I got the keys!

And I have a LOT of stuff!

I got the keys to my new classroom yesterday! I may or may not have been waiting and driving by to see if the secretary was there... Lucky for me we got some rain yesterday so she couldn't work in her garden which meant she was there! So I took pictures (sorry for the quality all I had was my phone). Starting from the door.

Tomorrow I drive the hour to my old school and move all of my stuff. (all the stuff in my room now was in the "office" at my house all summer. I have a whole extra room now!) My mom is coming with me so we have both cars and a couple people from my old school have offered to help. I will sure miss the people I worked with there but I am so excited to work with the staff here! One of the Kinder teachers stopped by today and was able to answer some of my questions, HOORAY! Can't wait to really get started on setting up!

What you see straight ahead when you walk in. (yes my sister is pretending to bat at my dad. They "decorated" by laying my rugs in a strange place.)

From the corner you were looking at in the previous picture.

On the wall with the door.

That door opens into the classroom next door. Just so happens that classroom is where my mom works. 

This was today. I brought the rest of my books...and sorted and sorted...

My dad posing yesterday. That large orange bucket is full of books and their cassette tapes. (now I just need to find some players...)

my car this morning on the way to school...

The ADORABLE package my sister sent me. She painted the box and filled it with Seuss things!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes that is my youngest sister and yes she is taller than me. Don't remind me please!

Monday-My teacher story

Today I am linking up with Janaye over at Tales of Frogs & Cupcakes for her teacher story linky party. I can't remember if I have shared this story with my bloggy friends yet, so here it goes. I grew up in a family full of teachers. Both grandmas were teachers for 30+ years. One of my grandpas taught art. My dad was and still is a high school science teacher. So I never really experienced much else. Then I started school-I loved kindergarten. But then I went to first grade...I got to be in Mrs. Bell's first grade class in room 12. (strange what you remember) I came home on the first day and said to my mom, "Mom, when I grow up I want to teach first grade just like Mrs. Bell!" Well that continued to stick with me. I had great teachers throughout my grade school, middle school, and high school (I even got to be in my dads science class!). But I never wavered from wanting to be like Mrs. Bell. She has become a great friend and I still talk to her. Last year when I got my first job she was so excited because she has been saving all of her stuff for me since she retired-books, books on tape, teacher books, manipulatives. So much stuff! She even kept it when she moved. Well then I went to college, I stayed at the local community college for the first two years on scholarship so that I could get the prerequisites out of the way before doing what I thought would be a teaching program there in town as well. There were different things waiting for me. The community college dropped the teaching program. So I applied (late because of the program being dropped at home) and got into a fabulous program 2.5 hours from home. So I moved (thankfully my aunt and uncle lived near the college and I got to live with them for 2 years) and got my teaching degree at WSU in Vancouver. This program was FABULOUS! Intense but wonderful. Then year two began and I was placed (for the whole year) to student teach in a first grade class. The placement I got was EXACTLY the place I wanted to be (I had volunteered at the school the previous year because a friends daughter was in one of the other first grade classes there. I would work with kids in the first grade common area -which meant I got to watch all 4 1st grade teachers. I Loved watching Mrs. L! She was exactly what I wanted to be!) and first grade!    So I spent a FANTASTIC year working with my mentor teacher (who was doing her administrative internship). I got SO much experience -they really were OUR super Bees! (no picture of them for privacy.) After graduation I spent about a month subbing here in town ( I moved to the beach the day after graduation-actually I moved before graduation now that I think about it). I got called nearly everyday. Anything from 6th to music to PE to first grade. So much experience and it was great to get to know the 2 staffs at our two elementary schools.
Then I applied for a job 48 miles from home...Just because. Well I interviewed for that job then they called me and offered me the Kindergarten position 3 hours later (as I was pulling into my driveway after dinner with my dad). I took it. I spent the year teaching Kinder with an awesome staff-but commuting one hour each way, EVERYDAY. It was a great year but a long year. Then there was an opening here in town at the school I wanted to be at in first grade. SO I applied. I didn't get the job. I cried. It was no good. Then I interviewed last week for the 6th grade opening at the same school. I got it. I got all hyped up about it. Planned all sorts of things that I was going to do with all 33 of those kids. Then my principal called me this morning...one of the two 1st grade teachers they hired decided not to come. She asked if I wanted it.

So now at this point in my teaching story... I am teaching 1st grade at the school I want to. Looking at my teaching journey so far it has sort of been like my teaching fairytale-it always seems to have a happy ending.

Hope this wasn't too mixed up or wordy... I was having computer issues so there are no real paragraph breaks and the pictures are not where I want. First picture was myself and my best friend since age 2 on our first day of first grade. The second picture was my cohort at WSUV. Awesome teachers and great friends!

So there was my teacher story. What's yours?

This coming week...

I have a lot going on this week...sort of.
Tomorrow morning I leave for VEGAS!

I can't wait! I have never been and this was a spur of the moment trip. Anything that I must see? Anything I shouldn't miss?
So I found out yesterday that I will not be teaching sixth grade. I will be teaching first! This job has been my dream since forever. When my new principal called me and asked if I would like to teach first instead I actually had to think about it though... I had gotten so excited about all of the things I could do with my 33 6th graders. I had plans to have them be tremendous leaders in the classroom, in the school and even get involved in the community. So many ideas and plans! But in the end first grade is where I feel like I belong. (more on this in tomorrows post.)
I am writing a marathon of posts today(saturday) to share with you throughout the week while I am gone. I promise a vegas/pictures post when I get back.
Then it is full on teacher mode! I have to get my stuff from my old school (and from my home office) and move into my new classroom!  There will definitely be pictures of that!
Hope you all have a FABULOUS week!

Change in plans... !

I will be teaching first grade instead of sixth! They hired two teachers for first grade a couple weeks back when I mentioned that I applied and interviewed. Well one of them decided today that she isn't coming. So my new principal called and asked if
I wanted the job! I couldn't say no! This is my absolute dream job-school and grade level!
I am over the moon excited!

Big News in My life!

So there are big changes coming my way!
You know I interviewed with the district in my town for a first grade job...well I didn't get it. I was very upset. I went and talked to the superintendent. It was a good discussion-"it was a very strong pool, I was near the top, don't change how you interview, keep trying, etc."
Well I think that discussion with him paid off. That day I applied for the 6th grade job at the same school. It was very late in the summer, I had already signed my contract, not sure if I would be able to get out of it. Well on Wednesday I interviewed for the job! And I GOT IT!!!! I am now a 6th grade teacher! Kinder to 6th...wow! I am VERY EXCITED!
But I need your help. I need some upper grade bloggy friends!  
Do you know of any resources that you love for the upper grades? 
Any project suggestions? 
Any great ideas?
 It is a big class and in the interview process they warned me that it is not an easy class. (I told them that I had THE class last year so I am up for anything.)

I am so excited to be working at this school! When my best childhood friend was in town about 3 years ago she took my picture in front of this school and told me "you will get a job here just like you want to." Well now I can write her a letter (she is on her mission) and tell her that I did! And I might just include that picture with a new one :)  Not only is it the school I have wanted to teach at for a LONG time but it is also going to cut my commute drastically! I was driving 100 miles each day (2,000 miles a month!) for my kinder job-now I will be driving about 16ish. So awesome!
I also told myself that if I got a job here I was going to join the new indoor tennis courts! HOORAY for getting to play some tennis!

So there are a LOT of changes happening here. I can't wait to start planning and setting up my classroom! But it will have to wait because I am VEGAS bound with my mom, step dad and my roommate on Monday morning! We will be there until Thursday! Then I have a bull riding event to go to Friday and Saturday nights. Then Sunday and Monday I will head north to move my stuff from my old school to my new school. Wonder if I can get everything from there in one trip (2 cars)... That would be ideal for sure.

So any ideas, blog recommendations,  websites, other resources. Please share them!

11 on the 11th!

So it's summer and I was too slow-ok wrapped up in a good book- to do 10 on the tenth. So I figured one more picture one day late was just as good.

Happy Dogs. Meet Napili and Fiona.

All ready for my 5 year HS reunion BBQ on Saturday. The perks of being the class president...

"Can we please do something?!"

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! 

Class pets home for the summer. Got a new top for the tank.

Went to leave the house in the morning and discovered that the neighborhood bear had enjoyed a midnight snack...yuck.

Filing all of my Kinder paper originals...

new books. I have finished 6 in less than 2 weeks.

Heading back home after a morning of running errands across the river. (bonus points if you know where this is. haha)

I have 3 class hermit crabs. My dad who is also a teacher just got three who are "staying" with me while he is on vacation... All cleaned up.

So excited about this purchase! Went to Fred Meyer only to discover that they are having a sale! I have been eying this for months but it was $40. I got it for just under $20! Will be perfect for the book nook I have planned.

July?! Really?!?!?! & currently

I can't believe it's July! Summer is going to fast-even with the fact that I have barely been sleeping. Apparently I deal with stress by not getting enough sleep (example-I was up until 3:30 on Friday night...)
Here is my currently. I will explain my answers.

 

Listening- I LOVE the Olympics! And the trials are just as good. I just love it! Tonight I have watched track and field and swimming. I have already set up to record more swimming, more track and field and gymnastics! 

Loving-What teacher doesn't love summer. The weather here has been pretty good. We have definitely had some rain but nothing too bad. Today was absolutely gorgeous. I even bought the pup and little wading pool for the back yard since I don't really want to take her to the beach with all of the crazy people, their big cars and their fireworks and other explosives. (sorry for the run-on)

Thinking-I have had this same thought nearly every night since mid June. There have been about 3 nights that I have been asleep before midnight. Two of those were because I had interviews first thing in the morning. 

Wanting- As mentioned above I have had 2 interviews. The first I wrote about before-for a music position. I didn't get it. I wasn't sure about teaching music-it made me nervous-but I would do it to work at this school. My second interview was on Thursday morning. It went very well I thought. They said I will know mid week this week. My not sleeping can be attributed to not knowing for sure what or where I will be teaching next year. Yes I already have a contract at my current school to go back to Kindergarten. But this job I am hoping for is my absolute dream job. It is at the school I have wanted to teach at for the last 10is years and it is 1st grade (this is my FAVORITE). 

Needing-I have slowly been working my way through the house. Started with the office-pictures soon. Moved onto the kitchen/eating area. Then my home desk (not in the office-weird I know). Next up is the living room and my bedroom. When I say cleaning I mean organizing and thorough cleaning. And in some cases moving furniture. 

1- Love You Forever-this is my absolute FAVORITE book! I think I have about 6 copies of it. Someday I will have the quote "I'll love you Forever,  I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my Baby you'll be." On a wall in a room in my house. I will never however drive across town and climb a ladder into my childs house and sneak into his bedroom-that would be creepy. 

2-I have lots of professional books but I can't pick one that I really use. But at the moment I don't actually have one.When I find my favorite I will definitely share. 

Time for me to try and maybe go to bed...Or sit and read. I finished my second book of the summer this morning! It feels so good to read a book just because I want to! Hope you are all having a great start to July! Hoping to do a picture heavy post very soon. 

-Allyce