Going BACK

Soooo I have accepted my newest teaching position for the 2019-2020 school year back in first grade!  To say I'me excited is an understatement.  Since blogging back in 2016 I have completed my Master's in Educational Leadership and taught third grade.  I can't wait to get back to my soul and teach the little people on our planet how to read and do basic math!  I am beyond excited to go back and also complete my tenth year of teaching!  More to come..

What happened to last year

So I had a year of firsts last year.  Mid way through the 2015-2016 school year I was asked by my friend and Principal to move to fifth grade and teach an ELA block fro ESE students in the morning and Gifted students in the afternoon.  It was undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges I have ever undertaken.  When I went in over Thanksgiving break to move my room to the other side of campus my Principal had a quote for her bathroom and it read "It always seems impossible until it's done."  I will never forget that quote because it proved to be so true.  It was so hard for me to leave my first graders and their families for this new mystery homeroom who was running adults out of their classroom left and right.  I had such a learning experience with them.  I had an amazing partner and that helped a lot.  FSA tests in Florida and the use of data in upper grades are just a few of the really stressful ideas I was introduced to this year.  It was a fun year for many reasons.  K-2 teachers don't really get to see the kids grow into young adults and struggle with pre teen problems like upper Elementary teachers do throughout the year.  I wish I would have had more time to really develop freebies and pay and take activities from Teachers pay Teachers as I had originally intended. I'm teaching fifth grade again this year so my blog should actually be renamed and I think I'm going to work on that.

A year of firsts

This has been a year of firsts for me.  I was so flattered that every student this year came to meet me at open house.  This is the first time that ever happened!   "Kid" as I recently started to referring to all of my students are making out of this universe learning gains in both reading and math.  I have a complete cast of the cutest, sweetest students and their parents are really nice to me!  I'm so happy this year.  I still need to pass the FELE and any new FELE practice tests would be greatly appreciated.  My reading endorsement is coming along nicely and I'm anxious to start thinking about coaching.  I'm the math committee representative for my grade level this year and not the president of PTO which has given me more free time.  This year is absolutely fabulous and "kid" is doing really well!

Summertime Professional Development and the current buzz on next year

This summer I attended many workshops where we collaborated to write and design science labs, small group reading lessons, math STEM lessons and reading whole group lessons.  I'm really excited to use the new math and science resources we have available to us.  The activities are creative, group activities my students really enjoyed last year. We have decided to collaboratively use CPALMS to help close achievement gaps, make bigger learning gains and prepare our kiddos for the end of course exams the stat of Florida is using.  Our county has decided to use the gradual release model and I'm very excited to try teaching my new monsters the techniques encompassed by this model.  I am still studying for the FELE and am not as overwhelmed as I was during my spring break; fingers crossed that I pass this test over Labor Day and graduate in the Spring.  My Masters will be such a huge accomplishment. 

Fabulous In Transition and the rest of this year

This has been a year of many accomplishments for me professionally.  I finished my ESOL endorsement, started my reading endorsement, mentored a teacher and a student, was the PLC lead, finished my administrative leadership internship and organized a program to feed our schools families in transition students.  Needless to say I have been busy and in addition to that I have one test left until graduation at UCF!  I have had so many new experiences this year I have no idea what I am going to do as just a teacher next year!  I managed to score highly effective across all domains in my evaluations. Fabulous in transition started with one goal and that was to find food for all the FIT families from January to the end on the year.  The project was successful and I turned out to be more resourceful than I originally thought!  I have plenty of resources to compete the project!  This all started with a class at UCF run by Ms. Storey. A  cute and slightly intimidating British lady!  She has been such a huge inspiration to me the last few months. 

2015: A brand new year

This is my last semester in grad school so as I say goodbye to 2014 I welcome 2015 on the premise that I am close to graduation!  This year's class has been really easy compared to prior years.  With all the changes taking place year to year I wonder if the parents and students alike just sit down, shut up and hold on for dear life like the teachers do.  I am ready to see how setting goals as a reading coach will change the design and curriculum supplements that I use daily in the classroom.  While I completed my Internship in administration last semester I helped a few teachers work to design their Guided Reading to track student success measured by the students.  This year a huge focus is on data binders and the why's behind students writing their own goals and adding comments as to why they are at the level of academic success indicated by the rubric.  I'm sure 2015 will bring changes, challenges and chance to celebrate successes!  I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store for moments!!

Remembering 911 and a brand new year!!