And The Countdown Begins...

Ok Friends...16 (school) days until Christmas Break!!! I feel like time painfully slooooowwws between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break and trudges along like molasses being poured on a freezing cold morning...yea thats the simile I came up with.

Anywhoo....Thanksgiving was amazing and I am oh so thankful for so so much!

Food!

 Family!

Now that I'm back to school, I thought I'd blog about something that has to do with first grade....ahhh what a concept.  A month or so ago, I was doing my nightly Pintrest scroll through and came across this....

I got super excited because I'm always looking for new ways to engage my students who are reading below grade level, especially the boys!  I took this idea and created these....

I tried this out...after ALOT of modeling...and it was a super success!!! I have 2-3 students play during small groups.  What I love is that both students are actively reading during each turn. So, player 1 would read a word on the parking lot and tell player 2 to park his/her car there.  Player 2 then has to drive his/her matchbox toy car to that parking space and then read a word for player 1. Super fun!

The Verdict is Still out on the FURminator....

Happy Saturday Night Friends!

If you look to the right ----> you will see my dog child Cami.  At 55 pounds, my 29 month old Golden Retriever is perfect (yes, I'm one of those moms who thinks her child (dog) is perfect...sue me). Sure, she sometimes jumps on people entering the house, sure she sometimes barks at innocent people trying to walk around the neighborhood, sure she thinks she only weighs 11 pounds and wants to be a lap dog, sure she sheds ALOT, but she is still perfect in my eyesH And with my sister's photography skills and Cam's gorgeous looks...I'm thinking she may get booked one day for doggy modeling...e-mail me if you can make this happen!

Cami and I live with my amazing mom and little sister.  I have been saving up for the past year and am currently house hunting, but until Cam and I find the perfect place, we are loving being at my Mama's. Mom LOVES Cami...but doesn't so much love her hair, which is everywhere.

Enter Petsmart...this wonderful place offers a "DUN DUN DUHHH" (Mom and I contemplated how to put this sound into words for 5 minutes) FURminator treatment!!!!  This treatment is pricey, but it apparently treats dogs' coats so they don't shed as much. Cami had her first appointment today...and it took every bone in my body not to tell the groomer "I'll be back...." as I left s

DID YOU KNOW...that Petsmart will give your dog a report card (gasp). My girl was "pretty good"(which means she could have been better) and was nervous about the hair dryer (which means she is a dog).

Now that she is home, she is super fluffy (she has "fat" hair like her mom and grandma), smelling pretty and her nails are clipped, but the verdict is still out on the treatment.  I will let you know in a few days!

She was not super happy I made her go...and came right home to sulk and ignore me.

And then she thought if she blended in with the hardwood floor I'd never take her back there again.

She does love her holiday collar though!!! The rest of my household...not so much. IT JINGLES!!!!

P.s. I promise that when I get back to school on Monday, I will start blogging about teaching too!!!! 

The Method Behind the Always Sunny Madness

Ok, so I know there is the show "Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and I'm sure countless blogs with similar names, but I promise I was not trying to be unoriginal or super lazy.  Always Sunny In First was a complete "Spurryism" to match the humor some use when walking into my classroom.

Last year, I had an awesome first year classroom...I had space, I had two huge windows, I had a closet (all to myself) bigger than my freshman dorm room ( I could have literally fit my whole class in it), I had a door that led right outside to the playground...pretty spectacular.

This summer, while teaching summer school, I got a call from my principal telling me that I am "a bird ready to fly" and that I was ready to move to a different classroom.  Shafer and I (my teammate...visit her here) switched classrooms.  Shafer had been in the "annex" for two years and she totally deserved the above mentioned to die for classroom...and I knew that with new hires coming in, Shafer's experience and awesomeness was needed in other areas of the building.

Anyhoo, after two weeks of switching rooms, organizing, decorating and getting over claustrophobia, my windowless classroom and I had officially bonded.  That's right, I said windowless...outside doorless....closetless....lots of spaceless.

Three days before school started this year, I was sitting in my room alone (it was a day only second year teachers had to report) and I could have gotten 1000 things done, but instead I came up with this quote, "when life gives you a windowless classroom, make a window" and I created this....

Yes friends, that is a window...life size...created using bulletin board paper, ribbon and scrap booking paper.  Now it is officially "always sunny in first!" r I also decorate my window to match the holiday/season....stay tuned for my holiday decor! 

Happy Turkey/First Post Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

I have spent the majority of the last two months talking about blogging and as I lay on my couch (my mom's couch-more on that later), watching the Macy's Day Parade and drinking my peppermint mocha latte (because today it is officially ok to break out Christmas flavors, scents, music, and decorations-in my book) I have decided it is time to post my VERY FIRST post.  HOLY MOLY,  I am excited!  Also, a tad bit nervous....I am new to this and don't want to be "booed" off blogger one day in.  So hang in there people, I promise I have some slightly good/cute ideas and I am a tad bit funny to boot...

I am a second year teacher in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (beautiful place, you should come visit and play tourist for a day). I work in a small public Title I school...literally surrounded by corn fields....and truly believe it was God's hand that placed me there. (p.s. I love and truly believe in Jesus and you will hear me refer to Him a lot ;) Last year, as a first year teacher, I spent every day trying to keep my head above "first year teacher water".  This year, I have graduated from trying to keep my head above "first year teacher water" to treading (with very strong endurance most days) "second year teacher water."

More about me, my classroom, my inspirations, and the things/people that keep me sane in this crazy world of teaching to come s 

Enjoy your day with family and friends...keep praying and teaching.

P.s. In case you are not a teacher and were always curious about those "awesome gifts" we teachers get....feast your eyes on what I got from one of my wonderful parents...holy turkey cake!!!!