Welcome to Tea With Me. Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing my morning tea with you. Since I am at home, I can enjoy my tea is a real mug, not the stainless steel insulated model I use at school. I will be featuring the mugs I have collected on my various travels. Most come with the story. Today’s mug is my favorite. It is Bellatrix Lestrange. I admit she is probably my favorite villain. Maybe it’s the actress. Maybe it’s the storyline. Maybe it’s because I can relate to the wild and untamed curly hair! This is the mug I use every day when I have time to sit at home and enjoy my tea. It is oversized, so no need for a refill. It is a think ceramic, so it keeps my tea warm for a long enough time. It is just perfect. I promised a story.  I originally bought this while visiting Universal Studios in Orlando. I had it for a couple of years when we had a hurricane in Florida. The short story is my friends were stuck on a cruise and their two daughters were h......

Last year I was given a great opportunity. I was able to transition from the classroom to the library. Me, a librarian, media specialist, teacher librarian... whatever title you want to use. It was a career move I had been interested in for a few years. The position allows me to teach all the students. I see students from each grade level daily for library lessons, book check out, and digital literacy skills. This is my time to instill a love of books to the students. I love seeing a student when they make a connection to a book.  I also get to use Maker Space activities and computers to build thinking, problem solving skills, imagination, and creativity in the students. This time lets me connect to the students during nonacademic activities. I enjoy seeing the creativity they have with blocks, legos, or play dough. I also have office responsibilities. I have book and technology budgets. I plan and run two books fairs. I produce a daily news show with the students. T......

Welcome to my office. I’d offer you a seat, but I can’t get to my own right now.    Show your office. I am sure they meant the office when it is neat and clean. However, this is life. This week I’ve had a huge book order from First Book arrive. This is about 2/3 of the order. My Demco supplies arrived today. Tomorrow night is our STEM family night, and I am doing Plastic Cup towers. Let’s now forget the on going weeding process. Thus the book cart. And the headphones that need a new home. And, And, And...   Most items will be put away by the end of the week. Until then, this is it.   I also have an office at home. It is fairly clean. Mainly because I misplaced a ring two weeks ago. Since I am notorious for taking them off while working, I cleaned my desk to look for it.   The Dell monitor is new. I like working on a larger screen. I can scale the page to actual size. I get a true sense of placement and what the final page will loo......

What's on your agenda for the day? Here is the scoop on mine. * Ironing. I always iron everything at one time. Then it is done for a while. It is summer, so I don't wear a lot that needs to be ironed. Thus the pile keeps growing.  * Trying to get back into a routine of moving each day. Notice I did not say exercising. I can't swim very many laps, but some are better than none.  * I've been laminating. I do not need it until Wednesday, but it needs to be done. * I am making an alligator for the first day project, to go with the book Oliver and His Alligator. I need to finalize it so I can get it ready.  * My desk needs to be cleaned and readied for BTS. I am not to confident on this one.  * Time with friends! That is easy and fun and relaxing and something I am always happy to do!  ...

I saw this on Bloglovin' tonight and it looked like fun. I am joining up with The Tattooed Teacher for her A Get to Know Me Linky. This week is a quick Yes/No questionnaire. 1. Last year my kiddos were asking me 'What are you saying?" Then they just started saying "She's doing it again." Yes, I talk to myself all the time.  2. Slightly superstitious 3. I used to crack them all the time, not so much as I got older. 4. No, it is bedtime.  5. No, it is at my back, so I listen to music while on the computer.  6. Nope, but I never had any to begin with. 7. Yes ma'am 8. To be fair, I was 18 the first time I went to Disney World. Now I live 2.5 hours from the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom, I've been a lot. I have also been to Disneyland and will go back one day.  9. Yes, I just gave up my contacts and went back to glasses for everyday use.  10. Nope, I only lived there for 6 months, never lived in that state......

Today I am linking you with the new Kinder Tribe blog { HERE } to share a little bit about myself.  Name: That is pretty self explanatory!  Years teaching/Years in K: I have been teaching since 1996. I thought I wanted to teach 4th or 5th grade. My first job was teaching Pre-K and I loved it. I taught 1st grade in between my Pre-K and K years. I have been in K for 5 year now.  I can't live without: My Promethean Board; and that means I have to keep my computer. I love letting the kids 'be the teacher'. It also helps with behavior. If you are playing, you miss your turn. I teach a high poverty and high ELL population, at least 80% ELL. They don't have the background knowledge many kids come to school with. I find short videos on YouTube to show them things like snow (we live in Florida) and animals, instruments, even household items. It really gives them a better understanding of the word to see it  versus me just telling them.  Favorite scho......

I am linking up with I Heart Grade 3 for her summer blog summer link up. This weeks topic: I had to pull out my old hard drive for this one. I keep all my photos on an external drive and replaced it 2 years ago. Then I couldn't find the cords. Off to Snapfish for my uploaded photos and here we go!  It was a busy summer with three trips. First was a quick trip to Disney World with my daughter and her best friend. After all, Disney is better with friends. It is only 2 hours from my house, so we used to go quite often.  Then a late planned trip to Atlanta for my family. All the siblings were able to be in the same place at the same time, and spouses (except mine) and children. It is a rare event indeed. In fact, it hasn't happened since then.  Finally, the our family vacation to Paradise Island Bahamas. I made it out of the US before I turned 40, it was close but I did it. The water is beautiful and almost beyond description. We spent time at A......

Welcome to the Weekend Warrior Linky. I am late, I just found this linky on The TuTu Teacher and really like the topics so here I go. This month is about me, my least favorite topic. Seriously I always find it difficult to answer even these simple questions about myself. Maybe I just over analyze too much. :) This seems simple enough.  Starting with the Teacher Me:  1. I have a problem. I love paper, notebooks, sticky notes, etc.... All shapes and sizes; flowers, quotes, holidays, etc.... For years my daughter wouldn't let me near the notepads in the dollar sections. Now she is at college and I have free reign. :sigh: That may not be a good thing. This is just what I have at home, I have a basket full in my drawer at school. And markers? I know I have at least 3 sets of Sketch markers, plus more Flair, dry erase, Crayola, and pens in all colors.  2. Yes, I see the irony here. I love paper and technology. And for somethings I can be paperless, ......

Happy Sunday blogging world. It is nice to sit here and sip my tea without worrying about the upcoming week.              By Gisela Francisco (Own work) [ CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL ], via Wikimedia Commons These questions are far from my mind: What activities do I need to make? Are the kids going to like this book? Will we have enough time for...? And the most important one: Will the rain wait until after recess? Instead I am thinking: Will I teach Kindergarten next year? What supplies should I buy over the summer? What professional reading should I do? And many more. The teacher mindset is not easily turned off. Today, however, I am going to do my best. I have some photos and papers sitting on my desk, waiting to be transformed into scrapbook pages. Hobbies are important, and summer is the best time to work on them. Go out, enjoy your Sunday. If you are still in school, rest a little before the week. If you are out for the summer, remember to tak......