First Post! Blog Basics.

So... judging from the title you can immediately infer to things: I am a teacher and I love coupons. Both of those would be true. :) Other things about me... I am an avid fan of Arts & Crafts projects, many of which you will see in the following pictures. I wish Michael's Arts and Crafts had a credit card or a rewards program. I would be their #1 customer. Another thing which I hope will be evident through my posts is that I love technology. I still remember sitting on my father's lap playing Bear Goes to Space. A year or so ago, my parents cleaned out the computer room and we found the floppy disk with that game. Not the 3 and half inch floppy disk but the actual huge floppy disks. Whew. On my blog I hope to share a few of my favorite things- teaching, crafting, couponing, and technology intergration.

This will be my third official year teaching- although I would like to round up to four. ;) I came in as a long term substitute my first year. Originally I had wanted to finished my Master's Degree before accepting a job, however, a trip to the my university's college fair soon changed that. I met some of the most amazing school principals and even some superintendents! Of course the opposite was true- some districts did not seem the least bit interested and instead of becoming upset, I realized that their schools were not for me. I wanted someplace that would accept me as a new teacher- knowing that I had an abundance of knowledge yet to learn but also acknowledging that I was young and full of energy- eager to please and teach.

I am happy to say I have found that place. I have even made some amazing friends along the way. Being a brand new teacher was scary in fact down right frightening. Luckily, I made a friend who I will call Mrs. C and she took me under her wing. When Mrs. C left after being my teammate, I was devasted and expected the end of the world. However, I placed with an amazing teacher who despite being new to my school, was not new to teaching. She would help me "fine tune" my skills all while encouraging me to be dedicated to my students. Year later, I  have yet a new teammate. Am I scared? Of course. But I do have confidence that this year will be the best yet. As I continue with my teaching, I really feel like I am a making a difference. With that being said, I have also learned that I never teach the same lesson twice- there is always room for improvement or a difference in the class makeup. One other realization also has come to mind. My principal told us about two weeks ago that the kids are not "my students" but rather "our students". I will try my absolute best to not only keep that in mind but also act on it. If I have a great lesson that I know works... it is my duty to share it. If I see another teacher's student sad in the hallway, it is my duty to stop and talk to them to make sure they're alright. In my... our hands is the well-being of "our students".