Let's Get Acquainted...

I love linking up with Latoya from Flying into First Grade for her Let's Get Acquainted linky. She has the most fun ideas! This month is tic-tac-toe! Choose any three prompts, in order, just like the game. Here is the game board.

I went to _____ college and a favorite memory. 

I went to Elms College and my favorite memory is of a cruise that 5 of my friends and I went on our senior year. Several of us were working in schools, student teaching and SLP clinicals, so we had to do this over our Christmas break instead of spring break. We drove to South Carolina from Eastern Massachusetts, went on a 5 day cruise, and drove back. We got along the entire time, drive and all, and had the most amazing time. I have been dying to go on another cruise ever since. 

My Favorite School Memory as a Kid

Does high school kid count? I danced throughout my entire childhood. In high school we had a "choreography" class. This pretty much meant that we had a free period to hang out, except for the month or two leading up to shows. This class and the shows that we performed in are some of my favorite memories of all time. We had so much fun!

One of my friends recently posted this on Facebook, it is a clipping from an article in our town paper after one of the "Top 40" shows my senior year. The boys in the background sang, they did not dance! :o)

Hobbies

Shopping?! I do love to shop, but I am pretty sure that doesn't count as a hobby. I love to read and do crafty things. I enjoy baking, typically in the winter when the weather is bad. When I was in college a friend's grandmother taught her how to knit and she taught all of us (we had several snow days our sophomore year). I wish I had time to learn to knit better because I enjoy it, I simply never get around to it. 

Head on over to Flying into First Grade and Get Acquainted! 

Thanks for reading!

Getting Acquainted...

I have been a bad blogger and Instagrammer (is that a word?) lately. I started a Five for Friday post on Friday...and then my allergies attacked! Then on Saturday, while taking a break from work I was doing, I ran out to the Dollar Store, got back in my car, and had a dead battery. Sunday was Mother's Day and Monday the kiddos took Math MCAS. So between all of that and preparing for testing last week, life has been a little crazy! So instead of trying to catch up, I'm just going to move on to Latoya's Let's Get Acquainted linky party. If you don't already follow, check out Latoya's blog Flying into First Grade!

Linky Questions:

1. What made you decide to become a teacher?

2. What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher?

3. If you were not a teacher, what would you be?

1. I always loved school! When my neighbors and I were little our favorite "game" to play was school. It didn't matter where we were, whose house we were at, inside or outside, this was always our go-to activity. I was one of those kids that begged the teacher for the extra worksheets, books orders, etc. Aside from a short period of time, in high school, when I considered being an occupational therapist, I have always wanted to be a teacher. My elementary school teachers were AMAZING! As a matter of fact, most of my teachers left quite an impression on me. Two that stand out the most are my 7th grade English teacher and 9th grade Geometry teacher. To this day, I tell my own students about both of these teachers!

2. I can't pinpoint one specific rewarding experience, but I think anytime that students show demonstrate that they have learned something from you is rewarding. Like those times when the kiddos begin using your grown-up language/vocabulary. For example, the kids were working on their personal narratives today, and we were talking about the quality of their work, the language they should be using, and the detailed sentences they needed to help their readers visualize when they were saying. I read one of my student's sentences, "Sometimes my brother helps me when I go roller blading because I  tend to fall down a lot and get bruises." It wasn't until I read this sentence that I realized this student was channeling his inner Miss Witte! I tend to say, "I tend to...", all the time! Although this is not terribly profound or amazing, I think it was wonderful when you notice that students are actually listening to what you have been saying! :o)

3. I honestly cannot imagine myself as anything other than a teacher, but there was a point in my life when I would have given anything to be a dancer in CATS on Broadway. I don't admit that to very many people, in fact very few of my friends know that, but there it is bloggy world, my very random fact of the day! 

These are THREE of My Favorite Things

Today I am linking up with Latoya over at Flying into First Grade for her Let's Get Acquainted Linky Party! This week, the topic is your 3 favorite areas in your classroom. Here goes:

#1. I love my classroom library! I only wish I had more room for it, but I love buying new books for my library and sharing them with my kiddos! And yes, that "pillow" is a dog bed from HomeGoods. The kiddos don't know that, but it works out so well!

#2. This photo is a little dark...but I love my windows. Although I complain about the heat in my classroom, I love this time of year when I can open all of my windows. And I get the sun for most of the day, so I typically leave my lights off and we just enjoy the natural light! Also, my picture books don't fit in my "library" so here they are on the windowsill!

#3. Last but not least, my Smart board! I have had this for about 4 years now, but I was one of the first six classrooms in my building to get one :o) Just this past summer the rest of classrooms got interactive white boards, and that made me appreciate mine even more. The Smart board is so much more user friendly than the Epsons. I don't know how I ever taught without it! 

Thanks Latoya, for another fun linky. I love learning fun facts about everyone and getting to share some about myself. If you haven't linked up yet, don't wait any longer, head over to Flying into First Grade right now! 

Student Motivation, Getting Acquainted, and Another Great Giveaway!

Good morning and Happy Marathon Monday! Hmmm, nevermind the student motivation, I should be having everyone post motivating ways to get me to the gym...people are running 26.2 miles today and I'm trying to force myself out of this chair to go spend 26 minutes on the elliptical.

Ok, now back to the real reason I am posting, I am linking up with Head Over Heels For Teaching's Spark Student Motivation Saturday Linky! Coming back from Easter weekend and the end of our state ELA testing, I wanted to try to motivate my kiddos to complete some chapter books (the way they abandon books just kills me)! I came up with a "Carnival Day" idea. We are in school until June 26th this year, so I figured having a little fun during the last week wouldn't hurt. For every book that the students complete from now until the middle of June, they are able to earn a "ticket" for Carnival Day. Upon completing the book, they also have to complete a short Bloom's Book Review. I have this saved on my computer at school, but I just typed up a few general questions at each level and the kiddos have to answer three questions, each from a different level...nothing too crazy! They are aware that my events are not set-in-stone yet, we are waiting to see how many participants there are, but many of my ideas are pinned on my School's Out for Summer board. 

I also use ClassDoJo in my classroom and the students can redeem their points for coupons. I have decided to add Carnival Day tickets as a coupon that points can be redeemed for. I hope that most of my kiddos will somehow get to participate in these events! I just created a poster that is being printed at Walgreens that I plan to hang up after break to remind the kiddos of the fun they can expect from Carnival Day. 

Next, I am excited to be linking up with Flying Into First Grade's Let's Get Acquainted Linky Party! 

Latoya's fun Linky this week is: 

TOPIC - Skittles Game

Here is the code:

Red- Favorite Ice Cream Flavor

Orange- Favorite Memory from College

Yellow- Favorite Sports Team

Green- Favorite Fast Food Place

Purple- Wild Card(Tell anything about yourself)

Red- Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Currently, my favorite would have to Friendly's Rockin' Poppin' Cotton Candy! 

Orange- Favorite Memory from College - Senior Year 5 of my friends and I went on a cruise to Key West and Grand Caymen. We drove from MA to SC, cruised, and drove home! We had the best time! 

Yellow- Favorite Sports Team - I am YANKEES fan! The only one in my family...and amongst MOST of my friends. 

Green- Favorite Fast Food Place - I suppose I would have to say Dunkin Donuts. I am not a huge fan of donuts, but I'll take all the iced coffee bagels I can get! :o)

Purple- Wild Card(Tell anything about yourself) - I joined the gym for the first time since college over February break and I went about 5 times. It is now April break and I MUST go back! Hopefully if I tell all of you that I am going to the gym, I will really go, because I can't lie!

I am so sorry about this marathon post (although I guess it is appropriate on Marathon Monday)! Finally, I want to share Ideas By Jivey's great giveaway with you! Everyone's giveaways just amaze me! This one is jam-packed awesome goodies! Head over and check it out for yourself!