Teacher Week - Teacher Must Haves

Hello-- I am joining in the Teacher Week Link-Up from Blog-Hoppin.

Here are a few things that are must-haves in my classroom.

1. Fun bulletin board borders (although I have nothing up on the bulletin board yet!) I chose this leopard print from Michael's this year:

(they also have tiger , zebra, and rainbow leopard).  My seven year old son was very disgusted by this bulletin board and wanted to know why I couldn't just do apples.  I also used fabric instead of paper for the background.  It doesn't fade or show seams or holes. 

2. Highlighter tape -

Great for bringing student's attention to certain things in the textbook.  It peels right off when you are done.  It also comes in super giant roles to use on chart paper.

3. Sit and move cushions-

Great for my students with autism.  They can have the movement they crave while still remaining at their seats.



4. These puzzles (and all of the others like them) from Lakeshore. 

They have all different reading ones, math ones, shapes, colors, sight words, word families, etc.  They are great to throw out as busy work for the kids and don't involve writing.  (Many of my students have OT issues and hate writing). 

Thanks for hoppin' over!

Pinterest Success!

I finally did something I pinned on Pinterest!  

(Well, not counting this fairly disastrous crockpot meal, which people only ate to be polite....) 

I have been cleaning my closets out and there were several items that were too worn or stained to give away.  It called to mind a bunch of headband tutorials floating around Pinterest so I figured I would give it a try. 

Why not, right? 

 I made this cute T-shirt headband (please excuse my horrible hair.. I was so excited to take a picture of the headband, and I didn't realize how wild the rest of my hair was... oops). 

I followed this tutorial from Sugar Bee Crafts.

Well... Actually... at first I attempted this one (pinned several gazillion times)

so I decided to try to create the five strand head band like this.

Mine... was not *quite* so successful....

I did use a T-shirt but it seemed more ribbed or textured or something than the fabric she used in her tutorial, so when I stretched it, it never formed the "yarn".  Also, I just couldn't seem to get the hang of the braiding.  Some of it looked acceptable, but some was puckery and "off".  I will revisit this one in the future, but in the meantime, I figured I better start with something more basic. 

So I found this pin and decided to give it a shot:

I am not going to lie.  It took me about ten tries before I got the hang of the knot, watching her video over and over.  

THEN, when I finally got the hang of it, I realized I had made some of the strands way too small.  There was no way it could go around my head... AHHHHHH.

Third time was a charm though and I think my headband looks almost exactly like hers.

Then there was the matter of the ends.  None of the tutorials really explained how to attach the strings and cover them nicely.  Mine ended up being kind of a mess...

Overall though, I think it is super cute, and I am excited to bust it out next week at school.

yeah sunglasses tan line...

P.S. You can follow me on Pinterest if you like, but my boards are nothing special. 

Engagement Photos!

Probably you've already seen the sneak peek from facebook, but we got our cd full of pictures from the delightful Erin Bertoni.  Here are some of our favorite shots that didn't make the cut for our Save the Dates.  

We started at Boathouse Row, worked our way through the Water Works, the gardens behind the Art Museum, the Rocky Statue, the art museum steps and then the other way with the city as a backdrop.

 It was nearly 100 degrees in thick, eastern PA humidity. I am surprised I didn't end up with sweat marks everywhere. 

I am also completely unaccustomed to not wearing sunglasses outdoors (no exaggeration, I wear sunglasses

all

the

time. 

I am very squinty in these pictures that made the cut, so I can only imagine how many pictures on the cutting room floor must have featured me with my eyes totally closed, grinning away.

Yay for touristy monuments in Philly!!

 FYI wedge flip flops were a terrible choice for this session.  We did a lot of walking that day and I felt like I spent a lot of time clenching my toes together to keep them on while I tottered up hills and stuff.  Also, I feel like they photographed like of oafy looking. 

Friday Favorites

I haven't done a link up in a while. It's late, but it's still Friday!

1. Date nights!  Ryan has been working a hectic schedule of very long overnight shifts which has not been any fun for any of us.  After working seven straight days he finally got a night off and we went to see Carolina Liar, Kelly Clarkson and The Fray.  Sadly, due to my inability to both driveaggressivly and follow a GPS, we ended up driving through the city.  As a result we stopped at no less than 1902298239823 stoplights and we ended up missing most of Carolina Liar, which is a shame because I really enjoy their music. 

I had been leaning towards getting lawn tickets, but Ryan found us a great deal on Stub Hub on seats in the center of the arena. He totally made the right call. We ended up being in the perfect placebecause both Kelly Clarkson and Isaac Slade of The Fray came out and performed a few songs from a small stage in the audience right in front of us.  The pictures are terrible quality, but the first one is Kelly Clarkson and the others are Isaac Slade. 

Kelly Clarkson put on a great show.  She really does have an incredible voice.  She covered  her bases singing most of her big hits (Since U Been Gone, Miss Independent, Breakaway, Because of You, etc, etc) which, let's be honest, is what people want to hear when they go to a concert.  She was very cute and bubbly, even if she does say "y'all" about every other word (personal pet peeve, plus isn't she from OHIO?). 

The Fray also put on a great show.  I like Kelly Clarkson and The Fray equally but I thought they were a bit of an odd pairing.  Kelly Clarkson is pretty much cheesey ballads and rockish pop.  The Fray is very serious and angsty.  I thought they had a reasonlyy upbeat and fun show, considering most of their music is fairly melancholy and piano based, but it seemed that most of the people were only there to see KC, because once she was done, quite a few people went home.

2. These fun printables that I am incorporating into my classroom!  I've already printed the flipped supply signs.  I will be printing the posters when I get a new color ink cartridge.

3.  Tackling something that has been hanging around on your to-do list FOREVER.  In the spring my brother Joe and Ryan put a ceiling fan up in my bedroom (which has been so so so lovely all summer).  Joe converted the single light switch into this double one.  Joe left me with the task of getting a new switch plate to put up.  And for the past four months or so this is how I left it.....

Well, with the new school year charging towards me like an out of control locomotive, I have renewed motivation to tackle those tasks.  It usually takes me until about November to get my head above water and until then I only do the true necessities in terms of housework.  Anyways,

Ta-DA!!!!

I know this is nothing to brag about really, but I am still going to allow myself to revel in the small burst of ecstasy when you finally get to cross off a nagging task, even if it is a small one. 

Ocean City

Hello! Here is another quick update on what has been going on in the Stephenson household. My sister and brother in law came to town and the whole family heading down for a week at beautiful Ocean City at the Jersey Shore. Ryan was able to join us for the whole week and he somehow survived.  We did a lot of walking on the boardwalk, watching the Olympics, and eating yummy food.  Ryan and I were even able to get away for an evening and have a nice date night at the Crab Trap.

 The whole family got to meet Joe's sweet new girlfriend Melissa:

We took in some sights including the Cape May Zoo.

Saw random things on the boardwalk.

We had beautiful weather almost the whole time we were there.  Blue skies and nice temperatures.

Isaac got lots of uncle bonding time in...

We did a lot of reading and napping at the beach...

More random boardwalk things...

It was a very relaxing week, but our beach trip always signals that summer is slipping away and soon it will be back to the busyness of a new school year. Ocean City I love you so!!!

Ice burgs, bears and rollercoasters..

Hey bloggy friends!!

This summer has been flying by with barely any posting from me. It's really only a few weeks till I go back to school, which, if we are being perfectly honest, gives me instant diaherria. I will be starting in a new school and a new grade and while I am excited and ready for a change I am nervous too. There is so much to learn about the culture of a new school, teaching a brand new grade (a TESTING grade at that) with two brand new coteachers that I get no common planning time with, working under a new principal, etc, etc. I know it will be okay, but I am still feeling a lot of anxiety about it too.

Anyways, before I start worrying myself sick over school starting in a few weeks, let me give you the low down on what I have been up to here.  Summer school has wrapped up and the insane flux of summer Ieps I volunteered impulsively to author has slowed.

I was able to jet set off for a quick jaunt to Alaska to visit my sister.  It was a quick visit but lots of fun to catch up with her and see a little bit of the beautiful state of Alaska.  She took me to do all kinds of fun things.  I was exhausted by the end of each day.  My facebook album of pictures is here (should be open for all to see) but here are a few highlights:

The house Jenny is renting has all kinds of weird animal bones and bodies in it.  Here is a king crab near her entryway.

On our wildlife boat tour.  In case you can't tell, it was very windy and cold!

I was a little freaked out about some of the bear warnings we encountered, but thankfully the only bears we saw were behind the fences of the nature preserve.

We have been keeping busy aside from traveling also.  Isaac has done several different soccer camps and has regular practices for the travel team.  Ryan, Isaac and I met up with my mom and did the Turkey Hill Experience Ice Cream Tour another day.  They had unlimited free samples!!!





We have also been trying to make the most of our Dorney Park Season passes.  Isaac and I went up and did Wild Water Kingdom last Thursday.  Ryan joined us after he was done work.  We were able to spend a few hours together and then I left to go to night class.  I expected that Isaac and Ryan would stay a little longer and then head home.  Imagine my surprise when I beat them home.  They decided to stay till the park closed at 10:00!

Hope things are well with all of you!!!



July already...

Isaac

Has been playing some soccer.  I have been watching a lot of Psych on Netlifx and he has been watching with me.  It always takes me by surprise that he is acually following the plot.  He is such a good, patient, clever little guy and I am so proud of him.

Ryan

Is still in North Carolina on business.  For those keeping track, we are over the two month mark, far longer than any business trip should ever be.  Isaac asks me almost everyday when Ryan will be back.  I was able to squeeze in a weekend trip to Charlotte to visit during the middle of a heat wave.  There was a bit of a snafu with a cancelled connecting flight that had me in a hotel room in Atlanta Thursday night, but other than that it was a nice trip and so good to see him and all of the stores he has been running. Saturday we spent the day at a science museum.  Here is Ryan in their rainforest:

Wedding Planning

Is coming along slowly.  We have a tenative date (December 1st holla!), but we still really haven't nailed down a reception site which is sort of making me twitchy (see previous post).  We have made some progress in other areas though.  A Craiglist ad helped find a talented photographer in our price range (actually we got over 100 responses, with a wide range of abilities-- some truly look like entries from this website.  A DSLR camera and a photoshop program does not a photographer make...).  We have a date set up with her to get some engagement photos taken at boathouse row.   I bought a dress and I decided to borrow my sister's veil.  So we have made some progress. 

Work/School/Misc

I have been teaching the summer program for special ed students and it is a lot of fun.  I really enjoy the teacher I work with.  She will be one of the special ed teachers I will work alongside in my new building, so at least there will be one familiar face there.  I have also been writing IEP's for the summer and have been swamped!  It has been keeping busy for sure but it is nice to have the extra cash. I have spent a lot of time shuttling Isaac from sitter to sitter, but I think I should still end up ahead in the end.

 I wrapped up my teaching science class and in two weeks I have my second summer class which is the same class and professor but the topic is social studies. 

Thursday I am off to Alaska for the long awaited trip to see my sister.  Very excited!!!