Teacher Threads: Plaid

I love the plaid trend that has been around the last year. I love finding ways to wear it out and to work. Florida winters can be very tricky, especially being a teacher. The mornings can be cold, but the temps could get pretty hot by the afternoon or the AC could be not working in my building. It's also been colder on and off these last few weeks, so I have to find something to wear that covers all those possibilities.

 Button down is from Target (here) sweater found on clearance at Gap, necklace Banana Republic Factory Outlet, blue cords BR Factory Outlet, and boots from Macy's two years ago. 

I love these skinny cords from Banana Republic Factory Outlet! I have them in grey, black, navy blue, and purple. I would get them in every color if I could! They are Ryan Fit and I get a size 4. The size 4 is pretty popular so when I find my size I usually try to scoop it up quickly! I am have searching for several years for the cream pants, but every time they are in stock I can never find my size.

These pants are perfect for fall through spring, you can dress them down or up. Great with boots and flats, sweaters, and graphic tees. 

I was excited to buy the navy blue pair because they look so similar to a skinny jeans. It is perfect for those shirts in your closet that don't look good with dress pants.

My next favorite plaid is the Buffalo Plaid! I looked high and low for this shirt and finally found it at H&M.

I paired it with my most favorite maxi I've ever owned. I purchased it from Target last summer; it is so comfy, flattering, and I can wear it with so much all year round!

Gold engravable necklace from Stella & Dot (here)

14 in 14

Another year is coming to a close and 2014 was exactly what I wanted..low key, calm, and nothing crazy. 

2013 came with graduations, weddings, big moves, surgeries, and new jobs. 2014 was a welcome change.

{fourteen}

We celebrated my 27th birthday in Tampa at the Gasperilla Pirate Festival. The whole day was such a blast. Growing up with a winter birthday, I was always jealous of my friends who got to enjoy theirs outside, or have pool parties. 

I just booked the hotel to celebrate my 28th at the end of January!

{thirteen}

I was hired by a private school as a kindergarten science teacher over Christmas break to finish out the school year. I had taken an 8 month break from teaching when we moved to Florida and found out that life wasn't so sweet behind a desk. I had never been more happy to be a full time teacher again.

{twelve}

Enjoyed a visit from my bestie when her and her (now) fiancé went on a cruise in the caribbean and their port was out of Fort Lauderdale. I drove down for the day to see them, and enjoy the sun and heat of South Beach.

{eleven}

The next few months consisted of a lot of training and fundraising for my first half marathon in April with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I committed to raising $3,200 for LLS in exchange for running the Nike Women's Half marathon in Washington, D.C. It was a lot of hard work, but it is amazing how you actually see the results of training. The picture on the right is after i finished a 10k and was able to run the entire thing without stopping. At that point, that was the longest I have ever ran in my entire life.

{ten}

Brandon & I's vacations luckily fell on the same week so we planned a few days trip down to Miami & stayed on the strip in South Beach. On the way home we stopped in Jupiter to catch a Cardinals Spring Training game. It was my Christmas gift to B. I'm not the biggest Cards fan out there, but I do enjoy making him happy & catching a baseball game.

{nine}

This was at the end of my training, two weeks before the half & I had just finished 10 miles. My shirt has all of the my family & friends who had donated to my race. I couldn't have done it without all of them.

Fundraising was stressful & nerve racking & there were times I didn't think I would make my goal, but once I started my last campaign of 100 donations of $10 in 100 hours & that is what got me to my goal. I was getting donations from every one: best friends, family, strangers, acquaintances, & long lost friends. It was really the most humble I've every felt.

{eight}

I did it!!! I completed my first half marathon in our nation's capital. The race was perfect! It wasn't easy, but I could not have asked for a better race, event, & campaign to run for.

{seven}

Residency continues for Dr. Husband. Several things I learned while being on this journey with him through medical school and now the first year of residency: make your own plans, we are a TEAM, & remember in marriage you both have to give 100%.

The days are long, but the years are short.

{six}

We continued to enjoy being Disney Annual Passholders. It is our favorite place & the best investment we could have made. 

I also lived out my dream of being at Hollywood Studios during Star Wars weekends. It was seriously like I had become 12 years old again.

{five}

 We celebrated our first year of marriage! 

The best is yet to be..

{four}

We enjoyed trips to the beach whenever we could.

I scored tickets to see Jimmy Fallon when he was at Universal Studios. It was an awesome show & my friend Meg & I enjoyed the theme park after the taping.

{three}

I was hired in June to teach fourth grade at a Title I school in East Orlando. I was very excited for this new adventure & the experiences that have come along with it.

{two}

We enjoyed traveling to St. Louis & Dallas for two of our friends weddings. Brandon was in the wedding party for both, & both grooms were in ours. Both such fun weekends, which always made the first day back at work really, really, tough.

{one}

 October was a pleasantly exciting & exhausting surprise with the KC Royals making the playoffs & getting to the world series. I had never had a reason so watch baseball in October before (being a Cubs & Royals fan) so this was a great month…exhausting, with many trips to our neighborhood bar to watch the games, but I hope to see my other baseball love in October next year ;-)

{zero}

One more, just for good measure.

We celebrated Christmas in Florida this year. Dr. Husband had to work, so I had to find ways to make Christmas just as special, just the two of us.

I spent Christmas Eve baking up fabulous meals for dinner, Christmas breakfast, & dinner. 

I even got to cook "with" my mom. LOVE technology!

I finally used recipes from my bridal shower. I made my MIL's Macaroni Mouse, my mom's St. Louis style salad, two of my parent's neighbors & friends French toast casserole & Christmas Day Soup. I also made Surf 'n Turf (this may be an Alexander Christmas Eve tradition). 

I am not the most domesticated gal around, so I was pretty proud of myself for the meal & the fact that I enjoyed cooking all day!

Archer & I enjoyed a day at Fort de Soto dog beach.

Thanks for joining me on my 2014 year in review. This is much better than the Facebook version :-)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday & have the happiest of New Years!

Five for Friday

Does it count if I started this post when it was technically still Friday {11:59pm et}

I am currently sitting on the couch, much past when I should have gone to bed, watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one; you know, the good one.

It has been a very busy week & that's perfect for a link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching weekly Five for Friday.

I got the whole week off from school, a much needed break, & needed to prepare for my parents coming into town from St. Louis for Thanksgiving. They weren't staying with us, but I wanted to use the weekend & three days to get all my Christmas decorations up.

Holy Christmas decor inventory.

 Plus this FABULOUS find from an antique shop. You know that look/move you do when you find a $1 on the ground…I did that when I spotted the moose mug.

You serious, Clark?

No wall goes untouched in our apartment. The catch 22 about living in Central Florida is that we can't really get out of the state easily, but with the exception of the panhandle, we can get almost anywhere easily IN Florida. Our goal while we live here is to make the most of it & visit as many places as we can.

I purchased this 1920 map of Florida from Etsy shop WorkBox, printed it as an 18x24 & glued it to a canvas. Every where that Brandon & I have visited together gets a little pin in it. Still many places to visit!

I found the painting from Hobby Lobby.

Like I said earlier, my parents weren't staying with us in Orlando. We rented a condo in New Symrna Beach. We had a nice, low key Thanksgiving dinner, hubs was able to be off work for the evening to join, & we enjoyed the sunset & ocean view. B & I made the journey to Wal-Mart {ugh} & snagged a voucher to order the 50" TV. Black Friday just isn't the same anymore. Running through Target at 4am 4 years ago when we literally snagged our current 40" was so much more fun.

The weather has been really chilly the last two weeks, I feel sorry for my parents who were hoping for some hot weather. But anything is better than current Missouri weather.

And I have enjoyed getting to wear my "Wellies" & leggings!

Has anyone else had anxiety to go back to work on Monday? I had a legit anxiety attack this morning just thinking about my email {that I refuse to check till Sunday evening--at the earliest}

I really am not ready yet. But the positive side of it is that Thanksgiving was later this year, which means Christmas will come faster!

Princess Half Marathon is coming up in a very short 3 months & I am no where near ready. So what better way to celebrate the day after stuffing yourself than signing up for a 5k? 

As of my last running attempt I was only able to go a mile before I had to walk. Pretty embarrassing for someone who plans on running a half soon.

Another reason I love living in Florida, perfect running outside weather. Now..where is that motivation?

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving break with your family & friends.

Toto, I'm Not in Private School Anymore…& Classroom Reveal

Sorry I have been absent from the blogging world for two weeks, the first two weeks of school have put me in over my head busy. 

As stated before, this is my fifth year in the classroom, but my first year back in public school since student teaching, first year teaching fourth grade after four years of primary/ECC, and my first year having to do Marzano, data tracking, and state standards.

Needless to say, I feel like a first year teacher all over again.

There is SO MUCH to do in the intermediate grades, I was either staying at the school late getting organized and ready for the next day, or running errands for hours after work getting what I need, OR printing/laminating at home till late at night, to only get to work early the next morning to do more work.

Seriously, who stays at school till 6:15pm on a Friday? Me, that's who.

I am not hear to rant, and I am definitely preaching to the choir. 

But I do LOVE my fourth graders. They are CHATTER BOXES though, if anyone has any chatterbox tips please let me know----

I had to change their desks after day 3. But if talking is my only behavior problem this year, I'm fine with that. They are a great group and I'm so excited  to go through this year with them.

Below is my classroom reveal. I waited to take the pictures until the end of the first week, I finally have all the kids stuff out after adding four new kids to my roster and losing one. Plus, it looks more realistic to what it looks like most of the time. Including my messy desk. If it's organized and clean, I must be dead.

Looking from the back of the room. This was the desk arrangement AFTER day 3. I had them in groups, but I immediately realized that was a bad idea.

Looking at the room from my desk.

Taped to to the top, I have their class number, name tag, Marzano scales, and behavior punch cards--which we will start Monday. 

 My board, I wish my Promethium board wasn't in the exact middle, it cuts down on my white board, but I'm getting better at using it.

The left is the daily schedule, also where I will need to write What we are learning in each subject and how we will learn this.

The right has the weekly schedule to help the class remember important information of the week, like if there is a test or need to bring something special to school.

Sources:

Schedule {here}

ABC Chart, that I just ADORE {here}

Closer up of my weekly schedule, Marzano Learning Scale, bulletin board, and the mail center. I'm not sure what I'll do with that bulletin board yet...

During the day the student's cold lunches also go on the table.

Which also, I was shocked that my students had never heard lunches referred to as "Hot Lunch" or "Cold Lunch." 

I didn't realize this wasn't used at every school?

Underneath are three bins that hold the student's backpacks.

Back of the room: their cubbies and book boxes {from Ikea}

Above the sinks are frames to hold the essential questions for the four main subjects for each unit {to come Monday Made It}

The mat on the floor was a find from Walmart that says Be Awesome Today, I couldn't pass it up!

My classroom library and reading center:

 My reading area with my t-shirt pillows, the kids loving having the pillows to read with!

Rug from {Ikea}

My in progress writing center. Right now it serves more as a place where students can escape the chatter to work more quickly or read.

My behavior management and classroom jobs. Both will be started on Monday. I've never used the clip system, so I hope it's successful. I will connect it with their punch cards. As they move up, they get more punches on their cards, in addition to earning it throughout the day. When they fill it up, they get a choice from the treasure box.

To move down: two warnings, they have to move down one and it's teacher's choice for consequence, two more warnings and it's parent contact.

I only have 12 jobs because a lot will have two students at them.

Sources:

Class Jobs {here}

Clip System {here}

 My small group table..full of supplies and assessments. I still need to get storage for the coloring supplies and I spent most of the day assessing my students. Organization is low on the priority list.

Behind is my word wall and a drawer organizer from Big Lots.

Sources:

Word Wall {here}

My desk, no apologies :-)

 Right when they walk in. Homework bins and calendar.

Close up of the homework bins I made {bins from Dollar Store}

I like that I kept it separate…and I just realized I was supposed to bring the "In Class Work" bin home this weekend to grade…boo.

This used to be a plain wall, but I stapled butcher paper and border to the wall to make another bulletin board! 

For our first week, we focused a lot on how to be a successful student. The students answered questions:

What can you do to be successful this year?

What will Mrs. Alexander need to do to help you be successful this year?

What do you expect to learn in 4th grade?

School is important because…

In the hallway:

 And what's better and more reassuring than finding wonderful notes from my kiddos. 

Happy Friday friends, I'm headed to bed.