Bye to Miss Meghann

I met Meghann in one of the first classes I ever took at PSU for my special education certification program. I don't think we ever talked to each other during that class, but after we became friends we both admitted to each other that we had wanted to be friends when we first saw each other. I think she told me she saw me drinking Diet Coke and just knew we were going to be friends!

I can't really remember exactly how we transitioned from strangers in class to hanging out with each other outside of class, but she has become a great friend. We hung out tonight (the last time we will see each other before I move) and we were reflecting on our "first friend date." We went to dinner at Applebees and saw Step Up. It is so hard to say goodbye to good friends! :0(

Meghann is one of the nicest, most compassionate, sincere people I know. She is a special education teacher in the same district I worked for and it is her true calling in life. She has such a passion for teaching children with special needs and I admire her so much. Even though she is relatively new to the teaching profession like I am, she is GOOD at what she does! The photo of us is from the Buddy Walk where we met the actor Chris Burke and we were both star struck. We were like giggling idiots waiting in line for him to sign out CD's. (Did you know Chris Burke from Life Goes on is in a band???..LOVE it!)

Anyway, I know Meghann reads this blog and I want her to know what a special friend she is to me. She has graciously said I can come live with her when I come back to Portland during the summer to take classes and that is exactly why she is so wonderful...she is always thinking about what she can do for others. Much love to Miss Meghann who is beautiful on the outside and the inside.

This I believe....

For one of my class assignments we had to write a statement about our teaching entitled, "This I believe..." Tonight, at our last class, each person had to read what he or she had written out loud to everyone else. I thought I would share mine because when I read it, I felt good about it. For all of my teacher readers who are getting ready to go back to school, I hope you find some inspiration in this!

This I believe…

I believe in the rights of all students to be included and appreciated. Whether a child has a special need, lives in poverty, speaks 4 languages, or does not speak English, I will always see a child first before a trait defined by a label. I am driven to understand the needs of diverse learners and meet those needs while affirming to all children that I care about them and they are important. I know that all students excel in certain areas and struggle in others. It is important to find and acknowledge what each student can do well in order to help him or her gain confidence and the desire to work hard for things that don’t come easily. Effort is what I hold in high regard. Success is important, however the process of getting to that moment of success and being able to recognize what lead to the success is more valuable. I want my students to be thinkers, askers, and active learners; finding pleasure and meaning in discovery, making connections, and gaining a better understanding of their place in the world.

I believe in the importance of understanding where students and their families are coming from. I want to know their perspective and to try my best to understand it. Sometimes that will entail feeling uncomfortable, conflicted, and perhaps frustrated, but I recognize that part of my journey, as an educator, is to continuously evaluate my practices to ensure that my instruction is meaningful to my students and pertinent to their lives.

I believe that my role as a student does not end when I assume the role of the teacher. I am committed to collaborating with colleagues in order to gain new perspectives, being persistent in my professional development, and broadening, reflecting on, and making adjustments to my pedagogy. I want to continuously update my practices based on new information and new personal understanding of learning from my own experiences and those of others.

I believe that the profession of teaching is honorable and I want to live up to a high standard each and every day.

Present. Committed. Inspired.

6 + 1 Traits of Writing

Check out this 6 + 1 Traits of Writing website. My teacher asked us to take a look at it and I am so happy that she did! There are lesson plans that address each of the traits at each grade level from 1st through 12th. There is also a Beginning Writer's Continuum (BWC) that looks like a fantastic tool for evaluating the writing of younger students according to the 7 different writing traits. You can also find writing pieces that have already been scored and you can practice scoring pieces as well.

Not familiar with 6+1 Traits of Writing? I wasn't either until last summer. I felt like everyone else knew about this secret and I didn't.

Ideas- the heart of the message

Organization- the internal structure of the piece

Voice- the personal tone and flavor of the author's message

Word Choice- the vocabulary an author chooses to convey meaning

Sentence Fluency-the rhythm and flow of the language

Conventions-the mechanical correctness

Presentation- how the piece looks

I have the 6 + 1 Traits book for primary students but the website has many additional tools to use!

Bio Poems

Have you heard of Bio Poems? This is one of the writing strategies that I learned in my writing across content areas class (from the book Write More! Learn More! by Tama & McClain). It was suggested that having students write this kind of poem is an excellent way to have them introduce themselves at the beginning of the year to build a classroom community of kids who know each other on a deeper level. It can also be used for other content areas (with creativity of course). Following the format, I wrote some examples.

Here is the format:

Line 1: First Name

Line 2: Four traits that describe character or topic

Line 3: Relative of ("brother, sister" etc.)

Line 4: Lover of (list three items)

Line 5: Who feels (three items)

Line 6: Who needs (three items)

Line 7: Who fears: (three items)

Line 8: Who gives (three items)

Line 9: Who would like to see (three items)

Line 10: Resident of

Line 11: Last name

Here is my Bio Poem

Katie

loyal, patient, thoughtful, klutzy

relative of Dan, Shari, & Alyssa

lover of peanut butter, reading, and Johnny

who feels excited, tired, and content

who needs love, support, and snacks

who fears frogs, loneliness, and crowds

who gives love, support, and snacks

who would like to see family, friends, and someone nice to rent my house

resident of Portland/Gemany

Toppel

In class yesterday, a few elementary teachers and I made up this one about frogs. A teacher in this group also said she had first/second graders write Bio Poems for their moms for Mother's Day. Such a cute idea!

Frog

webbed feet, bulging eyes, smooth skin, long sticky tongue

relative of toads

lover of bugs, water, and cool mud

who feels cold when it's cold and hot when it's hot

who needs prey, water, and land

who fears owls, blue herons, and snakes

who would like to see lots of juicy bugs

resident of the pond

Frog

For some categories I did not list three, but I think that this poem is very applicable to younger students. Maybe I would have them help me write one in a whole group before letting them try one on their own, but I am excited to try it. Maybe this year with the third graders....

Try it out! Anyone brave enough to leave their Bio Poem as a comment to this post!

Papers...check!

Yay! I just finished my research paper for my "Teacher as Researcher" class which means I am done with papers and projects (for now). I have finished all of the major assignments for the courses that I actually have to show up for. I have three more class sessions to attend, but that is the part I like. It's fun to learn from other teachers and do the whole teacher talk thing.

I will still be taking two online courses, but not having to physically be present for 4-9 hours of class time daily leaves a lot more time to complete the work for those classes and a lot more time for other activities like working out or, I don't know, maybe packing up my house in order to move to another country in a few weeks!

Right now I am smiling and getting ready to watch The Bachelorette After the Final Rose. Anyone else a fan of the show? Not my favorite season, but I am happy Jillian chose Ed because I was about to feel really bad for him if she didn't. I do think that Jillian was very into herself and I could not believe what she said right before Ed came out after she had let Reid go! Yikes!!

I feel like the show is really a puppet show and all the participants are following orders based on what will get great ratings...yet I watch it anyway :0)

Bloggy Makeovers

Many thanks to Leslie from Lamberts Lately who was the mastermind behind my blog makeovers! Leslie is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama and is going to be a first grade teacher! (A girl after my own heart). She is very creative and I can tell she is going to be an amazing teacher. Check out how she turned her classroom into a jungle!

She also redesigned my Team Toppel blog which has been renamed "Travels of Team Toppel." Her pricing is reasonable and her designs are fantastic. Also, she uses the money she makes doing blog makeovers as supplemental income to help pay for additional classroom materials to help and inspire her young learners. Definitely a good reason to give your blog a makeover if you ask me!

Check out her blog design page. She offers several different packages ranging from "mini makeover" to "super makeover." She also has A la carte items to purchase as well.

Thanks Leslie! Your beautiful blog design makes me one happy blogger!

MckLinky Blog Hop

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

Today's theme is favorite kids pictures. I am so excited to have another opportunity to put my beautiful niece on display! (and her beautiful mama) I am even more excited that I get to see them both soon! They live in CT and I am traveling there this weekend to see my best friend and family before we move to Germany. This little girl is the joy of many lives! She looks just like my brother when he was a baby! Isn't she adorable???

(When you are the aunt you get to brag shamelessly!)

Oh what a beautiful morning...

I had to give my post a happy title because I am overwhelmed with work! Currently I am taking FOUR grad courses at once. Yes, I signed up for it, but I didn’t really think about how much work it was going to be. This is the only week that I have all four at once. Two of them will be completed by the end of the week leaving only the two online courses, which I will finish once we are in Germany. I am looking forward to the reduction in workload (and of course to seeing my BFF Cristina on Friday and then the rest of my family including my adorable niece that I am seeing for the second time ever on Saturday! HOORAY!) I made this text pink just in case Cristina reads this because pink is her favorite color and I love her!

Summer courses are great, however when everything is crammed into a two-week period, the daily workload is a lot. I am loving my courses and learning a lot, but I am finding that I barely have time for anything else. I did not watch any TV yesterday and didn’t get in a workout either! I am staying on campus today until my afternoon class which goes from 4-9, so it looks like I won’t get in a workout today either (unless you count all the movement my fingers are doing typing paper after paper after blogpost after paper!) I am trying to be productive in the computer lab, but I decided it was time to take a break and do some bloggy time!

For any teachers that follow this blog, I have two great resources that I am using in my classes. Both books outline terrific strategies that can be used with students of all ages for reading and writing in content areas. The strategies are often geared towards older students, yet they are easy to adapt for the little guys!

I was about to cite in APA style…does that tell you how much work I have been doing lately?!

Reading and Learning Strategies: Middle Grades Through High School by Lenski, Wham, Johns, and Caskey. Purchase it here at amazon.com

Write More! Learn More!: Writing across the Curriculum by Tama (she is actually my teacher!) and McClain. Purchase it here at amazon.com

Both books are full of great tips and strategies and like I said, I have found them easy to apply to first grade (soon to be third grade).

Also, another book I ordered and will hopefully get in the mail today or tomorrow:

Rethinking Multicultural Education: Teaching for racial and cultural justice by Wayne Au. Purchase it here at amazon.com

One of the great things about being a teacher is sharing resources with others, so if you like things I post please let me know and I will do that more often. Also please feel free to post about great books or teaching resources that you enjoy!

Have a great day!

People First Language-revisited

I have written about this topic before, yet in my recent classes it has come up again.

Among a group of teachers I frequently hear phrases like "the IEP kids" or "the SPED kids." I think that my distaste for such phrases stems from my training in special education because throughout my program we were always taught to use "people first" language. Basically people first language asserts that you should speak of the student/person first before labeling them with a disability or "problem." It speaks to the fact that a disability does not define a person.

www.disabilityisnatural.com offers some great articles on this topic if you are interesting in finding out more information.

People with disabilities are PEOPLE. They can be moms, dads, sons, daughters, employees, friends, neighbors, students, teachers, doctors, presidents and more. People with disabilities should be recognized as people first and not characterized simply by the disability they have. Snow indicates that the real problem is never a person's disability, but the attitudes of others. Whether intentional or unintentional, the words that people use can be hurtful.

My hope is that more people will learn to understand people first language and to acknowledge that people with disabilities are people, with feelings, hopes, beliefs, and talents. They are unique and offer gifts to the world. They may not be good at everything, but who is? If I were a student with a disability, I would want my teacher to see me as a dancer, or a girl who likes to draw, or a girl who smiles a lot rather than the "IEP kid." I think we owe it to all our students to think of them as individuals and to recognize what makes them unique and special without labeling them or boxing them into certain categories

Some of the students that I have had with disabilities have brought so much joy into my life. They achieved so much in my classroom and it was a joy to be their teacher. I hope that most people they encounter in their lives see them for all that they have and all that they are rather than just defining them with a label and a disability.

It frustrates me that people still use the term retarded (and often think it is a funny way to crack a joke) but I try to realize when I hear comments or statements such as that, most people have not been taught an alternative way to speak about individuals with disabilities. I do think, however, that educators should be able to model how to speak about individuals with special needs without assigning harmful labels or speaking in a way that makes assumptions about individuals based on a generalized label.

I am doing a project for one of my classes about the effects of labeling on students, particularly students with special needs and English Language Learners. I am trying to see if there exists a correlation between labels and teacher expectations of the students who are labeled. .

Props to the husband

I would like to say that I have the most amazing husband.

He has spent lots of time recently rigging up all of these electronic devices, including a Tivo at his parent's house in California so that I can enjoy American TV and all my favorite shows from Germany. He has knowledge of all these fantastic products (for the TV obsessed of course) that allow us to stream TV shows from the US to our computers and our television(s) in Germany.

Wow, that is all I have to say, W-O-W!

(If you have ever read Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, you will know that reference)

Now, if you knew my husband you would know that HE has a great love for TV and definitely uses TV as a way to relax and wind down after the end of a long day at work BUT his work to record The Biggest Loser, Nip/Tuck, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, 90210, and the likes of those shows was completely for moi! How sweet is he?!

I cannot even explain all the complicated things he does with electronics, but I do know that I married a helluva smart and thoughtful guy.

He's definitely a keeper!

In a R-U-T

Usually the summer is a time for me to get in great shape. I usually spend a lot more time working out during the summer because it is a non-teacher working time. This summer, however, has been different. Right after school let out we were in Germany for 10 days, then shortly after we got back I started my summer courses. Ever since I began my classes three weeks ago, my exercise routine has come to almost a complete halt!

I need motivation!

When I get home from class, I spent a lot of time working on readings and papers and homework assignments. Before I know it, the day has gone by and I have been sitting at my desk for hours on end. Don't get me wrong, I am really digging my classes and I am learning, but this lack of activity has got to stop and I have to get moving again. I just feel like my brain is so hard at work all day that even if I have time to exercise, I feel too mentally exhausted to do it. Silly reasoning since of course working out would wake me up, give me energy, and make me feel 1000 times refreshed, but still the excuses are endless....

Luckily I have started using public transportation which includes about 25-30 minutes of walking to and from the MAX train every day I have class, but it has been awhile since I have engaged in a hardcore sweat session. I NEED a hardcore sweat session...or five....or ten!

The past few summers I have joined up with an awesome Boot Camp during which the fantastic trainer Daniel promptly whipped my butt into shape. This year I opted not to because of other stuff going on and I am feeling sad at my lack of motivation considering I am usually lean and mean about this time of year. Last year my best mile time was 6:27. 43 seconds faster than my best ever time in high school! I was running hill sprints, doing pull ups, and becoming trimmer.

Who is gonna help me fester up some motivation here?

What do you do to kick yourself in the pants when you are in a rut? What is your best motivating workout or get up off your arse and get started tip?

Inquiring minds would like to know!

Blog Award!

Thanks to Chrissy from Bittersweet Moments for giving me the

"One Lovely Blog Award"

The rules to receiving this award are to: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I appreciate being recognized as a lovely blog. I love teaching and love talking about teaching and I am happy to have followers that enjoy reading what I write about.

Here is my list of 15 LOVELY blogs:

She Wears a Red Sox Cap

Following the Footsteps

Mommy Matters

Jen & Rob

A Year in the Kitchen

Courtney's Corner

Our Feet Are the Same

The V Spot

From the Beginning

Our Homeschool Fun

It May Be a Crazy Life, But It's Our Life

Girls with Books

Blah Blah Blog

Bakerella

Coupon Teacher

Enjoy, these blogs are all very different and are written by some very interesting and fun ladies!

And the winner is.....

The winner of my first giveaway is Karin from Mommy Matters! Karin is a home schooling mom of four who offers fantastic tips on her blog about being a mom, a teacher, an organizer and a woman who does it all. She knows the latest and greatest in educational products and also writes for Heart of the Matter which is an online publication for home schooling parents and is a West Palm Beach Home School Examiner. She is a great source of information for home schooling parents as well as classroom teachers.

Congratulations Karin!

I hope your children enjoy 52 Great Art Projects!

Waiting some more...

I met with my program coordinator today, and although he seems pretty willing to help me engage in this "experimental" doctoral program, he said the next step is to send him an email that he can forward to all the faculty that would be my professors during the first year of the program in order to get their approval. Since they would be the ones having to connect with me via Skype so I can participate in the courses remotely, they have to agree to it.

He seemed to think that I might meet some resistance since this is something "new" and they may not have a comfort level with technology that would make them want to add the use of an online communication tool to their lecture preparation.

I am hoping that my email will be convincing and positive enough to convince them to be in my corner. If any one of them is hesitant about the technology involved, I am hopeful I could appeal to someone in my cohort that could be "in charge" of that part of the deal.

S.H. is going to give the faculty members 10 days to respond, so I wait......

Please keep those fingers crossed!

Wish Me Luck!

Tomorrow I (finally!) meet with the doctoral program coordinator to discuss logistics with him about continuing with the coursework on location from Germany. I have thought it out, made a plan, and really want to go in there and not take no for an answer.

I know I can do it. I am determined, hardworking, and willing to do what it takes. (If I say that do you think he will be convinced?!)

I truly hope it works out and he is willing to let me "pilot" this alternative way of completing the program. I think it would be beneficial for both me and the university to have the international perspective, so fingers crossed everybody! With Dr. Dieter in Germany willing to help, all I need is the blessing/permission of S.H.!

Hopefully I can add on to this post tomorrow with some good news :0) Wish me luck!

MckLinky Blog Hop

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

The theme of this week's hop is favorite recipes, so here is mine for

Banana Bread.

(Check out my giveaway while you are visiting!)

This is actually not my own photo, but looks the same as mine!

Ingredients:

3 or 4 overripe bananas (the nastier the better)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2- 1 cup each of extras: chocolate chips, nuts etc. (whatever you like).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pan. (Or you can use muffin tins if you are making muffins).

Place the bananas and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and "whip the bejesus out of them," about 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla, whipping well and scraping down the sides of the bowl before each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the flour, salt, baking soda, and extras (nuts, chocolate chips etc.). My favorite combo is white chocolate chips with baking walnuts. I will typically add 1/2 walnuts and 1 cup white chocolate chips ( I LOVE them!)

Pour batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until golden brown and firm in the center, about 1 hour. If making muffins, bake for about 15 minutes. (Baking times will vary so keep your eye out!)

Extra tips:

I usually prefer to make muffins because the amount of batter is too much for a standard bread pan (at least the one I have).

Add cream cheese frosting to the top for a delectable treat! MMMMMM!

To make it easier for you, I am including a printable document so you can print this recipe in a printer friendly format.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Buttons for Lily Soo

Thanks to Jen from Following the Footsteps for creating my new blog button! She is taking donations to help this family bring home an adopted baby, Lily Soo, from South Korea. In exchange for a $5.00 donation, Jen will design a button just for your blog! Every little bit counts and every donation will bring two loving parents that much closer to getting the child that they so badly want.

Click here to make your donation right now!

Please feel free to post a link in your blog and tell others about buttons for Lily Soo. The more people that know, the greater chance they have of meeting their goal to bring Lily Soo home and make her part of their family before her first birthday.

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win my first giveaway: 52 Great Art Projects for Kids. Simply Respond to this post and your name will be entered to win!

Motivation and my first giveaway!

I just did a literature review for my advanced educational psychology class on the effects that prizes and rewards have on intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation.

As a first grade teacher, I used LOTS of incentives, prizes, and rewards to get kids motivated in class. I learned however, that prizes can actually negatively affect students' intrinsic motivation, especially if they are rewarded for an activity that was already favored. If they are rewarded for an non-preferred activity, their motivation might increase, but most likely extrinsic motivation which means there is a reliance on the reward they will receive and their motivation to do the activity is only linked to getting the prize.

Much of the research promoted looking inwardly at teaching practices and lessons in order to make them more engaging and fitting to students' interests as opposed to introducing prizes and "bribery" to get kids focused and motivated. They also affirmed that praise has different, more positive, effects on intrinsic motivation than rewards, however it was dependent on what kind of praise and how the praise was given (always has to be complicated, never simple!) Praise should always be specific and praising students for their effort rather than their intelligence results in students being willing to try harder especially when an assignment/task is challenging.

If you are a classroom teacher, homeschool teacher, or a mom this question is for you:

Do you use rewards/prizes to get your students/kids motivated for certain activities? Have you found this to be effective in increasing their intrinsic motivation or are they just in it for the prizes?

If you feel like your students/kids are motivated without prizes, do you have any tips to share about your teaching strategies that grab kids' attention??

Because I love comments so much, I am going to try my first giveaway!

52 illustrated cards with great art project ideas for kids.

Small enough to fit in your purse!

How to enter: Write me a comment! Tell me that you are:

1. Becoming a follower

2. That you are going to blog about the giveaway and link to my blog

3. Answer the questions about motivating kiddos!

Please comment only on this post and every comment will be entered to win. The giveaway will end Wednesday July 22nd, so any comments up until that date are eligible.

Bloggy Book!

Have you ever thought about having a hard copy of your blog entries? I never did until I read Our Feet Are the Same's blog entry about her husband giving her a bound copy of her blog entries for her birthday.

How cool is that?

Interested? I sure am.

Click here to check it out.

It is not inexpensive, but not super outrageous. You have to enter in your blog address and then there are a few options regarding the cover color, adding a photo to the cover, and writing an inscription. Then you click and just wait a few minutes while it turns your blog into a book. You are able to view all the pages online and then choose if you want to order an electronic pdf copy for $2.95 or if you want to order a more expensive soft cover book or hardcover book. The price for mine was about $60 for the softcover and $70 for the hardcover, but the pricing is dependent on the number of pages.

A 20-page softcover Blog Book is just $14.95 -
Hardcover only $24.95. And extra pages are only 35 cents!

NEW! Get a PDF of your Blogbook for only $2.95

I did not actually order mine because I was thinking it would be cool to wait until my blogoversary which is coming up in August and then publish a whole year of blogging posts. You can also choose whether or not to include the comments that people made.

The only problem I ran into initially was that there was a feed setting that was preventing access, however when I changed the feed setting to "full" the site was then able to make the book. (Click on customize, then settings, site feed, and choose full in the drop down.)

I will definitely do this for the entries on my TeamToppel blog which will be a journal of our adventures living abroad in Germany for a few years and I think it will be cool to do for this blog as well so I can look back on my reflections of teaching and making new blog friends!

Doing the Happy Dance!

I found out this morning that my work permit is official! That means I can stop worrying about moving to Germany only to find out that it didn't go through and I am unemployed in a new country with nothing to do.

Woo hoo!

Organizing like MAD

On Tuesday I finished clearing all my belongings out of my classroom because the teacher that is taking over my room is pregnant, due next month, and she is anxious to get the room set up before she has the baby. I went to the school after class, loaded a ton of stuff in my little Prius, literally until I could not fit anything else, turned in my badge and key and then left after taking one last nostalgic look at the room....

Because I felt a little rushed to get everything out of the room, my packing was not really organized and lots of things were just in crates or bins and not really packed nicely in boxes. Today I had some time in the afternoon so I embarked upon "Project Organize all my Teacher Stuff." I opened up the boxes and took most of the stuff out so that I could repack by subject and types of materials. I made boxes of

• math supplies and curriculum books
• English Language Development materials and grammar type stuff with games for my ELL students
• writing and reading materials
• general classroom decoration stuff
• desk supplies
• calendar supplies

I tried to be very specific in labeling the boxes because most of them are going straight into storage and I want to be able to easily identify stuff that I might need to be shipped over in the future. I also organized my books and packed them by themes so that I have easy access to those as well. I grouped them by theme and then sorted books into fiction and non-fiction boxes. When I had a bunch of the same type I made sure to write the author or series on the outside of the box so I remember where they all are.

I narrowed it down to 4 boxes of books that I want to take with me because I am too paranoid to leave them in storage for three years or more. I figure eventually I will get to be a classroom teacher at FIS in which case I will definitely want my books! I can't take everything because I have a lot of teacher stuff, but the books are definitely coming with. Typically apartment buildings in Germany have a storage area on the bottom or top level where each apartment gets a little storage spot. The ones we saw were decent in size so I figure I can stash some teacher stuff so it's not like it will have to sit in my living room or anything!

Now, I have to start sorting the rest of my stuff to decide what goes to Germany and what stays in storage in Oregon. I am definitely not taking all of my kitchen/cooking stuff because:

1. Let's be honest, I don't cook that much and

2. The kitchen will probably be a lot smaller than what we have now and I won't have a large walk in pantry like I have now, so I won't have room to put all my stuff.

I love to bake and have a lot of baking supplies like muffin tins, cake pans, cookie cutters etc. etc. etc. I am torn over whether or not to bring them all. I am leaning towards no, but I don't want to get there and regret not bringing that stuff. I did hear that Germany does not have chocolate chips though which is a big disappointment. I guess in any event I won't be baking chocolate chip cookies...

I am also debating whether or not to bring my craft/art supplies. I have lots of rubber stamps, ink pads, and card making supplies as well as markers, crayons, colored pencils and stuff like that. I don't use those kinds of thinks frequently, but I do like to have the opportunity to make cute thank you cards or holiday notecards. I guess if I found a nice plastic container to put it all in then maybe it would seem very organized and easier to carry along. I know for sure that storage space is not abundant so I don't want to end up not having anywhere to put my stuff.

It is so hard to decide what stays and what goes. I definitely need to sort through my clothes and bring only the best stuff. I can't believe that all this needs to be done in like three weeks!

I am going home at the end of the month to see my family including my adorable little niece and my best friend, so that means 5 less days of packing/moving project time.

So much to do, so little time!

Seven Traits

I was tagged by Kelly to list seven traits about myself and to tag 7 other blogs.

Karin (Mommy Matters)

Jen (Following the Footsteps)

Jen (Jen & Rob)

Tina (It May Be a Crazy Life but it's Our Life)

Courtney (Courney's Corner)

Chrissy (Bittersweet Moments)

Tammy (Tammy on the Go)

1. I am patient-with kids in my role as a teacher.

2. I am impatient-when I have to wait in line or wait for a restroom and when I am in traffic!

3. I am loyal-I am super loyal to friends, family, and coworkers.

4. I am spoiled- by my husband who keeps me up to date with the latest and coolest technology and forgives me when I drop my cool technology and break it.

5. I am thoughtful- I send my grandmother and my grandmother in-law handwritten cards in the mail because it makes them happy and I always remember birthdays and try to make them special.

6. I am shy-Many people who know me think that is *BS*, but it's true. It takes me a really long time to warm up to new people and new situations.

7. I am dedicated-to my friends, my family, my wonderful husband, my education, and my career as a teacher.

Don't I look sassy? hehe

MckLinky Blog Hop

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

The topic of this week's MckLinky blog hop is to share three things about yourself that readers do not know....

1. I LOVE to be crafty. I would not necessarily call myself skilled, but I love all things arts and craftsy. I have been known to dabble in scrapbooking, stamping, making cards, knitting and cookie decorating.

This photo shows a baby blanket that I made for my niece. It is the easy to make fleece tie blanket, but it was the first time I ever made one and I think it came out super cute!

I made these decorated sugar cookies for a baby shower at school.

These decorated onesie cookies were for my sister-in-law's shower.

2. I met the actor, Chris Burke, who played Corky on the television show Life Goes on who has Down syndrome. He was a guest speaker/performer at a local Buddy Walk which is a fundraiser for children with Down syndrome. He is in a band and was performing on stage. The little girl I was with, a former student, wanted to go up on stage and dance so we went together and had a blast!

3. Every year my husband and I volunteer for Special Olympics and are the Co-Directors of the Bocce competitions (2 regional and state) for Oregon. We began our interest in Special Olympics at Villanova because our college hosted an event for Special Olympics in Pennsylvania. I had so much fun working with the athletes (who are elligible for Special Olympics based on some form of mental retardation) and that is what initially started my interest in special education. I now have a master's degree in special education and always request to have students with special needs placed in my classroom so I can work with them.

***

It's Friend Makin Monday again!

Today's task is to:

List 5-10 of your favorite things! These can be things you think everyone must have, a collection of things you have, or some product or miracle invention that has changed your life

Diet Coke! (Coca-Cola light in Germany)

Kitchen Aid Mixer

Sharpies in every color of the rainbow

Bare Minerals Makeup

Books!!!

MacBook Pro (essential for my blogging!)

Chi Flatiron

I didn't post this originally and I can't believe I forgot it!

LOVE IT