Calling all teachers!!!!

Alright, this is kind of a poll...

I'm about to finally open my TpT store, but I'd like to know from y'all what kinds of things you'd like to see first and foremost! I have a ton to offer, but I'm really not even sure where to start because I realize this is going to be a bit involved.

Back to school? Organization? Reading activities? Units? Let me know!

I'm also considering a contest to get my follower count up there... Not sure what I'll be offering as a prize, but I promise it will be good! Thanks to pinterest I seem to have gained a steady flow of followers and several requests daily for my organization sheets! :)  Sure makes a gal feel good to feel needed!

Give me your input please! :) This blog is for you fellow teachers out there and I've got a ton of ideas I'd love to share.  It will eventually all be up there, but I'd like to start somewhere where it'd be most useful right now.

Thanks is advance!

Blogging Hiatus

You might have noticed I haven't blogged in awhile. A long while. Well, it's not that I don't want to, I just have more important things on my plate right now. Concerning this little guy:

3 days old!

2 weeks old!

Liam David arrived on August 13 at 12:44 am! We went in for me to be induced on the 11th, but apparently he had other plans in mind... He has kept his mommy and daddy (but especially mommy!) extremely busy and I honestly try my hardest not to give school a second thought (which is actually pretty easy, haha). I absolutely can't imagine my life before my little man was in it... it's amazing how everything just kind of slides into place and clicks. :) I was definitley born to be a mommy!!

I'm taking 12 weeks of maternity leave, my first week started during teacher training week... so I won't be entering the classroom again until the first full week in November! I'll do my best to keep everyone posted! :)

Top 10 Things to Know About Me Linky Party!

There's a super fun linky party going on at Go 4th! with Mrs. Owens! All you have to do is link up and tell us 10 things we should know about YOU! She also has a really cute freebie for you to download. :) Head on over and link up!

My Top 10 Things:

1. I absolutely love to read. I was totally that kid that tried to get away with reading in my desk while the teacher was teaching (even into high school)!!

2. I love Mexican food!!! Sometimes I wonder if our little monkey is going to come out with salsa and guacamole I eat it so much... haha!!

3. I've been hooked on Blue Bell ice cream since I was 6 months old... My grandfather fed it to me and I pretty much won't eat any other kind of ice cream (except for Marble Slab or Coldstone, but it's still not the same) and I'm pretty sure my son is going to be the same way. Haha!

4. I've always wanted to write a book! I still work on it now and then.

5. I love Harry Potter and Disney World. We've been trying to plan a trip for my big 3-0 (next June!) to go to Disney AND Universal Studios... yes, I want to spend my big 3-0 at Hogwarts and with Cinderella. I totally own my dorkiness!!

6. I really want to start my masters degree in reading... if I were able to take this next year off with our son, I'd totally go back to school and work with small groups of kids in my spare time. :)

7. I absolutely love reality TV... I think I'm getting to where I watch more of that than regular TV! Haha... oops! :)

8. I love history! If I weren't teaching elementary school, I'd totally teach college history. I can sit and watch the history channel and read history books for fun... my husband looks at me like I'm completely crazy!!

9. I have 3 dogs that I absolutely love like they're my children. I have a mini-beagle named Adriane, and two yellow labs named Max and Daisy Duke. It cracks me up how clingy and protective they are with me being pregnant. I can't wait to see how they do with Liam!!

10. I am not a morning person, and neither is my husband. Having an infant here in 5 weeks or less (I'm 35 weeks today!!) will sure be interesting!!!

TpT Pointers for a Newbie? :)

OK, so I think I'm going to jump in with both feet (that's the best way to do it, right??) and start posting on Teachers Pay Teachers. I'm going to be creating a lot the new few weeks as I'm getting ready for my maternity leave (as well as a tutoring venture I'm still contemplating). I hate to ask about clipart, but I'm such a rule-follower that I tend to freak out at the idea of getting into trouble (usually because I'm the one to get caught...) so I don't want to create and try to post/re-sell things I'm not supposed to.

Are there certain clip-arts that I can/can't use?? I feel sure that I read someone that you need to purchase a resellers license for ThistleGirl Designs... but I don't know about any of the rest of them out there. Does anyone know about DJ Inkers, Lettering Delights, or Scrappin' Doodles?

Does anyone have any pointers on how to start this fun venture off? I love some of the previews I see, but I'm not 100% how to do those either... screen shots in word made to a PDF? (See, I'm just guessing here...)

I'd love any advice/pointers you could send my way... and look forward to see lots and lots of posts with units about reading/writing/beginning of the year stuff soon!!!

Thanks y'all! I love how I can always to turn to this little blog family for help! :)

Reading Workshop

In the past, I've taught using a hodge podge of methods from Daily 5, CAFE, and Fountas & Pinnel's Guiding Reader's and Writers along with some other randomness I've picked up along the way. This next year will the first year that I've ever taught more than one class at a time, so I'm not sure exactly where to start... especially since I'll be out the first 12 weeks of school. I want to figure out a way to keep myself organized, especially with the double the load and less time getting to know my kids.

I've always done book boxes with my kids, however, I don't see having room in my new classroom for 40+ boxes for them... and I don't see spending money on book bags that can hang (vs be shoved inside their desk!) since I have a little one on the way and we are more than likely still going to be buying a house. As much as I love spending money on my kids and my room, it's low on my priority totem pole at the moment!!

Does anyone out there teach more than one class for ELAR? If you do, how does it work? My admin is on vacation right now, and on top of that fun our VP just became our prince and we are getting a new VP entirely. Talk about way too much change for this teacher!!! New school, new policies, new P and VP, new team... ahhhhhhh!!!!!

I'd love to get some suggestions on how to acclimate myself to a new way to teaching ELAR - I've always been self-contained so while I'm excited for the new opportunity and chance to focus on my favorite subjects... it also un-nerves me that I won't be there to test their reading levels and get to know my kids at the most crucial type of year. Thanks so much! Hope everyone had a happy 4th!!! :)

Grade Level Linky Party!

Head on over to The Teacher's Lane to link up for a grade level linky party! There are some really fantastic linky parties going on right now y'all!!!

Linky Party & Giveaway!

Head on over to Set This Circus Down to link up with the linky party and join in a pretty awesome giveaway! There are multiple chances to win the $25 gift card to Amazon, so click here to find out the deets. :)

I absolutely love her idea for a linky party as well! Find a new blog (100 followers or less preferably) and add it to the linky party. OR, if you have a new blog, you can link yourself as well! The goal is to spread the word about all of these awesome blogs floating around blogland!! There are so many, it's hard to keep up so it's really exciting to find a whole new collection on a new blog I'd never seen before!! Head on over to link up!! :)