Back to School Currently!!

Today was my first real day of summer vacation! Yep, you read that correctly! There was so little time between jobs (a week) and it was mainly doing errands and packing/rearranging all of my teaching supplies at my house...which STILL have not all been moved. Then I jumped right in to summer school which just ended yesterday!

But now it's time to do the fun stuff! Sleep, relax, lay by the pool, and help my sister with last minute wedding stuff before she gets married. Three weeks of freedom!! Whoo hoo!

Added bonus...I have time to blog for fun things like Farley's CURRENTLY!

Listening: I'm enjoying a night of nothing that I have to do! I've got my wine, tv, and Covert Affairs! I just love watching a woman in a tough girl role!

Loving: My new school and co-teacher Lauren! We jumped right in to teaching together with almost zero planning time together and we totally clicked! I had to talk to a parent yesterday who is placing her child in a school in the fall and wanted to know the differences between the school I came from and the school I now teach at. I was completely professional and respectful of my old position, but at the same time the woman clearly saw the advantages for me as a teacher at my new school! We have a great staff, great kids, and I couldn't ask for a better teaching partner!

Thinking: My new curriculum is still not quite in my comfort zone. I've slowly figured it out, but it wasn't easy jumping in on chapter 8 where the last teacher left off! It was great for the learning curve of the kids, but I still need time to understand how it all works. There are sooo many hands-on learning materials (which are wonerful!!) but it's hard to figure out which ones they are referring to. One page said to use "Echo" and I thought that was some form of cards/posters/supplies...turns out it's the name of the owl puppet! The kids repeat after the owl!

Wanting: SLEEP! I honestly was in my bed by 8:30 last night and out cold by 8:45! It's been a long summer of my alarm going off at 5:45. I loved that little second when I turned my automatic weekday alarm to the "off" position!

Needing: to put some serious thought in our small group area organization! We have a tiny closet of a room for one area, and a horse-shoe table area in our main classroom. We swap who teaches where so that no one is trapped in the closet all day! I have the main room for reading groups and the closet for math groups. This poses a problem of the last teachers materials still being there from the previous group when the next group goes in. There is only a 15 min. break between the group sessions and it involves us taking the kids out to recess. We need to have a way for both of us to have our materials ready when we need them, but out of the way when the next person comes in.

Don't let this picture fool you, there is NOTHING more to this room than you see in the picture! The other wall is directly out of view on the right of this photo. In fact there are usually 2 more chairs and a minimum of 5 humans in this room. There is a big closet, but it's triangle shaped and awkward to stack boxes and materials in it. I'm grateful for the separate room so we don't teach over the top of each other, but the organization of that back shelf needs some help.

B2S Must Haves: These are obvious! I honestly went to Target not once, but TWICE today!

March Currently

Happy Saturday People! I am so excited for the weekend! I plan to relax a bit and get some serious organizing done.

There is a semi-formal dinner/dance with the parents of our students tonight and I'm conveniently avoiding it. I am at a private school and we have all sorts of "fun" events that aren't mandatory, but really they kinda are. As a staff, we've all decided we're allowed to skip one a year. This one is mine this year. It's a really nice dinner, a live band, and a dance floor. This all sounds fun, but then there is the fact that I live at least 30 minutes away (depending on traffic) and  we're with a bunch of parents of our students. So we either have to be very careful what we talk about, or we somehow end up talking about their kids and it feels like conferences.

Time for Currently!! Thanks again for being a great host Farley!

Listening- I have been a busy bee this week and missed just about every one of my shows. Hulu is my friend this morning, and the current show is Touch. I'm mesmerized by this little show. I think it might have something to do with the kid reminding me of my students with autism. The ones who have so much going on in their little heads, but don't really say much. It's like a mystical world when something jumps out and you see just how much the kid knows/thinks about.

Loving- Lululemon! I've become a CrossFit addict! It's a good addiction since I'm super in shape now, but it's caused a shopping problem! I made this mistake of buying one pair of Lululemon pants, and now I realize how amazing they are. I can't even wear a couple of my cheapy ones from Target anymore after wearing these!

My latest purchase. Love them!!

Thinking- I need to write a formal lesson plan this weekend. It's part of my "Top Secret" if you read my post yesterday. Do you know how long it's been since I've had to write one?! I feel like I only do it once a year and it takes all my effort to remember all the parts. I honestly have ones from grad school saved so I can reference them. Hahaha! I'm choosing my Geoboard lesson that went so amazingly this week :)

Wanting- I want a vacation! Sadly, I also want someone to go with! My best teacher friends are newbie teachers so we know what that means...they're broke. I'm thinking I might book an overnight trip in Napa/Sonoma or something. I'm so close that it's a super easy drive from here. I figure it would be super cheap for a couple days during the middle of the week.

Needing- To organize my files! I don't have a file cabinet at school because I teach in a cottage where there is no logical place for one. Most of my stuff is in binders, but I've been keeping some on shelves, and it looks tacky. So I now have more binders and 2 new file folder boxes to put them in. I'll also be doing some serious recycling!

These L words were hard! I had to use Google to come up with a couple

Like- Ladybugs (inspired by the caterpillars we've had in my class all week)

Love- Lululemon! I've already explained this obsession above!

Hate- Lice! It's my number 1 teacher fear!! One year I wore my hair in an old lady librarian bun for 3 weeks straight as the kids in my class passed it around. Eeek!!!

Super Sale Linky!! Currently!

It's a SUPER SALE...IT'S A LINKY... IT'S A SUPER LINKY!! So join us or just do some shopping, because let's face it... that's what we do when we don't watch football! Or maybe just online between plays if we do...

Everything in my TPT store is on sale for 20% plus the additional TPT 10% makes 28% off everything!

Click here to shop at my TPT store!

Take a peek at some of the big sellers and new stuff added lately:

Focused Fred *~FREEBIE~* is now available to go with Independent Iggy as requested by YOU! Kari and I made up Fred thinking it was ridiculous. So I love that he not only works for us, but you too! These super easy behavior charts are working wonders in my classroom! Every 10 stars = a prize. Earning a smelly sticker has been a HUGE (cheap) prize. I use Fred for the kids who need constant reminders to stay on task. I use Iggy for the kid who always asks for help when he really doesn't need it and can do it on his own. It's been a huge confidence builder! Not to mention a time saver for me as a teacher!

Link up! Feel free to use the image at the top! Spread the word!

Currently!!

Thanks Farley for being a great Currently host!

I have been doing tons of work in my classroom thanks to some water damage and a massive amount of construction. During this mess I've come to love Songza for some music while I work. If you want to see my before and after construction pics, just go take a peek at the post here. 

Wait I forgot a HUGE new love!! So I'm too lazy to update my image, but I'm using my new Google Chrome laptops! I have one for each kid in my class!! I brought one home to play with this weekend and see everything it can do! Share! What would you do with a class set of laptops? I'm going to find a way to work them into every inch of my curriculum!

I've been so busy cleaning up that all I've had time to put in my TPT store are little freebies. Although, this means my blog readers and TPT store followers are reaping the *Freebie* benefits!

I've become obsessed with CrossFit and getting in shape! This means of course...shopping! For new workout clothes! I made the mistake of going to Lululemon. I was good and only got one thing, but I totally want more! I'm so impressed by my strength since I started! Yesterday I did front squats and was able to lift my entire body weight! Added benefit... All my pants are too loose. Wait, is that another reason to go shopping?!

Pet Peeve: All of the CA freeways are under construction = ROCKS! I got 2 chips (simultaneously) last week, and just had them filled by a very friendly guy in my school parking lot while I was teaching. Then I got hit by another on my way to work yesterday! Ugh! Not sure this one is even big enough to need filled, but still annoying!

Happy New Year Currently!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Time for the first Currently of the new year! Once again the fabulous Farley is the host!

Listening- I have seen far too many episodes of Law & Order, yet somehow every time there is a marathon, I discover some I haven't seen. 

Loving- My mom got me a pasta maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer, and I'm super excited! I made spinach pasta with homemade alfredo the other day! Yum! Now I want to try to make macaroni!

Thinking- I had a ton to bring home for break (presents, books, etc.) and somehow I remembered 5 different curriculum manuals and not my lesson plan book! I'm deciding if I should stop by school to get it, or say "Forget it!" and relax all week! I think I've decided the maintenance crew will be my deciding factor... if they are there working and the alarm is off I'll go, if not... I'll be a bum!

Wanting- I honestly do not have anything I really want! I got everything I wanted and more for Xmas! I had to be creative. I want to make super awesome original pasta flavors! I think maybe sweet pea will be next!

Needing- I've been sick for a month straight. Getting slightly better each day, but this darn congestion and cough just won't end. Ugh!

OLW- Happiness! I've been super stressed lately and so my goal for 2013 is to find my happy...in every way...home, work, and social life.

Cheers to the new year everyone!!