Long overdue...

*WARNING  - LONG POST AHEAD*

It has been almost three months since I posted but I swear the post has been buzzing around my head the whole time. It was just finding the time to sit down and type it out before something else I needed to do took over my attention.

We just had a three day weekend after parent teacher conferences with a Professional Development day yesterday so I am feeling refreshed and ready to conquer my classroom. Its amazing what happens when you have a little time for yourself.

It seems time is a major theme in my life right now. I'm always trying to be on time, finish projects in time, make time for myself, spend time with my family, make time move faster or slower but I am slowly learning a little on how I can manage my time so that I don't feel like nothing is ever accomplished.

So far this year my biggest lesson has been hindsight is always 20/20 but its never to late to put on your glasses. If I could start the year over again with what I have learned since the first day of school I would do it in a heart beat. In fact I am keeping a running list of things that could be done better, more efficiently for me and my students. However, I can not restart my year so I am also have to slowly implement changes as I go.

What I can tell you is working is the support I have. I never imagined working in a building where there are so many people able and willing to help you with anything. Just this morning my janitor came in to tell me he was bringing me a small stage for in front of my white board (I'm a bit too short, imagine that!) before I even asked him! I had casually mentioned it to someone and word spread and now I am receiving something to help me. This is a constant occurrence for me, people bring me my print jobs, forward important emails I might have missed, laminate things, and countless other amazing seemingly small tasks that make my life easier. I could never express the gratitude I feel towards my colleagues fully.

Check out my room! 

This area is a little different now...

My lovely $1 mirror from a garage sale!

I like this wall because it is full of inspiration!

My very messy desk.

 My most recent reorganization project has been this corner. This is today's progress. I am much happier with it now.

I really just move things around all the time because I can't help myself. I like to make piles, sort said pile, move a separate pile and repeat. It is a vicious cycle fueled by my hoarding tendencies.

Here is a sample of artwork from this year. I have not documented as much artwork as I would like to have but there is always Christmas break for these things right?

Bookmark from the first day of art.

Pablo Picasso studies.

Kindergarten leaves.

I'm head over heels in love with teaching and I am so happy to say that I reached one of my dreams.

Happy Tuesday!

Oh August...

Anyone else struggling with the arrival of August? 

I am excited, nervous and tired already! Back to school prep is in full swing in my house. I've got a shopping list and a cleaning list and an organizing list running all at the same time. I've also made Lex a little accountability list for her room.

It's possible I'll need this sign more than she will. :)

I am working on classroom decor and curriculum this coming week so I can hit the ground running in my room and get ready for kiddos! 

How is back to school planning going for you? Any last minute vacations planned? 

P.S. Wedding post to come as soon as my photos are done! 

Garage sale season is here!

If you've ever spent a little time talking to me you've probably unearthed my love of garage sales. I live for good deals and treasure hunts. This past weekend we kicked off the season with a car full of shoppers, mom, dad, sister and me!  

 

One of the things I always look for is craft supplies! This weekend I found paint and stamps Christmas style. 

My next finds are all about the kitchen. Including a beautiful dessert bowl that I think will be perfect for our candy bar in July. 

What I really garage sale for though is the clothes. Lately I have been researching minimalist closets which does really work when you garage sale every weekend but it has made me really think about what I am looking for so this week I got two sweaters, a pair of gloves, a leopard print scarf, a white cardigan (a color I don't have currently), a chambray shirt, and three pairs of ankle length pants in black (wearing right now!!!), brown and purple. My goal was to look at quality over quantity and pieces I don't have in my closet already. I was also thinking if I pick this up is there something I don't wear I can take out of my closet. Gotta shop smart! 

 

I thought it would be fun to share my finds this summer. Have any great deals of your own? I'd love to hear about them!

Pinterest crazy!

Now that I am out of school I have found myself spending quite a bit of time on Pinterest. I'm planning a wedding you know so of course I am gathering ideas but I also look to Pinterest for alternative ways to do things. 

This week I have tried putting plastic bags half full of water into these shoes and freezing them so they will stretch. (What can I say I love five dollar shoes!?😄)

Let's just say I will try on said five dollar shoes next time.

My other test has been cinnamon in my bathroom sink. I have ants for no apparent reason other than my sink looks like a good home I suppose. 

Ants are gone thanks to Terro not cinnamon but that's okay. My last Pinterest crazy has been writing down every time I spend money which isn't crazy at all. It's actually been very helpful. I am trying to budget like always but you know it's tough being a new graduate and all. I bought this adorable little notebook that fits in my wallet to keep track of everything! 

So there is some of my favorite Pinterest things lately. I know you all enjoy Pinterest as much as me. Share those pins!

Going home or back to HM Elementary!

Last week I had the pleasure of getting to sub for a whole week in the art room at the elementary school I student taught at. It really was a win for me all around because obviously I love the art teacher, the kids, and staff! 

We did a group activity Friday which was really awesome to watch because it involved planning, teamwork and straws! The students and I discussed the Eiffel wand then talked about creating our own towers. Some students had a hard time working together, surprising right!? ;) I had one first grade boy tell me "I am already aggravated enough so I'm just not." in regards to helping his group. He was quick to try and be the boss but not accept anyone else's idea. In about three minutes he was back in action and had found a compromise. He even liked someone else's idea better than his!

I took some photos to document the activity. Here is fourth grade:

And here is first grade:

The kids really took to this challenge! I was very impressed as I did this with K-4!

The other fun I had was finishing hanging the spring art show! It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. 

My week was wonderful as I had expected. :) Right now I am crossing my fingers for a job come August. Wish me luck!

It's freezing out there....

LITERALLY.

I am bundled up of course under three blankets..one of which is turned up to high heat. But I am trying to keep a positive attitude about this weather because really February is like crazy month...the ugly comes out in people from being so cooped up.

I am done with my long term substitute assignment which was kind of hard because I really liked what I was doing and I hate change however I have kept this promise to myself since I graduated: Take risks when it comes to teaching and be confident. I don't want to stop evolving as an educator and I am a pretty stay in my own little box person which is why I had to present myself with this challenge.

Right now I am focused on prepping for the next school year. I have been reading, blog surfing, and lesson plan hoarding like crazy. I've also been working on some plans of my own...particularly printmaking.

I am also trying to get used to this on call subbing because I never know when someone will need me so I have lunch planned out for the week, outfits hanging in my closet, and a list of course of what I may need because I have to have at least one list somewhere in my day!

Stay warm :)

Sub Life

Week one of being paid for teaching has been a success!

I love the school, the kids are great, and I am teaching art after earning my college degree. My 5:30 AM alarm doesn’t totally thrill me but that’s all in part of having an awesome paying job that makes me want to come to school every day. Another plus is I love my teacher wardrobe, feeling put together every day makes for a more positive day. In fact this week I have been more nervous about driving in the dark than I have about teaching. I have really been pushing myself mentally to take risks with my career and not stay in my comfort zone. I want to be able to have experiences, find a full time job, and being involved in teaching across the board not just in my classroom. I even took a jump and signed up to present at the MAEA spring conference with one of my greatest teacher friends. J

I also feel the drive to get up out of bed in the wee mornings because I am super excited about what I am teaching right now as well. Art 3 is working on a printmaking project I developed so it’s been really rewarding to incorporate my love of printmaking and putting my skills to the test. I can’t wait to post pictures of the final projects.

Art 1 is the class I feared the most because I am responsible for teaching them the foundations of art in a way that they will retain what they are learning and be able to apply it in the future. Today I taught them how to draw a one-point perspective and it went really well! I felt like I spoke clearly and the students were showing off their creativity after they got the basics down. I can feel my confidence budding again and I am making strides towards just feeling like I am the bomb diggity.

I have also made some progress in the way of the wedding…I purchased everything I need for invitations and started working on my bouquet. I have been making decisions and crossing things off of my list which is great because we are about to hit the six month mark! Six months and I will be a married lady!!! Where has the time gone seriously!? I have been buried in school for so long it’s nice to shift my focus.

I’m extremely content with how my life is going right now. It feels great to be a college graduate, working woman, and future bride. My one complaint is I can’t stay warm!!!!!!! I am such a cold natured person that it’s scarves, sweaters and gloves all day long for me. If you are reading this locally which I assume all of you are make sure you are bundling up! It is getting too cold out and I am wearing three pairs of socks as I type this. You laugh but I am not kidding!