New {School} Year Resolutions

I am the kind of person that loves to make goals and work hard to "make it happen". So I love that Amanda at Teaching Madness is having a New {School} Year Resolutions Linky Party! If I tell you my goals then I am really going to have to stick with them! I have a whole bunch of resolutions, so I just chose 4 resolutions for this coming school year to share with you:

#1- Class Website- I currently have a class website that I use to post podcasts and movies of things that we are doing in class, tips for parents, cool websites for kids and post class newsletters on. I always start off strong, and update it frequently but as the school year goes on...well you know!!! I want to keep it updated better throughout the ENTIRE school year! If you want to check out my class website, here is the link: http://palmbeachschooltalk.com/shopej/Ms._Shopes_Class/Home.html

#2- Throw-aholic- I am so bad at throwing stuff away. I am known for saying "Oops, I threw that away!" Perhaps I could get that a bit under control! ;)

#3- Conferencing With Students- I really want to be better at having deliberate and purposeful conferences with my students during reading and writing workshops!

#4- Utilize Volunteers- I am blessed at my school to have parent involvement and support. Last year I really slacked on utilizing parents' help, and I tried to "do it all". I really want to work on being less of a control freak and letting others help!

So now that I have told you all a few of my New {School} Year Resolutions...you are responsible for helping me stick to it! :) I am counting on you!!!

On a side note, I don't know if any of you still have student loans...I do! :( I just found out about this Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. I don't know if it will be useful for anyone else, but I sure do hope so!

Off to spend more time with my great parents! My mom's big surprise is coming in just a few days...so we have to go shopping!!!! :)

Happy Tuesday!

My Best Teacher :)

I am writing a quick post before my best and most favorite teacher of all arrives at my house...my mommy! :) Yay! She is coming from Pennsylvania for a visit, but what she doesn't know is that there is a surprise waiting for her! I would tell...but just in case, I don't want to ruin the surprise! I'm so excited for her!

I am also excited about a new product I posted on TPT...go check it out! Happy weekend!

Centers, Emergent Readers and 2 Freebies!

Today I started thinking about the centers that I would like to start the year off with. I was planning on just revamping a few of the centers that I usually use and I got a little carried away. I ended up making quite a few new centers...some that I probably won't even be using! Oh my! Check out the Back to School Themed Literacy Centers at my TPT store! Here is a preview!

So while I was going crazy I made a few new Back to School Themed Emergent Readers and Pocket Chart Activities to go along with them. You can find them here!

After all that, I did what I was actually planning on doing and just revamped some of the centers that I usually start with! :) Oh bother! Go to my TPT store and get your copies for FREE! :) I hope something is helpful and resourceful for you! If so leave me a comment! Thanks!!!

2 Awards

Oh my! I was greeted by such a wonderful surprise today! I was nominated for two awards...can you believe it!?!

I want to start off by saying thank you to Mrs. G's Kindergarten in Heels and Classroom Capers for both nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! Wow!

 

As part of recieving this award, I now need to tell you 7 random facts about myself...

 

1. I was born and raised just outside of the "Sweetest Place on Earth"...Hershey, Pennsylvania. I moved to South Florida 11 years ago to go to college and just can't leave because it is paradise!

 

2. I am a huge Miami Heat fan! Let's Go Heat!!! My favorite player is Chris Bosh!

 

3. I don't like to eat any red candy- if the candy is red I think it is going to taste like cherry! Yuck! :)

 

4. I can speak Spanish. When I was in high school my family lived in Mexico, so that is where I learned it. I like to watch novellas!

 

5. I love to clean...BUT the only thing I don't like to clean is the shower! Ugh...I would pay someone just to clean that part of my house!

 

6. I enjoy running...especially if I have one of my running buddies with me! Six miles goes by in no time when you are just chatting away!

 

7. Jamaican chicken patties are a weakness! Yummy!!!

 

I would also like to thank K is for Kinderrific! for nominating me for "One Lovely Blog Award". She is a new blogger too, but has already caught my eye with her posts! Go check her out!

 

Now I am going to nominate 5 other fascinating bloggers for these awards...I hope you check them out!

Young and Lively Kindergarten

Teacher on the LOOSE!

KinderKids Fun

T is for Teaching

A Passion for Primary

 

 

 

 

 

Classroom Visit Thoughts

I am back to give an update about how my visit to my classroom was today! It was terrific! When I got into my room, I was shocked! The custodians had taken down furniture and had made it really easy to rearrange things! I am very grateful...and so is my back! I was pumped to get to work- I was so excited to get to work I forgot to take true "before" pictures! Ooops!! It is a good thing though, posting pictures of an undecorated and messy classroom is painful! (I am a NEAT FREAK!) So you only get 3 pictures! ;)

  
As  eager as I was to get working in my classroom, I kept thinking about a post that I read last week from Heather's Heart. Heather challenged me to keep things in perspective- to remember it is not about how cute, perfect and matchy we make our classrooms but to make sure that the thing I am most concerned with is leaving a lasting mark on my students' hearts! If you have not checked out Heather's blog you should! She is AMAZING!

Grade Three is the Place for Me is having a 'Newbie Bloggers Blog Hop'. So I joined in on the fun!

1.  What state you are in? I teach in South Florida.

2.  Your current teaching position? I am currently teaching kindergarten!

3.  Your teaching experience? I have been teaching for the past 7 years. I started in kindergarten, which is my favorite! I looped with my class to first grade, and continued teaching first grade for 4 years. Then, I taught third grade for one year, but missed my kindergarten friends too much and just had to go back! :)

4.  When you started blogging? I started blogging in the beginning of July.

5.  Share a blogging tip. Be kind and enjoy making new friends! Be complimentary to others. Leave comments and respond to others. Have fun! :)

 I hope that you check out my fellow new bloggers!