Summer?

This is literally the longest summer of our lives. It started May 15th, which is the earliest i've ever finished school for the year, and technically (in my mind) doesn't end until September 2nd when school starts! However, there has been plenty happening in the mean time that sometimes feels like work, and sometimes is actually work, but it's been great. Let me catch ya up on my teaching endeavors:

I have always had a passion for creating cute things for my classroom, as well as sharing those things with others, so I figured that even though I'm not super talented at it yet, I might as well start a Teachers Pay Teachers store! You're in luck though... since I'm not too fancy, everything I've put on there so far is FREE! You can find a widget leading you to my store here on my blog now on the left hand side bar. But, you can also visit is by clicking on THIS. It may not sound like me when you get to the store because I figured I might as well jump the gun, and with less than a month until the wedding I just made it with my NEW last name since that's who I'll be this school year!

Another endeavor I've been working on is an attempt to get some technology into my classroom before the school year even starts! I have big plans for this school year; to use The Daily 5, to use the online portion of our new language arts curriculum, Wonders, that I actually already used last school year in Alaska, and to have students guide their own learning through research in Science and Social Studies. I am also excited to supplement our math curriculum with some online games and apps this year, to help students work their way into the common core to prepare them for a new curriculum in the school year following this one. In order to do all of this I need some technology! My classroom doesn't have any computers, and our access to the computer lab is very limited, so I've gone out on my own and started a Donors Choose project to provide my classroom with 3 iPad minis for this school year. 3 isn't many, when students will be very ambitious and excited to be using them, but with only 12 students this year I think it will work out well. If it looks like it's going to be a stretch in the future (when I inevitably have more students) I may do another project to beef up the tech. However, right this moment I just found out we're SO close to being fully funded!!! (THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED, ESPECIALLY THE LADIES OF DELTA GAMMA ESA OF FLORENCE, YOU'RE INCREDIBLE!) If you're interested in donating, you can find my donors choose page HERE as well as by clicking my photo at the top of my blog.

And lastly, tomorrow I will be flying to San Diego for the AVID summer institute! I'm so excited to learn about a program our school started using last year, which works to bridge the achievement gap and prepare ALL students for a future including college or job training. I can't wait to use it in my classroom!

I'm so excited for this school year and to get back to work. I'm feeling revived, and motivated!

For those of you that would rather hear about the wedding... sorry for my lack of enthusiasm! It's going great, crafts are happening, things are rolling, I'm not too worried and it'll all turn out fine!

That is all, for now!