Leibster Award!

So guess what? I've been nominated for the "Leibster Award" by Judy over at "It's Raining Resources." What is a Leibster Award you ask? It's a really neat award they give out to blogger newbies. I am so honored to receive the award and excited that people out there read my blog because I had originally made it to share resources with my co-workers. It definitely made my day when I read the e-mail. :)

So let's get down to the rules!

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them in your post.
5. You cannot “tag back” the other blog, but leave a comment on this post with the URL of your Liebster post so I can learn more about you & see whom you nominate.

11 Random Things About Me

1. My two front teeth are false when knocking them out in 4th grade.
2. I can touch my tongue to my nose.
3. I love peanut butter and could just eat it by itself with only a spoon!
4. This is my third year teaching.
5. My sister and I are both teachers so we always share ideas.
6. I can't function unless my classroom is organized.
7. 7 is my lucky number.
8.I still believe in chivalry.
9. I love seeing that "ahah!" moment on my student's faces.
10. I think our school has such a nice population of students!
11. I believe there is good in everyone.

Questions from It's Raining Resources

1. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Listening to Mike play Christmas music on the piano.
2. How do you get to school each day? I drive in my little VW jetta.
3. What is a management tip/strategy that never fails for you? Whole Brain Teaching strategies. They work well for attention grabbers, modeling skills, and cooperative learning!
4. How many countries have you been to? 5 (US, Canada, England, Scotland, and France)
5. What is the best book you've ever read? Any Chris Van Allsburg book. Love that author!
6. Why do you teach? To help children succeed!
7. Red licorice or black? Red!
8. What do you do to pass time on long car trips? Over Thanksgiving on my road trip home, my boyfriend and I had dance parties in the car while we were stuck in traffic. It definitely made it fun!
9. What are your thoughts on homework? Homework should only be sent home if it is a skill they already know and should be started in school.
10. Staying home or visiting others for the holidays? Visiting Mike's family for Christmas.
11. What is your favorite dessert? Anything with chocolate and PB!

Blogs I've nominated for the Leibster Award

Tales from a Third Grade Splashroom
The Hip Teacher
Sweet Life of Second Grade
I Live to Learn, I Love to Grow
Kindergarten and Mooneyisms
Free on TPT 2nd Grade
T is for Teaching
4th Grade Haps and Hacks
Permanently Primary
Mrs. Kelly's Klass
Orange Polka Dots
Questions for you!

1. In what part of the country do you teach?
2. Why do you blog?
3. Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?
4. What strategies do you employ for difficult students?
5. Favorite blogger to follow?
6. Best blogging tip?
7. Best Read Aloud?
8. Does your school have a book room? If so, how often do you use it?
9. Where do you go online to find additional resources?
10. Do you give presents to you class for Christmas? If so, what?
11. How is your classroom library organized? Genres or levels?


Again, I am so grateful for this award and happy to have more followers!


Happy Reading!

Welcome Back Teachers!

Be a SMARTie

A Harvard study was conducted to explain why 3% of their graduates from the MBA program made 10 times as much as the other 97% of graduates combined. What did they conclude? Those 3% of graduates had clear written goals, and plans to accomplish them. Hence one of the reasons for the popularization of S.M.A.R.T. goals.

But what are S.M.A.R.T. goals? S.M.A.R.T. is actually an acronym for the following:

Specific: Good goals are clear, precise, and definite. If your goals are too broad, too general, or too fuzzy, they will be hard to achieve. Ask yourself what do I want to accomplish? Why? (specific reasons, purposes or benefits of accomplishing the goal) Who is involved?

Measurable: The goal must be written so that you can measure your progress toward it, so you'll know when you've achieved it. It should answer questions such as how much? How many? and How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable: Make sure that your goal is not too difficult or too easy. Think about the steps you will have to take to achieve the goal. Think about HOW this goal will be accomplished.

Realistic/Relevant: Set a goal that really matters or that is aligned with and supports other goals. Ask does it seem worthwhile? Is it the right time? Does this match our efforts/needs? What will it look like when it's reached?

Timely: The goal should have a definite timeline.

This year at our school, each grade level is working on their own S.M.A.R.T. goals. As the Reading Specialist & Literacy Coach it is my job to help each level with their goals. But, it is also imperative that I have goals for myself as well. Remember, "setting goals helps improve our experience and performance. It also shows that we are happier when we are progressing towards our goals." (www.101-smart-goals.com)

Here is how I am tracking my goals this year...101-smart-goals.com is a free online platform to track your goals. It allows you to set, track, and achieve your S.M.A.R.T. goals. Take this tutorial to see more: S.M.A.R.T. Goals Tour.

See my goals below:

S.M.A.R.T. goals are meant to be long term anywhere from 1 to 3 years in length. What's nice about this program is that it allows me to input time frames and constantly check and update my progress towards my goals through the use of tasks.

When setting your S.M.A.R.T. goals, here are some things to keep in mind:

Suggested words when setting S.M.A.R.T. goals:

• Choose a verb: increase, decrease, reduce, improve, deliver, grow
• Define the object: what you wish or will work toward to get better at and for whom
• Identify how much: target goals and a reference to the meeting of success
• Identify by when: time frame for completion of goal

Happy Goal Setting!

What Teachers Make

For all passionate educators:

Personalized Learning

What I love is that I can see this shift happening right now...