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'!

Raining On My Parade

I have learned with my new job that there are going to be ups and downs.  I went from feeling great yesterday to feeling like crap today! I have not felt like this in several years.  I guess the good news is, I am growing.  Becoming better at something isn't always comfortable, and boy was I uncomfortable today!  Huge growth has got to be coming, right?!?!?!

In more positive news, my 2nd grade team is great!  We are using the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop this year county wide and my team asked me to do a model lesson for them!  It takes a great teacher to admit when they need help in an area, and lucky me, I have a whole grade level of them!

Obviously I needed to have my pride knocked down a few notches and am going to let God show me what He wants in this situation!  Tomorrow is a new day, thank goodness!!!!

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.

Whirlwind, Freebies, and Camping, Oh My!

WOW!  I am beginning to think I am never going to recover from week 1!!!!  I have not
even had the energy to blogstalk, pin things on Pinterest, or look at all the fab new things my fave sellers have at TpT and TN!!!  What.is.wrong.with.me????  Oh yea, the first week of school just kicked my butt!!  I have been coming home daily and crashing and not moving off the couch or the bed until the next morning.

I am LOVING my new job as an Instructional Facilitator.  Using the bathroom when I want, having lunch alone(no kids spitting on my food, hovering over me) and I have more time to spend with my twins.  Don't get me wrong, I am busy, but there isn't the same pressure to have everything ready for the kiddos the next day.  Check out this cute treat I made for my teachers!

I got this cute graphic from Pinterest (before starting work!)

As I have been busy getting things ready for my teachers, I have a few freebies to give you.  First, I have a Daily Five choice bookmark.  I created it for my teachers because they wanted to choose which Daily Five rotations their kids attended daily.  It also includes Meet with Teacher, which allows for you to have guided reading as a choice.

Click the pic to pick yours up!

 The second freebie is Word Wall Cards for 1st grade.  These include math, reading, science and social studies words for first grade.  If you want them click here to pick them up.

Over the holiday weekend, we went camping with our extended family and some close friends.  We tent camp and had the best time relaxing in a hammock, creek stomping, and catching up on my Kindle reading.  I will post more pics when I get the energy to get up and look for the camera cord.  Enjoy these few for now!

 My girls the morning of our camping trip.  They get the lazy idea!

Our weekend home!  It did rain, but it was ok!

I'm off to catch up on my 1,000 plus on Google Reader!  At least tomorrow is Wednesday!

Another One Bites the Dust

Another summer break is coming to an end!  The school year will officially begin tomorrow.  This past week and a half have been one big whirlwind of meetings, planning, and setting up for the kiddos to come Monday!  I am embarrassed that I have gone over a week without posting, but each day I have been working until at least 6, coming home and playing with the girls until they go to bed, then working until 12ish each night on school stuff! Needless to say, I have been a sleep zombie!

While I don't have a classroom of kiddos to prepare for, I do have a staff full of teachers to assist in implementing a brand new curriculum.  Moving to the Common Core, meant that everything changed! 

Our district is now using Pearson Math Investigations (which I LOVE!)

 

Lucy Calkins Reading and Writing Workshop (another of my faves!)

Foutas and Pinnell Word Study

I used Investigations and Calkins in my classroom last year, so I knew my knowledge would be an asset to my teachers.  We have been busy mapping out the new curriculum,  learning new procedures, and making tons of copies!  

While my new school has made me feel welcome, I still call my former school home!  I had lunch with my friends and principal  Rebecca on Friday at , guess where......my favorite Mexican restaurant!  Not only do they have the $1 tacos on Monday, they have a lunch buffet, EVERYDAY! We gorged ourselves on yummy Mexican faves and talked about the new staff, kiddos, and all the changes happening.  The teacher who took my room told me that a handful of kids came down on orientation night to see me :( and she told them I wasn't there this year!!!!!  I cried right there in the restaurant.  I knew it was going to happen as soon as I applied for the new job, but I haven't had to see kids all summer, so it hasn't been real.  Enter new school year and reality!

There was also significant time spent talking about Big Brother!!!  Do ya'll watch that?  I am addicted!  I read spoilers, watch After Dark and yell at the TV during the show (pathetic, but please don't judge!) Sonya, a teacher at my former school my friend, loves it just as much as I do so we were having an overly excited convo about it!  Man do I miss these ladies!!!!!  

On my last post I gave away a set of my new Common Core I Can Statements to the first 3 comments.  But only my K-2 was done then!  I am happy to say I have 3-5 finished now!  In honor of the new school year, I will give a set away to the first 3 comments.  Leave your email address and grade level and I will send them to you!  

I am almost at 200 followers and am planning a big giveaway for 200!  Stay tuned for that :)

What a Week!

This week has been a doozy!  I had my first "real" week at my new school in my new role, and it is different. I am really going to enjoy it, but it is very strange to not be setting up a classroom.  I have been so busy helping make sure my teachers have every thing they need to start school that I come home and crash every night by 8pm!  (sometimes before!!!!)  I'm sorry I have neglected to update :(

To make up for it, I have a suprise!!  I have finished my K,1, and 2 Common Core I Can Statements for Math and ELA!  

 Each grade level pack gives you two choices of subject header cards and the I Can Statements for Math and ELA.  You can head over to my TpT or my TN to pick yours up.

To make up for leaving you high and dry for a week, I will give the first three people who leave a comment a free pack!  Make sure you leave your grade level and email.  

Back to School Sales!!!!

Who doesn't love a good sale?!?!?!?  This is one of the reasons Kohl's is my favorite, they are always having a sale.  I am having a sale at both my stores to celebrate Back to School!

Thanks Amy for such a cute graphic!

My TpT is 20% off with the additional 10% when you use the code BTS12!

I also joined the Back to School Bonanza over at Teacher's Notebook and everything in my store is 50% off through tomorrow!!!

Here are just a few things your could pick up!

 Math Key Words Posters

The Lorax Craftivity 

Reading Comprehension Poster Pack

 Titanic Lapbook

Reading Stamina Poster pack for your grade level.

Character posters 

Long Vowel Racetrack

Soil Unit

I can't wait to get my shop on with all these awesome deals!