January Reading List

One of my goals for this year is to read more.  I love to read, but I just don't make enough time for it.  I always seem to fill my time with so many other pointless things like scrolling through social media, watching tv, etc.  As a Language Arts teacher, I feel kind of hypocritical making my students read daily when I myself don't read daily.  Sure I read blogs, emails, short stories for lessons, and essays but that's not the same.  I find reading to be very therapeutic. It allows me to turn my brain off and think about something other than real life.  This month I have been working on putting my phone away and taking out my book before bed.  I have been trying to read a chapter per night before falling asleep. Most nights I end up reading about half of a chapter before I find myself dozing off.  Either way, I'm creating healthier habits and working towards crossing off a goal (1 book per month) from my list. 

So what am I reading? 
Reading as a teacher: In my classroom, I'm currently reading Tangerine written by Edward Bloor with two of my classes, and I'm reading The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie with my other class.  Tangerine is about a middle school male protagonist who is forced to move from his home in Texas to Florida.  He experiences the ups and downs of being a middle schooler. This coming of age story is one that is great for students who are on the younger end of middle school. The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian is a more mature book.  The story is based on the author's life growing up.  The Native American male protagonist chooses to leave his home on "the rez" to live with an all white family.  The story is about him making choices to live life the way he wants to regardless of the backlash he may get.

Reading as a student: This week I started my journey as a grad student.  I am currently enrolled in two literacy based courses.  Needless to say, they both require lots of reading.  This week's readings have been about the different levels of readers and what it means to be literate. I am actually really enjoying the reading and how it relates to my profession (#nerdalert). We will see if I still say the same thing a few weeks from now when I'm fully buried in it all.

Reading just because: The part that most of you have probably been waiting for..
The book that I have been reading a chapter or so of each night is Turtles All the Way Down written by John Green.  It's definitely one of the better books I've read that he has written.  Unpopular opinion, I did not love his previous books that I've read.  I thought they were weak for lack of a better word.  I always found myself skipping a few pages here and there just to get to the end of the book.  I'm one of those people who has to finish the book once I start it. It's very rare that I abandon a book. So far Turtles All the Way Down  is a great light read. There's some humor, a little romance, a small sense of hopelessness, and the characters are relatable. 

Reading as a chef: Well, the chef part is questionable. Last week on Instagram I saw a feature post on a new cookbook. I browsed the recipe that was posted and took mental note to look up the cookbook at a later time.  Days later I found myself browsing a store with my mom. We picked up a cookbook, browsed the recipes, noted that there were many delicious ones, and proceeded to order it online. Fun fact: Amazon has most books for cheaper than the mark up price they are sold at in stores. On Friday night, I finally opened the package and realized that it was the cookbook I had seen weeks before.  I haven't tried any recipes yet, but I'm excited to cook something new! You can get your own copy of Healthyish here!

I'm searching for my book for February, so feel free to leave a comment with some books that you have been enjoying lately or something that's currently on your "must read" list.

XOXO

Agenda Organization for Teachers

I'm still hesitant to share too many posts about teaching. I created my blog five years ago to serve as a creative outlet, and I do want to keep it as an outlet. However, I guess I do have to acknowledge that teaching has become a big part of my life just like being a student used to be.  I did a couple polls a few weeks back and you guys said you wanted more posts about teaching and organization, so I thought I would start out by combining the two.  I love being organized. When life feels like it's getting crazy, being organized is the one thing that I do have control over.  

Being a middle school teacher, I feel like it's a little extra important that I am organized.  Middle school is a time when students are building life skills (like being organized), so it's important for them to have models for them to imitate behaviors from. In my class, I am constantly teaching my students organization tricks.  I occasionally will even have students stay after school with me to help get their binders organized for classes other than mine. 

Since my senior year of high school, I have kept my personal and academic life organized by using an agenda.  My agenda has always helped me keep track of important events, due dates, and to do lists to keep me focused.  During undergrad I always thought about what my teacher agenda would look like.  During student teaching I used a jumbo Lilly Pulitzer agenda. It worked well because I had to balance lesson planning, class assignments, and my social life. However, I knew I would need more space when I would manage my own classes without the help of someone else.  Last spring, my long term substitute position was only for a few months, so I created my own agenda using print outs and a binder. Amidst my job hunt this summer, I began doing research so that I could purchase my teacher agenda as soon as I was hired.  I spent about a month looking up different reviews, talking to friends that had already started teaching, and reading teaching blogs.  I had gone to several different stores to preview a few different agendas. Near the end of July, I finally decided what I wanted and it was on sale, but I had not been hired anywhere yet.  I refused to purchase a planner until I was actually hired because I didn't want to jinx myself out of a contract.  My mom purchased it for me and hid it in her home office until I was finally hired. 

I chose to use the Happy Teacher Planner. I purchased it at Michael's. They had a huge sale and promotion going on, so I got the teacher pack plus a free hard cover for less than $30. The teacher box kit came with an extra sticker set, a pen, and a bookmark with sticky notes.I also purchased an additional sticker book because I had a coupon. I prefer the hard cover for two reasons. The first reason, it's more my style. The second reason is that it protects the pages better. I've spilled water in my bag, but the hard shell kept the pages from being ruined.

These are some of the stickers that come in the extra pack, but below are the stickers that came in the kit as well as the book I purchased. 

The feature that sold me on this specific brand as opposed to others is that you can take the pages out and move them around, which is not possible with any other planner that I've found. This planner also allows for tons of flexibility and creativity.  Some people have compared it to scrap booking.  The stickers allow you to customize it to fit your needs. It could 100% be used by elementary or secondary teachers.  

I use Washi tape to separate the daily pages into the columns that I need. I use a section for eighth grade, eighth grade homework, sixth grade, sixth grade homework, and daily to do lists. There is enough room for me to even write extra notes about each section I teach.

This is what the pages look when you first get it. The dates and week numbers are blank as well, but I had already filled them in prior to this picture. 

Step two is to set up the week's outlook to fit your needs. I teach two different grades, so I dedicate a side for each grade level.

Step three is to write your plans in.  Pro tip in case you are new to teaching- always write your plans in pencil.  Things change very quickly, and you never know when you're going to have to change your plans due to weather, pacing of a topic, emergency drills, and other unexpected interruptions. 

Some of my favorite features include the front and back pockets to store important papers, the monthly calendar, notes pages before each month, the class checklists, and the monthly pages for special events/reminders.  The notes pages are nice because I am able to keep track of important notes from team meetings, department meetings, parent meetings, and faculty meetings in one spot without having to bring another notebook.  I also enjoy having the option to look at the entire month's calendar at one time.  This is where I write down any important meetings or changes to the daily schedule.

The checklists are great because you can keep your grade book and plan book all in one place.  I usually color code each assignment, so by the end of the marking period my grading sheet is quite colorful. If you need more checklists, then you can purchase the teacher expansion pack or the special whole punch to use after making copies of your grade book. 

Although I'm only half way through the year, I definitely anticipate on purchasing another Happy Planner to use for teaching next year.  It's been easy to keep track of plans, meetings, important notes, grades, passwords, etc.

What do you use to keep your daily life organized?

XOXO

Goal Setting Update

If you've been reading my blog for some time now, then you have come to learn how much I love goal setting.  I am not one to set resolutions because they are too vague, which means I never stick to them.  I like setting goals because they are clear and concise. It's easy to tell whether or not you have achieved them or if you fell short. Quality goals are measurable, which makes them easier to check off as accomplished tasks. Last January I created my new year goals a little differently. I created my second 101 things to accomplish in 1,001 days list.  Well, it's been just over a year, so I thought it was time for an update on what I've accomplished thus far. 

The original post that debuted this list

My first 101 in 1,001 list

Starts: January 2, 2017

Ends: September 30, 2019 

(22 complete, 79 to go!) 

Blogging 

1. Collaborate with a brand I enjoy (2017)

2. Host a blogging series

3. Host a giveaway 

4. Make blogging business cards

5. Publish a collaboration post (February 2017)

6. Monetize the blog

7. Publish three “how to” posts

8. Update my “About me” page

Personal

9. Become an involved alumnae of my sorority (Alpha Delta Pi) 

10. Buy a car (April 2017)

11. Complete 52 week saving challenge

12. Go a month without ordering takeout

13. Go a month without shopping (February 2017)

14. Inspire others to create their own goal list

15. Knit for charity

16. Learn calligraphy 

17. Learn how to give myself a blowout

18. Move into my first grown up apartment/home

19. Obtain a passport 

20. Participate in 100 happy days 

21. Put $10 into my savings account for every goal accomplished

22. Read 5 books from the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

23. Read a book a month

24. Take a class to learn how to use my DSLR camera

25. Take part in More Love Lettering

26. Unplug for 24 hours

27. Volunteer somewhere regularly

28. Write 10 Operation Beautiful notes

Career

29. Have my own classroom (Fall 2017)

30. Obtain a coaching certification

31. Obtain my masters degree

32. Pass the PA Middle Grades Science PRAXIS

33. Pass the Reading Specialist PRAXIS

34. Travel with one of the teams I coach

Just For Fun

35. Attend a concert (August 2017)

36. Complete an adult coloring book

37. Complete one knitting project (April 2017)

38. Do a wine tasting (April 2017)

39. Go for a hike somewhere new

40. Go snorkeling 

41. Go to a beer garden 

42. Go to a concert (August 2017)

43. Go to a MLB game

44. Go to a NFL game (October 2017)

45. Go to a NHL game (December 2017)

46. Go to a NBA game (January 2017)

47. Go white water rafting

48. Have a picnic

49. Learn how to golf

50. Learn how to make a martini

51. Leave a 100% tip for good service

52. Participate in an escape room

53. Pick a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch and carve it

54. Pick berries

55. Play mini golf (August 2017)

56. See a movie in the park

57. Spend a day at the aquarium 

58. Spend a day at the zoo

59. Take dance lessons 

60. Try a new brewery (July 2017- Dewey Brewing Company) 

61. Visit a museum(February 2017)

62. Watch a movie at a movie tavern 

63. Watch a movie outdoors

Friends & Family

64. Eat at Talula’s Table 

65. Give five “just because” gifts(3 down)

66. Treat someone to brunch  (January 2017)

67. Host a brunch

68. Host a cookie/beer exchange

69. Host a dinner party

70. Mail a care package (February 2017)

71. Make a list of birthdays and addresses

72. Plan a ladies’ weekend

73. Send birthday cards

Health & Fitness

74. Complete a fitness challenge

75. Complete A Year of Mindfully Living

76. Don’t let more than two days in a row pass without working out for a year

77. Make a routine of doing yoga/Pilates

78. Make homemade hummus (Summer 2017)

79. Participate in “Meatless Mondays” for one month 

80. Participate in a color run

81. Plant a vegetable garden 

82. Run a 15 K

83. Run a 5k (November 2017)

84. Run a half marathon

85. Try a barre class (July 2017)

Travel

86. Go camping 

87. Go on a road trip

88. Go somewhere with fairly clear ocean water

89. Go to DC at Christmas time

90. Ride a train somewhere

91. Spend a day in Baltimore

92. Spend time in the Florida Keys 

93. Take a trip with my mom

94. Travel outside the United States

95. Vacation on the coast of New England

96. Visit a three new states

97. Visit Boston, Massachusetts 

98. Visit Charleston, South Carolina (August 2017)

99. Visit Chicago

100. Visit NYC

101. Visit Reading Terminal Market

In the past year I have been able to check 22 items off the list. Not quite as many as I had hoped, but it's certainly a start. Take a look at some of the tasks I've completed below. 

Collaborate with a Brand

Check out my post on how to conquer and early morning gym session here

Go a month without shopping

Intentionally, I chose the shortest month of the year to complete this task.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I think it helps that my birthday is this month, so anything I wanted I just asked for on my birthday wish list.  I think I'm going to be forced to complete this challenge again, at some point, this year because we are saving to pay for our wedding and a future house. 

Buy a Car

In April, I got my first teaching position as a Long Term Substitute. The money I made along with what I had saved allowed me to purchase my own car.  It was a little out of my budget, but since I spend so much time commuting to work I definitely don't mind the pricey car payment.  If you're looking for a new car, then I highly recommend checking out Subaru. 

Have My Own Classroom

This summer was spend job hunting.  The first week in August I was on vacation with my family when I received the long awaited "you got the job" phone call.  I spent a few days in August setting up the classroom that I have been teaching in for the past five months.  It's crazy to believe that I'm coming up on the half way mark of my first full year teaching! Here's a sneak peak of my room. I'm planning to give you a more detailed tour in the upcoming month!

Attend a Concert

To conclude the summer, my family went to see Zac Brown Band.  It was such a fun concert. If you haven't seen him, then definitely add him to your list of bands to see.  I would recommend seeing him at a smaller venue if possible. My dad, who doesn't love country music, even thought the show was awesome. 

Complete a Knitting Project

I forgot to take a picture of the final project, but last year I spent several months creating the softest baby blanket for one of my closest friends.  I gave her the gift just before her baby was born, and it turns out to be one of his favorite blankets now! 

Attend a Wine Tasting

Mid May we travelled to Virginia with Todd's family.  We took advantage of being in wine country and toured several different wineries. Our favorite was a small family run vineyard.  They served the tastiest homemade snacks to pair with each wine.  

Visit a Beer Garden

One of our favorite local watering holes during the summer is a pop up beer garden.  They have yard games, live music, food trucks,  a different brand of beer on tap each weekend, kids activities, and are dog friendly.  We're hoping that our pup will be calm enough to tag along with us this upcoming summer. 

NHL Game, NBA Game, and MBA game

So close to making it to all four major sports in one year!  We went to a Philadelphia Flyers game, Philadelphia Eagles game, and a Philadelphia 76ers game this past year.  I'm hoping to make it to a Phillies game sometime this spring or summer. 

Visit Charleston, SC & Play Mini Golf & Try a New Brewery

This summer my family packed up the car and headed down south for a week of relaxation.  Charleston was absolutely amazing.  I loved the balance of history, beach time, and fabulous food/beverages. My family has developed a tradition of playing mini golf on vacation. Of course we searched for a place to keep the tradition going in South Carolina.  You don't know what competitive is until you've played a round of mini golf with us. 

I have 633 days left to complete 79 tasks. I think it is definitely doable as long as I stay focused. As I rang in the new year, I thought about how I can be more diligent with completing my list.  I decided to break the tasks down by month.  I decided that on average I need to complete about 4-5 tasks per month.  

This month I am working to begin crossing off some longer term goals: starting grad school, reading at least a book per month, not letting more than two days pass without some type of exercising, and by publishing a "how to" post.

The short goals I plan to cross off my list this month include visiting NYC, watching a movie at a movie tavern, inspiring at least one other person to create their own goal list, and leave a 100% tip somewhere even if it's just at the local coffee shop. 

If you're interested in making your own list, then I have a few tips for you.  First, take a look at several different people's list to gain inspiration. Second, break your list down into topics. This will make it easier to come up with 101 items.  Third, once you've made your list break it down into small monthly tasks.  Fourth, have fun! 

If you're interested in making a list, let me know so I can cross off that I've inspired someone! 

Stay current with my list throughout the year by checking here frequently. 

XOXO