Yay!! We received our book bins and our cart. Each student got one book bin with their name label for their personal use in the classroom. I'm currently using the guided reading leveled cart to organize my leveled books for the students. We are so happy that we created thank you cards and letters for the donors.  I am going to create another project so we can get some more read aloud books and classroom library books. I will update you along the way! I'm going to post some pictures as soon as I receive all the p

    The first week of is in the books! My little first graders and I had a wonderful start to the new school year. I must say this is the happiest I've ever been in my career after 5 years now that I'm teaching the grade level that I've been yearning to teach all along. I can't wait to see every one of my students grow in reading, writing, and math this year. How lucky am I to get to teach all my students HOW to actually read???  On the other hand, it has been really overwhelming changing grade levels and changing my ways of teaching and thinking. Fourth graders and first graders are quite different!  I have had to dedicate A LOT of my time learning the new curriculum to make it fun and captivating. I've also had to change my classroom management and learn new songs and rhymes that capture their attention. What's most important is that  I want to dedicate my time.  I'm having so much fun.. and that's how teaching should be! I will be one of those super organized teachers with their fancy blogs and freebies that every teacher searches for on the internet some day! :)  
    Sidebar...My daughter started daycare this week and it has definitely been quite an experience learning to become a full time working mommy! It forces me to become ridicously organized and extremely exhausted. (Thank goodness for this 3 day weekend!) But the best part of my day, other than seeing my sweet 1st graders who soak up learning like a sponge, is picking up my baby girl at daycare!  Boy she makes my day brighter!
    At the end of every day, I try to look back at my successes from work and my home life as well as the challenges along the way. It has been a busy year earning my Masters in Reading
    Some people reach for the stars to become president and celebriteies. Some people don't feel successful if they don't make millions of dollars. But me? Teaching is my calling and being a working mom with my mini van and all is what I'm destined to be! The best part of all is that I am surely PROUD of it! :)