My New School Year's Resolutions

Every year I have goals for myself to accomplish...just like New Year's Resolutions, only for the school year!  So here are the things I'm going to work on this school year - for my students and myself.

1. Show my students love
This sounds like a no-brainer.  Of course we show our students love, right?  We're teachers!  I always love my students, but sometimes I get a little caught up.  Caught up in standards that aren't mastered yet, caught up in the fact that I need to be teaching every minute of every day, caught up in lessons that need to be taught before testing...just caught up.  Sometimes I get so caught up I forget to give that extra hug, pat on the back, or reassuring smile.  It's not that I don't love my students, I just get way too caught up!  So this year, I don't want to make any excuses.  There's never a good enough reason not to show my students the love they need and deserve from me!

2. Fully implement Daily 5
I have been reading the Daily 5 book and it sounds wonderful!

Centers have always been:
A) A hassle to create every weekend
B) A time for my high kids to work and my low kids to goof off
C) A stressful time of day
D) All of the above

D! D! I pick D!  So for my educational goals this year, I want to delve into Daily 5 so that all of my students are loving center time and actually getting something out of it.  At the end of this school year, I honestly hope to have the best readers I've ever had leaving my classroom.

3. Make more "Me Time"
Summer is awesome and wonderful!  Why?  Because every single day is jam-packed full of Me Time!  Time for me to exercise, time for me to keep my house clean, time for me to cook, time for me to sleep...me time!  I hate how during the school year I never get enough time for this.  I'm always too exhausted when I get home from school to do any of it.  I always feel like a failure at home if I feel successful at school.  So this year, that's going to change.  I'm going to make the most of every day.  Grading papers during lunch, making copies during plan time - packing my day with all the work it can hold so that when 3:00 comes around, I'll be done!  Does that mean I'll never stay late after school?  Of course not!  But if I can cram my day with work and not let interruptions (aka facebook, instagram, etc. during lunch and plan time) get in my way, I will have so much less to do after the bell rings and I'll have more time to take care of myself. 

Sooooo...what about you?  What are a few things you'd like to improve on this school year for yourself or your classroom?  Take the image below and add your blog post to the linkup!  Don't forget to also post your image on instagram and add the hashtag #schoolyearresolutions.  Have a magical school year!

An InLinkz Link-up

Follow Frenzy: Week 4

Hooray for Week 4 of the TPT Seller Challenge! 

So I'm probably not the Mrs. Social Butterfly that bloggers are supposed to be, but I do follow a lot of blogs and I do read and learn from them like they are professional development books.  I love, love, love that the TPT Seller Challenge has given me a chance to find new bloggers.  Here's three of my faves I've found through this wonderful journey.  Thanks for being an inspiration, ladies!

You can check out their blogs below:

Elementary Antics

Once Upon a First Grade Adventure

The Primary Pineapple

And check out their amazing TPT stores while you're at it!

Currently: July

So maybe I'm behind the times, or maybe I just never find time to blog during the school year, but I'm finally linking up for Currently with Oh Boy 4th Grade.

Listening:  My new cat makes bird noises.  I don't know if this is common, if my cat is having an identity crisis, or if she's going to be the best cat hunter in the world.  You can listen to her here.  If you happen to know about this phenomenon, please let me know in the comments because I'm considering taking her to counseling...or letting her duel it out with a bird.

Loving: That I still have a whole month of rejuvenation, relaxation, and loving on my pets and family!  I love teaching, but it seems like I never get a minute to breathe during the school year.  These two months I get are pure bliss.

Thinking: Since I do only have a month of summer left, I need to start prepping for school.  I have banished teaching pinterest posts for a month now, so I think I have to start pinning again.  And I should probably start laying out my curriculum...nah.

Wanting: It has stormed so much over the past few days at my house!  This is crazy business!  I feel like I'm in central Florida...but I'm not because I can't go to Disney World!  Lightning struck so close to our house yesterday that the smoke alarms went of several times.  Our pets had a little freak out attack in the meantime.  Plus, the little bit of tan I have from this summer is slowly leaving, and we can't let that happen, now can we?  Sun, please come back out!  Yours truly.

Needing: Summer is the only time I get to read.  It probably shouldn't be, but I just can't find time during the school year to do it!  And sadly, I've only finished one book this whole summer.  It was a huge book, but nevertheless, just one.  I have to get on it!  The new Daily 5 book is calling my name!

All Star: To Do List maker.  I just got a new Erin Condren planner (YAY!) and if I wasn't a To Do List Queen before, I am now.  I know I'll forget whatever I need to do if I rely on my own memory, so my lists are the way to go!

Thanks for joining me on my first Currently post!  Hopefully I can keep this up during the school year!

Work it Wednesday! Week 2

I love these Work it Wednesday posts!  They are so motivating!  I'm not motivating because I'm too lazy to "work it"...but everyone else's posts are motivating!  Anywhoo, here we are again for Week 2!

So last week I told you about my "exercise routine" with a disclaimer that if you really want to get fit, my rules aren't the best.  But if you're a lazy gal and you want to slowly work your way into fitness, that's right where I am on my journey.  Since my stubbornness has the best of me, here's my second rule to fitness that probably isn't a good rule, but I'll never break it.

Isn't that terrible?  I mean I'm kind of blasting my weight loss goals with that one, but dieting is no fun!  I've tried it, and let me tell you it makes me hate life!  My students probably think I'm Viola Swamp when I have attempted dieting.  The only thing it does is make me crave more food.  which makes me miserable and pouty.

Instead, my life plan goes more like this:  Drink a lot of water.  Eat all of the fruits and veggies you want (My husband says this is not a good idea...because binge eating on baby carrots isn't really great for you either.  Like I said, my advice might not be the best.).  Try not to eat fast food.  But never ever diet.

Here's my super amazing Camelbak.  It's my appetite lifesaver.  Did you know if you drink through a straw, you'll drink more?  It's true!  I was lucky to drink my 24 oz. Tervis in a day's time, but with this water bottle with a straw I'm drinking almost a gallon some days. When your belly is full of a gallon of water, you don't have much more room for cupcakes.
 *NOTE* As tempting as it may be, don't fill your Camelbak with Coke.  I have considered it many times, but just don't do it.  As wonderful and miraculous as Coke may be, 33 oz. of Coke isn't good for anybody.

 I also try not to snack.  It's hard, because I'm a grazer.  No joke, I'm like a sheep.  I'll get a plate at say...O'Charley's and I won't be able to finish it.  In 2 hours I'm starving.  I just have to keep eating!  Some people say it's better to eat smaller meals more often, but when you're a teacher that's close to impossible.  A few years ago, I cut out unhealthy afternoon snacks.  That's it.  No going on a diet, just cutting out one mini meal that I didn't really need.  After a few months, I lost 20 pounds and went down two pant sizes.  It was awesome!  I am completely serious when I say that's the ONLY change I made in my life.  No exercise, just cutting out unhealthy snacking.  Now, I do allow myself to snack on fruits and veggies (remember my "you can eat as many as you want" idea), but just not Little Debbie Cakes.

Speaking of Little Debbie Cakes, I splurge.  Sometimes you go to a blackberry farm and pick blackberries to eat them.  Other times you just make a cobbler (...or 3...yes, 3 cobblers) out of the blackberries.  This is not a good choice by any means, but I don't believe in cutting it out.  When I cut things like this out, I go crazy (see Viola Swamp).  In moderation, I splurge a couple times a week...because remember, I'm not on a diet.  Anyways, if you've got a gallon of water and a whole big bunch of baby carrots in your belly, you might just be too full for blackberry cobbler, and that's okay too.