Fabulous 5th Grade

Well...It looks like I'll be teaching 5th grade self-contained (and one segment of co-taught) SPED next year. 

Now, I HATE change, y'all! It just ruffles my feathers and makes me super anxious (yes, I really AM a special ed teacher...PROMISE!) My initial response was fear, anxiety, and a whole LOT of self-doubt. For all of my teaching career, I've started off the year in either a new school AND new grade or just a new grade. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but my biggest wish is just for consistency. 

A few chats with some members of my admin team helped me to understand their decision to place me there and I am now feeling capable, hopeful, and even excited! I get to loop up with my babies and my 4th grade team leader will be the team leader for 5th grade (and honestly, I can't keep my head on straight without her). I've got some of the support and consistency that I want even with the change. 

And so the Pinteresting begins for new decor ideas, new lesson ideas, and new classroom management ideas to spend the summer getting ready to make next year the best year ever!

Blog Numero Uno

Let's be honest...I don't really know how to blog. I am, however, a firm believer in faking it until you make it, so let's all just pretend that I'm an expert at this until I actually am ;)

Who am I? I'm a 4th year, almost 5th year special education teacher at an elementary school in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA (also born and bred in the suburbs of Atlanta).

My first EVER teaching photo. Aging like fine wine, though :) 

Why Teach? Total Honesty: I started teaching mostly because I've always loved working with children and partially because I had NO clue what to do with my life after college (I'm still not entirely sure what you do with a double major in sociology and psychology, FYI.). I had an opportunity to move to Louisville, Kentucky to become a special education teacher through a program called Teach Kentucky (for more info, visit teachkentucky.com), so I packed up my car and went. I pursued my MAT, worked at middle and high schools in rural-ish districts just outside of Louisville and absolutely FELL IN LOVE with teaching <3.

Accurate. Particularly the bit about the empty wallet. 

What's life like outside of teaching? When I'm not teaching, I love reading young adult fiction (more specifically, dystopian novels), Pinteresting, sweating it out in Zumba classes,  singing loudly to Disney movies, playing with my dog, or following a recipe in an attempt to be a fancy chef :)

Maxie, the cutest dog EVER!

Why Blog? I want this blog to be a hodgepodge of teacher tips, freebies (because who doesn't LOVE free stuff???), and honest reflections on my daily life as a teacher.