Monday Made It 8/24/14 ...and Happy First Day of School!

As you read this, I am greeting my 29 5th graders. Listen, I don't know if your state has a max number for the classroom, but in Texas, PreK-4th grade, 24 is the maximum number of students per class. Then you get to 5th grade and there is no cap. Which means I have large numbers of students. In classrooms that were made to house no more than 22 [when it was originally built]...so. We are packed in like sardines. BUT, we will survive. Maybe

On to my made it Monday :) I inherited this adorable red bookshelf from one of my besties who became an administrator this year. I have always loved this bookshelf... [It's been passed around at our school]...BUT red isn't my color. :) 

Some of you know my love for GREEN. I'm not sure when it started but I went to college at UNT and we were the Mean Green AND my classroom is UNT themed so I had to paint the shelf. 

Yes, I painted in my classroom. Please don't tell on me. I used green chalk paint and let it dry overnight before I went back and added a wax. 

How stinkin' cute is this?! I LOVE it. You are probably wondering "How did she know how to do that?" Well, my sweet friend, Mary Jo, took us to a little shop in Waxahachie, TX on her birthday to learn how to make shabby chic looking furniture. Mandy at Texas Pearls and Co is so ridiculously talented and she taught me everything I know :) 

Here is what my shelf looks like ready for this first day! 

My 2nd Made it Monday is a little sign I made with chalk and black butcher paper. I saw a wall painted on vacation at the Oklahoma City Science Museum that said "Here is where..." and was all about science. I loved the concept so I came home and wrote my own "Here is Where" poem. I am going to have my kids write poems about their favorite place. Anyway..here is mine: 

Can't wait to see what you guys have been making! 

Meet the Teacher Blogger

Yes I'm late to this linky but I've been seeing so many people do it, I had to join!

On our way home, finally!

Ok, my name is Caitlin Andrews. I am married to Russell, a middle school math teacher and coach. We've been married 5 years. Last September, we welcomed a baby boy into our lives. Jackson entered the world 5 weeks early and after 12 LONG days in the NICU, we got to come home!! Now, Jackson is almost a year old and is a baby giant :) He is the best thing in the world. 

I have 2 kitties, Ike and Abe. Ike is my cat. He follows me everywhere, does what I ask him to and thinks I'm his actual mother. Who needs a dog when you've got a cat that great?! 

I teach 5th grade Reading and Writing in Irving, TX just outside of Dallas. I am have the gifted and talented kids in my homeroom (all 29 of them.) and I have 2 other sections of students too this year. :) 

Ok..on to the questions: 

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

Sonic Coke Zero with extra ice. Anything green. Volleyball. Football. Shopping at Target. Reading books. Watching TV. Laying by the pool. Road Trips. Beach vacations. Candy Crush. Pretty pens. Writing with chalk. Stella & Dot jewelry. 

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?
Ok. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in 2nd grade, so I've never considered being anything else. BUT, someone told me the other day what they thought I should do and I was like yes! So my DREAM job other than teaching would to be a font artist. Seriously. I love fonts. I'm known for them. I love writing like them when I make anchor charts. It's an obsession. But realistically, if I wasn't a teacher, I'd be a college admissions counselor. I love helping college kids figure out their degree plans. 

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Social.  Organized. Loyal.  

 

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"I never do school work during the summer...said no teacher EVER!!"

 

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

Jennifer Aniston, Dirk Nowitski, Ms. Betty [a very special family friend who I would love to meet my baby J] 

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

Gosh. This is hard. probs Confessions of a Texas Teachaholic. :) 

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

Flying. Always flying. 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

ha. I'm not sure if it's my favorite but I'm constantly saying "Beggars can't be choosers" :) 

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Don't Stop Believin'. Glee version

  Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

gah. probably morning person. I am most productive when I get up and get going. But I love sleeping in. I need a solid 8+ hours of sleep each night. Motherhood has been an adjustment. :)

 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

Probably my Reading Review folder. 

Look at them more in depth here

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU! 
I teach at the elementary school I went to! It's fun being back "home"

Check out some other teacher bloggers here :) 

First Year Flashbacks

What age group and subject were you teaching?
I was teaching 4th grade Gifted and Talented students. I only had 18 kids. It was a dream.

What was your first classroom like?
My first classroom was TINY. I had lockers on one wall, a counter and cabinets on another, my white board and a bookshelf that didn't move. I hated the room while I was in it, but after leaving, I realize how cozy it was. My room was (and still is) super colorful. :)

Were you given supplies or materials?
. No. I bought everything myself. Hundreds of dollars. It's a good thing I didn't have my own baby then! My district DOES however provide teachers with tons of valuable resources but supplies, decorations, classroom library books, etc. all come from the teacher's own money.

What was the hardest part of your first year of teaching?
Man. I think being out of the classroom. I was pulled for training after training and then I had pneumonia, and my bff got married and I feel like I was gone alot. I hated that part. My kids did really well on state assessments that year but I only had 18 and they were pretty much perfect.

What was the best part of your first year of teaching?
My kids and my colleagues. I've said it before and I will say it again. I work with the BEST group of people. Some of the people I was on a team with that first year have moved (including 2 of my bffs, Leslie and Demesha) but I have been so so blessed to work with the people at Elliott. We are seriously a family and I couldn't dream of being anywhere else. 

What do you know now that you wish you knew that first year?
Cuteness doesn't matter. Listen, I love cute. I love colorful. I am known for being that teacher. BUT BUT BUT I also know that what they learn is so much more important. As I have gained experience, I am less likely to display my kids' work because everything we do is for them to actually use. (Like my reading review folders)...they are organized, they are colorful but they are practical. So, first year teachers, you can be cute but please make sure the cuteness is second to the learning. K? 

Ya'll, I am seriously struggling to regain the balance of teaching, blogging, mothering, wife-ing, etc. Of all of those listed, blogging is usually last so bear with me... :) Last weekend before the kids come. All 29 of them. {sigh} But that's another post for another day... 

Overwhelmed

Despite my best efforts, and the planning that I did this summer...I am overwhelmed. A new principal [actually all brand new admin team...] is throwing me for a loop. Things I KNEW with my old principal aren't necessarily the samesies this year so I feel like I'm scrambling to re-do things! And by the way...the kids haven't even come back yet! 

BUT...I will stay positive. This year is going to be great...if only I can get my feet underneath me! Anybody else feel like they are on a hamster wheel right now? 

I'm BAAAAACK!

I have been totally MIA lately. I blame back-to-school days...but really, it's because I've been on vacation. And in professional development. And working in my classroom some. 

Side note: Our school floors are being re-done (again..) and we STILL can't officially get into our classrooms to set up. I've been in a few times to organize cabinets and "relove" a bookshelf (check out that on Made It Monday next week!) but we can't do anything until floors are done and classrooms are actually cleaned. LAME. We go back officially (for trainings) on Tuesday. Floors will maybe be cleaned by Monday. 1 day. 1 day people. So all your cute "look at my classroom" pics are making me angry jealous.

Back to this past week: 
I left last Saturday for Myrtle Beach, SC with 7 of my closest friends...who all happen to be some of the most amazing teachers in the entire world. We were missing some of our wonderful friends but we had an absolute blast. Here we are arriving at the airport in SC...

Demesha (Administrative Liason), Mandy (Math Interventionist/Coach), Mary Jo (Reading Interventionist/Coach K-2), Megan (3 rounds of 4th Grade Reading), Danna (Academic Specialist-aka the Literacy Queen), Carrie (Reading Interventionist/Coach 3-5), Esther (1st grade self-contained bilingual), and Me! :) [[I thought you should see how many Reading teachers we had...there was alot of reading done during rainy times on vacation]].

We had a blast eating delicious food, [trying to] soak up the sun, avoiding the rain, chatting in the hot tub, and hanging out on the Grand Strand. 

Pictures on the South Point of Pawley's Island 

<3 

First night out-Broadway at the Beach

Yes we color-coordinated for our trip to Brookgreen Gardens. Please take a second to be jealous of how cute we are. (jk)

I had such a fun time. These girls make going to work even more fun... We loved the place we stayed, Sea Oaks Retreat  and ate at so many yummy places. I even must admit (and this is coming from a proud Texan...) that the people we met in South Carolina were the friendliest people I have ever met. Everyone was so nice and helpful and we couldn't stop talking about how wonderful they were. Southern hospitality is a real thing, ya'll! 

Anyway, we FINALLY get to get into the school building tomorrow. Thank goodness so I'll be back on track with blogging (hopefully, maybe). See ya soon! 

Teacher Brain

Y'all. It's already happening. Back to School Teacher Brain. You know what I'm talking about...when you lay down to try to sleep and it takes at least an hour to even start falling asleep because you are making lists, mentally writing emails and redecorating your room [all in your head].

Tomorrow we start back with professional development (does it make me weird that I secretly like going to PD?) and I'm a little excited and a little anxious. Jackson has gone to daycare before but he's been home with us for 2 1/2 months this summer and I.AM.DREADING taking him to daycare in the morning. There will be a meltdown. [He might even cry too]. 

So instead of sitting here worrying, I'm going to list the things I look forward to doing this week and in the coming weeks:
1. Seeing my friends. Yes, I've seen them all summer but when we all get in teacher-mode..it's magical.
2. Going to lunch with people in between PD sessions...great convos are ALWAYS had
3. Getting into my room to redecorate. It's going to be GREEN and it's going to be AWESOME. 
4. Organizing school supplies. [aka, my happy place]
5. Learning new stuff to use in the classroom (Notice and Note are at the top of the list)
6. Going on VACAY with the girls. Now if that pesky Tropical Storm Bertha would head the other way, that'd be great. 
7. Bonding with my students. I already know some of them and they know of me but I am ready to REALLY know them. 
8. Did I mention new school supplies? 
9. Making the Back to School video for the teachers. My friend Carrie started this tradition at least 5 years ago and I have hopped on board to help...we get all the teachers to send in pics of their summer activities and we make a video to share first thing at our school PD sessions. It's always so fun to see what people send in! 
10. A fresh start. There's something so exciting about being able to do your job (and hopefully do it better) the second, third or FIFTH time around :)