My Teacher Story and Monday Made It # 8

I just read that Janaye  over at Tales of Frogs & Cupcakes is having a great linky party, "My Teacher Story."  So here is my story...

Teaching is actually a second career for me.  I have been a hairdresser for 26 years and worked in a shop up to a year ago.  Hairdressing is in my blood.  My mom, two aunts (her sisters), a cousin and even a great aunt all on my mom's side are hairdressers.  For 24 of the 26 years I worked at my aunt's shop with her and my cousin. I had a BLAST!  It was like going and having coffee with my girlfriends everyday.  I was persuaded to be a hairdresser by my mom when I graduated from high school because I had no idea what I wanted to do.  So I went to the same beauty school as my mom and after graduating and passing my state boards I spent two years perfecting my craft.  Then I went to work for my aunt for 24 years until she passed  away a year ago.  Here is my daughter's First Communion updo...  (Ugh my only picture is on my desktop which will not turn on due to a virus! I'll keep looking!)

Then one day my BFF who was also my roommate said why don't you go to school to be a teacher, you absolutely LOVE kids.  I was the only one at the beauty shop that would cut and style the little kids' hair.  I am in quite a few "1st Haircut" pictures - Yuck I hate getting my picture taken!  I said I can't go to college but my BFF brought all the paperwork home and helped me get the paperwork completed and signed up for my first classes.  After my first college class - "Intro to Psychology"  I was hooked.  I LOVED college!  I loved even more then college was teaching.  I at last felt like I found why I was put here on Earth - to teach!  Don't get me wrong I still love doing hair but I always felt it wasn't my true calling.  Teaching made my heart sing and still does 16 years later.  My BFF that was my roommate back then is still my BFF and my inspiration.  She went back to school too,  after receiving her bachelor's in political science and master's in juvenile corrections before I even went to college.  Guess what her new degree was?  Teaching!  She is now a SBH teacher at a near by high school and I am an elementary teacher.  If it was not for her believing in me I would have never took the chance to become a teacher.  I have shared that story with all my students in hopes that I can inspire them to follow their dreams no matter what others might say.  My road has been a little different then most but I would not have changed it for the world! 

I did one small Monday Made It project for Tara over at 4th grade Frolic.  I know I said I would share my Science in a Bag project but the week flew past! I promise I will post it soon.  But I did make really cute labels for my plastic science unit containers from PreKinders and they were free!  Take a look....

I would have been really happy if I could have patiently figured out how to type on the labels instead of hand writing them but I have absolutely no patience with myself.  I also thought I was pretty tech savvy but obviously not!  If anyone would like to add those directions in their comment I would forever be thankful. I am hoping that these last few Monday Made Its will motivated me to get some more school stuff done.  I have fallen deeply into summer break and just can't get out!

Newbie Blog Hop

Here is a great blog hop of newbie blogs from Janice over at Grade Three is the Place for Me! that I thought I would try it out since I am a newbie.  Check it out and link your blog.  Do not forget to tell us about yourself.

1. what state you are in

2. your current teaching position

3. your teaching experience

4. when you started blogging

5. share a blogging tip / blogging resource

1.  I am in Ohio.
2.  I currently teach 4th and 5th grade math and science at a small Catholic school.  We have regular education students and children diagnosed on the autism spectrum in our classrooms.
3. I have had my license for 16 years now and I have only taught 4th and 5th grade.  I have subbed in 1st - 8th grade classrooms and student taught 3rd grade though.
4.  I started this blog back in April but was waiting for my new blog design to really getting into blogging.  Isn't it pretty?  I love the look of my new blog.
5.  Only make 1 post a day.  Hmmmm?  I am still working on trying to blog 1 a week:) 

Here are some awesome newbie blogs.  Get a cup of coffee or a cold drink and enjoy!

Newbie Blog Hop

Here is a great blog hop of newbie blogs that I thought I would try out since I am a newbie.  Check it out and link your blog.  Do not forget to tell us about yourself.

1. what state you are in

2. your current teaching position

3. your teaching experience

4. when you started blogging

5. share a blogging tip / blogging resource

1.  I am in Ohio.
2.  I currently teach 4th and 5th grade math and science at a small Catholic school.  We have regular education students and children diagnosed on the autism spectrum in our classrooms.
3. I have had my license for 16 years now and I have only taught 4th and 5th grade.  I have subbed in 1st - 8th grade classrooms and student taught 3rd grade though.
4.  I started this blog back in April but was waiting for my new blog design to really getting into blogging.  Isn't it pretty?  I love the look of my new blog.
5.  Only make 1 post a day.  Hmmmm?  I am still working on trying to blog 1 a week:) 

Here are some awesome newbie blogs.  Get a cup of coffee or a cold drink and enjoy!

Teacher Mom Blog Award - Please Vote For Me

Well I am trying to get some more followers.  I nominated my blog for the Circle of Moms Teacher Blog Awards.  The award is for blogs of teachers that are also moms.  That fits my blog.  I am a teacher and I have three wonderful kids. There is some great competition that has been nominated.  I would love to receive this award and be included.   If you could vote for me by clicking the button below that would be awesome.




I also I am going to try to complete a "Monday It Monday" project for next Monday and post it on 4th grade Frolics by Tara.  Just a tease "Science In A Bag."  Wish me luck!

 

Class Library & Lemonberry Yogurt

Wow!  I just found this very cool website Classroom Organizer.  It is all over Pinterest and I had to take a look.  The website lets you scan in all your books in your classroom library using the upc bar code on the back of the book.  You can also include the AR level and points, grade level, interest level and so on.  Then you can import or type in your class lists. 

Then when one of my kiddies ask, "Can I take this home?" I can say sure and hand them either my I-Phone or I-Pad where the child scans the bar code under their name.  When they bring the book back, they rescan the bar code under return and their name.  Voila ! I know WHO has my book.  Over the years so many of my books had never been returned.  Now I have an easy way to track them.  Seriously, I do not know for sure what is in my classroom library.  When I first started teaching and my library was small, I typed up a list.  Now, I have no clue and the thought of typing them all up sounds yucky!!!!  I have already started scanning the books I picked up over the summer.  Hopefully I can convince my oldest daughter to come to school with me and scan in all the books in my classroom.  Maybe a trip or two to Lemonberry Frozen Yogurt will do the trick.  In fact I need to go, we are on our way to Lemonberry now!  Yum

My First Blog Award!

Yahoo!!!! I recieved my first blog award from Randi at Teaching in an Organized Mess for the a blog with less then 6 followers.  I do not have any followers so I think I qualify:(  So thank you Randi!  Now I just need to work on getting some followers.  I know I need to start posting on a regular basis but I am still a newbie at this blogging thing.  Please be patient with me. 

Ok here are the rules...

1. Link back to the person who gave it to you.

2. Post the award to your blog.

3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.  (Very hard to find blogs without this awesome award.)

4. Let the other bloggers know they have won. 

For the Liebster Blog Award I nominate:

1.Teaching 5th Grade In Pearls

2.Oragnized Teaching Addict

3.Fifth Grade Findings

4.Fifth Grade Dugout

5 Fabulous Finch Facts

New Blog, Summer's Sweetness & To Do List

Ok, I can't wait to get this blog up and going. I was trying to wait for my new blog design before I started to work on this blog but I just could not wait. Especially after reading all the awesome teacher blogs out there. I am so excited to see what Kenna at Project 3 is designing for ME! I have definitely been bitten by the blogger bug! I have another blog mrsparentesclasspage.blogspot.com but it is more geared towards my students and I am sure they will not want to read about teacher, mom & wife stuff that I want to blog about on this blog. So...... I started this blog. Is that normal? Another reason I have left both my blogs untouched was that my buddies at my school promised each other no school stuff until July. It was a tough school year and we all needed a break from the school grind. AHHHH it is going to be tough to get back into the swing of things, summer has been so sweet. No alarm clocks, drinking my coffee watching my favorite morning shows, shopping with my girls, driving my 3 kids here and there, blog stalking until 1 am and my most favorite addiction... PINTEREST! OMG I am so addicted. There is so many amazing ideas for school (I have stolen borrowed so many great ideas.) and lately I have been looking at all the beautiful home decor. I even tried a Pinterest idea from Katie at Clarendon Lane for my hallway.

I am so excited how it came out. I still need to tweak it a little more. Maybe some small lamps & a metal egg basket. Notice the egg theme, we have 4 cool Amerucana (I hope I spelled that right I am too lazy to look it up.) chickens. I will blog about that at another time.

Now on to my list of school things I need / want to do.
1. Organize my metal cabinet at school. (I will hopefully post before & after pics soon.)
2. Get my documents ready for my license renewal.
3. Find 9 cool home science experiments for my Science In A Bag Club.
4. Redesign my curriculum maps for science, math, social studies & religion.
5. Start planning my 4th & 5th grade math lessons with our new math series, Go Math.
6. Pick a theme for my classroom (Do I need an excuse? PINTEREST!).
7. Organize my home office. Its a huge mess that I do not think I would want to post before & after pics. Gross!

Well that is it for now. I hope you enjoyed my attempt at blogging. I would LOVE if you would follow me on either or both blogs. I will do my best to keep you posted. I would also love some comments / advice. Thanks and Happy 4th of July!