A change of location

Hello everyone!

It's been many moons since I wrote on this blog. I've found that with teaching full time, working on my master's degree, and trying to live the life of a twenty something single girl, it's difficult to maintain two blogs.

So, here's the deal. If you want to hear about life in third grade, head on over to my other blog:

Maggie's Sunshine and Silver Linings. I also post other random thoughts there, but I promise to talk about teaching too - since it's such a huge part of my life.

Thanks for reading! See you here.

I'm going baaaaack!

Back to school, that is.

After weighing many different options (and costs), I've decided to return to my alma mater to begin working on my masters' degree. School starts in August, and I'm totally stoked. I'll be studying in the Instructional Design and Educational Technology program while also working on my eMINTS certification. I will be one busy girl, but that's how I like it. The anticipation of it all is so exciting. I love the feeling that I'm learning and improving and going somewhere with my life.

So, for the second time in my life....

A UTAH MAN AM I! GO UTES!

Mother's Day

This is my favorite art project for Mother's Day. It comes from the Mailbox magazine, and my students love writing all the ways they love their mom on each of the petals.

P.S. The cups are filled with rice that I dyed green. It looks kind of like grass, and it helps anchor the cup so the flowers don't tip over.

Third graders are really cool

This cheer has been going through my head through both weeks of end of year, high stakes testing.

Special thanks to my third grade team partner who wrote the words to this song. It totally gets me pumped up for my kids to ace the test, and I think it helps them feel more confident too.

It goes like this:


Third graders are really cool, our test scores will top the school
We'll take our time and do our best, because we want to pass this test
Guessing is not the thing to do. Using test tips will help us through.
We'll use our brains and we'll recall all we've learned since way last fall.
Third graders are really cool. Our test scores will TOP.... THE... SCHOOOOOOL! YEAH!


Nothing like a little cheer to get you revved up. :)

Yes we can!

CRTs have started. I have told my students multiple times that it's an exciting time of year when they get to show the world what they've learned in third grade. I say this with an ear to ear grin and pump my fist in the air to tell them, "You can do this! This test will be a piece of cake for you!"

However...

Inside I feel butterflies doing somersaults through rings of fire. I put on a great show, but testing season always makes me nervous. I am being evaluated just as much as the students are. Did I teach what was required? Did my kids understand? It all comes down to THE TEST. I think that's a little strange, but that's a different can of tuna.

Anyway, I've been looking at this picture on my fridge and saying positive things to myself so I can make it successfully through another CRT run. And hopefully this year will turn out as well as last.

Wish me luck!