First Days of Kindergarten

Well, I am officially a kindergarten teacher and guess what... I LOVE it! I already have a few stories to tell and I want to be sure to document this entertaining year.

Story 1: On the first day of kindergarten, I was explaining to the kids that if they keep their "owl" all day and stay on green, then they will receive a Skittle at the end of the day. When reviewing, I asked "What will I give you for staying on a green?" One little boy eagerly blurted, "shpaghetti!." We all laughed and giggled and made jokes about giving them a handful of spaghetti at the end of the day. This just really made my day, as it was really nice to be able to joke and laugh with my class without them losing their minds.

Story 2: Yesterday, I was talking to the class about manners and using words such as please and thank you. I asked what the magic word was and one little boy said "abracadabra!" He was right, it WAS a magic word.

Story 3: I have one little boy who keeps crying every time I correct him. Well, today, I looked over at him and he had raccoon eyes. I swear! I really think he had on mascara!!! Not sure what to make of that one, so I just told him to go wash his face.

I'm sure I will have a story a day for the next school year and would love to keep you entertained with them.

I'm going to write a second post sharing my classroom pics in detail. I hope you teachers might get a few ideas (many of which are already stolen).

Fluttering by Faith,

Erin

Ramblings of an Overwhelmed Teacher

I'm feeling very overwhelmed tonight. Changing grade levels is so scary and invigorating at the same time. I'm very excited about teaching kindergarten, but there's so much preparation to do. I've been working on my room steadily for the last few weeks, yet it doesn't look or feel like much has been done. And everywhere I look there's more to do. On top of that, I haven't really even started on curriculum planning and all the nuts and bolts that go into operating a class. The problem is that I can't seem to finalize any decisions on techniques, strategies, etc that I want to use. Being that it's my first time in kinder, I know that I will probably go through several things on trial and error before I land on what I like.

To be perfectly honest, I'm kinda scared. Not scared that I can't do it, but scared that I won't do it well enough. I feel like the low man on the totem pole again. Instead of contributing knowledge, I'm asking a million questions which I feel like makes me appear not to know what I'm doing at all. I've finally got enough experience under my belt that I should be steady.

And what if I DO excel? Will I ever be recognized or rewarded for it like everyone else around me? No! Why does it matter to me? Not because I'm conceited but because I'm human. Instead, All I get is fear of ONE person rating me ineffective one time, then boom, everything I've worked for is down the drain. Thanks Louisiana, for really making teachers scared.

The thing I have to keep reminding myself is that GOD PUT ME HERE. HE WILL TAKE CARE OF ME. Never in my life have I ever wanted to teach kindergarten and now I'm thrilled to be doing it!

I promise I really am excited and looking forward to this year. I've just got all of these doubts, fears, thoughts jumbling around in my head tonight. I'm actually typing this on my phone from bed, so I apologize for any whacky typos.

Below is an example of why my room overwhelms me. I can't wait to write a post and show the finished product.

I'm baaaaack!!!

I'm back. On a whim, I have decided to reactivate my blog. I don't really have much to say at the moment, but I will. A few things have changed since I last posted. One, I have finally earned my master's degree in reading instruction. I am also now certified to teach ECE-5, and I'm happy to say that I'm going to be teaching kindergarten this school year! I want to document my experiences as I go through the year. I'm sure I will have many funny and head-scratching moments in days to come. This blog will most likely focus around my trials, lessons, thoughts, and experiences in a few main areas: fitness, finances, food, friends, family, and teaching! I tend to be very random, so I'm sure it will be more than that. Anyway, I hope to have a planned post up for you (if anyone reads), or just myself, very soon! Fluttering by Faith, Erin

My very first InstaFriday!

Happy almost-over Friday! Okay, so I was reading through my friend meheartpaper's blog and that's when I discovered InstaFriday! Apparently, bloggers all over document their week through cell phone pics (something I take plenty of). I thought I'd give it a try, so here it is! (Remember, I did not take pics with this in mind.

I have a bajillion pics of my dog, Annabelle, either because I have no life or she's just so cute. Actually, she continually finds ways to stump my mind, especially with her sleeping positions. Here are a few from this past week:

She had an upset tummy, due to her Grandma thinking she needed a real rib bone. Notice the back leg under her chin, hmmmm....

New Discoveries by a Picky Eater/Couch Potato

I should be working on homework right now, but alas, I have an idea for a blog. I imagine this will be happening a lot.

So, anyone who really knows me or has ever eaten with me knows that I am a picky eater...to say the least. I have refused to eat fish (shrimp, fish, sushi- I don't discriminate). It's always been a mental thing for me, as I had never tasted anything to know whether or not I like it. I've never really eaten fresh fruit due to what I thought was an allergy. I didn't drink tea. I didn't eat anything that I would classify as weird (especially if I couldn't pronounce the name). Until recently...

I have a group of friends who have slowly worked on "corrupting" me and helping me become what I call, "cultured." It started with tea, then orange juice, then oranges, then Indian food, then Greek food. To my surprise, I like all of those things. Recently, in my pursuit of trying to become healthy and eat better, I became willing to try fish. Jason and Holly (my foodies) worked hard to convince me that I would like tuna steak, and guess what? I did! Below, I am going to list a few of my recent food discoveries and maybe a website or two (along with pics)

1. Tuna steak topped with pesto on a bed of cous cous pearls, and a side of zucchini...courtesy of Jason Elliott.

2. Counter Culture's Humphrey Yogart, with fresh strawberries, bananas, grapes, and blueberries.

3. http://drbenkim.com/ This website is where I'm getting some of my natural health information, as well as some recipes. This is where I got my roasted broccoli recipe (http://drbenkim.com/recipesroastedbroccoli.html). I can't wait to explore it more and use more from it. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you like it.

4. I have eaten and will be experimenting with quinoa (I didn't know what it was a month ago).
This is the recipe I will be using: http://drbenkim.com/quinoa-healthy-protein.htm.

5. Swimming laps is something I have started doing for exercise. I struggle with finding exercises that I can do, due to my torn disc. I'm already starting to notice a difference.

6. I now drink tea, orange juice (Simply Orange), and lots of Vitamin Water. A year ago, all I drank was Dr. Pepper, Sprite, and water.

7. KROGER...okay, this sounds funny, but I am a Wal-Mart shopper, simply because of prices and convenience. I only stop at Brookshire's for last minute things, or sale items, because it's on the way home. But, Jason introduced me to the possibilities that Kroger holds...and to my SHOCK the produce and sale prices are very good. He actually had to tell me what things were in the produce department because I had never seen them before (or at least that fresh). In addition to the produce, the Kroger on Youree has amazing health food section, providing reasonably priced options for every type of diet.

8. Soy milk- This one I started out of necessity, as I recently learned I am allergic to milk. A year ago, I would have told you I'd drink soy milk "over your dead body." Now, I am LOVING it.

9. Other random things: soy bean seeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, Kraft Green Goddess salad dressing, and zucchini.

That's enough for now. I will continue to add to this list of my new experiences. Next on my list is salmon, avocados, and guacamole. I'll let you know how it goes! If you are a picky eater, I encourage you try any of the things I have listed...they are picky eater safe :-)

Just a girl, fluttering through life by faith...

Well, my first blog post...an experiment. I didn't really think this through a whole lot. I just keep hearing about how much I post on facebook and how "chatty" I am on it. I was told twice today alone that I say alot on facebook. I was joking when I said I should start a blog (who would read it anyway?), but I thought, why not give it a try! I like writing, I like talking, I like posting my thoughts on facebook.

So, what will this blog be about? I definitely won't confine it to one specific subject. It will probably be a mix of thoughts about teaching, grad school, church, friends and family, everyday life. I've started this new journey of learning how to eat and cook fresh and healthy, so I'll probably post links and information I discover on that journey. I like to bookmark websites alot and share things I found, so it will probably include that, too. I have a TON of education resources that I use. Anyway, like I said, I didn't really think this through...just thought I'd give it a try and it would help reduce the amount of chatter I put on facebook.

So, if you think I might have something interesting to say, share, or funny stories to tell, follow me! If not, I won't be offended. The good thing about a blog is that one can speak and not know if other's aren't listening. I'm a pretty funny gal and I speak my mind. I do much better when writing because I can actually censor it.

Just in case you don't know me, here's a little about me. I'm a single, Christian woman who teaches first grade in an inner-city school. I am in grad school online at Grand Canyon University. My master's will be in curriculum and instruction in (elementary) reading. Basically, after Feb. '12, I can be a reading specialist or reading coach. I thoroughly enjoy my classes, even though I procrastinate on homework alot. So far, I have made a 99, 99, 99, and 98% in my courses (yes, I'm bragging)! My faith is important to me. I live a "clean" life (no drugs, alcohol, clubbing, bars, smoking, etc.) I have an amazing group of friends who accept me as I am, yet help me be better than I am. I am a member of Shreveport Community Church. I will not be preachy, just share what God has put on my heart, maybe share line or two from a sermon that stuck with me, or share a lesson from personal experience. I have grown alot in the last 10 years and lately, I've been presented with the opportunities to try to help others from my what I have learned. I have a 9 year old miniature schnauzer, Annabelle, who is my child. She's diabetic, has horrible allergies, and cataracts. But, she's still a happy, spoiled princess.

I think I'll stop here; this is more than enough for my first blog. Stick around and I welcome all feedback!

Erin