to listen to me, afraid I was going to do something wrong that would set the entire year off on a bad start. Turns out I was crying for nothing because it was a great year! Of course there were some ups and downs that year, as every first year teacher knows!

The thing that I was most worried about was classroom management. Was I going to be able to get them to listen to me? Would they learn anything from me? Would they walk all over me? How do I get 8 years olds attention?
To this day this is what I am most worried about every year. I'm always worrying about how to get my classroom to run the way I want it to. How do I make sure my students are learning? These are questions that I'm always worrying about! I just hope it gets easier SOME DAY!!

All my teacher friends out there...any advice?? :)

Teacher Reflections Day 3

Day 3

In which area do you think you can improve the most?

The area of teaching where I think I can improve the most is classroom management. I have always had a difficult time with this area. When I started teaching middle school I really struggled with wanting the kids to like me. I probably let them get away with too much, then the next year I realized that I needed to be more strict, and may have gone overboard at times.
In order to help me better understand my management style, I'm taking an online course in Classroom Management specifically for grades 4-8 since I teach 6th grade. I'm really hoping that I can learn some new strategies and have the best year ever!

Teacher Challenge Day 2

Day 2
What do you believe is your greatest strength as a teacher?

I believe that my greatest strength as a teacher is my passion for finding new and interesting activities and assignments to help aid my instruction. I'm also really passionate about using technology as much as possible in the classroom. I strive to find fun and interactive activities to keep my student engaged. I constantly am researching and finding new resources to use in the classroom!
Another strength would be my passion for education! I truly believe in education and giving my students the education they deserve. I get really upset when politicians don't value education, which unfortunately in AZ is a lot of the time! :(

A Teacher's Reflection

So this school year was a difficult one. I definitely was not at my best this year, so I'm going to do a lot of reflecting over the summer. I'm also taking an online class, and am making some new and specific plans for this upcoming school year.

So part of this reflection process is going to be a teacher's 30 Day Blog Challenge. If you're a teacher and want to join in, check out Julie's blog!

So here it goes!
Day 1
How did you decide to become a teacher?

Well growing up I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I had a chalkboard (I know I'm old, lol) in my room and I would "teach" all of my stuffed animals, my sister, or friends from the neighborhood.
In high school we had to do a research project about a career that we wanted to pursue. Of course I chose teaching, but we had to choose 2 to compare them. The other career that I decided to research was a lawyer, totally the opposite! I chose lawyer because in the back of my mind I thought that would be neat, and it would be great to make much more money than a teacher! In the end I realized that I would absolutely hate being a lawyer!
So after high school I went to NAU to start my education to become a teacher! I've now been teaching for 7 years, and still can't believe it's been that long!

Tune in tomorrow for Day 2 of my reflections!

Workin' it out!

Phew! I went to not just ONE, but TWO workout classes at the gym today!! I got up early, got the kids up, and then we headed to LA Fitness so I could do Zumba!
Then this afternoon we went BACK to LA Fitness to do Bootcamp! Both of which kicked my BOOTY!! I seriously don't think I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow! I'm hoping to get the most out of my $$ while we're out of school for the summer!!


On a side note, here are a couple pictures of my kids from just a few minutes ago...I guess I need to put the laundry away instead of leaving it in the living room!

Here is Aiden wearing one of my shirts, and a pair of my underwear around his neck...



And Addison wear a pair of my underwear around her waist!



Total blackmail pictures for when they are older!! ;)