Spring Break Reading Challenge!!!

It's Monday of spring break!  I slept for 10 hours and 17 minutes (thanks Fitbit app)!!!  

The first thing I ate this morning was a Reese's peanut butter egg and now I am having my coffee...(No contacts today!!) 

I am so ready to enjoy my week off.  No time limits!  One way I'm planning to spend my time is by reading a new book!  I have to admit, I am not really an active reader.  I spend most of my reading time on articles, blogs, news stories, or school books about becoming a better teacher.  I feel like a fraud sometimes!  How can I tell my students to be "readers" if I am not a reader myself!  Anyway, there are some really inspiring readers that are teachers at Lincoln.  They inspire me in so many ways, but recently it's about reading books!  I usually listen to their conversations in awe that they are really reading and are so into their books.   I mean, at our last staff meeting, we had something called a "Adult book brags" where we each brought our favorite books to share and discuss. How many school buildings do such awesome things?!  Our goal is to get kids truly excited about reading - without a focus on their level or ability.  We shouldn't squash their desire and love to be a reader!  We have some very amazing teachers that are reading amazing books! So, at this meeting, my friend Scott brought his book The Dark Ferret Society.  What was super special about this book is that his wife (Emily) wrote it!  She had been working on this book for many years and just got it published in to paperback!  How inspiring!  

After hearing the book talk, I messaged Emily on Facebook to purchase my own copy.  I have now committed myself to reading this over break!  We also committed to reading over spring break by adding our names to a shared doc and what title we were planning to read.  This sort of "Committed" me to reading. Now I have to do it!!!!  :)  I will continue to update you on the book over break.  If you are interested in purchasing your own copy, message me or comment below and I'll set you up with Emily Humpherys to get you a copy!! Here's the back of the book "blurb" in case you are wondering if you will be into this book...

Ruby Fin, one of five scholarship students accepted to Desert Academy, a private high school, quickly realizes there is more to the school than meets the eye.  On her first day, the water in the Olympic-sized swimming pool is dyed red, among other suspicious activities.  The school keeps spreading rumors about certain pranks traditionally happening at the beginning of the year, but its it just good fun? Or is it something bigger?  With an invitation to join the secret Dark Ferret Society, Ruby never realized fitting into high school would be this thrilling. 

The Dark Ferret Society is about community found in unlikely friendships.  It is coming of age story set in high school: a place everyone is convinced they don't belong.

Thanks for reading!  I hope that my students are reading over break and you too!  Comment below what book(s) you are reading or are planning to read!  I'd love more suggestions!
See ya!  I have some reading to do!

Grandparent's Day

Today was exhausting. (!!!)  I'm actually just now getting home after teaching/attending meetings all day and then singing at the Good Friday service tonight at church....but let's just take a minute to realize that I am officially on spring break - and it feels nice. :)  I wanted to recap our day.  Today was Grandparent's Day, a day where all rules and regulations kind-of go out the window so that adorable grandparents can tell their grandchildren how proud they are of them at school.  It actually all sort-of fits with grandparents because aren't grandparents the ones who always bend the rules anyway?  It's always more fun at grandma's house right?!  Anyway, we had SOME time for math and to take our spelling tests today, but mostly, we anticipated and talked about  (sometimes ran around the room in excitement) the grandparents:  "When would the grandparents come? How many grandparents would there be? What if I don't have a grandparent come? What if I can't see my grandparent?  What if they don't show up??  What if... Wait!  I think I saw my  grandparent in the hall!...What time is it now?  WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?  IS IT TIME?  IS IT TIME YET?!"  That pretty much sums up my day.  Oh yeah, and then Ethan decided it was a good time to yank out his tooth right before the concert.  Oh and the nurse was out of the building - not to worry. We got the bleeding to stop and I took extra tissues to the concert just to be safe! Phew!   But our concert was exceptional.  There is nothing as sweet and pure as children singing together.  It melts my heart.  <3

Some important announcements from today:

• Max's first loose tooth is VERY loose!
• Ethan lost his other front tooth!
• Heidi is going to Virgina over spring break and she's so very excited!
• Reagan is going to Arizona over break and she's also excited!
• Mrs. Trauterman is on Spring Break and she's not mad about it.
• Keigen is playing soccer over break!  
• Correction from yesterday: Ethan just got supplies for the hamster and it's not his hamster, it's his brother's :)
• Dean gets to see his uncle and cousins over break - he's going out of town to see them.
• Cristian asked me if I had to go to meetings after school so that I can be a real teacher...(eye roll) - Maybe he meant better teacher.?  Let's go with that ;)
• Mrs. Trauterman is tired and is on spring break. 
• Mrs. Trauterman may or may not have been zoning out during our professional development this afternoon.
• Spring break ..... and GO!

One and a half more days until spring break! (but who's counting)

Today is Thursday.... and tomorrow...... Tomorrow is an early release day - the. Last. Day. Before Spring. Break.  SPRING BREAK!!! To give me some sweet freedom and time to sleep in,  and drink hot coffee (as opposed to the cold mess I'm left with when I cannot leave my room to heat it up in the morning), and hang out with my girls!  (sigh...)

So, to start off the day, my class and I usually go over our day and check out the schedule.  (My calendar area for today is pictured above). I pointed to the calendar and showed that we had 1 more day 'til break!  "Woo Hoo!"  But then, my first graders... They started to give me that warm feeling that I love so much....  My sweet Rhylee Shouted out "NO!  Then I will miss you Mrs. Trauterman!"  Others agreed.  Then Reagan agreed that she would just sleep in the closet next week so she could see me each day over break.  (Aww..... ;) ).  But then I had to inform the class that I DO INDEED have MY OWN HOME.  I DO go home over break, and while I would miss their cute little faces, I would definitely NOT BE AT SCHOOL next week :). They all looked at me with astonishment.  Max commented, "I knew you had your own house!  I told my mom that once!" Aunna said that she thought I slept on the carpet every night (ewww).  So innocent.  So cute.  First Grade.  I miss these moments on each break, but sometimes us tired teachers - We need a well-deserved break, because teaching 6 and 7 year olds can be exhausting!  That's all for now. May you enjoy your own much-needed break whatever you do and wherever you are.

More fun events today:  

• Heidi lost a tooth!
• Lillian moved up 2 reading levels!
• Draven finished gluing his word sort in less than 15 minutes - meeting our goals!
• Ethan is getting a hamster tonight.
• Max ate ALL his lunch! :)

Below are some pics of some designs my kids made during math today.  They were so excited to show off their creativity during math exploring!

Edward

Corbin

Jaxon

Kaylee

Bently

Heidi

About me

Two posts in one day alert!!!  A little about me as I start off my journey in the blog world:
I am a wife, a mom of two girls, Abby and Lilly (and one four legged girl Bailey), and I am a first grade teacher!  This is my 8th year teaching first grade at Lincoln Elementary School.  I love first graders.  There's never a dull moment!  I am also into music and performing.  I sing in a little band named "6th Street Sound".

The music teacher at Lincoln, Mel, and I do gigs on the side and on the weekends.  We have even had one wedding under our belt!  I love to sing.  I love all kinds of music, and I definitely love integrating music in my classroom throughout the school day. I hope to keep up this bogging thing.  It seems like I'm starting off strong - PEACE!

My first day as a blogger!!

Hi!  I am learning how to blog today.  My awesome friend, Lauren Mertz, is teaching some teachers how to get started.  My goal for this blog is to inform parents and other teachers of things that are going on in my classroom.   Sometimes, it's the little things that happen that I wish to talk to everyone about, but there's just little to no time to do it.  So, if you want to know when one of my littles loses their tooth, passes a reading level, remembers to add periods to their sentences, or learns how to tie their shoes, this is the place to go!  I will also post neat ideas of things happening in our room that I think are worth sharing for other teachers too!  Can't wait to get started!!!