Here it goes!

So...I've wanted to start a blog for a long time! I think getting started is the hardest part--it's like the first page of a brand new notebook. You want to make an impression because it's the first page and you don't want to mess up!

Here it goes--a brief intro...

 This is my ninth year teaching in public school. I've taught a variety of grade levels spending the majority of my time in fourth and fifth grade. This year I'm teaching fifth grade from scratch! The other two times were with looped classes (I highly recommend if you have a great class!)

A huge accomplishment last year was achieving National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Literacy. This was a huge undertaking! Why did I choose to do this? Well, the professional development I was receiving didn't meet my needs. I felt like I was hearing the same material over and over again. I felt stagnant--I was able to help others in the field, but not myself! Yes, I read professional lit and I applied new strategies based on my readings, but I wanted to push myself even more. One snippet of what I learned from the whole process is that with whatever you do in the classroom, with parents, or with your colleagues, always ask yourself, "How does this impact student learning?" We all want students to learn, but sometimes we lose focus of the "how" and "why". (I'm guilty myself!)

On a personal note...
I recently bought a new house, which my hubby and I are still unpacking! And I'm the proud mommy of twins--Lucas and Amelia! They entered the world 11 weeks prematurely last October and spent 8 weeks in the NICU. Now, they are happy, healthy, and striving! You'd hardly think they were preemies!