I am so excited to join in the fun this year for Teacher Week at Blog Hoppin'! I missed out on the fun last year because of it was the start of the school year for me AND we closed we moved on the SECOND day of school. Talk about crazy! So let's get started!
1. I am married to the love of my life and best friend, Ryan. We just celebrated three years of marriage last week. Time sure flies by when your heart is full! He's my biggest cheerleader and supporter and is such a blessing to me! I thank God for him every day.
Fun fact, we were introduced by the grandpa of one of my former students. :)
2. We have two sweet border collie lab mixes, Maddie and Moss, who bring so much joy and love to our lives. Nothing is better after a hard day at work than puppy cuddles!
Moss is the big ole boy with white paws. :)
Maddie is the sweetie with a little too much white on her face. :(
3. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in first grade. I was a struggling student but never knew differently because of my sweet first grade teacher. She never gave up on me and I really believe I am where I am today because of her.
4. This school year will be my seventh year teaching, which I can't believe. I've been in two schools and three grade levels. I spent four years in third at one school and budget cuts led me to a new school, which I love, and second grade. While my kiddos were sweet, I really felt the entire year I was more of an upper grade elementary teacher. So I jumped at the chance to go to fourth grade! Last year I was self contained, and this year I'll be teaching ELA (reading and writing) to two sections of students. I'm really excited about this new adventure!
Here's a sneak peak at my classroom this year!
5. Last year my husband and I built a house and we love being homeowners! We've gotten to know and hang out with our neighbors a lot this summer and we've tackled a lot of home improvement projects!
6. I am a HUGE Ohio State Buckeye football fan! :) I went to pretty much every home game with my dad in high school and college. I often drove home for the weekend from my college in Kentucky, just to drive two more hours to the game! Going to games was a huge bonding experience for us, and I even played the Ohio State Fight Song at the end of our father/daughter dance at my wedding. It was awesome. :) One of the first things I purchased for my new house was an OSU flag to go outside our front door. My husband and I are going to a game this October and I am so excited!
7. This past summer I returned to graduate school after a hiatus. Word to all you other teachers out there, don't do that. Just finish! I am taking a class this fall as well. If all goes well, I'll get my reading endorsement this spring and then my masters a year or so later. I don't deal well with loads of stress, so I figured one class a semester is perfect. :)
8. I am a coach for Girls on the Run, and it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It's made such a difference in the lives of the girls I've coached each season and I can't wait to get started this year!
9. I LOVE to cook but have fallen prey to the convenience of take out the past few school years. I've decided to stop blaming my schedule, we have our students until 4, and do something about it! Last week I prepped about 20 main dishes and froze them. Mainly simple things like crockpot meals or baked pasta, but it feels really good knowing I won't have to worry about dinner for a while. If I continue this, I'll let you know how it's going and what meals we really liked!
10. Sometimes I wake up and pinch myself because I don't believe I'm living such a fabulous life! God has blessed me with a great family, sweet friends, a career I love, and a creative outlet in a blogging where I get to share my passion of teaching beyond the four walls of my classroom. I am blessed beyond belief and so very thankful!
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