My Classroom

I finally took pictures of my classroom for you to see! It's a little lived-in, but that's what happens with a group of kiddos! :)

Here's a photo tour...starting in one corner and going around...finishing with a few randoms. :) Enjoy!

Corner #1: the door on the left goes to the classroom next door, and the door on the right goes outside.

Wall #1: windows, coat/bag hooks, cubbies.

Corner #2: cubbies, rocking chair (a.k.a. "granny's chair").

Corner #2: another view...I got this beautiful rug from my Aunt Virginia! :)

Wall #2: math board, "granny's chair".

Wall #2: whiteboard, handwriting alphabet, flags.

Wall #2: baseball field job chart.

Wall #2: VIP board.

Corner #3: more handwriting cards, job/VIP board, fake tree, library.

Corner #3: another view...colorful pillows, and a great rug that my mom gave me!

Wall #3: library, computer desk, storage.

Wall #3: storage, giraffe poster :) .

Wall #3: close-up of giraffe poster-I love it!

Wall #3: great skylight! I had the blinds closed from our lockdown practice...

Wall #3: storage, baseball poster.

Wall #3: sink area.

Corner #4: storage, sink area, fish tank, more storage, and that door leads to our very own bathroom!

Corner #4: another view...see how convenient our bathroom is? 

 Wall #4: giraffe growth chart, extra chairs.

 Wall #4: loft storage!

Wall #4: more storage and a great art gallery of gifts from my students!

 Near the sink area is a "rainbow" shaped table, where the kids "check in" each morning...an idea I stole from Kelsey at SJA!

A better view of the classroom, including student desks! :)

For photos of my classroom before the school year started, go here. :)

Things That Made Me Laugh This Week

1. My students. Daily. I can't think of any huge examples...they're just funny.

2. This story (copy/pasted from my facebook status): "I thought some of you might get a kick out of this story. I am absolutely terrified of spiders. There was a spider in my classroom yesterday coming down from the ceiling and my students were blowing at it. I told them to stop. Most of them did. One continued, so I called him over and said, "God created that spider. God loves that spider. You need to be nice to that spider." I NEVER thought I'd say that in a million years!!!"

3. My friend's comment on the above facebook status: "Spiders are to abide by the articles of the Treaty of Portland, negotiated and ratified in 1996. 1) All spiders are to remain outside of human places of dwelling and business. 2) All spiders are to remain at least five (5) feet from all humans. 2a) A human waives the right to protection as per Article 2 upon entering traditional spider-occupied territories, e.g. forested areas, dark caves, etc. 3) Violation of Articles 1 and 2 shall be punishable by immediate and total annihilation. With extreme prejudice."

4. This: http://www.buzzfeed.com/kmallikarjuna/times-when-harry-potters-bitch-face-was-better-than-yours

5. My coworkers. A few of us went out to Ixtapa after work yesterday, and we laughed a lot. Again, no big examples, but I love them and they make me laugh.

6. The TV show Bunheads.

7. "Uh oh, spi-doodle ohs". It's from the TV show Bunheads.

8. My sister. Occasionally, she is extremely funny. Mostly she's just regular funny. :-p

9. News of the Weird. It's a segment on my favorite radio station where they talk about really weird stuff that shows up in the news. Again, I can't remember any specific examples, but I know it made me laugh.

10. www.tickld.com

I am sure there are more, but my brain isn't functioning at that sort of level. :) 

What's New? #4

There have been SO many changes lately, but one of the biggest changes is that I've moved. I used to live in a 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment that was 720 square feet. It had a dishwasher, washer and dryer in the unit, a balcony, and since I lived on the 3rd floor, vaulted ceilings. I loved my apartment. It was the first place I ever lived on my own, and I was so happy with it in many ways. I will admit, there were times I wished that I had a roommate. It can be lonely living alone at times. But mostly, I loved it.

Now, don't get my wrong. My current living situation isn't bad! It's just not the same. I now live in Salem with my sister. We have a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. I seriously don't have an exact square footage number, but it's like...950? We have a dishwasher and washer/dryer hookups. We don't currently have a washer and dryer, so we've been using the laundry room. We live on the first floor, so we don't have a balcony, but we have a patio. It's nice, but it doesn't have a fence or anything keeping people out. A little weird, but probably mainly because it's different.

Both bedrooms have a bathroom attached. My bathroom also has a door to the hallway. It's nice, but also a little odd. My bathroom is also WAY bigger than it needs to be. We think maybe they weren't sure what to do with the extra square footage. Whatever.

My room is big enough to fit my bed, my bedside table, a small armchair, my old TV stand with the TV, half of my desk, and my sister's dresser. I could potentially fit more, but right now that's what's set up. I don't use my TV, but there's not really anywhere else to store it.

That's the one thing I don't like about this apartment. There is hardly any storage space. Right now, we're using the laundry area as storage, but it we were to get a washer and dryer, we wouldn't have that space and all that stuff we have in there would need somewhere to go. That's one reason NOT to get a washer and dryer.

Living in Salem is interesting. First of all, we're close to just about anything we'd want. Mostly. We can get to things within 10 minutes that would've taken me 30+ to get to from Oregon City. There are also a lot more people on the roads. The convenience of being closer to things means more people within close proximity, too. The one place this bugs me the most is at the grocery store. We've started shopping at Winco, which is kind of like a Food 4 Less (for you Californians). It's cheaper, but it's set up kind of warehouse-like and there are TONS of people shopping, since it's all cheaper. We're saving a lot of money, though, so I think I can get over the crowd situation.

I don't have any photos of the new apartment yet. I will definitely get some posted once we've settled a bit more. We've only lived here about 2 weeks, and we're still unpacking boxes and putting things where they're going to go. It's a slow process, especially since I'm not much help during the week since I come home so exhausted from my 6-8 year old students! :)

I know that living with my sister will have its challenges, but we really do get along better than we used to. We still have our conflicts, but they are fewer and farther between, and as long as we're not tired or hungry, they seem to be less intense. :)

I don't know if I've told you all the kinds of details you'd be interested in, so feel free to ask questions! I am more than happy to answer them, and I promise those pictures are coming...I can't give an actual time frame, but look for them in the next few weeks?

What's New? #3

Among the many changes over the last couple months is my grandpa's passing. He and my grandma lived in Stanton, CA at Quaker Gardens Senior/Assisted Living until she passed away in March 2011. He was still living there until he passed away on August 10.

His health has kind of yo-yo'd over the past few years. He's gone through major health scares to pretty healthy for a 90-something. He was put on hospice sometime this past spring, and he was pretty stubborn for quite a while and stuck around longer than they thought he would.

It's really hard to talk about this. As he got older, he was less talkative and much less active, but growing up he was always taking my sister and I for walks around the block, or on trips on the Blue Line, or pushing us on the swing in their backyard (until the tore the big tree down, of course!). He always had funny things to say. For example, he told me that I needed to eat the crusts on my bread so that I would grow hair on my chest. Then he would say, "That's what my dad told me when I was a little girl." Oh, grandpa. He was laughing all the time.

I think that was my favorite thing. His laughter, his joy for life, his vibrance. He was the kind of grandpa who would climb up onto the top bunk of our bunks beds with us, just because.

Even though I live so far away from where he was living, it is hard knowing that when I go back to visit in California, he won't be there.

This all happened amidst the new job and prepping for the school year. I actually postponed my trip down to California in order to sign my new contract. I would have arrived in California the evening of August 8 if I had still been working at SJA. But due to the new job and signing my contract on August 8, I didn't arrive until the evening of August 10, and he passed that morning before I got down there. My vacation was originally for fun, but then it became about being in town for his funeral and back in time to get my classroom ready for school. Unfortunately, there wasn't a funeral while I was down. So I still feel like there's a lack of closure. It's frustrating, but I can't honestly say I'm surprised. I wasn't able to be at Grandma's funeral, either.

I love you Grandpa, and I look forward to seeing you again someday in Heaven.

What's New? #2

Ok, so my second post will be about my new job. If you missed my post entitled Bittersweet Change, then this will be news to you. If you read it, hopefully I'll provide enough new information to keep you reading! :)

While I was on my epic road trip (see What's New? #1), I got a call from the principal at Silverton Christian School, offering me the 1st and 2nd grade position. The teacher who had taught 1st and 2nd grade previously had decided kind of last minute to take a year's medical leave. Back in May I had interviewed for the 3rd and 4th grade position, but it was offered to someone else. At that interview, they had mentioned the possibility of another position opening up in the fall, but that they weren't sure yet if it would be open. Well, it suddenly was available, and they called me to offer the job to me.

There are more details about how hard it was for me and what lead to me finally accepting the job here. I arrived back from my epic road trip in the afternoon/evening on August 4, and I accepted the job on August 5. School started on September 3. In between, I had to prep my classroom, find somewhere to live closer to Silverton, and deal with all the regular transitions that come from changing jobs and moving. Originally, I was looking for a room to rent from someone in Silverton. I had my mom helping me look, and I even asked friends on Facebook if they knew anyone/somewhere to look. I also asked the secretary at work if she knew of anyone at the church that could help me find somewhere. Well, my sister had been searching for work and was mainly looking in Portland, but also some in Salem. I asked her (on a whim) if she would be interested in getting an apartment with me in Salem. She agreed, and we pursued that possibility. We looked for some apartments to go look at, drove around Salem and looked at about 3 before finding one that was just perfect! It is just as nice (if not nicer!) than my last place, which was absolutely great. I loved that apartment in Oregon City. I was sad to leave for many reasons. I'm getting sidetracked, though. Back to the apartment in Salem. Another blog post will happen to give more details on that. :)

So, now I am a 1st and 2nd grade teacher. I am no longer teaching 10 different grades and a variety of subjects. I really enjoyed my time at SJA, but I am very thankful for this God-given opportunity at SCS. My coworkers are supportive, welcoming, and friendly. I am enjoying getting to know them. We all seem to work well as a team, and it's nice to have a small staff that seems to be on the same page. The larger the staff gets, the harder it can be to stay on the same page. There are only 8 teachers on staff, including specials. It's small, but cozy. :)

Here are some BEFORE pictures of my classroom. Some of it has stayed the same, because I had limited time to plan and prep for a 1st and 2nd classroom, and because the teacher before me kept things set up pretty well. I will try to remember to take some AFTER photos next time I am in my classroom. :)

This picture was taken from the door as you walk into my classroom.

Looking along the wall to the front of the room from the door.

From the door along the back of the classroom.

Inside the classroom, looking to the left wall.

Calendar/Math board to the left of the white board.

The white board and alphabet/handwriting cards around it.

The job board to the right of the white board. 

The computer table.

Bookshelf with teacher resources and math tubs.

Storage cupboards with classroom library books on top.

Back corner with work table, counter and sink.

More teacher resources.

My desk.

This was my original desk setup once I heard that I had 10 students.

Manipulative and game storage #1.

Manipulative and game storage #2.

There was a third manipulative/game storage cupboard that I forgot to take a picture of. Woops!

As soon as I can, I'll get picture posted of what the classroom looks like now. It's very different, and yet not all that different at the same time. I will admit, I did spend a long time trying to organize everything. Last year was a chaotic year, since they built a new building with new classrooms and moved in part way through the year. The 1st/2nd teacher moved into the new building, and then immediately took time off for medical stuff. So she hadn't settled into the classroom completely.

I've really been enjoying this job. I had an epiphany moment on the 3rd day of school while I was teaching Bible. I felt so absolutely at peace and happy. I knew I was doing what I am supposed to be doing. Praise God for leading me here!

What's New? #1

Ok, so I promised Julie I would post an update, but I don't think I have the mental or physical energy to post about everything all at once. So, please bear with me. I will do my best to update the rest over the next few days...

I have many things to update about: epic road trip vacation, new job, my grandpa's passing, moving, and a new school year.

So, I'll start with the road trip and post about the rest as I am able. It's been a while, so I can't give EVERY detail like I probably could have right after. But here's what I can tell you:

It was a GREAT trip. My mom, my sister, and I went to 12 states in 10 days. If that doesn't sound epic enough, we did plenty while traveling through, too! We went to a family wedding, National Parks, Monuments, an Oregon Trail landmark, visited with family friends, saw TV show icon statues, and drove through beautiful scenery we'd never seen before.

Here's a list of the states we drove through: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

Highlights from the trip include seeing family at Emily's wedding, seeing Old Faithful erupt, driving through beautiful Wyoming, visiting Mt. Rushmore, catching a quick glimpse of Chimney Rock, eating in Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, exploring Navy Pier in Chicago, checking out the Bronze Fonz in Milwaukee, snacking on DELICIOUS cheese curds from a creamery outside Eau Claire, taking a picture with the Mary Tyler Moore statue in Minneapolis, briefly wandering around in the Mall of America, and having a momentary thought about how beautiful North Dakota is (followed quickly by a thought that winter there must be TERRIBLY cold and miserable).

I am only going to upload a few pictures from the hundreds I posted on facebook, as it would take forever to put them all in my blog post, and I don't have that kind of energy now.

My sister and I at Jesse and Emily's wedding-Deer Lodge, Montana.

Mom and I at Jesse and Emily's wedding-Deer Lodge, Montana.

Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park. I hope it uploaded correctly!

Mom, Tracy, and I in front of Mt. Rushmore.

Sisterface and I enjoying a goofy moment.

Chimney Rock, a landmark on the Oregon Trail - Bayard, Nebraska.

Czech Village-Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A beautiful stained glass window. It was part of a stained glass museum on Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois.

A close-up of the edge of the stained glass window above. I thought it was cool, since it was musical!

The Bronze Fonz, on the Milwaukee Riverwalk in Wisconsin.

The Mary Tyler Moore statue in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The restaurant we ate at in the Mall of America. This is where I got my job offer!

I thought this was amusing! Somewhere along the highway in North Dakota.

A really cool car museum in Deer Lodge, Montana (on our return trip).

So amusing! Outside the Prison and Auto museums in Deer Lodge, Montana.

A cool landform along the highway. It was either in Southeastern Washington or Northeastern Oregon.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I know I really enjoyed the trip. I was most impressed with how well we all got along during the trip. We only had a few snappy moments in the mornings before we'd had our coffee...haha!

I promise, more updates to come!