Getting to Know You....

Is that song stuck in your head now, too?

Latoya from Flying into First Grade is hosting a new linky in order to get to know other teacher bloggers.  This one is just for fun and being Latoya's first link-up, I think we should all join in!

This is an ongoing linky that will have a new topic each Sunday, so if you miss this one, you can always join in the next one.

This Sunday's Topic: 3 things about yourself that you like/like to do that start with your initials.

I love all things neat and organized.  Not every space I occupy reflects this feeling, but it is there, I promise.  

M is for Music.

When I don't have music in my life, I don't have a life.  

There have been so many times where I have felt like this girl in this picture.  My brain is exploding with music.  I also laugh as this reminds me of so many of my students.  They love to sing, and I often catch them humming a tune or singing to themselves without even realizing it!  

Music is a part of our soul and it can show our true reflections.

I wish I knew more about reading music.  My three years playing the trumpet for the middle school band just doesn't cut it.  I recently joined my church's choir and need a refresher on reading music! It has been too long :)

T is for teaching.

I love teaching and all of its beauty and pitfalls.

If I had a quarter for all  the times I wished someone would have offered to watch my class for a restroom break....

I cannot count how many times I have rearranged my classroom on the weekend.  I'm planning on going up there tomorrow (the Monday of my Spring Break) in order to rearrange and Spring Clean.  I am excited and not the least bit sad about this decision. See my first initial for more details....)

100% funny

100% true

Well, that's it for me.  What about you? What are 3 things you like? I'd love for you to join in the fun!

I'm excited about the upcoming weeks topics:  2 truths and a lie, would you rather, and top ten!    

Great idea Latoya :)

Link up here.

Happy Trails to you, until we meet again.

My Lucky Seven

Howdy Hey!  I'm linking up with Melissa from

for her adorable St. Patrick's Themed Linky:

I love thinking positively (and don't do it as often as I should!) so when I saw this linky, I knew it would be great for me to join.  Here's My Lucky Seven:

I'm lucky to be married to my spunky, quirky husband.

 He keeps life exciting.

I'm lucky to have my two sisters live in the same town.  And, I'm lucky that in a few months, we will all be certified teachers :) (I love that my two older sisters followed in my footsteps to become teachers.  I'm such a trend setter.)

I'm lucky to get to collaborate with WONDERFUL and EXPERIENCED teachers.

Check out Melissa's blog for all things inspiration.

I'm lucky to be able to go to Professional Development that gives me a push in the right direction when I'm pulling my hair out. I wouldn't have made it through these past 3 years of teaching without my Region Center.

I truly am lucky in my classroom this year.  My students are amazing (have I mentioned I only have TEN?!?!)

I'm lucky to have traveled this past year. 

London and Chicago.

I'm a lucky bear...not by blood but by marriage. 

Sic Em.

Currently March

It's that time of the month again....(no, not that time of the month...the other, more fun and enjoyable time of the month!)

Farley's Currently is here!

(Click the picture to link up!)

Listening to Parenthood.   I just recently jumped on the bandwagon and I cannot help myself. I also cannot stop crying.  This is TV at its finest, ya'll!

Loving all things St. Patrick's Day.  I think St. Patrick's Day is my unofficial favorite holiday.  My favorite color is green.  It always falls on Spring Break.  And there's little leprechauns running around "tricking" people.  What's not to love?  This year will the the 2nd annual Leprechaun visit to our classroom.  Last year I a Leprechaun left us tiny little notes around the classroom along with "gold nugget stars"  My kids LOVED it and were always trying to catch the lucky little guy.  This year he is returning and I cannot wait to see what creative traps my students come up with this time :)

Thinking about next school year.  Things will change, and I hate change.  I'm meeting with my Superintendents this week. YIKES!  Let's just say I'm always a little anxious these days.

Wanting a smoothie.  Yummmmmmm. 'Nough said.

Needing Spring Break.  At this point, what teacher doesn't need a well deserved break?

Like: Noodles

Love: Naps

Hate: Nervousness

I like noodles.  Anything with noodles is usually tasty.  I love to cook oodles of noodles.

I love naps.  Today I said I was going to take a nap, but then I turned on Parenthood and started to bawl my little eyes out.

I hate nervousness.  I recently joined the church choir and get SUPER nervous when I have to stand up in front and sing.  Don't get me wrong, it's fun and I love it.  But I haven't mastered my nerves yet.  I am also nervous about the next school year...but I think I already mentioned that to you.

I'd better go get some lesson planning done so that I can go to my friends CD Release party. She also got engaged last night, and I am so happy for her.  She sings in the choir with me.  Today we sang a rather sad and somber song for lent, but she was just SMILING away as she sang.  I thought it was funny; she's just so happy she's engaged!  Gotta love young love :)

I hope you have a well-structured week. (Who am I kidding?  I hope your week flies by so that you can get to your Spring Break already!)

Deep in the Heart of Texas *clap*clap*clap*clap*

I'm linking up with Diane from Fifth in the Middle to try to meet some other Texas bloggers.  I am excited about the possibilities!

Click on the picture to link up with your state.

Thanks Diane for this great idea

:)

Only 6 more days until Spring Break for us.  I can almost smell the vacation…...

-The Frizz

Teacher Wish List Linky

I'm linking up with Melissa from

If I had all the money in the world to spend on my classroom, here's what I would want: Art Supplies

This year, we don't even have water colors. 

A Classroom Globe. 

Enough base ten blocks so that each child can use them to count.  

Why are they so expensive?

A rack to put my headphones on for my listening center.  

The tangles are driving us bonkers.

A Big Bulletin Board.  Right now I have one that is half this size.  Everything else I put on the wall must be taped or sticky tacked.  No staples or tacks.  (Needless to say, everything keeps falling off the walls!)

STORAGE!

I had two of these at my old school.  When I moved, I wasn't given a single shelf or cabinet to put all of my random junk teaching materials in.  Many tears have been shed over this downsize.

Again, a shelf like this would make all my dreams come true.  Right now I have two teeny tiny shelves that I bought from Target holding all of our materials.

I want my kidney table back.  This year I didn't really have room for it in my classroom.  I miss it.

I want all of these...but only in green, blue, and purple to match my classroom colors.

I would put the containers in my classroom library on low shelves like these.

Or this one.

Or this one.

Love the storage space! Dream come true!

I basically want Tunstall's Classroom! So jealous of all that chevron!

Click the picture to take a look at her beautiful classroom!

This one is for kicks and giggles.  

It will never happen at the district I work for, but a girl can dream!

I could go on and on, but I will stop here.

Click on Melissa's blog button below to link up!

The Frizz

Six for Saturday?

I am finally linking up with Kasey from Doodle Bugs Teaching this week for her Five for Friday linky.  I hate linking up late, so I thought in order to make up for it I would add one extra picture and call it Six for Saturday.

Anyone with me when I say the shortest weeks feel like the longest?

Here's what's been happening in First Grade:

Monday: President's Day Holiday! No School!  Hip Hip Hooray!

Tuesday and Wednesday: 

 Thursday: I went to a 1st and 2nd grade training at our Region center.  It was thebomb.com.  

My Friend Liz from my old school was there and we got to hang out all day long!  I SO needed that!

Aside from learning SO MUCH, we also won door prizes!  

Here we are with our anglegs.  

We also got our free choice of a book from B&N.

I picked Wild About Books and my friend picked Henry's Freedom Box.

I guess I'm going to have to stop saying that "I never win anything."  

We won BIG this time!

I had so many "AHA" moments at that conference.  It was great to be able to talk it out with Liz.  At two separate times we both said to each other, "I need to re-do everything in my classroom!"  

By the end of the day, we were feeling so excited and overwhelmed with all of the new information and strategies, we convinced each other to go straight home and plan it all out.  Put it on paper.

Here's how I planned it out:

Yep! That's right.  I went shopping!

Can you blame me?

I felt a lot better after that.  

(Update: Since then I have managed to put what I've learned into my lesson plans.  It's happening next week.  I will let you know how it goes!)

On Friday, my class earned a party and voted to have a "game day".  Students brought their favorite game to school and we played it after lunch. 

 I taught two of my students how to play Battleship (a childhood favorite of mine!)  

The headbands game was a HIT.  I even joined in a few rounds and had the time of my life! 

It was fun to see who brought what games.  We had an anger birds game and a princess spinner story telling game!

Saturday: Laundry day.

Thanks for humoring me with my Five for Friday Six for Saturday!  

Have you ever heard of Roam, Dip, Sit?  

That's what I'm trying out during centers on Monday!

Wish me luck!