Family.

I took a year off of blogging last year, so I never got around to writing a reflection post. I was also in a weird spot. I was getting ready to leave another school that I absolutely loved, but I knew that the move I was making was a good one for my family. In my 2 short years at New Hope I accomplished a lot. I received my National Board Certification. I was nominated to be the school's Teacher of the Year. I felt seen. I felt supported. I loved the community. However, working in a different county than your kids has so many challenges. Different school calendars including a completely different week for Spring Break. We also had times where my county was open, but the kids county was closed for snow. I found myself having to take off more days than I prefer. So when the principal of my kid's school said that she had a position open for this year I jumped at the opportunity.

And boy am I glad I did! Obviously I have had experience with the school for the past 3 years as a parent. I knew many of the teachers, I knew the admin and so many staff members. But becoming a teacher opens your eyes to how much this school prides itself on family. We do things together at school and outside of school. I feel like I actually know every single person that works there, not just by saying hi to them in the hallway.

Oh and my 5th grade team... AMAZING! There were so many times throughout this school year where I would pause and wonder is this really our first year working together?! We clicked from the moment we started together in August and it just kept rolling from there. We planned together, shared ideas/resources, and our students were OUR students. We want all of students to do well whether they are in our homeroom or not. We also shared more than just work, we shared emotions, family, life. We were there for each other through the good times and the bad. Also, if you aren't aware... we LOVE matching outfits!

My word for this year is Family. Because this school community truly feels like a family.

I love summer time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate, but I am already excited for next school year!

January Reset

Things that I did in my classroom the week after winter break...

Sprinkled in a few New Year's Activities:

- One Word

Students create a Google Slide with a word that describes their year, goals, etc.

- New Year's Resolutions

Students think ahead to 2026 and the things they would like to accomplish.

- Vision Board

Students use Google Slides or Canva to create a vision board for the upcoming year.

- Winter Break Mood Check

I assigned this slide deck in Google Classroom for students to complete during the first week back. It gave them a safe place to let me know how their break was and how they are currently feeling about being back at school. You will be surprised what they will tell you!

Classroom Routine Reset:

Most things stayed the same, but I took this opportunity to change a few things for the second half of the school year and review the routines that were the most important to our classroom.

I also introduce a one rule classroom at this point in the year. It's simple and something that I can use to easily redirect as needed. Is what you are doing interrupting the learning of others? Then don't do it.

While I sprinkled in the activities above, we most importantly dove right back into learning. The middle of the year is 2 weeks away upon our return. That means mid-year testing will be quickly approaching and it is time to get their brains back on track. Kids also thrive off of routine, so establishing the schedule on day 1 is important.

Lastly, have some grace. Remember that the break was different for everyone. Some students may be excited to get back to school so that they have hot meals for breakfast and lunch. Some may be excited to see friends that they haven't seen in 2 weeks. Some may be tired because they were off their usual schedule (teachers included!). Some would rather be at home with their families. All of these things are completely acceptable. When jumping back into the schedule and routines, it is important to understand that some students may need some time to adjust and a few extra reminders.

Hope the rest of your school year goes well!

The One Where I Turned 40

I started looking through pictures of this past year and forgot how truly amazing this year was. There was one theme. Travel.

January brought a few snow/ice days to NC. We had already decided to sneak away down to Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte for a belated birthday trip for Mackenzie, but we ended up not having to "sneak" since it ended up being a snow day for school! Since this Great Wolf Lodge is so close, we took advantage and got almost 2 full days in the water park!

February allowed me to fly up to Maryland and visit my girls for a quick weekend away. I love when coworkers become family and am so happy that we keep in touch. We did a paint night and enjoyed a nice dinner out. Kyle was also happy with another Eagles Super Bowl win as we hosted another fun party.

March ended with chaperoning Mackenzie’s field trip to the Outer Banks. We spent a full 48 hours visiting Jeanette’s Pier, climbing to the top of Currituck Lighthouse and Jockey’s Ridge, seeing the Wright Brothers Memorial, and exploring the Lost Colony. It was fun just being a parent/chaperone and not being in charge of activities and other people!

April took us to Phoenix, Arizona for an anniversary getaway with my cousin and his wife. We played lots of golf, ate lots of food, and explored Sedona on a jeep tour. It even snowed while we were there!

May was pretty calm. No travels, but we did go to the ACC baseball championship game at the Durham Bulls stadium.

June carried us to our annual beach vacation to Ocean Isle Beach full of family, food, golf, and swimming! We also went to Busch Gardens with my childhood BFF and her kids.

July produced an epic road trip. The month started off with me sneaking away to Tennessee to play in a golf tournament and ended with a road trip from North Carolina to Ohio to Chicago then to Tennessee. Our trip to Chicago included marking off 3 more baseball stadiums from our list, including driving up to Milwaukee for the day. I ended the month by turning 40.

August brought about back to school season. I finally landed a job at the neighborhood school where the kids have gone the past 3 years. It immediately felt like home.

September we entered the baseball family life. Jackson joined a team for the first time and we enjoyed watching him learn and grow.

October stayed calm with a visit from my mom and some STEAM club projects.

November was filled with more travel. The fifth graders trekked up to Washington, D.C. for 36 hours of jam packed experiences. We visited Mount Vernon, DC monuments at night, Ford’s Theatre, Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, Washington Monument, and Smithsonian museums. Kyle, the kids, and I then snuck off to Orlando. We spent Thanksgiving with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom and then fulfilled Jackson’s Lego dreams by hitting up Legoland. We also stopped by Savannah, Ga on our way back home to visit with my uncle.

December didn’t bring any travel, but we packed in some local fun. Family time at the Flyers-Hurricanes hockey game and a fun afternoon playing Top Golf. Our Christmas was spent in North Carolina with lots of family time.

I am truly so thankful for all of the amazing things that occurred this year. Turning 40 sounds scary, but honestly it hasn't been so bad. I feel like I'm hitting my groove with parenting, teaching, marriage, and life.

Can’t wait to see what 2026 brings!

It Doesn't Actually Get Easier

I had a few different interactions this week that got me thinking. I know that I have been guilty of saying this as well, but we really need to stop telling teachers (especially new teachers) that it gets easier. Here me out...

The first couple years of a teacher's career is about learning WHAT to teach. You focus on learning the standards, learning the curriculum, working to build lesson plans, and figure out how to manage the classroom. Often during those first few years you either rely heavily on others to give you lessons/resources or you rely heavily on using the curriculum as it is handed to you. And guess what, this is absolutely fine as you navigate the world of education.

However, after those first couple of years is when people think that teaching gets easier. There may be some aspects of the job that get easier, for example, classroom management and organization. But now a shift occurs. By year 3-4, the focus needs to shift from what to teach to HOW to teach it best to your students. Assuming that you have stayed in the same grade and the standards or curriculum haven't changed, teachers must now think about how they can teach the content better. You have learned that there is not curriculum/program that is perfect. So at this point teachers will begin to put in extra work to take the resources given to them and make it better to fit the needs of the students in their classroom.

Even veteran teachers have to work hard if they want to truly do a good job teaching their students. Each year we are given a set of students. This group of students is never the same as the year before. They have different interests, different learning styles, different abilities, and the list goes on. As a teacher we must use what is given to us or even what we have created previously and adapt it for the current class. Just this past week I had to put in some work to think about how to teach the topic of factors. I used my resources from last year and it just wasn't working for my current students. I did some research and tried some new things. If I wanted to take the easy way out then I could have just said oh well and kept moving forward without my students understanding.

While teaching may not get easier year after year, what teachers do gain is experience. This experience helps you work more efficiently, helps you make better decisions, and helps you build your catalog of resources for you to store away for those times when you have to pivot and teach something a different way.

If it doesn't get easier, then why do we do it? Because of the kids. Year after year, watching students learn and grow is so rewarding.

To all the new teachers, hang in there. While I won't say that it gets easier, I will say that it does get better. As you gain that experience, you will learn what works and what doesn't and you will be able to make better decisions that will affect your students and yourself. 

**Side note - I know that everyone's experience teaching is different. I have been in schools where the climate was toxic, the support from admin didn't exist, and things just never felt like they would get better. I also know that teaching is not for everyone. The words above are my experience and for all of us to think about keeping things realistic when talking to new teachers.

Home.

My school year reflection is a little later than usually this year. We went away to the mountains for my son's birthday and Father's Day and then I had a major surgery so things have been just a little busy.

I also didn't want to rush this reflection because this year was different. This was my second school since I moved to North Carolina two years ago. I loved my school last year. I worked with amazing people, but I knew about halfway through the year that I wasn't going to stay there because it was too far from home and so I put a wall up. I changed my mindset. I showed up, I did my job, and I was cordial to people I worked with, but I didn't attempt to make lasting relationships.

I wanted my new school to be different. I wanted this school to be my new home. A place where I want to stay for an extended time because let's be honest moving classrooms and schools year after year is absolutely no fun. As soon as I met the principal and math coach at the job fair I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I even remember the principal telling me to go talk to other schools and if I thought it would be a good fit to come back. So I did and after 5 minutes I was back at her table saying sign me up, I want the job!

Since I was hired in April, I was invited the next week to stop by my new school to check it out before the school year ended. Right away I felt comfortable there. The people were inviting, the students were welcoming, and everything seemed focused on the students and teachers and what they needed.

Fast forward to August and the excitement and nerves of the new year. I remember showing up the first day and not even knowing where my classroom was to having multiple teachers working together to unload my car, finding furniture to put in my room, and showing me all around the building. I know it's cliché but the culture of a school is truly the first thing you notice when you walk into a building.

This year was a whirlwind. Being in a new grade level, still somewhat new state, new county, new school meant learning all of the new things. I would be lying if I said that the beginning of the year wasn't a struggle. It took time to learn what worked best for my students and myself. I feel like I changed things a million times.

It also took time to feel comfortable advocating for what was best for my students. Being the new person often means being a rule follower and teaching how and what the state/county wants you to. But I also know as a veteran teacher that boxed curriculums don't work for all kids. Once I got in my groove of using curriculum as a tool and remembered to put the kids first things got much better.

It also helped that the fourth grade team is freaking amazing. When I was feeling lost or overwhelmed they were my safe place. They were easy to talk to, full of resources, and always willing to listen. I started building relationships around the school. It started to feel like home. This is a place that I want to not only come back to next year, but year after year.

So as this year wrapped up and I got into summer mode the word that just kept coming to mind was home. While home can have different meanings for everyone, to me it is a place of comfort. It is a place where I (and everyone!) feel welcome. I am proud to call this school my home. I am also REALLY excited to not move all of my stuff again! Ha!

One Word: Simplicity

I have never really been a big resolution person. Like most people, I make a list of things to accomplish and never reach them. (shout out to those who actually accomplish their goals!) However, over the past few years I have done the one word challenge to live by throughout the year.

This year I picked the word SIMPLICITY.

During winter break, I put the laptop away and truly focused on resting and relaxing. While doing this I was able to think about life: myself, my kids, my husband, our house, and work. As I was doing some cleaning before our guests arrived I started to focus on STUFF. Part of my anxiety deals with clutter. When there is STUFF everywhere I get overwhelmed and instead of being able to clean it up, I just shut down and leave it there. This triggers the anxiety of feeling like our house is cluttered. 

So I decided that this year I am going to focus more on living simple. I'm going to go through our house room by room and decide if the STUFF has a place and purpose, or is it just taking up space. I turned my closet hangers around like people suggest and anything that I haven't worn during this year is getting donated. Those pants that I keep holding onto because I am sure one day I will be back down to my pre-kid size, gone. 

I also felt this way as I sat and watched my kids open presents at Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love watching them open presents and will never take that way from them. But there were SO MANY! (our families are large and people enjoy buying them things) For birthdays we have already made the shift to just one or two gifts and focusing more on experiences, and I think I am ready for that to happen during Christmas as well. I think even the kids get overwhelmed with so many new things at once that they end up not playing with some of the things.

Honestly, one thing that sparked this idea of simplicity is the craze of people buying Stanley cups. I'm sure they are amazing cups, but I have a hard time paying that price for a cup when I already have a cabinet full of them. So I plan to carry this "simple life" over to purchasing items as well. Next time I want to click that Buy Now button on Amazon, fill up my Target cart and place a pick up order, or fill my cart with impulse buys at Walmart, I'm going to stop and think do I truly need this? Not only will this help with my desire to reduce clutter and simplify my life, it will also help save money in the long run! 

I decided that this idea of simplicity can also carry over to my school-life as well. I decided that I can be more intentional about the activities that I have my kids do. Less copies, more hands-on learning. Less busy work, more activities/practice games. Less focus on grades, more focus on feedback. Feedback is something that I struggle with sometimes and it goes back to that idea of anxiety/clutter. Sometimes I end up giving more assignments that require feedback than is truly needed. Then these assignments begin to pile up waiting for me to give them feedback. Instead of being able to tackle the pile, I put it off due to anxiety. Then I realize that it has piled up for so long that even if I did sit down and give them feedback it wouldn't be relevant to their current learning anymore. This is where the more intentional activities/assignments comes into play. Understanding that some activities are just practice and don't require feedback, while others can be used to assess learning and provide students with an idea of how they are doing.

We live in a world that is always on the go. We live in a world that loves material things. However, I am making the choice to slow down and live with less this year.

I always enjoy seeing what other people have picked for their one word for the year. So what is yours?

PS - this word also comes from a book that I read during 2020. Our local library was doing mystery bundles from the library where they would pick 3 random books for you to read since people could not go into the library to browse the shelves. The book is called 7 Days to Simplicity by Jen Hatmaker and it also really helps to put things into perspective.

Thankful.

Thankful.

That's my word for this year. As I sit here during the post-Christmas hangover, I was thinking about this past year and realized that so many things happened (both good and bad) and I'm just thankful to make it through another year.

This year we celebrated our 10 year anniversary by sneaking away for a quick weekend to Orlando and visited Universal Studios. We also spent a weekend with my cousin and his wife in New England. I'm thankful for family that is willing to watch our kiddos whenever we want to have a little adult time.

This year both of my grandmothers (ages 90 and 94) suffered strokes. I'm thankful that they are both strong, badass women who overcame their medical issues. Oh and they both still live in their homes by themselves. I've learned a lot from both of them.

This year we were able to pull off a surprise 80th birthday party for my mother-in-law in Pennsylvania. Seeing all of the people there to celebrate her was so amazing.

This year we had so many fun, family trips. We went to Nashville for my cousin's wedding. We went to Gatlinburg to spend time with my husband's family. We had our annual beach trip with my family. 

This year I found a new school that feels like home. Amazing people, awesome leadership, and just a fun atmosphere. Finding a place where you feel welcomed, celebrated, and trusted is not always easy to find.

This year my kids were able to go to the same school for the first time. While this may sound silly, you don't realize how hard it is to constantly be the new kid in a new school. I've enjoyed watching them make friendships, get invited to birthday parties, and participate in a school community that feels like family.

This year we got to celebrate Christmas in our home. When we lived in Maryland, we always traveled to either North Carolina or Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas with family. Since this was our year in NC, we got to stay at our home. Again, sounds silly, but being able to wake up in your own bed and set up/play with presents in your own home is so relaxing.

Thankful for family and friends. Thankful for good health. Thankful for another year.

Subject to Change

I always love to reflect on the previous year. Some years are great and others not so much. This year brought about a lot of changes.

We made some huge life decisions like moving our family down to North Carolina. It was something we have been talking about doing, but different things came up health-wise that kept us in Maryland an extra year.

I found a job in Wake County after being at my previous school for 9 years. Change can be scary and leaving a place where I had met so many coworkers that became friends was hard. A place where I had made a name for myself. A place where families and students knew who I was and wanted to be in my class. A place where I was comfortable.

We then had the joy of looking for a new house in a housing market that was crazy. People were putting in contracts for way more than asking price, offering ridiculous cash offers, etc. We came down during spring break to look at houses and didn't see anything that sparked our interest. Literally the day after we left NC a house came on the market that we loved. We decided to put in an offer without seeing it (crazy right?!) and somehow our contract got picked! Buying a house can be stressful, but everything worked out.

Next up moving. The moving industry is corrupt and I hope I never have to do it again. Add on to the fact that it was the end of the school year. I had covid, then the rest of my family had covid. The moving company held our stuff for almost 14 days, so my poor husband was in our new house with one bed and an air mattress, a few toys, and grocery delivery through instacart!

While April through June was stressful, we spent the summer traveling. We visited family and friends, saw new states, new baseball stadiums, and had a blast!

September brought the new school year! My amazing daughter started her third school in three years. She handles every change that comes her way like a champ. She is doing amazing. My son started kindergarten and while I was not sure how he would do with school as he spent all summer saying "I not going", he absolutely loves it and asks every morning if it is a school day.

I started at my new school love it. It is a place where I am treated with respect and as a professional. However it is challenging being the new person again. Students don't know me. Staff members don't know me. I want to be the leader that I was in my previous school, but also learning to take a step back and just learn this year.

The theme for this year was change. One of my favorite music artist is Kelsea Ballerini. She came out with an album and song called Subject to Change and it just felt like the theme song for my year. I used to hate change. I was a planner who thought things out from short term to long term. If things didn't go as planned I would struggle. Having cancer changed that. I stopped looking into the future so much. I learned to enjoy the day to day life. Whatever happens, happens. So enjoy these lyrics from Kelsea's song. I am certainly taking them into 2023 with me!

If I'm honest
Growing up, it kind of hurts like hell
It's chaotic, ironic
But it's how I learn to find myself, yeah
Thank God, I don't know about tomorrow
Thank God, I take it day by day
Oh, I don't think about the chapters
It's all about turning the page

2021 - What a Dumpster Fire!

Well here we are. Another year done. Another year that we thought was going to be WAY different than it actually was.

The year started off in Florida, in the middle of a pandemic. We chose to go away for New Year's because I knew the bad news that was coming. Right before Christmas was when I found my lump. I decided that we needed to get away before the craziness that was coming.

January we got the dreaded news. The c-word that no one wants to hear. Found out that we would be teaching from home until March.

February had surgery, but also found out it had spread to lymph nodes.

March started chemo, but also returned to work in the building.

April, May, June got approved to work from home while going through chemo. We also decided to sell our house because you know why not add more crazy to our lives.

July moved into a new temporary home. New neighbors, new school for Mackenzie, new area to learn. We also traveled to Nashville to spend a week with my husband's family (and visit mine).

August finished chemo, celebrated with friends, then went to the beach for a week with family. My happy place. I had a week to just do nothing. No doctors appointments, no treatments, no work, nothing. However, the end of August brought illness for my husband. (we can't catch a break this year) 

September started radiation, but also started back to school it what has been even more weird than 2020. Kids in the building, kids at home. Masks on. Social distancing (*when possible). Eat in the classroom. Trying to pretend that everything is normal. (side note - it's not) Went to a concert for the first time in years. Had a girls weekend in Hershey! Massage and facials!

October finished radiation! Traveled to St. Louis for a wedding. We met more of my husband's family and also caught up with old friends.

November celebrated birthdays, Thanksgiving, family visits, and spent the day in Hershey's Chocolate World to celebrate our daughter turning 7.

December we went on a cruise. We decided that we had both been through A LOT this year and we needed to celebrate. We also spent Christmas in North Carolina with family.

Proud.

The year is winding down. It felt like the beginning of the year was flying by and then man the last 3 months felt like an eternity. 

This year was weird. It was an adventure. It was full of unknowns, new things, changing the way we look at education, the way we teach, the way the students learn. Some kids thrived. Some didn't. 

Personally, this school year was full of challenges. From learning how to teach 100% online, something that even I struggled with no matter how comfortable I am using technology. To trying to engage students and build relationships, again something that I put first in my teaching, but struggled with this year. To my personal health issues that began in January.

However, as I look back and there is one word that sticks out. Proud. 

I am proud of my students who overcame the challenges of learning from home, those who adapted to hybrid learning, those who were taking care of siblings or other children in the house while also trying to keep up their own education.

I am proud of my school and coworkers who came together to get through a challenging year. We shared resources and ideas to help us master virtual learning and then we making our school a fun and safe place to be once hybrid learning began.

But mostly I am proud of myself. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January. Had surgery in February. Started chemotherapy in March. I started off with a positive mindset that I wanted to finish the year, but I also made sure to put my health first. I took off the days that I needed to take off, or days that I just didn't feel good. I fought to get my accommodations approved so that I could work from home. As much as I wanted to be in the school building, I knew that the safest place for me to be is at home.

I am proud of myself for putting ME first. I learned to say no. I learned to stand up for myself when I knew I couldn't handle something. I took a break from the "extra" stuff, like creating resources and blogging. I knew that I needed to focus on me and my students. 

I am proud of me for getting through this year. And I am proud of ALL the teachers out there that persevered through ALL of the challenges that this year threw at us. While I am excited to get back to normal next year, I think it is also important that we don't go back to the previous "normal". There are a lot of things that this year taught us about the education world and we as educators much make sure that we are ready to face even more challenges as we push forward.

I hope that you all are doing well!

Repost - Reflecting on the Past Decade

Since I started a new blog, I wanted to bring this post over to this one because I always enjoy looking back at where I've started and where I'm heading.

This is something we need to keep in mind with our kids and students. Everyone is on their own path and everyone has a different starting point. So what looks like growth for one person or child may look completely different for another person or child. Celebrate the small journeys along the path and keep it moving forward.

Little did I know that 2020 was going to be one heck of a year, but it is still fun to go back and read what all has happened.