Make health a priority...

So I am honestly the last person who should be giving advice I this and I don't want to turn this into a weight loss blog, but let's face it...
1. Students and colleagues will have a better opinion of you and respect you more if you are fit and taking care of your health.
2. You will have more energy and be able to get lots more done when you are healthy!
3. How are you going to encourage your students to live healthy lives and make good choices when you aren't doing it yourself.

It is way too easy to put health last among the plethora of other responsibilities that I am surrounded by right now. I really want to make an effort though to make it a priority. So I went to fresh and easy and loaded up on some healthy eats for the week!

I also cooked brown rice, chicken, and prepared fruits and veggies for the week so that I can just grab and go! Hopefully I will have time to do this again next weekend because I really do think that it is important. As teachers we need to teach the content, but we also have a responsibility to model positive life choices and behaviors! Oh and hopefully my dress size will be a bit smaller too!

Everything else...

So I am at a point right now where I feel like I don't even have time to have any sort of personal life. It has been a little difficult for me because I feel a bit like I am drowning and losing of sight of who I really am.
I completely understand that doing this takes a lot of effort and that for the time being, my passion for teaching needs to take priority over the rest of my life. However, I absolutely do NOT want to become some sort of teaching robot, which is the way I feel lately. I feel like being an effective teacher takes a lot of skill with balancing because while I feel that I want to plan everything out completely and think of every single possibility so that I make no mistakes in this crucial first year, I also want to be a happy well rounded example of a person for my students. (oh and for myself)
So no, don't give up on trying to create structure and planning as much as possible. Just make sure that you don't burn yourself out... Take a deep breath, ENJOY the people in your life, and take some time for those important things that just make you happy to do sometimes.

Plan, plan, plan, and plan a little more!

Honestly, I kind of wish that I was one of those fly by the seat of your pants kind of people and that I could teach amazing lessons at the drop of a hat... Maybe one day. But if we are being real, I need some serious structure! No I definitely don't want my students sitting silently with their hands crossed on the desks like little robots. However, when they are running around, having intense conversations, and blowing things up (hey it's science) I want to make sure that I have organized it in a way that they will truly benefit from. Oh and yes I realize I just might make mistakes from time to time. But I sure as heck am not going to make those same ones again next year!

Anyways, I created this planner to help with that and keep me organized!

I bought a binder from target and created the pages inside in an excel document. I also bought some really cool tape to put on the edges, I feel like it just gives a nice pop of color and finishes it off. I have not yet put in the cool little tabs that I made and it is not complete but I really like it so far! There is a place for my agenda, a to-do list, a place for notes, "other", and best of all a place to keep track of changes to make for the following years to come. I am sure it isn't perfect but it works well for me.

If you want the editable excel workbook just download it from my TPT Site!

A wonderful new perspective...

I honestly had a really great day today! It was my first day at the Lab School that we are doing at Gage Middle School and I absolutely LOVE being back in the classroom. I must admit I have been a bit overwhelmed by the information flowing into my mind lately and the process of trying to figure out exactly how I want to run my class. But being with the kids and experimenting with them and seeing them learn really lets me know why I am working so incredibly hard.
I also had a really great class session. Our instructor really put things into perspective for me. There have been a few issues and people have been getting upset about them. But he pretty much told us that one way to deal with situations such as the one we currently have is to give them time. During that time you will more than likely realize it is pretty insignificant. I have a major problem with that and tend to become overly emotional and act on impulse. People tell me similar things but for some reason the message really stuck with me this time.
I have yet to even step into the classroom, but yet I feel like I am already growing and learning so much. It goes much deeper than content knowledge and pedagogy. The lessons I am learning truly apply to my whole life and I am so happy to be entering this journey with the support staff of my program as well as my whole cohort of wacky, stubborn, creative, incredible future teachers.

Just try your best and be willing to acknowledge everyone's opinions as valid. Because no ONE of us is better than ALL of us.

Teacher supplies!!!

Yessss! It is that time! Teacher supply sales! Honestly, I cannot STAND Walmart because they ruin it for small businesses and the people who work there are completely useless for the most part. C'mon I know you have all seen the people of walmart pics! haha... BUT a poor teacher who really wants to create an awesome classroom for her kids, has got-to-do, what she has got-to-do! So yes I cleared off the shelves and left that store with EIGHT bags stuffed with supplies for my kiddos and only spent a total of about $50! So this is definitely my tip #1 stock up during this time! School supplies are not cheap and definitely add up!

A bit more about ME!

Alrighty, so you all know that I am aspiring to be a teacher... This August if all goes according to plan! But to get a bit more detailed... I will be teaching Middle School Science in the Los Angeles area where I will try my best to have a positive impact on some students who are going through a tough time in life surrounded by an even tougher environment. I worked at Bethune Middle School as a teacher's assistant all last semester with an AWESOME first year lead teacher who taught me more than I ever thought possible and some really tough but wonderful middle school kids.
I am currently in a the TTT Program at California State Dominguez Hills and have no idea what I would be doing without this great program. The support I am provided makes it so much easier to focus on getting ready for my students next year and trying to create a really solid curriculum as well as a framework to build a successful learning community within my classroom.
Okay, so aside from teaching I have many other interests as well. I love taking photos but am in no way a pro. I also enjoy crafting and baking although I haven't found much time to do those things lately. I most definitely wear my heart on my sleeve, not in the romantic sense, but just because I want to believe and trust in the people around me. I try to live a healthy lifestyle for myself and the health of the world. I am a member of greenpeace and definitely think that more people should be made aware of the impact that we are currently having on the world around us. Although those parts of my life may not be directly connected to teaching, I really hope to bring those elements of my personality into my classroom.
So hopefully I inform you of some things that I find work in my classroom and others that didn't work so well. A lot of my posts will be coming via iPhone since life will surely get a bit overwhelming in the near future. But feel free too comment, give advise, or ask for some. Also, anything that I do in my classroom or put up on this blog you are free to copy and if you want my copy just e-mail me. I really believe that the internet is an overwhelmingly awesome resource, especially for teachers, and if I ever post something that needs to have credit given to someone or that someone wants me to take down, please let me know and I would be more than happy!

Just the beginning...

Finally, I am about to really start my teaching journey! I am really excited about being able to be able to live out the one goal that I have always had and gas really lead the journey of my life so far. Although I am often nervous facing new things... In this instance I feel completely ready and confident! I want to keep this blog because it is most definitely going to be the most meaningful experience of my life and without someway of recording it all I am sure it will just fly by... Maybe I can even offer a bit of my experience to help someone else out! Wish me luck!