5 things I Miss About Summer

Joy of Kindergarten is hosting this linky.  I still remember when we started the summer with "You Know It's Summer Vacation When" linky.  Sigh. . . .

This is my weekend to say "good-bye" to summer.  Kids start Monday.  Open House was great. . . the kids were all excited and smiling (always a good sign!)  I think it will be a GREAT year BUT here's what I will miss:

 Hanging out at the pool with my kids.

(I read, they swam.  It just doesn't get much more relaxing than that!)

Vacations with my family.

Sleeping in!

Having time to read for FUN!

Having time for friends!

BUT. . . 

9 more months and I'll get to do it all over again!

A friend of mine shared this video with me today.     Check it out if you're in need of a little motivation:

  

First Day Jitters Linky

Fierce in Fourth is hosting a "First Day Jitters" Blog Hop.  

Kids are always surprised that teachers get jitters too. . . but WE know how stressful the first few days are!  

Here are the 3 things that make me a little nervous STRESS ME OUT the first day of school:

#1  How many moms and kids are going to cry and WHAT DO I DO!?!?

This is not my first rodeo folks.  14 years of experience. . . I know there WILL be criers.  Every time it happens I freeze.  WHAT DO I DO?  Tough love?  Sympathy?  Walk away?    

#2  Are they all here?  You wouldn't believe how many times I count the kids the first day.

I don't know them yet. . . their friends don't know them yet. . . and they don't know you yet!  Honestly if they end up in another line or classroom it's hard to tell!  So I count and count again, and count again!  One time I knew I was missing a kids and we couldn't find him for 10 minutes!  We lost him during recess (I knew he was going to need special watching so I was trying to point him out to the EA on duty and he was no where to be found!) 10 minutes later  he wandered out of the corn field bordering our school and handed me a stalk of corn he had picked for me.  Had the biggest darn smile on his face and was so proud.  Took 10 years off my life!

#3  26 Kindergartners

That's my number right now. (it could grow to 28)  It's the biggest kindergarten class I've ever had.  I had 27 first graders one year but I was too young to know to worry about it.  I told my principal, "I have 22 cubbies and seating for 24 so I'm very sorry but I just can't have 26 in my room."  HA!  Good try, right?  It's not really the cubbies or tables I'm worried about (although that does create a problem).  For the next 175 days these kids are MINE and I want them all the love school and learning and I want them to be ready for all the challenges of First Grade.  Plus, I'd really like to do it with my sanity intact!

Ok. . . deep breath. . . Sigh. . . .

Tomorrow in blogging land should be a lot of fun!  Jessica Stanford from Mrs. Stanford's class is hosting a Magical Product Swap.  Bloggers are making, using and reviewing other's TPT products and posting about it on their blogs.  Get ready for your TPT wishlist to GROW!  

Stop back tomorrow to see the packet I'm trying out!

Tell Me More! Tell Me More!

I meant to get this link up done days ago but got distracted with other things. . . now there are 195 blogs participating in the link up!  Incredible! That makes me #196!
Nothing too exciting to report about me but here are the basics:

My husband and I started dating in high school.  We dated all through college and through the first 2 years of my teaching career while he finished college.  We rarely lived in the same town while we were dating!  7 years later we finally got married!   July 29th will be our 12th anniversary. . .which means he's been in my life for 19 years now!  He must be darn near perfect to put up with me for that long!  

We absolutely LOVE Mexico. . . the culture, the people, the atmosphere- EVERYTHING!  We try to get there at least once a year.  It's our "de-stressing" time!

We also "de-stress" by taking motorcycle trips.  Some of our favorite trips have been to Sturgis, Milwaukee, Northern Minnesota and Canada.

We have 2 beautiful children.  Paige is 9 and loves soccer, running, swimming. . .well, pretty much anything where she can move CONSTANTLY!  Addie is 6 and loves her babies, her stuffed animals and anything she can mother. . . she is my nurturer.

They flew in an airplane for the first time this year when my parents took the whole crew (all 14 of us) to Disney to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.  (We're hoping for Hawaii to celebrate their 50th!)  You can't ask for better parents than them. . . I am extremely blessed.

I teach at an amazing school in eastern South Dakota and love my job.  This is a picture of all of us (teachers and kids) taken this year.  Do you see me?  Ha ha!

That about covers it.  

Check out more "Tell Me More" stories here:

Rockin' Resources Linky

I'm linking up with Teacher Idea Factory for Rockin' Resources Linky (Part Deux)!  I'm excited to see everyone's:

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Here's mine (in no particular order):

Smart Board

Personal Laminator

My 2 Grade Level Co-Workers

It's great to work with people who know you're crazy, can tell you you're crazy, and can refrain from choking you when you know they want to!  Thanks ladies!

Of Course:

Sanity:

Click here to see what other teachers can't live without!

A Teacher's Wisdom (Linky)

Deb from Fabulously First is having a spectacular linky party called "A Teacher's Wisdom."  The linky is dedicated to advice for new teachers but even after 14 years of teaching I loved reading through everyone's advice!  Click the pic above to check out the linky!


The first year I taught there was a very kind veteran teacher who took me under her wings and gave me this advice:

Obviously she knew I was nervous, stressed, worried, etc. and she told me to smile in front of the kids and save the "stress face" for her!    I liked that advice and it has served me well.   

Make sure you find someone you can share your "stress face" with! 

Here are a few more (lessons from my own mistakes):

*Ask for help:

Not everyone will know the answer but someone will...and it's OK that it's not you! 

*Make mistakes:

Mistakes make you "one of the gang!"  Only the robot who teaches in TimBukToo doesn't make mistakes and no one wants to teach with him!  

*Every child CAN learn:

Just maybe not today so check back with him tomorrow.

*Keep calm and teach on:

Truthfully, I am still working on this one. . . hopefully I'll have it mastered before I retire.

*Teach your students EVERYTHING you expect them to know.

If you go into your classroom for the first time and "assume" your students will know how to behave in your room. . . well you know what happens to people who assume.

*And finally. . . enjoy it!  
I still think back to that first year and wonder at how great those kids were.  It is probably  more likely that I just didn't know 1/2 the stuff that was "wrong" that first year. . .ignorance is bliss?  Either way, it will forever, in my mind, be one of my top 10 favorite years!