Vmath

My school has begun using a site called Vmath which offers different math lessons and games for students at all levels. Each students has a log on name and password and they can access this site at home in order to practice skills and play games. I have heard rave reviews, so I planned a demonstration session for my students' parents so the Title I math teacher could show them how to log on and how to navigate the site.

Several weeks ago, the school sent home information about the site and log on information for each student which was followed by information from me and an invitation to the demonstration today. I have 42 students, so I was hoping for a good showing from parents today.

Sadly, only three families showed up, but I was very pleased to have Danny Boy and both of his parents as well as his brother. They don't have internet at home, but his parents came anyway because his mom wanted to know how to access the site so she can bring her children to the library to play the math games. This particular student definitely has room for growth, so I was really happy to have his family participating. He had a blast playing the different games and he did well figuring out the answers!

Sometimes I feel a bit deflated when I plan something that I think will be well attended and then I end up with only a few families, yet if an activity like this can help even one student---it's totally worth it.

I need to think of some other ways to get kids excited about Vmath, so I think I will use my laptop to project the site on the whiteboard so we can play the game as a class. If the kids use their fingers to show the numerical answers or write the answers on whiteboard, it will be a fun whole class activity. I know once they see it, they will want to play more at home which will hopefully entice their parents to give it a go!

Time to snuggle up in bed with some books on culturally responsive teaching and my highlighter!!

Highlights--Love it!

I feel bad for not posting all week. I kept experiencing things and thinking, Ah, I need to post about that, but I have just been too busy! So here are a few highlights...

Today at the end of the day my tiniest little friend Dianita was trying to stuff her fluffy pink jacket into her tiny pink Dora backpack like she does everyday. She always needs help and calls me over, but today another little girl was helping her. She called me over to tell me that Sabrina was filling her bucket. Love it!

Many of my students participate in extended day Letters class. That means some AM Kinders stay late and some PM Kinders come early and they all eat lunch together in the cafeteria. While they are there, I have my daily prep time so often I walk through the cafeteria on my way to the teacher work room or the office. My students make me feel like a rockstar every time I pass by. They call my name and wave like crazy and I love it.

On Wednesday we had a staff meeting that focused on cooperative learning. We were told to incorporate three cooperative learning activities into our day on Thursday. During my writing time, I had the kids "stand up, hand up, pair up" which is a strategy to get the to partner up. Basically they stand up and put their hand up in the air and then high five someone who becomes their partner. The kiddos got with a partner and talked about what they want to be when they grow up. Then, I had them share out what their partner had told them to reinforce good listening. After that, I asked them to write a sentence telling what they want to be. One of my cute little guys wrote,

"I wont to be a paleein tolojist."WOW. Love it.

I went to observe another Kinder teacher yesterday to get some ideas and I loved the behavior management system she uses. I went out right away and got the supplies to make it and it worked like a charm today. My students really have been way to talkative and I guess I have been too much a softie and have not laid down the law enough. So, I introduced this system where each kiddo gets three sticks that they need to "guard" during the week. They can keep their sticks by being good listeners, not talking when I am talking, and basically following the school rules. (stuff they should be doing, but that has been lacking lately!) therefore resulting in my principal checking in with me a lot. If kids keep their three sticks, they earn a choice time on Friday afternoon and also a sticker to put on the sticker chart next to the stick pocket chart, so they can count and keep track of how many times they kept all three sticks. I told the kids that sometimes we might have a popcorn party or a short video instead of choice time and they were really excited to have the chance to earn those fun things. We also talked about what kinds of behaviors result in having to move one of their sticks and lose it from their pocket. A few kiddos had that happen, but overall I was really impressed with how much better they listened on the whole today. I hope it continues to work that well, but if it goes anything like today....it's another LOVE IT!

I am driving to Seattle tomorrow to visit a friend from high school. I haven't seen her since my wedding about 3.5 years ago. Her fiancee is currently deployed in Qatar, so we are in the same boat missing our men! I can't wait to see her and catch up. It will be nice to take a break from homework, although I will have to buckle down and work hard on Sunday after my run.

and now he can....

Last week we got our DIBELS results and our Kinder students kicked some serious butt. I have been sending books home with kids who were already reading, but there are some kiddos who recently made some great gains so I decided to begin sending books with a few more kiddos.

On Friday I called them into the hallway where the bookshelf is and I told them the news. We talked about how they can read their little book to their mom, dad, pets, stuffed animals etc. and when they feel really good about reading it, they can bring it back and read it to me.

One of my little friends said, but I can't read books....

I showed him the pages and he sounded out some words tentatively.

This afternoon, I had a few of those kiddos sit in my chair and read their little books to the class. This little guy was very proud to get up in front of the class and he read his whole Bob Book like a pro.

When he was finished, I said to him, "Didn't you tell me on Friday you couldn't read books?

He replied, "And now I can!"

And now he can....

Check this out

What a cool story. This second grade teacher, Allyson Townsend, began creating her own music videos with sign language in order to help her friend and students who don't hear experience music.



Allyson also works hard to incorporate music into her classroom with her students that are deaf.

My Bucket is Full

This week I finally read Have You Filled A Bucket? to both of my classes. I have read many blog posts about this book and I agree, it is awesome! The kiddos were really excited about thinking of ways to be bucket fillers and I started receiving lots of compliments on my shoes, necklace, shirt etc. One little guy drew this picture of me. The first thing I thought was, wow I look really fat (hehe), but he accompanied the gift with the words, "Mrs. Sneaker, I love you. You are a nice teacher."

Melt

My

Heart

My bucket definitely overflowed with that one....

Big Kids Still Need Naps Sometimes

I had such a nice morning with my AM class. We did some word building, they worked in pairs to think of math stories and show them with manipulatives, and we did a really cute snowman glyph (during which they were good listeners). If I had known the morning would go THAT well, I probably wouldn't have called in a sub. My teacher friend came in to observe again (per my request for her to check in) and she said everything looked great!

But, last night I had such a hard time falling asleep and I in very few z's. I woke up feeling sick and just overwhelmed with the thought of having class tonight, work tomorrow, class tomorrow night, and class Saturday in addition to all of the homework I have. I decided to call in a half day sub so I could go home, take a nap, and get started on my homework.

Napping in the middle of the day is nice.

I needed it.

I really don't like being absent. I feel like I am letting the kids down by not being there. But, at the same time I know that I need to take care of myself and feeling burnt out is not going to help. Hopefully tonight will bring a better snooze!

Friend Makin' Monday

Wow, it's Monday and I don't have to go to work! I slept in until 10 and that felt really, really good! I haven't participated in a FFM in a long time, but when I saw Kenz's post, I thought I should give it a go!

1. Why do you blog? I love to talk shop about all things teachery and education with a little fitness and daily life stuff mixed in. I really enjoy "meeting" other bloggers, especially teachers, and sharing fun teaching and learning ideas.
2. What is your favorite TV show? Tough question, there are many! Desperate Housewives, The Biggest Loser, and Grey's Anatomy to name a few.
3. What's the first thing you drank this morning? I haven't had anything yet, but it will be water when I go downstairs. Ok, I will be honest, it will probably be Diet Coke. 
4. Are you married, single or in a relationship? I'm married to an amazing man! (He's really cute too!)
5. List three of your hobbies. working out, reading, and baking
6. What do you like most about yourself? I am a very loyal person.
7. List a couple of your favorite sites: Facebook, Gmail, and lots of blogs.
8. Can you whistle? kind of, but I can't carry a tune or whistle anything that remotely resembles a song.
9. List your favorite pro sports teams.  On behalf of my hubs I will say the Niners, but honestly I don't care.
10. What's the last thing that made you smile? Dreaming about my husband :0)
11. Do you prefer mayo or mustard? honey mustard
12. Do you have a crush on someone? Yes, see number 4
13. Do you get up early or sleep in? Usually I get up "early" on the weekends to workout, but I heart sleeping in.
14. Do you attend church? Nope
15. Would you rather see a movie at home or in the theater? I like movies at home with my blankets
16. Was there a teacher or authority figure that ever truly stood out to you? Yes, and I am currently still working with him. My doctoral adviser Samuel is an amazing person.
17. What is your favorite game? movie mash up!
18. Cupcake or potato chips? CUPCAKE all the way! I have such a sweet tooth!
19. Tell us something random that we wouldn't know to ask. I listen to Britney and Miley while I workout ;0)

Join in! Visit Kenz at All The Weigh and link up!

Tough Weekend

My homework to do list has about 22 items on it for this weekend. Luckily at this point they are almost all crossed out because I have spent most of the weekend holed up in my room reading and doing work. I made it out for a treadmill run and pilates yesterday and a 7 miler in the rain this morning with my running group, but other than that I have been workin' hard. Thank goodness for the three day weekend because I don't know how else I could get everything done. I have my weekend class next weekend so I am already trying to figure out how I will manage to complete all my homework and go to class Friday evening and most of Saturday. Life is exhausting.

Not to mention, my roommate lost her mom yesterday after quite a long battle with Cancer. We have had a pretty tough, sad week and my heart goes out to my very good friend and her family. We know that her mom is at peace now and in a better place, but there is nothing easy about what she is going through. Janine is a remarkable person and although I didn't know her mom well, I know that she is who she is because of her mom. I have been fortunate to hear lots of stories about the wonderful person her mom was this week and I know that her memory will be cherished forever. (Janine if you read this...LOVE YOU GIRL!)

Let it snow

Since we are not getting any real snow (unlike many other of you lucky ducks who have had recent snow days), we needed to make some of our own! We gave our Kindergarten students a snowman project to take home and do with their families and the ones that have come back so far are totally adorable. We did a similar project in November with Turkeys and I just love the creativity and uniqueness of what comes back!

They are not technically due until Tuesday, so these are just a few of the early birds, but I wanted to share because I think they are so cute and really creative. Since we have to focus SO much on academics in our very limited time, we end up having to leave out a lot of the fun Kindergarten stuff. The family projects bring back a little of the fun reminiscent of what Kindergarten used to be like. I also love thinking about the kids completing these projects with their parents because I am sure that is very special for them.

This week has been all about getting organized for me. I have sorted through stuff, organized my shelves, and I finally got my act together to make some of the math materials that require cutting, folding, laminating etc. I typically think of myself as a pretty organized person, but recently I found myself looking around my classroom thinking, this is not good....

I feel refreshed now that things are more organized and after spending some time in my classroom after school today, I feel completely prepared for next week and I am looking forward to a three day weekend. So far, I have spent the majority of my time since getting home doing homework and there is still quite a mountain left, but hopefully having an extra day means I will be able to get out and do something other than reading and writing before returning to work on Tuesday.

we wii

Short post because I have class tonight, but I have to share a cute moment from today. I attended a training from 10-3 today, so I had a sub in the classroom. Since the training didn't start until 10, I thought it would be a great opportunity to go into my room and assess while Jill was leading the group since I always struggle to fit that in.

I began assessing my darling little Diana who is just the cutest thing. She is very very tiny and just adorable. We were going over sight words and we came to the word "we." She wasn't sure what it was, so I read it for her.

She replied, "I have a wii!"

I guess we have a new homophone!

Kidwatching

I got my new book called Kidwatching in the mail today. As I glanced through it, I got the feeling I read it at some point during my teacher training. It seems really familiar. Oh well. I am at a point in my teaching where I think it would be really beneficial and I will probably get something different out of it this time around.

So far I only read the Preface, but I liked what I read so I thought I would share it....

 I am the teacher who is committed to discovering what each of my students knows, cares about, and can do.

I am the teacher who wants to understand each of my student's ways of constructing and experiencing knowledge.

I am the teacher who helps my students connect what they are learning to what they already know.

I am the teacher who respects the language and culture my students learn at home, and who supports the expansion of this knowledge at school.

I am the teacher who knows that there are multiple paths to literacy, and who teaches along each child's path.

I am the teacher who is committed to social justice and to understanding literacy as a sociocultural practice.

I am the teacher who believes that each child can teach me about teaching, language, and learning.

I am the teacher who believes in the interconnectedness of language, learning, and life.

I am the teacher who supports children in writing I can! on their wings.

Are you that teacher?

I hope I am.

Smiles

Today went really well. Both classes were well behaved. The classroom was well controlled. I was not observed. I got a lot done this afternoon including sub plans for when I am out on Wednesday for my monthly PASS training. I met up with some friends after work for dinner. My stress level is down.

Of course I know I will never stop learning as a teacher, but I am thankful for days like today that help me to remember what I have to offer to teaching and remind me never to give up.

Work Work Work

Much of this weekend was spent doing homework. I stayed in Friday night and worked from about 8-midnight and then after pilates and some shopping at the adidas store with my roomie yesterday, I spent another evening working from about 3:30-9:30 or so (with some tv show watching mixed in with reading). I am surprised by how much homework I have already even though it was only the first week of class. Thankfully, my qualitative research class is really interesting and the books are not difficult to get through. I think that my dissertation research will be qualitative so I feel like everything I am learning will be directly applicable to that. All the reading is time consuming, but so far t hasn't been too painful!

So far in that class we have focused on observing and have done a few activities focused on what and how we observe. One of our assignments is to observe in the same public setting for an hour on a few different occasions and to take notes. I was kind of thinking of trying to get this done while at the gym since there is a lot to observe in that setting, but I haven't quite worked out how I would take notes while simultaneously exercising. In the course of my reading, I came across a book called Kidwatching which I ordered from Amazon.

I am interested to see what it has to say and I look forward to fitting it into my busy schedule. I feel like I have many many teacher books piled up that I have purchased yet haven't read and I definitely need to put some time aside to get through them all. (Or maybe they will get read this summer....) I find it really hard to incorporate 1 on 1 assessment time in the short days that I have with each group, so I think that improving my ability to gather data on their literacy skills more "on the fly" will be really helpful.

I have one small assignment left, but I am thinking of just putting my feet up and enjoying the rest of the evening without any more work. I ran 8 miles this morning with my running group and we upped our speed a bit, so I ready to relax!

**Thanks for the kind comments about the struggles I have been having at school recently. I really appreciate hearing about other teachers who have gone through similar struggles and teachers that recognize the difficulties of classroom management. I know that I am not alone and that not only do I have the support of my colleagues at school, but also many wonderful blog friends that have offered nice words of encouragement. You guys are the best!

Tough

I have to say I am very glad that this week of being observed by my principal twice daily is over. I cannot begin to describe how stressed out, worried, and upset I have felt as a result of her concerns regarding my classroom management.  I feel like so much of my life and my time is devoted to teaching and trying to be the best teacher that I can be and it is really disheartening to be viewed by the school principal as a teacher who struggles.

I had opportunities to meet with the principal almost daily this week to discuss her observations. She documented percentages of kids on task and also percentages of kids who responded to my quiet signals. Yesterday we met one final time and she indicated that she would like me to have a coach to help with some of these management issues that she is seeing. Although this has been a frustrating process, I have to say that I am very happy with how the principal has supported me during this time. Although I don't want to be someone who needs help, I do recognize that as teachers we are always trying to improve and there isn't a teacher out there who couldn't benefit from interacting with more teachers, learning from other teachers, or getting some input from other teachers. As much as I am sad about not being the "perfect" teacher, I know that this experience will have a good outcome if I acknowledge the importance of learning from others, suck up my pride and get reach out for help, and accept the support of other teachers who are willing to help me.

Although this is my 6th year of teaching, this is my first year of teaching Kindergarten. That means there are new elements to teaching that I need to learn and practice. Classroom management is not new to me, however managing 5 and 6 year olds is just not an easy task. There are a lot of techniques I use and a lot of strategies that I have learned. What I am finding with my groups is that sometimes everything goes really smoothly and they are on task and doing great. Other times, those same strategies are just not working. It's frustrating, but I recognize that I want things to go smoothly on a consistent basis and the principal is just extending support so I can make that a reality.

She suggested that I have our Literacy Specialist come and watch me teach for a whole session. I talked with this teacher yesterday and arranged for her to come and watch my morning session on Tuesday. She has years of experience teaching Kindergarten and is really excited to help me. She was so nice and emphasized that I don't in any way need to feel intimidated by her presence. I know she will be a great resource for helping me focus on making some changes in my classroom.

I also asked the principal if I could go to some other classrooms to observe a few half day Kinder teachers. It is not often that we get to see our peers and colleagues in action so I think it will be really helpful to observe how things operate in different classrooms. I am hoping to visit another school on Friday in the morning to watch a session, take some time during lunch to reflect, and then return to my classroom for the pm session to try out some of the ideas I get.

If you read my blog often or have been a reader for a long time, you may know that I am pretty much a perfectionist. I always want to do things right and be good at things. I work really hard to make that happen in a lot of areas of my life. Getting feedback from others, especially a supervisor, and especially feedback that is not all positive is really tough. When I was in student teaching and being observed in order to obtain endorsements, it was easier to take criticism because I was still learning about the field and particular student populations. It is a lot more challenging now to be confronted with less than positive feedback because I feel like I should not need help at this point. I am in my classroom daily and I know that I do a lot of things really well. My principal confirmed that when she told me that she sees that I have lots of great teaching skills and she has never commented negatively about my instructional practices--it is only the management aspects that she is concerned about. She also said that she knows that some small changes will make a big difference and that she believes in me. She actually put a really nice card in my mailbox after we talked just to show me that she cares and has faith that I will be able to overcome some of the stuff we have been talking about. I know that at the end of this school year I will be able to look back and realize that this whole process only resulted in me strengthening my skills and becoming a better teacher. I love learning and I take classes all the time to become a better teacher, so I know I need to consider the help I will get from the Reading teacher as just part of that same process.

This sure has been a humbling experience and I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I would rather have a very active principal who watches me teach and offers support when needed than a principal who is not at all familiar with what my classroom is like and how I teach. The principal has very high standards--as do I. I just want to be at a place where I am meeting her standards in every way. I never thought I would love teaching Kindergarten as much as I do and after this week I even went so far as to ask the principal if she thinks I would be better suited to teach a different grade level where classroom management was not SUCH a huge part of instruction. She responded very quickly with no, not at all. I think this year is probably the most challenging year I will have in my career because of being away from Mr. Sneaker, teaching Kindergarten in a new school, and taking a full course load of classes for my doctorate. It's not secret that I have a lot on my plate right now, but that gives me all the more motivation to make sure I come out of this year a better, stronger person and a better teacher.

If I let this experience make me falter or take away the confidence I have as a teacher, then I am not the person I want to be. I need to embrace it for the learning experience that it is with the recognition that self improvement always requires a lot of dedication, commitment, and hard work. I am thankful that I have a great team that has listened to me talk this through on a daily basis, a principal who cares enough to not accept less than a stellar performance from her staff, other staff members who are willing to support me, and a roommate who helps me see the good in something that feels bad and put things into perspective. Times that are challenging and things that feel uncomfortable are usually the times that help us grow and improve ourselves, so I definitely have my work cut out for me!

Thanks for reading and listening!

Who let the dogs out?

Today I taught my students the phonics version of who let the dogs out (which you can see in the video I posted the other day).

One of my energetic little boys said, hey I know that song...it's from The Hangover. That's a grownup movie.

Now, if you have seen The Hangover, you KNOW that it is not exactly appropriate for FIVE year olds and despite having seen it more than once, I don't recall that song being in it. So, not only did this kiddo's parents allow him to watch it once, but enough times to remember the soundtrack....yikes!

Power Teaching

Today a grand effort was made to reteach my "give me five" quiet signal but sadly the results were only so so. I like to use a variety of things to get the kids to give me their attention. Sometimes I clap a rhythm and they clap back. Sometimes I use give me five. Sometimes I ring my little red bell. Sometimes I sing "stop look and listen" and the kids respond "right now." I use them strategically as I see fit and although there is not always 100% silence, I think that it's fun to mix it up a bit. My principal recommended yesterday that I focus on just one signal, which I did today, but it still was not really effective. I will keep practicing it, but I think I am in need of a fresh signal. I did a google search for "quiet signals for Kindergarten classrooms" and came across a page with some different ideas. Someone also posted a link to the video below.

I am truly in awe of this teacher. Obviously she has invested a lot of time teaching these songs, chants, and routines, but the outcome sure is great. I want to be in her class! It just makes me realize that sometimes as teachers, we need to rethink things and get fresh ideas from other teachers.

Check it out...



My principal did not come talk to me in person about the observations she made today, but she emailed me the notes. The kids were very on task during instruction time, but it's times when they go from being at work to giving me their full attention that are proving difficult. My belief is that Kindergarten is a work in progress and that each day will be filled with different surprises, lots of energy, and lots of fun. Yes, it will be a challenge and will always keep me on my toes, but I would much rather be a teacher than sit at a desk all day!

They're Baaaaack.....

Today went pretty well considering it was the first day back with my Kindergarten kiddos after being away from school for two whole weeks. It's always a gamble whether they will be subdued and tired from all the fun and absence of schedules or if they will be wired and hyper. My first class was really well behaved and did a great job enthusiastically reviewing the classroom routines for a good part of the morning. I warned them before break that we would not be having daily choice time anymore after the winter holidays and although they were a bit disappointed they handled it really well today and I didn't hear any complaints about doing the math folder games that I set out for everyone. A few kiddos actually discovered that they really liked the games which they had previously avoided during choice time. Unfortunately, when my principal popped in to observe (as she has been doing frequently lately) the kiddos didn't transition really well from math games to clean up to our birthday celebration and I felt not so great about being observed during that time.

My afternoon class was a LOT chattier and they had a more difficult time reviewing the routines. They did okay, but some of the kids who are either great or really chatty, were very talkative today. Overall the day went well, but when the principal popped in at the end of the pm session everything went in the crapper. I tried unsuccessfully to get their attention and it was a huge struggle. I am really rethinking the schedule that ends the day with math. It is really hard to keep the kids focused at the end of the day and that doesn't work well with new math instruction. I may swap math time with some of our sight word and letter activities since the kiddos can do those pretty independently now. The morning class ends with what used to be choice time and will now be supplemental math and reading activities followed by story time so it is easier to keep that group working until the very end of the day.


Prior to break my principal talked to me about some concerns she has regarding my classroom management so her checking in has been very frequent.  It just about killed me that she was questioning my teaching skills and it was a bitter pill to swallow because I kind of thought I crossed the line from being a new teacher who required a lot of assistance to a teacher with 5 years under my belt during which I took tons of classes and gained a good amount of experience and skills. My expectations for myself are high and I never want to fall short of anyone's expectations for me either. I feel like a little chaos is a typical part of a Kindergarten classroom and I know that Kindergarten teachers leave school tired at the end of the day for a reason....Kindergarten is not always quiet and organized, but I guess different people have different ideas of how a classroom should operate. So, after school my principal returned to my classroom to share some notes and observations with me and it ended up being a very positive encounter with her. I really appreciated the manner in which she shared her observations and her notes reflected more positives than negatives. I realize that there are definitely things I need to work on and my initial reaction that she was questioning my overall management is not necessarily the case there are just certain things that need fine tuning and practice. She is going to come back to observe more this week, which ultimately I think is a good thing, but I am not used to such a hands on principal. I hope that she can see some improvements in the areas that we discussed because like I said, it's really hard to feel like I am lacking as a teacher and it kind of feels like I am being watched a little too closely right now.

How often does your principal observe or "check in" with you?

How well do you handle construction criticism?

How was your first day back?

Double Digits

Whew...the LAST day of winter break....My running group got it done this morning with a 10 miler in Portland. It is cold out, but the sun was shining and running definitely kept us warm as we knocked out that course. I have never run that far before in my life and it felt good to reach a new milestone in my running endeavors. Afterward my roomie and I hit up the hot tub at our 24 hour fitness which felt really good on our sore muscles!

In addition to the goal of completing the half marathon, I would like to add looking like this to my 2011 goals....

hello! I guess cheating on your husband with a really hot guy does a body good! I am not really a Leann fan, but wow, she looks fantastic! Go girl!

Now that I am officially too tired to do anything else today, I am ready to relax! I still have to proofread two of my classmates' papers which we were supposed to do that over break and I haven't gotten to yet. I started last night and I am finding it really hard. I plan to get that done from a horizontal position in bed so my body can take a breather. I also have to look over my lesson plans so I am ready for the munchkins tomorrow! I actually miss my students and I am really looking forward to seeing their cute faces tomorrow, but I don't think I am quite ready to go back to the early wake up calls and long days of work followed by classes. Tomorrow is going to be round 2 of the first day of school for my kiddos and we are going to review a lot of rules and classroom procedures. It is really tough to come back after being away from school for two weeks, so hopefully we can quickly adjust and get back into the swing of things. I don't remember what state I left my classroom in because I was so focused on getting home and getting on the plane to see my honey on that last Friday. We had access to school on certain days during break, but they were all while I was away, so I will have to go in early tomorrow to make sure everything is in order. I heart vacations and I am sad to see this one go...

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2011! I barely stayed awake to watch the ball drop, but I rang in the new year with Janine and Jill. We enjoyed a lovely dinner of steak, salad, and potatoes and watched a few movies. One of the movies we watched was Going the Distance which is about a couple in a long distance relationship. I really liked the movie, but it hit really close to home. The airport scene where they parted was really tough to watch. I was really happy to spend the evening with great friends because it wasn't easy to spend New Year's Eve without my hubby, especially considering we got engaged four years ago on New Year's Eve at midnight, so it's a night with special meaning for us. Luckily, I had this guy to snuggle with...

 

 

he is wearing his doggy snuggie because it's COLD out!

I started the year out right by hitting the treadmill this morning at the gym followed by a pilates class. Luckily we went early enough so it wasn't super crowded yet, but I anticipate that the gym will be buzzing with all the people trying to start the new year by exercising and being healthier. I am happy that hitting the gym is part of my weekly routine regardless of the time of year and I don't have to make a resolution to be healthy--it's already a habit.

I always like to start the new year with some new goals, but before I make some new ones, let's take a look at what I set out to do in 2010....

1. Get in better shape-success! I'm feeling great, training for a half marathon, and have been exercising frequently in the past few weeks. This wasn't the case ALL year, but I am glad I made it through the holidays and ended the year on a good note!

2. Relax and go with the flow-success! I think I definitely got better at this in 2010 especially since moving back to the US and being away from Mr. Sneaker requires a pretty positive attitude.

3.Make a quilt-attempted but failed. I started my quilt in Germany with the help of Lucinda, but I have not done any work on it since I moved back to the US and don't see it getting finished any time soon....

4. Think more about others than myself-success! It's hard to really evaluate this and it's a work in progress, but I think I have made a good effort to do this, especially pertaining to my students' parents and my husband.

5. Read at least one book for pleasure each month-success! I had a few really busy months once I moved back in August, but I read 46 books this year for pleasure, so I am really happy with that. There were certain months that I read a ton, so those months definitely made up for the few months when I was extra busy. Help was probably the best book I read this year and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who has not read it yet! I also just read The Hunger Games which I also really liked!


New Goals for 2011

• Complete the half marathon in April! Tomorrow my training team is doing a 10 miler which will be the longest run I have ever done. I would also like to increase my speed during runs which I have been working on lately.
• Complete Core Paper and Specialty Paper for my doctoral program-these are both long papers that I need to write between now and the end of the school year. I will have present and defend both of them to my committee of faculty members and anyone else who comes to watch. They are huge milestones in the program and I have a LOT of work to do in order to catch up with the rest of my cohort since I missed most of last year when I was in Germany.
• Start my dissertation research-Hopefully I will be able to work on this a LOT this summer so that I can definitely complete by entire program in 2012! 
• Read at least 1 book for pleasure each month (I loved this goal last year!)
• Post on this blog more frequently! As I look back at posts from last year I realize how much more I was posting when I lived in Germany. I know that working part time and having a lot more free time has a lot to do with that, but I would like to get back into the habit of posting more. I know that blogs often change as life changes and I don't mind that sometimes I blog about stuff completely unrelated to teaching, but I would like to get back to the teacher talk and write more about what is going on in my classroom.

Did you make resolutions or set goals for the new year?

How did you celebrate last night?