12 in '12!

 

 

All you have to do is think back at your favorites in 2012 and add a few pictures. What a fun way to remember the year, huh!? You can use these prompts if you'd like, or just type up your 12 favorite things! 

12. Favorite movie you watched:

11. Favorite TV series:

10. Favorite restaurant:

9. Favorite new thing you tried:

8. Favorite gift you got:

7. Favorite thing you pinned:

6. Favorite blog post:

5. Best accomplishment:

4. Favorite picture:

3. Favorite memory:

2. Goal for 2013:

1. One Little Word:

How to link up:

Create a blog post sharing your favorite 12 things in 2012. Add the button to your post and link it to this blog post. Then link up below, making sure to link directly to your post, not just your blog.

12. Favorite movie I watched:
My favorite movie of 2012 was definitely The Lucky One...loved the book too!! 

11. Favorite TV series:
Pretty Little Liars (addicted!)

 10. Favorite Restaurant:
I think I will always LOVE Texas Roadhouse!

 

9. Favorite new thing I tried:

I honestly can't think of anything!
Oh no, pregnancy BRAIN! ;)

8. Favorite gift I got:
That I found out I am pregnant! :)

Oh I am also super excited about my new Canon camera I got for Christmas.

7. Favorite thing I pinned:

This bulletin board idea. Me and the other 6th grade teacher totally have this outside our rooms!

6. Favorite blog post:

I don't really know which post is my favorite. But I do know which got viewed the most, so it must have been a favorite! My classroom rules post. 

 

 

5. Best accomplishment:

Finally getting a teaching job!! And to top it off, at a great school :)

 

4.  Favorite picture:

Our baby announcement picture! We told everyone at Halloween time. How perfect! :)

3. Favorite memory:

Gosh, I am terrible about remembering things....I'll try my hardest. 

I'd have to say meeting my best friends daughters who were born in May and in October.

 Abigail born in May and Anna born in October

2. Goal for 2013:

My goal for 2013 is to not bring my work home with me. This past semester I took my work home every weekend and a couple nights a week. Every Sunday afternoon I would sit in front of my computer doing my lessons plans for the week. I need to start getting in the habit of doing everything AT work. Especially with a little one on the way. I won't have much time for work at home! Please help keep me accountable, as I know this is going to be very hard for me!

 

 

1. One Little Word:

"Love"

Love is one of the greatest things we can give one another. We need to try and show love to our students, our co-workers, our families, and our friends. 

 

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Happy New Year! From:

 Love,

 

 

Blog Honor!

My blog has been recognized! I can't believe it! 

I have been added to the list of recommended Middle School teaching blogs! You can find the website here. The list is called the "Top 25 Middle School Teacher Blogs". There are so many other great teaching blogs on this list. I am so honored to be a part of the list!

Christmas Time Dessert!

Recipe Time!

Let's share our favorite Christmas Time recipes! Here is one of mine because it just looks so festive!

Watergate Cake

Directions for cake:

1 box white cake mix

1 box pistachio instant pudding (don't judge before you try it!)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sprite or 7 up

3 egg whites

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients well (4 minutes). Bake in 12 by 9in greased pan for 30-45 min at 350 degrees.  

Directions for icing:

1 box pistachio instant pudding

1/4-1 cup cold milk

1 (9 oz) box whipped topping mix

Nuts or Cherries (optional)   

Beat milk into instant pudding mix. Prepare topping mix according to instructions on the box. Pour into pudding mixture. Spread on cake and top with nuts or cherries (my favorite!). 

 

All the ingredients (plus you will need Vanilla!)

Mixing the cake ingredients....yummy, green!

 

 The cake in the oven!

It doesn't look green anymore!

I forgot to take a picture right after I iced it and before everyone ate it!
So this is what you get, a partially eaten Watergate Cake!
It was definitely a crowd pleaser! :)

Quiz Time!

Why is this cake named the "Watergate Cake"?

Hope everyone had a very Merry {Christ}mas! :)

Here is a little update on me!

 

Sandy Hook Elementary

What a terrible tragedy. I can't imagine what everyone is going through right now. Such a subject that is so close to home, being a classroom teacher. I can't help but think that I would do my best to protect my students to the best of my abilities. I will be praying for the families who lost loved ones. 

Feeling a bit overwhelmed...

Wow, I can't believe it is almost Christmas time! Where has the time gone? I'm not sure, but I'm glad that it is going by quickly! I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. With it being my first year teaching, and my first time ever in the Jr. High setting (I never did any observing in the Jr. High age group), I have been feeling a bit stressed. I never realized how much lesson planning, grading, RtI work there was involved. Oh, and did I mention all the grading? By far my least favorite part!

I am really hoping that this is just a first year teacher problem. Hopefully next year I will feel a bit less stressed and overwhelmed with everything. Oh, and did I tell you that I got observed last Tuesday? Haven't gotten my "results" back yet...hopefully I will get them tomorrow. I am a little nervous to get those back, to say the least!

Anyway, I just thought I would vent to my blogger friends. Hopefully I'm not on this boat alone! It is just so hard planning for 6 different classes a day (geometry, science, history, spelling, reading, and english). How does one handle it all? Plus all the grading, and the contacting of parents, and the RtI work, and trying to stay on top of everything! I just feel like I can never stay caught up.

I have been wondering, do the lower grades (K-3) teachers feel this way as well? I know they probably don't have as much homework...I don't know!

Oh, the joys of being a first year teacher!

Mummys!!! oh, and currently

For the past few weeks we have been studying Ancient Egypt in History class. A few weeks ago we did a mummifying experiment. I found the lesson plan here. Check it out! My kids loved it. I intertwined History with Science in the activity.

I introduced the Scientific Method. 

Before we started I had them write down their predictions and questions of what they thought the apple would look like after a week. Then after a week was up we got to look at our apples. Before we looked at our apples I had them write down step 2 and 3 of the Scientific Method. After we looked at the mummified apples we finished by writing steps 4 and 5. Here are some pictures!

(This picture is great!!)

I had so much fun with my kids during this activity! I think they really enjoyed it too!


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A little late, but here is my currently!




We haven't listened to much music in my class. I should really change that. I think music is very calming. If we were to listen to the radio it would be our town's local country station. What music do you listen to in your classroom?

Big Announcement!

Sorry that I've been M.I.A. for awhile! I have a lot to update you on!

For starters I would like to show you some geometry projects my 6th graders have been doing!

One of the projects we've done is working with Coordinate Planes (which aligns with the common core standards!) They used graph paper to plot points to make their initials in box letters. They have to draw the points and then connect the dots to make their letters. Here are how they turned out!

The class is only a 6 week class so their final project was to make a design using 5 given geometric shapes. 

They were to use a Triangle, Square, Rectangle, Octagon, and Circle. For extra credit they were to find one 3D figure. 

Below are some of my favorites! 

One of my students made a Stegosaurus!

This student made a little character

This student made a scrapbook

This student also made a little character.

This student made a holiday feast! Yum!

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and now, what you've all been waiting for....

My BIG announcement!

We're having a baby!!!!!

A picture that one of my classes made for me. They were SOOO excited when I told them I am pregnant!
Gotta LOVE 6th graders! :)

Yay!! We can't wait :)

Have a great week!