New JOB!!! and more swim class

My girls before school

I put in for a transfer within my school district to go to another school. I had a variety of reasons for wanting to leave where I was teaching, but my main reason was distance. My 30 minute commute is a normal commute for most people. However, I pass several schools on my commute. I applied to 5 schools within 5 miles of my home. I interviewed at 2 and accepted a job at one I am very excited about. They called me the next day after my interview and offered me the job. My sweet husband brought home flowers for me. He is a keeper. 

I'm so excited because now my commute will be 5-10 minutes and that means I will be able to get Kendall on/off the bus and have more time with my family. Plus, I will be a few miles from Adley's daycare. Also, Chris accepted a job at a school 2 miles from our house. Lots of exciting things happening for our family. We are so thankful. 

Swim Class Selfies

I am absolutely loving this alone time with Adley and I know she is too!

Classroom 2015-16 Tour

This year was really exciting for me! I got to decorate a classroom BEFORE school started! Last year, I took over a first grade class 6 weeks into the school year and it never really felt like my room so I was really anxious to get started. I crafted and bought a bunch of things for my theme over the summer. This is what I walked into 2 weeks before the first day!

I spent probably about 12 hours getting this room to where it is now. I organized lots of cabinets and made it workable for me!

What you see when you walk in

Student cubbies

My desk area since I got rid of teacher desk

Guided Reading Area

Student supplies and chill out desks

Smart board area, the cart to the left with the stool is where I hook up my laptop and sit during most of my lessons

The green washi tape is easy for me to right my learning targets each day! The carts and storage drawers are used for centers during our ELA block

Class Library

Job and Transportation Charts

I stole this idea from my teammate for Open House night!

Ready for another successful school year!

A Little Bit of Everything

Sister Moments:

School Planning:

The new school year is quickly approaching! It’s bittersweet! I am very sad about “working” in generally when I have thoroughly enjoyed summer with my girls. I will miss their sweet faces all day and miss our laid back schedule. However, I am excited about setting up my classroom (since I didn’t have one at the beginning of last year!) and seeing my kiddos (I’m looping) and teaching second grade!!!! My new team has already been planning together and I met with team leader to go over some things. I am very confident in this school year!

I’ve also been buying out the Dollar Tree and looking at fabrics for my hot pink/navy nautical theme! I will post pictures of my room once I am able to get in there and get it all put together!

Teaching Lessons:

Kendall saw this toy she LOVED. We took a picture (to remember it) and she kept looking at it and telling us how much she wanted it. I knew we would most likely go buy it for her birthday or Christmas this year. However, we decided we should let her “save” up for it! She did some chores for 4 or 5 days and earned $9. We footed the rest. Ha! $25 is a lot for a 4 year old and she is spoiled. Who am I kidding? When we got to the store it was actually marked down to $19! Holla! She was so proud! She tells everyone how she bought it herself!

Hallie’s 1st Birthday

I went out! I met up with my cousins Becca, Liz, and Tara for dinner and Magic Mike 2!!! The movie was so good. Very deep and inspirational. Ha! Such a great storyline…  

L

I knew when I started teaching I would become attached to my students. I see them longer than they see their parents Monday-Friday. It’s my personality to dote on them while still managing and teaching them.

I also knew I was going to teach at a challenging school. I didn’t understand what the most challenging aspect of my school was until this week. All this time, I thought it was behavioral issues, but it’s the heart wrenching reality some of these students face that no kid ever should.

I hate to say I had a favorite student. I love all 25 of my students. Some are really hard to love (Ha!), but I can usually find something sweet about them. It helps me when they are acting crazy to remember what is sweet about them. Ha! again!

There was (and I am using past tense and I will get to that) a girl in my class that just put a smile on my face. She was a good student always doing her work and following our expectations. She would tell me about her baby sister or her mamaw. She loved to be a classroom helper and always laughed when I would lose my phone/book/clipboard etc. By no means did I show favoritism in my instruction or grading, but she was a wonderful student with the sweetest personality.

At my school, it is not uncommon for kids to switch schools throughout the year. In the ten weeks I have had with my class, I have lost 2 students and gained 4 transfers. Our school is full of diverse students and there is a lot of poverty. Most of our students lack stability at home. We are their consistency. They can depend on that.

Thursday morning right before the bell rang I was walking to class and I saw this student. She was all smiles and thought it was so funny we were walking together to class. A few minutes later she told me it was going to be her last day and that her family was moving after school. I seriously almost lost it.

I never realized a six year old could deeply affect me so much. I tried to make the day special for her and still keep it normal. We had a field trip so I made sure she was partners with her best friend on the bus. I let her be our helper of the day. When we got back I called home to see if she was correct because I wanted her to take her supplies home if it was her last day and I wanted confirmation so our class could say goodbye.

I cried in front of my class when I told them she was leaving. I took a class picture of the class and one of her and I and we made her a big card all the kiddos signed. At one point she just randomly came up and hugged me in the middle of class and I just let her. During our last lesson of the day she moved to a closer desk to work near me and I just let her.

The most devastating part of all of this to me is that this is the best scenario for her. She lived in a very rough neighborhood. She told me they were moving in with her grandma because they didn’t have heat. And that her and her baby sister were already getting sick because of it. How I held back tears I don’t know.

Her family is moving in with family somewhere safer in a better community than where she was… I pray her next teacher welcomes her with open arms. I pray that I made her feel loved, confident, and important and that she always remembers that.

Friday was tough because she wasn’t there and you could tell our classroom dynamics were off. When a kid is absent they miss instruction, but the kids are different. Her best friend was sad and when I was cleaning out her desk I found a picture she had colored with her and her best friend’s name on it. I gave it to her best friend and that cheered her up.

I’m a new teacher and this is probably why this has affected me so much. My skin will get thicker and this will happen again. But I will not change how I feel towards my students and how I treat them. I am so happy to be apart of their little lives. This week I have learned I cannot take them for granted because I don’t know how long I will be their teacher. If they only knew how much they were changing me as a person! All along I thought I was making the impact on children, but they are making a bigger one on me!

Teacher of the Week and a SNOW day!

I apologize for not talking about school much on here. I am growing and learning so much every day. I love my little class. I smile, laugh, and cry a lot. It’s a very rewarding and demanding job. I think about those faces constantly.

I never posted pictures of my classroom. I moved into a messy room and I’ve only had a little time outside of school to make it my own. I’ve made a few changes. I’ve added table numbers hanging from the ceiling and different things on the walls. I might go in a day over Christmas break to paint over the bright bulletin board around the white board and smart board.

Anyway, I was award staff member of the week 2 weeks ago. I was really proud of myself! Here is what my principal said in an email:

Staff Member of the Week: Shelli Ryan! Shelli has jumped in and taken over a challenging class. She is working with admin and district support to ensure she meets the needs of her students. She exhibits understanding of the school wide expectations and uses these guidelines as she interacts with her students and has fantastic parent communication. Congratulations Shelli!!

I was tickled. It really boosted my self esteem in the school! I know 100% I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and where I am supposed to be right now in my career.

~~~

We had our first snow day and it was awesome. I loved snow days as a kid and I love them even more as a teacher! I won’t be singing that tune in June, I’m sure!

I crafted all day. We were so lazy. Chris made us breakfast and I made us food in the crock pot.

They played in the snow!

We snuggled inside!

So much fun!

Changes in the Classroom

I miss my blog! I have been so busy! I feel like my life is a blur these days. I will get to that in a bit. I just want to remember what this moment. Both of my beautiful girls are sleeping in my room. I am pigging out on pepperoni cheese bread and pepsi whilst watching Parenthood and my other new fall TV returns on my DVR.
Isn't it always the best when you get alone time while your babies are sleeping soundly in your house. I like being with them. I just don't want to see them all the time. Ha!
I miss them terribly these days. I get a little time to snuggle and spend time with them in the morning and then I feel like our evening fly by. Poor Adley wants me all night. It's exhausting and I don't even care. I want her too. And Kendall? So overdue for a mommy and me date! And Chris? Yeah, I miss him too. A date night in October would be fab-ulous!

Going back to work has been tough. Going back to work with 2 kids has been harder. Going back to work AS A TEACHER is INSANE. Now I get the whole summers off deal. Seriously. And just when you think being a first year teacher on a cart, doing a first year internship program, and seeing 150+ kids a day couldn't get any more difficult... it changes.

My first grade class last week was a little rough. I found myself feeling sad for them. They didn't have a confident teacher. There was no structure in place. The classroom looked sad and lacked the look and feel of a primary classroom.

So when I was asked if I wanted to be their teacher I was super excited!!!

Monday I will officially be a 1st grade teacher IN A CLASSROOM and I couldn't be happier. I cannot wait to get to know these 23 kiddos and teach them so many things!

A few other teachers, members of the administration, and myself cleaned up the room last night. I left school at 7:30pm and drove to Walmart to buy cute bins and command strips for my classroom. Then myself, the girls, and my best sister Amanda went in again today to work on the room.
I will upload pictures later. I'm happy its coming together!

Instead of relazing while my babies are asleep, I just want to plan and prepare for my new adventure! I am so happy I made the decision to get my MAT in 2012 because I truly feel this is where I am supposed to be!

It’s been a tough week

Everyone says your first year of teaching is the hardest. I believe it. I have cried several times in between classes and after school. I broke up a fight in second grade and was called a b**ch by a 10 year old this week. It’s probably against the law to share that, but I want to remember it.

It’s crazy how I can have days where I can’t get out the door fast enough, but then I am also so very happy to get to school and try again with students each and every day. I hope I feel that way all the time.

I cried Thursday morning on the way to work because I just wanted to stay home with my babies. Kendall had an accident and was up at 530 so she was in our bed and Adley woke up soon after. I turned on Mickey Mouse and they both giggled and played while I did my hair and makeup in the room.

I really missed being home with them that morning. I wanted to stay with them so bad. I didn’t want to take Adley to my moms. I didn’t want to take Kendall to school. And I most certainly didn’t want to go to school and raise my voice at students that won’t listen.

It’s tough being a working mom. It’s tough working with two kids. It’s double the guilt. I think we are still in that transitional phase, still searching for our normal. I hope I don’t always feel so exhausted and crunched for time while working. There are always breaks, right?

I’ve been giving all my time at home on the weeknights to my girls. And this weekend I busted out my sewing machine because I just wanted to do something that makes me happy because I wanted to do it, not because I had to. I have like a million school things I need to be doing (that’s what Sunday afternoon is for, right?) but it was fun to just make some ruffle socks for the girls and decorate my house for fall. And tonight I blog. Ha!

Kendall's First day & my "classroom"

I'm happy to report that Kendall had a wonderful first day at her new school. When I picked her up she was playing with a bunch of kids and they all wanted hugs before she left! :)

Yesterday was my first official day at school and tomorrow is our first day with kids. I'm cart teaching but I was also given an atrium space to decorate and hold classes occasionally.

Here is what it looked like before:

And here are some pictures of my space after snazzing it up a bit:

Have a great Tuesday! 

Back to Work I go!

School starts for kids on the 13th, but I have been busy at school this week. It’s been exciting, rough, and exhausting all at the same time!

Kendall starts her new school next week, so my mom has graciously watched both of them. I really don’t know how I could ever pay her back! She cleaned my house on Tuesday and it made me want to cry. So sweet! It makes working so much easier when you know your babies are being loved on by one of their favorite people.

Tuesday my grandparents visited my house to check on Adley after her accident.

 

Clearly, she is back up to speed. Haha

I have always been a weekend grocery shopper. It makes me so crazy to not have a stocked kitchen before Monday. So, here we are on Tuesday (without a list!) buying random things to eat.

My mom sends me all kinds of cute pictures of the girls all day. They have so much fun!!!

I will be going to school every day this next week. I will take some good pictures of my atrium hallway classroom prior to school starting. I believe I have done a good job of making it a neat space. I can’t wait to share it with you all.

Chris started back to school (he works in a different district) this week so things have been HECTIC!

I’m so nervous about meeting all the kids and being on the cart. I truly feel this is where I am supposed to be, but I already miss my babies and our fun, lazy summer! When do your kids go back to school?