About Me

Welcome to my blog!  I am a first grade teacher in north Florida.  This is my third year teaching - I have taught first grade for two years, with a year of Kindergarten in between.  I always thought that Kindergarten was the perfect place for me, but after being back in first grade this year I can't imagine being anywhere else! 

I moved to Florida from New Jersey to attend Flagler College.  After graduating in April 2010, I decided to hang around for awhile.  I was lucky enough to fall into a long term sub position in a first grade class just two days after I graduated! The sub position turned into a full time position for the following school year!  After a year at the private school I received a call from the teacher I interned with.  She was chosen to be the overflow Kindergarten class and needed an associate teacher in her room.  While I interned with her we had a wonderful working relationship, and soon she was not just my mentor but my friend too!  I learned so much from her during my 14 week internship and I was honored when she told her principal she wanted me to be her associate.  It was a wonderful way to get my foot in the door, but after months of interviewing for my own classroom for the 2012-2013 school year I was beginning to think I was going to have to spend another year as an associate teacher.  And I was worried this time I might not be lucky enough to be with such an amazing lead teacher.  I was beginning to doubt my decision to leave the private school, and I even started to question whether I had picked the right career.  But the day before pre-planning started I was offered a job back in first grade at another school in the district.  It was the best thing that ever happened to me!  I am at the most amazing school with the most amazing group of teachers!  And a fantastic group of students!  I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but it has definitely made all the struggles I have faced worth it! 

When I'm not teaching, or working on things for school, or stalking other teachers' blogs (which, let's be honest, takes up a good portion of my time!) I love going to the beach or pool!  This is beautiful Saint Augustine, Florida!

I also love NASCAR and going to the races in Daytona - I am probably the biggest 24 fan in the world! I even have a cardboard cut out.  This picture is from my "Golden Birthday" last August - which happened the be on the 24th!

 I absolutely love going to country concerts!  I was so excited to go to the CMA Fest in Nashville last June!

I love road trips - especially up to New Jersey to visit my family!  I love spending time with my cousins!

And I love, love, love snuggling with the most adorable puppy in the entire world, my sweet Sage!  Isn't she precious?!

This is a year of many 'firsts' for me - back in first grade at a new school with the new Common Core Standards.  I also decided to jump into the Daily 5 this year - and I'm absolutely loving it!  With all these changes, I started looking online for new ideas to use in the classroom and I have become addicted to teaching blogs!  I am excited to share what I'm doing in the classroom with other teachers, and I hope I can inspire others as much as my favorite bloggers have inspired me!

Thank you so much for stopping by!!!