Carolina Blogger's Meetup

In 2 weeks I will be heading back for my first official workday!  Where has my summer gone?!?!?!?  I know some of you have already headed back, and I can't imagine that!  This week will be packed with conferences and then my sister is getting married this weekend.  Bottom line, its going to be busy busy busy around here!

I have to actually set the alarm for the AM because I am going to the Pinnacle Conference.  I was chosen to be part of this technology group in my district that helps give teachers  tools and resources to support technology integration into their classroom back in 2010.  It was the reason I started blogging!  It was a requirement that I honestly thought was lame at the time!  Oh what I would have missed out on if I hadn't started this journey!  I have made so many amazing friends through blogging.  Not to mention how much I have grown as an educator because of blogging.

This past weekend I had a chance to meetup with some of my Carolina Blogging Buddies (CBBs) in Greenville, SC.  The amazing and adorable Amanda Madden planned this super fun meetup along.  She is such a doll!  Our riddler for the weekend was Ginger.  She came up with a neat scavenger hunt that allowed us to see all the key places in Greenville.  Love these ladies!

I headed down with my real life and bloggy BFF, Amber and man did we have fun!  I mean we have fun where ever we are, but this weekend was especially fun!

We stayed at the Westin downtown and it was NICE!  This is a pic of all my roomies.  Brandee, Elizabeth, Natalie, and Amber.

Love this black and white shot of Amber, Natalie and I from dinner at The Lazy Goat.  We all indulged in the Happy Hour special, a Strawberry Daiquiri Martini.  Yumo!

We spent the night at a local Dualing Piano Bar which was so much fun!  I think Amber and I had the most fun, but I may be a little biased!

Saturday we headed over Chicora Alley for lunch and it was delicious!  Its like Mexican meet American.  Yall know how I love my tacos, so I was in heaven.

 Amanda made each of us a nametag and giftbag all with the G-Vegas theme.  So cute!!  Natalie also made delicious cupcakes complete with a theme topper.  

This is a shot of some of us before heading over to lunch.  

I had an absolute blast meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones!  I can't wait till our next meetup which is happening in Charleston!  Head over and check out some of the amazing Carolina Bloggers.  

Brooke from Whooo's in Second?

Sarah at Education Electrification

Diane at Fun in Second Grade

Heather at Room 4 Imagination

Amber at Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher

Natalie at Teachery Tidbits

Kim at Thanks to a Teacher

Kris at The Poole Pages

Brandee at Creating Lifelong Learners

Courtney at Second Grade Snapshots

Ginger at GingerSnaps

Rachel at The Tattooed Teacher

Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B

Ashley from Primary Teacherhood

Tammy at Life, Love, Literacy

Emily AND Kerry at Third and Goal

Lauren at The Sweetest Thing

Jeannie at The Second Grade Surprise

Lana at 4 The Love of Teaching

Amanda at Teaching Maddeness

Guess I better head to bed, the alarm will be ringing before I know it.  I hope I win an awesome prize tomorrow!

Carolina Blogger Meetup

This weekend was ah-mazing and just what I needed after a bad horrible week!  Amber and I started our blogger meetup on Friday by heading out to meet Elizabeth who we both felt like we had known FOREVER (but had never met!) We all began our blogs around the same time and continued to keep up with each other.  Only at a blogger meetup would you ask to spend the night at a strangers house because you KNOW them, even though you have never met!  As Amber and I pulled into Elizabeth's driveway we were very excited and kept saying, "its going to be fine.  We know her!"  Well as soon as she opened the door, she was exactly like we knew she would be!  We spent the evening drinking wine (2 bottles to be exact!), chatting about school, and discussing the fact that all our real life friends thought it was strange just plain weird that we would meet up with people we only talk to on the computer.  The running joke was that Amber and I could have tied Elizabeth up in her sleep!  

It was a great night and that continued the following day at our 'official' blogger meetup! It was great to meet up with so many fab ladies at California Dreaming in downtown Columbia. 

 Rebecca at Landing in K did a great job of putting everyone's name and blog in, I am borrowing it!  

Make sure you go follow all these awesome ladies!!!!

from left to right- sort of!

 Autumn, Ashley, and Tammy from Fanatical in First Grade

Kim (starting her blog soon, right Kim?!?)

Ginger from Gingersnaps Treats for Teachers

Elizabeth from Fun in 4B

Gretchen from Always a Lesson

Hope from 2nd Grade Shenanigans

Dana from 3rd Grade Gridiron

Shasta from The Loop

Heather and Juli from Simple In Second

Amanda from Teaching Maddeness

Amber from Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher

Rachel from The Tattooed Teacher

Elisabeth from Twins, Teaching and Tacos

Rebecca from Landing in K

Natalie from Teachery Tidbits

Lacie from Polka Dots & Pencils

I have already started my blog stalkin' and am happy to have so many new bloggy friends. I vote for the next meetup to be at the beach...Who's with me ?!?!?!?
Happy Stalkin'!

Valadation

Since I have been in my new role as an Instructional Facilitator, I have really missed teaching a class.  Today I taught my first class!!!!  I was honored to be asked by our math Specialist for my district to model a 3rd grade math lesson.   Hello, I LOVE me some 3rd grade!!!!  Even though I had taught this exact lesson last year in my own classroom, I was super nervous.  I had never met these teachers, been in this building, met these kids, and they were videoing me!  No pressure, right?!?!?

I was immediately set at ease when I met the principal.  He was actually my AP when I was in Jr. High!  I went down to the classroom and got ready to teach.  As soon as I began the lesson it all came back to me!  The lesson was AWESOME and the kids really had a good understanding of the concept. That's right folks, I still got it!  I had no clue which kids were EC, ESL, AIG so it was neat to just teach without knowing which label belonged to which kid.  There was one girl who kept showing me all her work and she was getting all the answers right.  She even took it to a level that I hadn't expected.  At the end of the lesson she came up to me and said, "I had never shared out in front of the class like I did today."   I was ecstatic to see that I could walk into a room with kids I've never met and get that kind of reaction.  After the lesson we had a debrief with the teachers and found out that the girl who had exceeded my expectations during the lesson, was EC!  I told them I would have never known that if I hadn't been told.

 Today validated my move out of the classroom, and I am finally finding it easier. I did go by and visit my previous school to see Sonya and Rebecca (who I love!).  I had a great convo with one student who asked, "Mrs. Haywood, when are you coming back to teach here?  Because I need you to be my teacher again."  Talk about melt my heart!  This was a kid who I struggled with all year, and had no idea I made that kind of impact on him.

This week is slammed for me, so I am sooo excited to have a blogger meetup this weekend!  I can't wait to meet and hang out with some of my all time favorite bloggers.

Amber and I are having a sleepover at Elizabeth's house!  We are going to be like teenagers again! I don't think she knows what she agreed to :)

Thanks to all my awesome followers I have hit 200!  Be on the look out for a great giveaway soon.

Carolina Girls, Best in the World!

Today was our Carolina Blogger Meetup and while our numbers were small, we had a great time!  Whats the saying, three's a crowd?  Well we had a party then!  I just love getting together with other teachers because there is always something to talk about.  We chatted about the new school year, common core, crafts on pinterest, and blogs we read.  I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies and missed those that couldn't join us.

Only teacher bloggers would go blindly into a meet up not knowing who they were meeting, not to mention we put exactly where we were meeting out there for all the web to see!  But honestly, it was like we were old friends as soon as we said "Hi, my name is _____"

I missed the black, white and grey memo on what to wear!  Loud called and they want their dress back!  (just for you Huff!)

Make sure you check these ladies out!

Amber

Angie
Kathy

And just incase your wondering, that is the famous Rebecca (my former principal)!  A fun time was had by all and I can't wait to meet up with more bloggers in Columbia.

Hello August!

Thanks to so many of you who are celebrating my 1 year blogiversary with me!  I love all my friends in blogland and am so happy to be able to collaborate with teachers I would never work with otherwise.

I can't believe it is already August!  Where did my awesome summer go?  It flew by that is for sure.  As most of you know I accepted a new position for the upcoming school year and that meant moving schools.  Double UGH!  I have a little problem with keeping every possible thing I have thinking I will use it sometime later, but don't and it sits for years  being a pack-rat.  I WISH I could be more like my former teammate Erica   and be a "pitcher" as she calls it, that's northern for throw it away! After one full day of several trips, I had only one load left but with the twins, moving was next to impossible.  I went to the beach for a long weekend and was unable to be there last week, so Tuesday rolled around and my hubby took off to help me move the last load.  It is finally all in one place waiting on my to unpack.  (any volunteers who want to help????)

My giveaway ends tomorrow, so make sure you enter if you have.  Read all about it here!

Also, many Carolina bloggers have signed up for the meetup Amber and I are  hosting.

We have decided on Sammy's Pub of Belmont, NC (right outside Charlotte) at 4pm!  I can't wait to see all my Carolina Blogger friends who I have come to know.  It will be like the first day of school with all the butterflies!  If you have signed up, it's not too late.  

 Happy Hump Day everyone!

Ask and You Shall Receive!!!

 I once again linked up with TBA for their awesome Freebie Friday!  Make sure you check out all the free goodies that are available by clicking on the link.



I am happy to say that I had several new followers join up over the weekend.  :)  Glad you guys joined up with the Taco Madness!  So many people commented on the Common Core I Can Statements, that I have decided to make them for all grade levels.  At the request first of my bloggy friend, Elizabeth over at Fun in Room 4B, I have 4th grade ready to go!  I will begin working on 2nd grade next.  

You can head over to my TpT or TN to pick these up for free.
Also, don't forget that Amber from Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher and I are hosting a Carolina Blogger/Reader Meetup.  We would love to have you join us in August for a fun time!  I mean if Amber and I are involved, its going to be fun!!!!  Speaking of fun, we went out last night to celebrate Amber's Bday and had a great time. 

Don't you wish you were out with us???  You can be, just sign up for the Meet Up!!!!

 


I did find time to enjoy playing with my sweet girls this weekend.  Raegan loves to be in the water, while Kenley is more timid about it.  Both loved playing in their new pool.

Hope you guys had a great weekend!!!