Day.Fifty.

Well, the day has arrived. I was pretty calm during the school day. This morning was a breeze and I knew that I have done as much as I could to prepare myself. I am not necessarily nervous, but more anxious. I know that this sounds corny, but I love to sit and talk about teaching with other people who love to do it as well. I think that going into the interview with a realistic view helps. I know that there are other teacher's out there. I just hope I am the one that they want to join their staff! Before I left for the interview, I had to do a quick change at school into my suit, freshen my make-up (it is amazing sometimes what I look like after a day in Kindergarten) and head off to interview. I had butterflies in my stomach because it is time! In the words of my loving husband, "Don't screw it up..." (semi-jokingly... we do need this and I think he knows that I need this for my sanity and he knows how much time and effort I put in behind the scenes)

Here comes the amazing Kinderquote:
As I am rushing down the hall to put my stuff in my classroom, grab my purse and portfolio, I walk swiftly passed one of my kindergarteners waiting on her bus. She is a sweetheart, but definitely has had her fair share of moments in kindergarten. As I am walking by, she says, "Mrs. Edmonds! Where are you going?" I never ignore a child when they speak to me. Just not my style. So I stopped and told her that I have a meeting to go to. She could obviously sense my urgency and butterflies. She simply responded, "Well, you look really nice!"
At that moment, the butterflies were gone and I knew I was ready! This little girl was able to do that by just giving me one compliment. What a moment. I will cherish it.

Off I went, to the interview. I think that it went well. There were six people in the interview. I don't get intimidated easily, but now looking back, I probably should be a bit intimidated, because they could potentially change my life.. .but that is looking back.

I should hear something within the next week or so. I can only pray that my personality and attitude toward teaching was represented and they would love to have me on their staff. God has a plan for me. I just have to trust that plan and be patient. It is easier said than done...I will admit that.

Off to bed trying not to over-analyze everything I said in the interview. (not going to happen)

-Alexis

Day.Forty.Five.

Wednesday.

(I am playing serious catch up... bit behind...)


In kindergarten today, we made some of the cutest cards that I found on Pinterest. I know that it is AFTER Easter, but my kinders LOVE to use paint and their hands. So, we made handprint bunnies to make cards that say "Somebunny Loves You". I had one student who actually got the play on words and he thought it was so fun!
Check out the pin for this fun card:

I made it a card, having the students write "Somebunny Loves You!" and their own message on the inside with their signature. They looked great!

Tomorrow is kindergarten kick-off in the district. I will post about that tomorrow!

-Alexis

Day.Forty.Three.

Back to school with the kiddos! It was a pleasant day back and I am glad that I planned everything before we went on spring break. We started our 'eggsperiment' by putting the egg in the vinegar. I am excited to see the result (being a rubbery, see through egg) I am EGGsited!! (haha)

After school, I did my Tuesday/Thursday tutoring. I added a new friend to the mix today. She is a beautiful soul and really wants to read well. We worked hard and had one initial breakdown. It is so hard to see a child not succeeding in their heads and they are devastated. It broke my heart. I was as encouraging as possible and hope that she wants to keep working toward her goal! We read a book that she chose (on her level) and went through sight word flash cards as quickly as we could. We are SO close to under 1 minute! After we finished, she headed home and mom called me about 20 minutes later and she wants to come back tomorrow! Maybe Thursday would work... but I was just elated that she was excited about reading and wanted to come back! I will keep you updated. This tutoring session made me think about a verse I pinned on my pinterest classroom board.

(I should have this on my desk.. say it every morning)

Home I came for a night of my favorite TV shows. Unfortunately, Adi insisted on barking and barking and barking at our new neighbors puppy. I ended up with a headache, and headed to bed. Guess I will play catch up tomorrow!

Have a great night!

-Alexis

Day.Forty.Two.

Monday! Teacher work day which means I was sort-of on double duty. I worked in the morning at SACC and then headed to my classroom to get things organized and make sure it was ready for the kiddos. There are more opportunities in the district (internal still) and I am looking forward to possibly getting an interview. The daydreams I have about a full time teaching job are happening more and more. I have to believe if I want to make this MY year!

After work, I headed home to clean up. As if I weren't "off" this week, my house was a disaster. I did the organizing, laundry, and 'picking' up. Tomorrow is floors. BORING! The wonderful schedule works when I work. One of my 'to-dos' for the day was get all of the DVRs updated. SUCCESS!

Off to bed early because I need to be well rested for the first day back!

-Alexis

Day.Thirty.Five.

SPRING BREAK IS HERE!

I am working... every day, but I thought I would share something. The program I work for offers an All Day SACC program during spring break for families who are working. (which is many) I had a bit of anxiety being the opening manager this morning and hoping that the students would respond to me. Let me tell you.. I was so pleased when I left! They were so fabulous today and there were 57 of them!

Accomplishments:
1. All three activities (grass planting, bubble painting, and resistance water color painting) ALL completed!
2. We did DEAR time... (silent reading) and ALL 57 kids were silent and READING! I was nervous, but I even had a child who was so proud of himself for how much he read. He didn't seem like the kid who reads for pleasure or on grade level <I could be wrong.. but just by my observations> and he asked for a bookmark so he could save his place for tomorrow! It was a BIG accomplishment to have all reading and trying. Made me smile.
3. I made it through day 1 of spring break with a great staff by my side. Whew.

Bring it on day 2! We have a lot more in store for you!

((I didn't get my nap in.. but I will at some point this week))

*Off to enjoy pizza and relaxing with my hubs... as soon as he gets home from baseball*

-Alexis-

Day.Twenty.Five.

Whew! What a day! My class at school had a great time creating Roy. Roy G. Biv that is! We are so excited to see the growth of our green beans! We planted them about a week ago, and they are growing like crazy!! There are a few that haven't broken through the soil and of course those children are panicking! I am going to have to investigate and see what the deal is. Here are some pictures of our wonderful plants and their growth! Some are pretty tall...

This is probably the first thing that I have ever grown!

*Update on the cleaning...
I LOVE the schedule. It is frustrating at times to know that I have to clean, but knowing that I have spread it out over the week makes it easy because I only have a few little things to do each night. I am only halfway through the week but, I think it is going pretty good! Makes me think, 'wow, I should have been cleaning this way the whole time...'

Have a great night!
I have 3 books that I need to get read in the next couple days. So, off I go to read!

-Alexis

Day.Twenty.Three

84 Degrees on March 20th! 

After a great day at school (day two of ice cream sundaes) I decided I would take Adi to John's baseball game. The game was moved to home, so I knew I could make it!

After a quick run to the store, I came home, ran around getting the dogs fed, and then headed to the game with Adi in tow. She love to put her head out the window of the back seat! She also loves going on trips. She can handle the car ride and will just 'hang out' in the back seat. I don't complain one bit! Aspen (the beagle) is another story. She stayed home today...

The wonderful thing about Adi is that she draws a lot of attention. She is a bigger dog. She is a mix of a cane-corso and neopolitan mastiff. We thought she would be bigger, but she is staying steady at about 90 pounds. She is beautiful and very gentle. She will just sit and watch her surroundings. 

So, we get to the game. We walk over and hang out with John's dad for a bit before he heads home. Adi, in true form, just wanders and looks around. A small kid, I would say 4, comes up to Adi and asks if he can pet her. I have never had any issues with Adi and children. (I think my dogs know it is a requirement to deal with all and any torture from children under the age of 10...) So, thinking he would just pet her, I said, 'sure'. Well... the cutest thing ever happened next! This little boy and Adi were about the same height. They were face-to-face. He just grabbed her face and squished it all around! Adi just loved the attention! It was adorable to see him just get in her face and play with her. That same little boy came by us about 6 more times. How sweet. I think he used the bathroom just as an excuse to pet the puppy. 

Adi enjoyed the time outside and really liked all the people who would come and talk to her and pet her. She was in her heaven! 

Here are some super cute pictures of Adi at the game:

-Just 'Hanging' Out-

-We tested out the bleachers, she didn't enjoy the noises they made..but she was brave-

Have a great night & welcome to baseball season!

-Alexis

Day.Twenty.Two

Day Twenty-Two! I am impressed with my ability to continue to write nightly.

Today was a good day in Kindergarten. With the temperature reaching close to 80 degrees, the classroom was HOT! We were all sweating. It was a great day to have our ice cream sundae party! We got to have ice cream sundaes today because 13 of my 18 students have earned their T-Shirt level in the reading challenge. YUMMY! (Of course, they all wanted the whole shebang... chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and of course sprinkles!)

After school, I headed to the gym. My motivation is waning. I don't love to work out... but I need to keep it up. Today, I headed to the gym and was expecting to repeat the last run from the day before. I was quickly mistaken! I checked the app on my phone, and eeeek! It was warm up, run 20 minutes, cool down. WOW! I was nervous to even start. I made it through! I did take two 30 second breaks, and one break mid-way for my inhaler, but all in all, I ran 20 MINUTES! I am proud of myself.

What will the next run bring? I am scared to check!

I am going to start the process for the girl's Easter baskets soon. I am also, of course, going to be making it a habit to clean each night! That is up next, after I type this post.

(I bought The Hunger Games at Wal-Mart today.. so I may get in some reading tonight too!)

Have a great night!

-Alexis

(I see this all the time and I think it is time to print it HUGE and hang it somewhere visible)

Day.Nineteen.

Friday, Friday, Friday! I love ending the week on a high note. My kids were excited for book buddies and the day just went nicely. The 75 degree weather helped too!

I got to see Shannon and Patrick today too! We got to have dinner after they scoured the city for places to live and places to work. I am excited to for their wedding and impending move to central Ohio! We will have more friends to hang out with...

After dinner, John and I headed to get some ice cream. Instead of buying one party pail... we bought TWO! Count them... two. We got a movie from redbox and we are ready to relax. Watching RED now.. Pretty good movie so far.

Tomorrow is going to be early. Off to help Wendy move to her new apartment and watch Kerrigan play some soccer!  Then home to clean up the house, throw open the windows, and relax.

Enjoy your night!

-Alexis-

Day.Eighteen.B.

Well, as I sat here relaxing I remembered a great moment from today, so I think I should share.

Because I did not work today, I had two subs in my room (am and pm). I was nervous about leaving my kiddos, but I knew they were in great hands! So, after school today, I headed in to check on the room, all of the things that they did and get the room ready for tomorrow. Most of my students go to the School Age Child Care program after school.

You would have thought I hadn't been in school for weeks by the reaction I got from my kiddos. It was very heartwarming! They ran up to me, gave me hugs, and told me all about their day! I was so excited for them and just hugged them!

So, one little girl comes up to me:
R:"Mrs. Edmonds, where were you today?"
Me: "R, I was at a meeting today..."
R: (cocking her head to the side and just grinning) "Why couldn't we go with you?"

If only they could have come...

They would have made everyone at the interview relax a bit... don't you think?

-Alexis-

Day.Seventeen.

I truly appreciate the beautiful day! I even took the kiddos out for extra recess because it was too nice not too! The day went by quickly and the lovely afternoon seems to have disappeared quicker! Because I am not going to be at school tomorrow, I had to prep for my subs. I started and then realized that they did not know the little procedural things and that will definitely throw my kids off tomorrow. (or they will all argue about how to do it, because they are always right...)

After I stayed at school until 6pm prepping for the sub I headed home and got to hang out with the puppies and catch up on my shows. I need to relax big time to get prepped... but I am not doing that well. Anyone who knows me, I don't stress and shut down, I work... I work hard! It is constant. Anything to keep me busy and my mind focused on other things.

I want to say thank you in advance to all of those loved ones who have contacted me, helped me realize my strengths, and given me pieces of calm. I really appreciate all of your guidance. I know that I am just over analyzing.. as always. Keep up the prayers and I know that God will find a place for me.

I had a GREAT story to share, but... my brain has lost it. If I think of it, I will be sure to share!

So much on my mind...

Goodnight and God Bless Readers!

-Alexis-

Day.Fifteen.

I do not always loathe Mondays. Sometimes, they really get the week off to a great start. My students today were very mellow (could have been a reaction to the time change). I have a very important week ahead of me. I have an INTERVIEW! This interview isn't for a specific position, but it is more like an entrance interview. I will be interviewing on Thursday, so I will update on that day. I have a lot of research to do for the specific school district to make sure I am on my game!! (So, if you pray... pray for me on Thursday that this door may be the one that leads to a job and security in my life) I am stressing a bit, so I am going to move on!

I thought I would take this moment to talk about my lesson plans. There are only a few... ok 11 more weeks of school... left. Because I am not in a 'real' classroom, I am able to plan the way I want, with no curriculum guides, specific curriculum to follow, etc. I do follow the standards and I try to use the same types of literacy that they use in the regular classroom. I get the freedom to do weekly themes. I love themes because the standards can be re-visited but with a new "look". I had all of my themes planned on specific weeks before the school year started. I used the overview of my plans to really lay out my lessons for the week. I put it in the front of my clear lesson plan binder so that when it is closed, and laying on my desk, I can read the lessons at a glance!

Here is a blank version... feel free to use it. If you want me to change anything, let me know in the comments and an email address and I will try to send you one that is personalized.

Hope you enjoy! Have a great night... I am off to prepare for Thursday! :)

-Alexis-

Day.Ten.

Today was very productive on the homemaker side of the picture! I got to go to the chiropractor. Who would have thought that an alignment would alleviate so much pain. I went to the store and got to get the invitations for my best friend's baby shower! She is expecting twins, and I am nominating myself as an official aunt. She is going to be blessed with a little girl and a little boy! I am looking forward to getting the decorations for the shower and helping with the nursery!

As many are thinking, it is only a matter of time...well, yes, but I would like to keep my dream alive to become a full time classroom teacher. I know that is sounds silly when I read it back, but the truth is, I have worked and worked to become a better teacher. I have continued my education, worked in different grade levels. I am ready! I want to reach my goal, get settled in, and then think about adding to our family.

I must be on my way... I have invitations to rhinestone! Every girl needs a little rhinestone in her life... or maybe that is the dancer talking!

Here is how they turned out--> *blurred for privacy*

-Alexis-

Day.Nine.

It sure was a Monday! I stayed late at school today to get all of my plans uploaded, copies made, and organized. WHEW! It feels GREAT!

My students are keeping track of the minutes they read AT HOME. We have a contest going on where they can earn prizes and I have a graph on the bulletin board outside of my room. The challenge is for everyone to read 210 minutes, the TSHIRT level! If we all get a T-Shirt, we get a pizza party! YUMM! They are very excited and today, I gave away the seventh shirt. (Once we got six, popcorn party...once we get 12, ice cream sundae party, once we get all 18, pizza party!) We get to have our popcorn party tomorrow. Check out the bulletin board I have to keep track.-->

*note: this is outdated and not reflective of the current T-Shirt standings*

As a teacher, it is hard to sometimes get parents involved at home to read with their students. This is a great way to keep them focused and see their results. It also adds in a bit of math! 

Have a great night!

-Alexis-

Day.Five.

Whew! What a day to decompress! I got to come home and catch up on all of my DVR'ed shows. So much to watch...so little time. Here is a little sample of my guilty pleasure TV:
Dance Moms
Up All Night
Big Bang Theory
Bethenny Ever After
SMASH
Cupcake Wars

I have a love/hate relationship with the TV, but it is mostly love. I know that I should be doing other things, but I find myself just relaxing and hanging out with Aspen and Adi.

When I am at school, I get as much done as possible. My relaxing is minimum, but I do what I can! I will post a few pics below of our fun adventures in SEUSS! Enjoy! (Feel free to ask me for the PDF's if you want to use them)

The Cat in the Hat and his Things 1 and 2

 One Fish, Two Fish Addition

 Our Feet with The Foot Book

 Handprint Thing 1 and Thing 2

 Truffula Tree Forest Lining the Hallway

Relax and I will be back tomorrow!

-Alexis-

Day.Four.

Well, my hallway at school is officially Dr. Seuss'ed out! It looks great with the truffula trees, the Cat in the Hat, the Foot book man, and of course all of the Thing 1's and Thing 2's jumping around. I will post pictures tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow... we get to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday!! Woo Hoo! I am making a delicious treat for the kids... take a look-->

Yummy! We will also be having popcorn from the trees in How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Schlott's Knots (pretzels) Blue Goo (Blue Juice) and Animals from If I Ran The Circus/Zoo(animal crackers). I love to get the kids excited about different books because gravitate toward new books in the classroom. I see some students read the same book OVER and OVER. I get tired of it, so I don't know how they aren't. I know that a lot of them are a bit scared to take that little leap to a new book. (I know I have the same issues at times...I like being comfortable with what I am already doing... Why change it up?) But, I too have to take those leaps, big or little.

I have a great kindergarten quote today: I must preface- At our morning meeting, a child said, is Dr. Seuss  DEAD? I say,  "yes". Another student spoke up: "We shouldn't say DEAD, we should say passed away. It is just a nicer way of saying it!" (I agreed and from then on, that is what we said)  After a while, we were all in our literacy centers working hard on the new Dr. Seuss material. A little girl comes over to me, after looking at 15+ displayed Dr. Seuss books. She says...

"Mrs. Edmonds, I really miss Dr. Seuss." (as if they had been friends their whole life!)

It is amazing where books can take us! I know I can get pretty attached to characters and specific authors. I am so blessed to see children falling in love with authors, illustrators, and specific books! How exciting!

Have a Great Night! Dream of Dr. Seuss! :)

-Alexis-

Day.Three.

Today was a GREAT day in KSACC! It was so refreshing to display Dr. Seuss books and when the students went to their activity centers, they chose READING center and looked and looked at the Dr. Seuss books. It was wonderful to watch them talk to each other about the books and illustrations. I read The Lorax to them today with a bit of hesitation. I didn't want them to miss the main message. As I read, the expressions of disgust and anger about the treatment of the Earth were so evident and encouraging. They are a smart group of kids. They always know how to make me smile!

After school, I headed to the dentist to get my cavities filled. BOOOOO! No one likes to have cavities and I haven't for at least ten years. Well, what is done is done (in terms of cavities) so off I went. I was a bit apprehensive because I have vivid memories of the shots and pain that I had as a child getting my teeth pulled, cavities filled, etc. My early dental life was full of office visits. My dentist was GREAT! He numbed me before I even got the shots! I didn't feel a thing. WHEW! I do have a strange feeling as if the numbed portion of my face is hanging all the way to the ground! It has worn off now, and I am back to my Diet Coke and dinner.

A few days ago, I saw The Vow in theaters. ((I recommend it)) There was a preview for a new Nicholas Sparks movie, The Lucky One. I was talking about it and my principal has the book! She lent it to me and I am on chapter 4. I figure I am going to read and then write every night. It is hard to turn off the TV, but it is worth it!  

There are many challenges day in and day out... but my goal to be a full time classroom teacher is so close! I know that if I take care of myself, my family, and my students, I will achieve that goal. 

 I wish running was included in the package! I haven't been able to make it to the gym at all this week... I need to get back into the habit. So busy and random things keep popping up. It is definitely an early night for me. These last few days have been exhausting! 

-Alexis-

Day.Two.

Well, all of that wonderful energy that I had this weekend went out the door when my car wouldn't start this morning. (good thing I have good people around me to come pick me up for school!) I walked into my classroom with 8 beautiful faces staring at me as well daily folder that are EMPTY! Planning on making it to school early today didn't really happen... so, I had to make due. I got everything printed within the first 20 minutes of the day and everything went off without a problem. Pan to end of school day: my car is in the garage, I am at school, and have no way to get home. (I am a baseball widow until the end of the summer now) I am glad my father in law and dad are there to help me. Got home, car started, and oil changed (with a side of -new battery-) When I got home, overwhelmed with the amount of frustration of the day, I got straight to chopping! Chopping up the salad, that is. Tomorrow is the teacher luncheon for February birthdays (yours truly included)! Making salad for 50+ people is a larger task than I expected. 

I am in no way complaining because I was forced to stay at work and do the small things that I never seem to get around to. I helped my principal create her first twitter account. The excitement that technology can bring is amazing! It really brings people together. The men at the oil change/battery place were so helpful and kind. I didn't feel like they were just selling me a new battery! 

Here is to a smoother day tomorrow and a fun start to celebrating the wonderful life of Dr. Seuss and his amazing work!

Day.One.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the Dublin Literacy Conference 2012! Not only was I surrounded by fellow teachers who LOVE what they do (which can be refreshing at times) but I was also re-enegrized by the speakers who spoke from experience to guide my classroom! I had the honor of listening to Donalyn Miller and was inspired to start writing this blog. She was a great way to start the day with so much passion. I got to sing and dance with the authors of Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Eric Litwin and James Dean. ((I even got signed copies of their books for my classroom))


The first session I attended was all about my students as writers and how to incorporate it into the classroom. Very informative and helpful. Thank you Mandy Robek!


The second session I attended was about Literacy Teams and the different activities that they did in their classrooms to create a fun reading experience on a LOW budget. My favorite idea- Make STAMPS out of bottle caps and foam stickers! (genius because I have been looking for a set of alphabet stamps for my classroom)


The third and final session was all about the mini-lesson. I have definitely been over-thinking the mini-lesson! Ruth Ayres laid it out so organized and simply. I am excited to start using them more in my classroom.


Although it was a Saturday, I am so glad I got the opportunity to go to the Dublin Literacy Confrence! I learned a lot of new things that I will be using in my classroom tomorrow!


I love to teach and when I learn more about teaching, it energizes me and keeps my focus on the goal: my own classroom.


-Alexis