Where Have I Been?

If anyone is still reading this blog, which I doubt, I have to humbly apologize for my huge absence. Funny, I had perfect attendance this past school year and even got a reward :).  As for my blog, well that's another story.

Well, I survived my "first year" as a third grade teacher in public school. I think the STAAR test was going to be the death of me, but my kids and I did it.  I made lots of wonderful friendships along the way and I couldn't have asked for a better team to work with. Seriously, we were the best team in the school, hands down!

My ending to the year was bittersweet because I have another friend who teaches in the same district but at a different campus who told me about a first grade bilingual position that was opening up at her school.  If anyone knows me well, they know that I just LOVE first grade.  I taught it for four years and it's where my heart lies.  Well, I took a leap of faith and applied for it and got an interview.  The interview was tough and I work for the district so it blew my mind that questions they were asking.  I was up against a few other people so I said, may the best person get the job.  I prayed for it and I told myself that I already had a job no matter what and that if someone else needed or wanted it more than I did then they could have it.  Well, 45 minutes later I get a call from the principal saying the team would love to have me!! So many emotions ran through me, I laughed and cried a lot.  I think it's because I know that's where I am the most at ease and where I know I shine as a teacher.

It's funny how things will work themselves out if you just have patience and hope.

I'm currently enjoying my summer to the extent that I can.  I've been working out twice a day and eating as best as I can. Not only to lose weight, but to make my body feel healthier.  That's a goal I want to maintain now that I'm in my thirties! Yikes!  Ha! No, I'm actually loving it and I love where my life is at this present moment.

I have a new man in my life and we'll just call him "K" for now.  K and I met online at the end of January when I was losing all hope in life, no joke, I was in such a bad place and I was struggling with anything and everything.  Then I "met" K and he was actually the first and only guy I talked to from the site. I was honestly not thinking of falling in love but he has truly swept me off my feet and continues to do so.  We've been dating for four months now and I firmly believe K is my soul mate.  He makes me happy like no one else has in a really long time and he makes me laugh and just pampers me.  It's so good to be in a relationship where the love is equal.  He's been helping me workout and goes through it with me so I'm not alone.  We have our slips with food now and then but who doesn't.  I could probably sit here and write about him all day but no one wants to hear that.  If you want to know more, just ask! I really am an open book!

Summer projects:
-Relax
-Get to know my first grade standards well
-Finish my required summer reading
-Think of a theme for my new classroom (i'm thinking chevron)
-Create materials in Spanish for elementary teachers such as myself because there isn't much out there!!!
-Keep working out
-Eat right
-Enjoy my time off

Well, I think that keeps me up to date, I have to get moving because K, his parents, and I are going to Colorado tomorrow! I am so excited!!! I've always wanted to visit and never had the chance.  We plan to go back in the winter and stay in a cabin just he and I, which will be so romantic!

Okay peeps, I'm off! Have a great day/week!

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...I'm Alive

Hi guys!...This post is going to be short and sweet because I'm way tired. I haven't been blogging as much, so I apologize for that. So in honor of me not being around, I created a little freebie for you guys who still read my little blog.

We are working on our multiplication in third grade and the kids are loving it.  I still have some that have trouble figuring out the repeated addition part, commutative property, array, and groups of. So my teammate had a great idea to start, "Factor of the Day". You give the kids a multiplication fact and create a Frayer model with it.

So it's factor in the middle and you circle it and all the other vocabulary I listed above goes in 4 squares and you quickly work through each one, each day.  It's a quick review to get those standards in!

I made this cute cupcake template that I plan on laminating tomorrow and placing on my board.  Here you go..

Just write your mult. fact and you're good to go.

Enjoy!

Goodnight!

Oh yea, I'm getting my 45 min. appraisal on Wednesday. Wish me luck! So nervous!

A School Needs Your Help

I know we are all aware of the devastation that Sandy has caused on the east coast of our country. Like I said in my last post, I'm from NJ and this truly has hit home for me.

There's a small town in Northern Jersey called Moonachie (Moon-ah-key). I remember driving through it when my father would pick me up on the weekends to take me to his home in Little Ferry.  Anyway, the only school the town had cannot be used any longer due to massive amounts of water damage.  I can't imagine what that must feel like for any teacher who spends their hard working money on supplies to teach his/her students.

So now I'm asking for your help...the students will be housed in portables for the time being and they have nothing!  I will do the best that I can at my school to collect as many materials as I can to ship out to them.  If any of you are interested please message me at campos.judy@gmail.com and I will be more than glad to give you the address to send materials to.

Here are a few links you may want to read/view to understand what's going on...
http://www.facebook.com/HurricaneReliefFund
http://cliffviewpilot.com/hurricane-sandy-how-you-can-help/
http://www.northjersey.com/moonachie/Moonachie_superintendent_surveys_damage_at_school.html


A little goes a long way! Please help if you can!!!!
***Update: Flyer from their Facebook page:

A Former New Jerseyian

This post isn't school related at all but just wanted to let my readers know that most of my family and friends live in NJ and are going through a very rough time with this hurricane.

The last I spoke to my best friend, she and her family were being evacuated.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

I know you have probably seen tons of pictures but some of these really hit close to my heart and it truly is heartbreaking to see....:(




Street I used to drive on.


I just hope all my friends and family are safe!!

Forever and a Day

It has been way too long but I am going to keep this one short and sweet.
I had one of my students' parents from last year send me an e-mail of what one of my favorite kiddos and what he wrote in his school journal.
Take a looksie..



I think this almost brought me to tears because although I'm happy teaching, I know in my heart that I just love teaching the little ones. But we shall see where the road takes me.

Okay, I'm still at school and I have a bazillion things to do and blogging shouldn't be one of them!

Bloggin' Cause I Can

I haven't blogged in forever and a half so I figured I'd get a quick post in before I call it a night. Yes, it's almost 9 and yes, I believe that is a great time to go to bed!

Well, for most of you that don't know or haven't read in a while, I was turned into an ESL/Bilingual Teacher the first week of school.  Let's just say my life has been hectic to say the least.

It wasn't ideal (for me) but after all they're kids and they're great kids at that.  They've grown on me.  I think I'm just so used to little first graders who think every word you say is gold, third graders are in that in-between phase.  They still enjoy learning yet are testing to see what they can get away with. Well, I'm tough but I'm nice.  Tough love I guess you can call it.

I think they appreciate that I can make them laugh when I start randomly bursting into song, take for example, one child left my Daily 5 markers on their desk and didn't clean them up. So I started singing, "Who left the makers out, whooo whoooo whooooo..." Get it? Like "Who Let the Dogs Out?" Yes, I did that. They totally got a kick out of it. I'm so goofy sometimes.

So what's it like teaching a bilingual/ESL class. Well it's not easy. I have to make TONS of accommodations and making sure I'm teaching in English and in Spanish and making sure my Bilingual kiddos don't start writing in English when they're not supposed to. Expect in math and science because that's just plain old English time.  Language arts instruction is tons of fun, no, not really.

I currently have eight different reading groups. Yes, you read correctly, 8.  Their reading levels are all over the place and I have two groups who are in Spanish reading groups who I sort of blotched together based on their ISIP Spanish scores.  My English reading groups are off to a great start, I have paired them up by their DRA level and they are coming along nicely.  I love teaching reading, I swear I could teach reading strategies all day! Hmm, perhaps I see reading specialist in my future? It's honestly, something I've been thinking about. I'm very passionate about it, so we shall see where the road takes me.

Have I mentioned I don't have any textbooks! HA! Thank goodness for online editions of the textbooks and TE's, I wouldn't know what I would do.  I think you'd really have to come into my classroom to fully understand how exhausting one day of teaching truly is.  But I love it!

Let's see, as far as my personal life goes, okay you've got to be kidding me, what personal life?  Teaching has taken over my life, especially since I feel like a first year all over again.  But nothing special is going on, it's actually quite depressing. I come home, do some planning, grade papers, go online for a bit, then clonk out.  I think I need to join some kind of fitness class just to get me out and meet people. I've become a hermit crap, it's quite pathetic. :(  Okay, I'm done complaining.

Well, I think that catches me up for tonight. If you're reading have a great evening!