• Making the most of planning time

    Has it hit you yet? You know, the end-of-the-school-year-don’t-want-to-do-anything mood? Planning is always the hardest for me at the end of the year, my mind wanders, there are about a million things to do, and I really just want to spend the entire day outside.  This is the point in the year where I lean heavily on my planning systems to use my time as effectively as possible.  Here are some of the things that always help: Recipes for the Classroom – All kinds of dough, sand, bubble, and paint recipes! Seasonal Party Sign-ups and Reminders – to help get me through the final events of the year A Year…

  • Teacher humor

    It’s a yucky rainy day where I am, so I thought I would brighten it by sharing some of my favorite funny teacher quotes.  Enjoy! Source Source Source Source

  • Great Teacher Outfits

    One of my favorite posts that I’ve ever shared is a collection of my favorite clothes to wear to teach in. I published this post in 2014, so I figured it was time for an update. Here are the items that I find myself wearing over and over. This Swing Dress is the single most comfortable thing that I own.  It looks great with leggings, and mine is long enough to wear without leggings when the weather gets warmer. I ordered it from Amazon and there are a ton of colors and sleeve lengths available and it’s only $18.99! (Affiliate link) This LC Lauren Conrad top from Kohl’s is both…

  • What’s on my desk

    I did the “What’s in my bag” post a couple of weeks ago, and it got me thinking. As much as I love to see what others are carrying around with them, what’s sitting on your desk says just as much about you. I know that everyone I work with would absolutely agree with that statement.  So I took a picture of my desk: A lot of it is truly work-related stuff that no one would be interested in – calendars, contact information, to-do lists, etc.  I did want to share some of my favorite things though. The framed quotes are coloring pages from this book that I colored, the…

  • Friday Freebie – Teacher Resumes

    Happy Friday! Many of my teacher friends have started to think about where they want to be next year (not me, I’m happy and staying put!).  If you are also in the process of applying for new positions then I have a great resource for you. This Teacher Resume Word Bank has all kinds of great terms that are ideal for any teacher resume.  It’s from Red Apple Resumes, so go download your copy and take a minute to check out their other amazing resources.  Have a wonderful weekend!

  • Stories only teachers can tell

    When I dropped my daughter off at school this morning her teacher was telling another parent a story that quickly prompted me to jump in with the response “things you only say in child care.” In this particular instance the teacher’s quote was “whose pants are these?” She followed this up by telling us that the instructor who was teaching her continuing education courses had told them that child care was the only field where it was entirely appropriate to leave a pair of underwear at the front desk to be claimed. I laughed out loud – but it’s so true. I can’t even tell you all of the crazy…

  • Friday Freebie – Positive Affirmations

    Happy Friday! Can I tell you a little secret? We finally got some great spring weather so I took a personal day. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before, but I’m so glad that I did! Today’s freebie is the perfect reminder to take a little time for yourself.  This is a set of Positive Affirmations Coloring Sheets from Allie Szczecinski.  These are fun to do and wonderful to display once they’re completed. Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!

  • Personality and Teaching Styles

    The majority of my closest friends are teachers.  We are all very different people and I find it fascinating that we’ve all chosen the same field.  I also think that it’s really interesting to examine how our personalities impact the way that we teach.  For example, my best friend and I are both very focus on creating strong relationships with students, but we build those relationships in very different ways.  She engages her students in conversation like a friend, she is the teacher who is easy to talk to, a little loud, and a lot of fun.  On the other hand, I quietly let my students know that I’m paying…

  • What’s in my bag?

    I love these posts – maybe its because I’m a little nosy.  They’re my favorite to read and I love to write them too.  So let’s look in my work bag. I use a Vera Bradley Miller Bag , which is kind of huge.  It lets me keep my Kate Spade crossbody purse and my Vera Bradley lunchbox in it, along with all of this other stuff: (all links are affiliates) Plum Paper Planner Padfolio Laptop Vera Bradley Laptop Case Papermate Ink Gel Pens Papermate Flair Pens Gloves Umbrella Ear Buds FitBit Charging Cord Phone Charger Laptop Cord Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer Mary Kay Satin Hands Hand Cream…

  • 5 Tips for Staying Organized

    I read an article the other day – well, I don’t know if you could call it an article, it was more like one of those click-bait-ey facebook links where the content is only as important as whatever it takes to get you to see all of the ads.  But that’s not the point. Anyway, it was titled “Habits of highly organized people.” As I read it I found myself saying “I do that” over and over, which I guess means I’m highly organized.  The habits included in that particular article were a little vague though, so I thought I would share some of my organizational habits with you –…