Monday, August 29, 2011
Puppy Love (in pictures)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Kissing Hand
As custom in most Kinder classrooms, we read "The Kissing Hand" on the first day of school to talk about first day feelings. Here is what we did!
The kiddos write their name (good assessment of incoming skill level) and trace their hand, coloring their skin with a skin color crayon. I write how they felt in yellow and they trace. We also use a heart sponge to paint a heart.
I also got a poem from my cooperating teacher during student teaching (April at ChalkTalk: I'm lucky, I know)! It is so sweet, correlates with the first day of Kinder and The Kissing Hand, and it is a good keepsake for parents. We paint handprints also to remember those precious fingers! Apparently I didn't take a picture of it, so just pretend :)
The kiddos write their name (good assessment of incoming skill level) and trace their hand, coloring their skin with a skin color crayon. I write how they felt in yellow and they trace. We also use a heart sponge to paint a heart.
I also got a poem from my cooperating teacher during student teaching (April at ChalkTalk: I'm lucky, I know)! It is so sweet, correlates with the first day of Kinder and The Kissing Hand, and it is a good keepsake for parents. We paint handprints also to remember those precious fingers! Apparently I didn't take a picture of it, so just pretend :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Meet the Teacher Monday AND Teacher Talk Tuesday
Yep, I'm doing two-in-one (multi-tasking: another teacher trait)! Scroll down for Teacher Talk Tuesday :)
Monday: Meet the Teacher!
My name is Chrissy and I am from Dallas, Texas (originally). That's my husband, Nathan (I call him Nate)- he is an ordained Baptist minister and sticks to Music and Youth. He's an AMAZING singer/guitar/piano man and I am so proud of all he does! We moved to South Texas about a year ago (for a new church position for the hubster). We have two "children", as in dogs. Oliver (who I'm holding) is a 1 year old Shih Tzu OR Lhasa Apso... Not sure. Chloe (who Nate is holding) is a 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier. We really enjoy our family of four!
I graduated from DBU (below) in May 2009 with my Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education.
One month later, I married this guy :) It was the first 100+ degree day in Texas (in June) and there was NO power in our church where we got married. Luckily, the reception was elsewhere and we all cooled off soon after!
Avery Mailing Labels... I put the kids' names on them, which in turn I put on EVERYTHINGGG....
Organization! I would suffer in the classroom if I didn't have neat file folders and pockets for everything.
Tuesday: Teacher Talk Tuesday
It is kind of hard to give "new teacher" advice because I still consider myself a newbie (as a 3rd year teacher). BUT I feel that there is SO much you learn in your first year, that you simply won't learn until you experience it... So here are my little tidbits of insight :)
1. PROCEDURES PROCEDURES PROCEDURES. This killed me my 1st year of teaching. Since I was moved to a new classroom/grade level/students after two weeks of school already in session, I didn't focus enough on this aspect. You HAVE TO take time to teach procedures and expectations before any "real" teaching can begin. If you do not have procedures in place, you will NOT get any teaching done. Plain and simple. You have to model and repeat and repeat and model those procedures until you are blue in the face. Do it, it will be worth it in a few months!
2. Make friends with everyone on campus, and I mean EVERYONE. Secretary, janitor, teachers you hardly know. It is always nice to be friendly, but it is especially nice when you are a new teacher and have no IDEA what you are doing. You never know whose help you may need in a few months!
3. Patience is a virtue. I could go CRAZY talking and yelling and venting about all of the things that go wrong during a typical school day. Kids won't stop talking. That lesson wasn't as awesome as I thought. That other teacher gave me the stink eye. C'monnnn. You can't let it drive you mad! Be patient, accept it, and move on! I tell myself this daily! There is beauty in learning from mistakes and situations. Soak it in, don't get mad about it. Be patient with your kiddos, even at 3:15pm when you are just DONE with your day. Take the crummy lesson and make it better for next time. Smile at the stink-eye teacher, even when she still gives the stink eye to you! YOU are in charge of you and how you feel: don't let anyone else decide!
So fun! Head on over to Blog Hoppin' to learn more about your favorite teacher bloggers!
Monday: Meet the Teacher!
Tell us a little something about you...
My favorite things include:
-Water
-Crafts (Anyone else addicted to Pinterest?)
-InStyle magazine
-Pajama pants
-ANYTHING with sprinkles
-Disney World
-Cruise Lines
How long have you been teaching?
This will be my third year teaching. I taught 1st grade my first year (although I started in Kinder and was moved 7 days after school started due to low numbers), Kindergarten last year, and Kindergarten this year! It's neat staying at the same school, KNOWING your curriculum, and seeing your old babies in the hallway still!
You might not know...
I have a "permanently broken" left arm. I broke my arm when I was 2 years old and since I was still developing/growing bones, my arm didn't straighten out correctly. It's pretty embarrassing when people notice my arm and freak out, but the story is interesting :) The only way to straighten it correctly is to break my arm again... and let's just say that I'll pass on that... it's not THAT embarrassing! I'll have to take a picture one day!
What are you looking most forward to this school year?
Vacation? Ha! I kid :) Every year, I totally look forward to training the kiddos into really understanding what school is all about. Kindergarten is such an important grade/age for development, and I like that I get to be a part of it! I am also looking forward to May, only to see how I conquered having 28 Kinders.
What do you need to improve?
Lesson planning. I always hand-write lesson plans, and then type them out, but I feel like they could be more involved and in-depth. Maybe not so much at the beginning of the year (procedures procedures procedures!) but as the year progresses.
What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?How long have you been teaching?
This will be my third year teaching. I taught 1st grade my first year (although I started in Kinder and was moved 7 days after school started due to low numbers), Kindergarten last year, and Kindergarten this year! It's neat staying at the same school, KNOWING your curriculum, and seeing your old babies in the hallway still!
You might not know...
I have a "permanently broken" left arm. I broke my arm when I was 2 years old and since I was still developing/growing bones, my arm didn't straighten out correctly. It's pretty embarrassing when people notice my arm and freak out, but the story is interesting :) The only way to straighten it correctly is to break my arm again... and let's just say that I'll pass on that... it's not THAT embarrassing! I'll have to take a picture one day!
What are you looking most forward to this school year?
Vacation? Ha! I kid :) Every year, I totally look forward to training the kiddos into really understanding what school is all about. Kindergarten is such an important grade/age for development, and I like that I get to be a part of it! I am also looking forward to May, only to see how I conquered having 28 Kinders.
What do you need to improve?
Lesson planning. I always hand-write lesson plans, and then type them out, but I feel like they could be more involved and in-depth. Maybe not so much at the beginning of the year (procedures procedures procedures!) but as the year progresses.
Tuesday: Teacher Talk Tuesday
It is kind of hard to give "new teacher" advice because I still consider myself a newbie (as a 3rd year teacher). BUT I feel that there is SO much you learn in your first year, that you simply won't learn until you experience it... So here are my little tidbits of insight :)
1. PROCEDURES PROCEDURES PROCEDURES. This killed me my 1st year of teaching. Since I was moved to a new classroom/grade level/students after two weeks of school already in session, I didn't focus enough on this aspect. You HAVE TO take time to teach procedures and expectations before any "real" teaching can begin. If you do not have procedures in place, you will NOT get any teaching done. Plain and simple. You have to model and repeat and repeat and model those procedures until you are blue in the face. Do it, it will be worth it in a few months!
2. Make friends with everyone on campus, and I mean EVERYONE. Secretary, janitor, teachers you hardly know. It is always nice to be friendly, but it is especially nice when you are a new teacher and have no IDEA what you are doing. You never know whose help you may need in a few months!
3. Patience is a virtue. I could go CRAZY talking and yelling and venting about all of the things that go wrong during a typical school day. Kids won't stop talking. That lesson wasn't as awesome as I thought. That other teacher gave me the stink eye. C'monnnn. You can't let it drive you mad! Be patient, accept it, and move on! I tell myself this daily! There is beauty in learning from mistakes and situations. Soak it in, don't get mad about it. Be patient with your kiddos, even at 3:15pm when you are just DONE with your day. Take the crummy lesson and make it better for next time. Smile at the stink-eye teacher, even when she still gives the stink eye to you! YOU are in charge of you and how you feel: don't let anyone else decide!
So fun! Head on over to Blog Hoppin' to learn more about your favorite teacher bloggers!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Artists of the Month: Katy Perry
Yep, Katy Perry.
August purchase: Katy Perry "Teenage Dream"
Favorite song: Oh goodness, there's two: "Teenage Dream" and "It's Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". The main reason? Her songs are SO catchy. Honestly, they aren't the most wholesome of lyrics... but they are very fun to sing to on a girls' weekend or on a four hour drive to keep you awake!
Why purchased: Fun jams, fun times :)
August purchase: Katy Perry "Teenage Dream"
 |
| picture from here |
Favorite song: Oh goodness, there's two: "Teenage Dream" and "It's Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". The main reason? Her songs are SO catchy. Honestly, they aren't the most wholesome of lyrics... but they are very fun to sing to on a girls' weekend or on a four hour drive to keep you awake!
Why purchased: Fun jams, fun times :)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Boating
Nate just purchased a bass boat about a month ago... needless to say, I think I've lost him, haha! He really likes fishing and I'm glad he has this to enjoy now!
My first time out was this past Thursday and it was fun! It makes me a little nervous when we go super fast, but it is always fun to be on the water!
My first time out was this past Thursday and it was fun! It makes me a little nervous when we go super fast, but it is always fun to be on the water!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Blowin' Up
You may be wondering why you have 79 new posts from me... I am blowing up your readers!
Anyways, I am transferring my "teacher/school" blog to this blog full-time. My school has given all teachers/staff new e-mail addresses, so the e-mail I used for my teacher blog will no longer be needed. And anyways, it's such a hassle to keep up with two (it is to me, at least)! So I imported all my posts to this blog and I will now post everythinggg here.
Sorry for the confusion (and the blowing up of your readers)! Happy two-more-days until the weekend!
Anyways, I am transferring my "teacher/school" blog to this blog full-time. My school has given all teachers/staff new e-mail addresses, so the e-mail I used for my teacher blog will no longer be needed. And anyways, it's such a hassle to keep up with two (it is to me, at least)! So I imported all my posts to this blog and I will now post everythinggg here.
Sorry for the confusion (and the blowing up of your readers)! Happy two-more-days until the weekend!
I survived! And other news...
First day was great :) I am SO tired though, definitely not used to being on my feet an entire day (two months of sitting on your tooshie can do that to you)!
We are definitely going to have to modify our schedule a bit to accommodate our 28 babies: the rotations worked beautifully, but when the kiddos were altogether, it = a bit of craziness. Our morning work was fine (once they sat down: putting backpacks away was a bit of an ordeal, but it won't be like that tomorrow I'm sure.. again, it was the first day), gathering for lunch to pray was fine, but I need to invest in a large tote for lunchboxes so THAT isn't an ordeal. At the end of the day, we came back together for snacktime/prep to go home, but I think we will stay split for that... We shall see!
As far as "lessons" go, we accomplished reading "My First Day of School" and discussed how the book related to the things we did in our class. We also read "The Kissing Hand" and talked about first day feelings. We traced our hands and sponge-painted a heart in the middle. We also read about Kindergarten and illustrated ourselves/what we looked like on the first day. I am excited to see the growth they will achieve this year: it is amazing! We also worked with math manipulatives (free exploration).
As for my "other news", I am "closing" this blog down because our school has new e-mail addresses, so the e-mail I use for this blog will no longer be needed. I will be combining my "home/life" blog with my "school" blog (www.chrissyandnathan.blogspot.com), so make sure if you follow THIS blog, you go HERE and follow my other blog! I will leave this site up and running (I guess it can still do that?) but I will no longer be posting here. Again, www.chrissyandnathan.blogspot.com, go now and follow there to continue getting school updates from myself!
We are definitely going to have to modify our schedule a bit to accommodate our 28 babies: the rotations worked beautifully, but when the kiddos were altogether, it = a bit of craziness. Our morning work was fine (once they sat down: putting backpacks away was a bit of an ordeal, but it won't be like that tomorrow I'm sure.. again, it was the first day), gathering for lunch to pray was fine, but I need to invest in a large tote for lunchboxes so THAT isn't an ordeal. At the end of the day, we came back together for snacktime/prep to go home, but I think we will stay split for that... We shall see!
As far as "lessons" go, we accomplished reading "My First Day of School" and discussed how the book related to the things we did in our class. We also read "The Kissing Hand" and talked about first day feelings. We traced our hands and sponge-painted a heart in the middle. We also read about Kindergarten and illustrated ourselves/what we looked like on the first day. I am excited to see the growth they will achieve this year: it is amazing! We also worked with math manipulatives (free exploration).
As for my "other news", I am "closing" this blog down because our school has new e-mail addresses, so the e-mail I use for this blog will no longer be needed. I will be combining my "home/life" blog with my "school" blog (www.chrissyandnathan.blogspot.com), so make sure if you follow THIS blog, you go HERE and follow my other blog! I will leave this site up and running (I guess it can still do that?) but I will no longer be posting here. Again, www.chrissyandnathan.blogspot.com, go now and follow there to continue getting school updates from myself!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tomorrow, tomorrow!
Tonight we had orientation for all families, which is basically an open house! My kiddos are precious and I can't wait to teach them! The families were lovely as well! It will be a great year with my 28 babies!
Tomorrow is the first day of school, wish me luck!
Tomorrow is the first day of school, wish me luck!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Weekend Fun with the Cousins!
This past weekend, my cousin and his fiance visited us again in Schulenburg! We absolutely ADORE having company, especially since we live four hours away from all of our friends and family (not counting all of our new friends in S'burg). Here are some pictures from our weekend!
Nate and Josh in the front...
Me and Emily in the back!
Their first visit to Buckee's (an awesome gas station in Luling, TX)
Eating at Mi Tierra in San Antonio (YUMMM)
Taking pictures in the market :)
This sign is real life...
Wow. Baha!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Artists of the Month
We are slowly but surely weeding out our CD collection... because let's be honest, CDs will probably become obsolete within the next few years (and we listen to our satellite radios and iPods anyways). I am trying to buy one new album a month to continually update my music collection (which is uploaded to iTunes and put on my iPod/phone). These posts will share the albums I've purchased!
June/early July purchase: Lady Antebellum "Run To You"
Favorite song: "I Run To You" because it's so catchy! Good lyrics, good rhythm, good times.
Why purchased: We were driving to San Antonio and it was a beautiful Texas day, so we wanted some good ol' country music to accompany our drive! Lady A won!
Late July purchase: Gungor "Beautiful Things"
Favorite song: "We Will Run": Gungor is a Christian rock band and these lyrics sound exactly like a prayer (We will run to You, we will run to You, turning from our sin, we return to You, Father heal Your world, make all things new, make all things new). It's gorgeous, the band's harmonies are absolutely amazing, and it's fantastic to sing for worship!
Why purchased: We were in Kansas for my husband's worship leader conference (NWLC) and every night there were amazing concerts (Nicole C. Mullens, Leeland, Casting Crowns, Kari Jobe... it was amazing)! One night, Gungor was the last set in a group of three worship leaders to sing. I had never heard of Gungor before and Nate warned me they were a little "different". As soon as they struck their firsts chords and vocal harmonies, I was HOOKED. I'm totally for "different" music and Gungor is a seriously talented band. I HIGHLY recommend this CD!
Maybe you will look up these artists and decide you like these albums too! Hope so! :)
June/early July purchase: Lady Antebellum "Run To You"
 |
| picture from here |
Why purchased: We were driving to San Antonio and it was a beautiful Texas day, so we wanted some good ol' country music to accompany our drive! Lady A won!
Late July purchase: Gungor "Beautiful Things"
 |
| picture from here |
Why purchased: We were in Kansas for my husband's worship leader conference (NWLC) and every night there were amazing concerts (Nicole C. Mullens, Leeland, Casting Crowns, Kari Jobe... it was amazing)! One night, Gungor was the last set in a group of three worship leaders to sing. I had never heard of Gungor before and Nate warned me they were a little "different". As soon as they struck their firsts chords and vocal harmonies, I was HOOKED. I'm totally for "different" music and Gungor is a seriously talented band. I HIGHLY recommend this CD!
Maybe you will look up these artists and decide you like these albums too! Hope so! :)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
WIWW #2
Another edition of WIWW, linking up to The Pleated Poppy!
I wore this little number in Kansas a couple of weeks ago on a shopping excursion with my mother-in-law :) When the boys are away, the girls will play!
Top: JCPenney (little girl section) $7.99
Jeans: Delia's
Shoes: NY&Co
Watch & Bracelet: Charming Charlies
Another day in Kansas with my husband and father-in-law attending a worship conference equals another day of shopping with my mother-in-law!
Light Green Tank: Old Navy (a while ago)
Turquoise-ish Tank: JCPenney ($6.99)
White Shorts: Bealls
Shoes: Kohl's
Watch: Charming Charlies
Charm Bracelet: James Avery (from my husband) and local boutique (from my students)
Light Purple Shirt: Gap (clearance)
Dress: Gap (clearance)
Shoes: Kohls (I think)
Watch: Charming Charlies
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