Excitement for 2015-2016

My husband has informed me a couple of times that I'm more of a glass half empty kinda person than a glass half full. I beg to differ. I don't think I'm a negative person. At all. But I do think I am very realistic. Sometimes what's realistic is negative, and sometimes what's realistic is positive. I am not one to sugar coat anything, (and I typically always find those people annoying). I appreciate honesty. Tell it like it is - nothing more, nothing less. Don't try to make something out to be something that it's not. Shoot straight with me. Keep it 100, and we might just be BFFs!

Tomorrow is our third day back at school for teachers. At the start of the school year, stress levels can sometimes be high because there's so much to get done before the kids arrive. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, so I decided to write a post focusing on the positives. I would truly hate if others thought of me as being glass half empty. If it's just my husband, cool. Others, not cool.

There really is a lot to be excited about this school year!

1.) New Schedule - The 7th grade schedule has changed from teaching one class before planning to two. I think I am going to love this change. The kids usually get pretty rowdy after their enrichment courses, and then they still have 3 more core classes to go. This allows us to get in one more class period before they leave us for enrichment classes.

2.) Teaching a New Section - I will be teaching one 8th grade class this year first thing in the morning. I have never taught 8th graders, so I'm excited to see if I will mesh well with them. I student taught with 6th graders and then had one 6th grade class my first year teaching. So, after this year, I will have taught all three levels. I'm interested in seeing if teaching 8th grade is something I may be interested in in the future.

3.) Coaching Volleyball at the Middle School - I have coached volleyball for several years. My friend and I had our first team of developmental (11 and under) players our senior year in high school.  After that, I've coached JV at Lugoff-Elgin High, a 16s club team, several seasons of 15s club, and this past year was the assistant Varsity and interim head Varsity when the head coach was on maternity leave. This year I will be the assistant coach at the middle school I teach at. I have never coached this level. I'm suppperrr excited to be able to work with girls on basic fundamentals because they are so, so important. It's frustrating at the high school level when there are players that still do some things incorrectly or haven't fully mastered basic skills. It's much harder to break them of those bad habits at that point. I will definitely miss the high school girls and the fast-paced game, but I can't wait for this new experience.

4.) Co-Teaching - This year I will be co-teaching two classes with a new teacher to the school. I LOVE doing lots of group work, stations, and activities that have kids up out of their seats and moving around the room. And I often pull small groups of students and work with them directly for some extra tutoring while other students are working independently. Having another teacher in the room is going to be so wonderful for this!!!

5.) New Way of Grading - As mentioned in a previous post, I will be transitioning to more Standards Based Grading. I still have some reservations and questions/thoughts that I need to figure out, but that's also another reason why I'm stoked about co-teaching. We will be able to bounce ideas off of one another and figure out what's going to work best for us and our students. I'm worried that it may be too much to implement this with all classes, so right now I'm thinking of just doing it with the classes that are being co-taught. Not 100% sure on this though.

OOOOHH and I got new carpet in my room! It's the small things, y'all!

See Tim, I can be a glass half full sometimes!

Things I realized this summer

Disclaimer: This is a complete random post that really serves no purpose.

Today was the last official day of summer for teachers. I love my students and I love teaching, but ooooh do I love summer, too!!

After reflecting on my summer, here's a list of things I've realized:

1.) I've spent wayyyy too much time on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Google, etc. And I'm not even one of those girls that's glued to her phone. Just having extra time had me on it more. I'm pretty sure I posted more things this summer than I did the entire last school year.

2.) I don't think I'll ever grow out of wanting to stay up late and sleep all day. And when I say all day...I mean ALL day! I've always heard that that would change when I became an "adult" with a big girl job. Well. It hasn't.

3.) I love just being a wife. Organizing, cooking, and cleaning are things that typically get put on the  back burner during the school year. I come home late (after volleyball), usually exhausted, and often times still have school work to do...which means take-out and a cluttered house. And take-out and a cluttered house eventually leads to stress and unhappiness. Plus my mostly innocent husband is the one that I end up taking my frustration out on. (Love ya, Tim.) Even though it seems like I say it every year, I have GOT to find a balance this school year.

4.) I LOVE being an aunt! I became an aunt for the first time in June. Buying for baby girls is so much fun!!

5.) I have picked up 2 new hobbies. Experimenting with my Essential Oils from Young Living and becoming an independent distributor for AdvoCare and helping myself and others meet their health and wellness goals. I never had intentions of being a distributor of either one. I started using Essential Oils in April or May, and it's been so much fun. I love trying DIY recipes and learning new ways to use the oils to replace common household products that contain harsh chemicals and are loaded with toxins. I started with purchasing the Premium Starter Kit (which is currently on sale), and  I thought that would probably be it. Boy, was I wrong. I am now buying different oils every month and have a Pinterest board full of different things to try.

The same goes with AdvoCare. I did not have intentions on becoming a Distributor. I just wanted to try the 24 Day Challenge and figured I'd be done with it after that. Halfway through the challenge, I was loving the products and noticed a huge difference in the way they made me feel. That's when I decided that I would want to help others experience the same benefits that I did. I am a big believer in AdvoCare and still use products daily!!

If you're interested in learning more about the 24 Day Challenge, I found this awesome video here! Check it out and let me know what you think!!

How I Use Essential Oils

I have been asked about my Essential Oils and how I use them. Here's a list of ways that I have used the oils since I got them in May:

1.) Tim hardly ever goes to the doctor. He hates going and would rather suck it up and deal with whatever's bothering him than go the doctor. Well, just a couple of weeks ago, he surprised me and went. I had no idea he was going or that he was even sick. Figures. Communication is not his strong point. Anywho....when I got home, he was laid up in the recliner (as usual) but did look terrible. He was miserable. The doctor said he couldn't believe that Tim had lasted that long still going to work and everything. He had a severe sinus infection. He was given a Z-Pack. He had taken the first dose of the Z-Pack when I got home. I came in and told him that I was putting some oils on him. No arguing. You're not telling me no. End of story.

I applied Thieves on the vita flex points on his toes. I also applied Thieves on his throat and Lavender on his face where he said there was sinus pressure (around nose, under eyes, forehead over his eyebrows, etc.).

He took NyQuil not too soon after I applied the oils and went to sleep. He was perfect the next day. I don't know about you...but it typically takes me a few days after being on a Z-Pack to start feeling any better. You do the math on that one. :)

2.) Tim was congested last night, so I applied Thieves around his nose. He said it definitely worked!!      
    (I was doing backflips on the inside when he told me!!)

3.) I always keep a pitcher of water with oils in them in my fridge. This is probably my favorite way to use my oils and is definitely how I use them the most. I put Lemon, Peppermint, and Grapefruit in the water. When I'm not drinking my AdvoCare Spark, I'm drinking this. It's delish, and the combo of the three is supposed to be a detox. When I first started drinking the oils, I could immediately tell that I was not craving sodas anymore...I was craving that water! It was super easy to get down, and I was always wanting to drinking more and more. Peppermint is supposed to help curb appetite and is an energy booster, Lemon is supposed to detox the liver and is also an energy booster, and Grapefruit helps with bloating, digestion, and cravings. win-win-win!

4.) I put a drop of Purification on a cotton ball and put the cotton balls in my tennis shoes after I've been working out and they've gotten a lil stank...any odor is GONE by the next morning. Purification is an odor eliminator. It doesn't cover up smells - it takes them away.

5.) Again with Purification on cotton balls. While we were at the beach a couple of weeks ago, my lovely older brother went golfing with Tim, and they took his truck. Apparently they had some sweaty, straight-up stank..and I mean stank golf shoes and towels that they had left in there. I felt like I couldn't breathe in his truck the smell was so awful. I put the cotton balls with Purification on them in the air vents. Odor was soon gone!

6.) I made a face cream to use at night in place of my moisturizer. I talked about it here and here.

7.) I also made makeup remover cloths the same time I made the face cream. I talked about making these here and here. I absolutely love these and will never, ever, ever buy the Neutrogena ones I used to spend about $6 on for 25 cloths again.

8.) I made face soap this week using just 3 ingredients!! I talked about making it here.

9.) I have used Frankincense, Purification, and Tea Tree at different times on acne. It's amazing how quickly all three of these have worked.

10.) I have used stress away on my shoulders and neck when I have felt tense after a long day of work.

I purchased the Premium Starter Kit which came with a diffuser, 11 oils, and some sample packets. I think it was around $160. You must become a wholesale customer in order to purchase one of the kits which means that you will automatically get 24% off all purchases. There's no commitment or anything else involved when signing up as a wholesale member.

NOTE: Young Living is currently running a promotion and has $10 off of Premium Starter Kits!! I wish that was the case when I bought mine. If you've been on the fence about buying some, now really is the time to do so. The sale is good through August 14!

I would love to help you and your fam get started with using Essential Oils and living a toxic free lifestyle. Let me know if you want more info or have questions!! I am by no means an expert. I am still learning. This has really turned into a hobby. I enjoy making things and finding new uses for my oils.

Things to make or do next with my oils: Room Spray (like air freshener or Febreze), Poo-Pourri Spray, Liquid Laundry Detergent, Detox Bath



Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information represents what I, an Independent Distributor of Young Living Essential Oils, have chosen to do to change my lifestyle and personal health. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

DIY Face Soap Using Essential Oils

Today I made my own face soap using some of my Young Living Essential Oils. I love that I am living a healthier life with essential oils by replacing products that contain harsh chemicals with ones that contain all natural ingredients. I love knowing exactly what's going in my body and what's in my household.

What I REALLY love about this is that it's simple. If I read about anything DIY, domestic(ish) online that I would like to try but has 10,000 ingredients and/or steps, I'm out. That's a wrap. Close the tab. Next.     This has 3 ingredients and 3 steps. It's liz-friendly. I approve!


Here's what I used:

• Pure Castile Soap (I get mine at Target)
• Foaming Soap Dispenser (I reused one from Bath and Body Works)
• Distilled Water
• Young Living's Frankincense
• Young Living's Tea Tree 

1.) Fill container about 1/3 way full with the Pure Castile Soap.

2.) Add Essential Oils. I put about 8 drops of Tea Tree and 6 drops of Frankincense. Tea Tree is supposed to help fight acne and is a cleanser that is actually in many skin care products. Frankincense also supports your skin health by reducing the appearance of wrinkles, sunspots, scars, etc.

3.) Fill the rest with distilled water.
Shake before each use to ensure the oils are dispersed throughout the bottle.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

My husband used it before I did tonight. I asked him how he thought it was. The only response I got out of him was that it smelled weird.
Typical.

I love that I am taking steps towards having less toxins in our home!! Please let me know if you have any suggestions or other ways that you're using your oils!

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  The information represents what I, an Independent Distributor of Young Living Essential Oils, have chosen to do to take charge of my own personal health.  Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. 

On another note...how about the season finale of The Bachelorette from Monday?!? AHHHHH!! So excited that Shawn got the final rose!

And why am I up writing a blog post at 2:35 am?! Well, duh, it's summer. And I'm a teacher, so I can! 
#sorrynotsorry
#enjoyingitwhileican

School Supplies

I am all about a good deal - especially on school supplies. Office Depot has different school supplies on sale each week starting on Sundays. Last week they had Sharpie singles for $0.25, 4-pack glue sticks for $0.25, and 5-pack highlighters for $0.25. Although I was on vacation at the beach last week, I had to go find a store.

I ended up getting a total of 12 Sharpies, 24 glue sticks, and 60 highlighters for about $8!!!              CRAAAY-ZEEE!!

They have lots more deals this week. After church and lunch, my husband and I stopped by for 100-pack notecards for $0.01 and 10-pack pens for $0.01. While there, I saw that they have plastic folders that I need for $0.60.

I ended up with 8 plastic folders, 6 100-pack index cards, and 9 10-pack of pens for under $6!!

Last year, I had students use glue sticks in their interactive notebooks, and they about drove me insane. Tops to the glue sticks magically disappeared ALL the time (yet I would find them on the floor all over the room once students were gone), the glue sticks would dry out, and students were always needing new ones. I stocked up at the beginning of the year thanks to Office Depot, but it was still a pain to always be handing them out.

So, this year I want to try tape instead. I have a feeling the girls will enjoy using their own colored or patterned tape, but I need to have some for students who do not have any. Please let me know if you see any good deals!!!

Beginnings of Standards Based Grading(ish)

One of my goals for the 2015-2016 school year is to implement some sort of new grading system. Why? Because I hate how now, students can take a test, fail it, and think it's no big deal because we automatically move on to something else.

NO!! IT IS A BIG DEAL! I want to hold my students accountable and have high standards for them. If they don't understand something by the day of the test, it doesn't just go away. They will see that same topic again, so it is important for students to "get it." I really don't care if they "get it" after 10 minutes or 10 weeks - all that matters to me is that they eventually master the topic. Not everybody learns the same way or in the same amount of time. Totally cool with that. And that's why something's gotta change in room 207!

I have read and heard a lot about Standards Based Grading (SBG), and I have been intrigued. I want to change my traditional use of quizzes, tests, and exams so that skills are specifically listed in the grade book instead of a meaningless quiz title such as "Quiz 3.1-3.3". I want to know the exact skill(s) that students do not understand and have not mastered rather than a mere grade of 16/20 on a quiz that covered 4 different skills. So, this year, the score for each skill will be listed in the grade book.

Once I know the exact skill that students are struggling with, I can reteach and provide opportunities for students to practice and re-quiz on that specific skill.

I don't think what I'm going to do is full out SBG, but is definitely more in that direction.
I'm not going to allow students to make anything lower than a "B" or 85% on ANY skill covered on a  quiz. If they do, I will enter that grade in the grade book, but students will be required to re-quiz on that one skill, and then their score will be updated in the grade book.

Although it will most likely change, this is how I'm envisioning this happening in my classroom:
-Teach 1-4 skills
-Students take 1 quiz on those skills. Each skill has it's own section and spot for a score within the quiz. So, if a quiz covers 2 skills, students will actually get 2 scores in the grade book - one for each skill.
-Return graded quizzes. Students fill in their scores for each skill on a grade tracking sheet I will pass out. They will glue these in the front of their Interactive Notebook. (see picture below)
-Students will re-quiz ONLY on the skill that they did not get an "A" or a "B" on.
-I replace the grade in the grade book if the score is higher than before.

Quiz Tracking Form

For re-quizzing, I'm thinking I will have it in class probably once a week or once every other week or whenever time allows. For students that have mastered every single skill, they will have some free time while their peers are working. This will be a great motivator for students to do well on quizzes the FIRST time.

Questions/Thoughts I have as I am working through all this:

•  Should I still give tests? How will that work? Just give a cumulative test after every 2-3 chapters/topics since I will be giving more quizzes than normal? 
• This seems like a lot of grading...how can I manage that? Use Digits, Google Form, Socrative, etc. so that it is automatically graded? 
• I'm teaching 3 preps this year (yikes!) - should I only start this with 1 prep? Or go all in and have all my classes do this? 
• Should I enter all grades as I usually do (numerically)? Or, should I only enter the numerical score if the student passed the skill with an "A" or "B" and enter a "NY" for students that have "not yet" mastered this skill, but enter the actual numerical score in the comments section so that it is still on record?

What are your thoughts? I would love any feedback and/or suggestions you have!!

Math Calendar FREEBIE!

I finished my Masters Degree in November of 2014. Many of the books and articles we were required to read stressed the importance of two key ideas in helping our students learn mathematics - having students experience a "productive struggle" and providing them with opportunities for cumulative review.

Here are two books that I found the most helpful:

In my three l o n g short years of teaching, I have learned so, SO much about what it means to be an effective teacher. I think most teachers can relate to this: you have an AwEsOmE lesson planned. you have spent hours preparing. you have researched (more like pinterest) ideas. you have gathered materials. you've made copies. you've laminated. you have manipulatives and visuals and sometimes even a song! you have hands-on activities, games, and stations. You deliver the lesson. And you NAILED IT! (high five!) Students had fun AND learned. It's a win-win. And you even have assessment data to prove it.

Fast forward 2 months later. You bring up the exact same topic to the class.
*crickets*
*dazed, blank stares*

"Really?!? Y'all don't remember this?!" Teacher bangs head on a concrete wall. 


Students HAVE to have cumulative review. And if not, stop what you're doing. Go ahead and get some band-aids....Cuz you gon' need 'em!

After looking on Pinterest a couple of years ago, I decided that Math Calendars would be a neat way for students to consistently review previously learned material. So, I created a couple and LOVED them, but I never found the time to create more. These are also the most purchased items in my Teacher's Pay Teacher's Store. I really like these because there's so much flexibility in the way that you could potentially use them. You could keep them in the classroom and have students complete one a day, or have them work on a week at a time and check them in class as you go.

I typically pass them out on the first day of the month. Students are responsible for taking them home and keeping up with them. They are due back around the second of the following month. I really stress the importance of students showing work on the back or another sheet of paper in order to receive any credit. I won't accept it until I see where they have shown work.  I often give students "work time" in class. When students tell me they don't have anything to do (yeah, right) because they have finished their classwork and homework and have no missing work, my first question back to them is "have you finished your math calendar for this month?" And that's the end of that conversation. :)  I also sometimes have students work on their calendar as their warm up assignment in class. This helps to keep them on students' mind so that they are not forgotten about until the 30th of the month. Because time management is such a struggle for 7th graders, I give a few extra credit points if they are turned in early.


Here is the 7th Grade Math Calendar I just finished up for October 2015. It will cover everything we have done in August and September. The calendar is editable so you could change the month, days, problems, etc. I will have both my 7th grade general and advanced class use this one. It could also be used for advanced 6th grade classes or for low-level 8th grade classes.

Topics in the calendar (and covered in August and September in my classroom):

• Integers
• Decimals 
• Fractions
• Absolute Value
• Classifying Rational Numbers 

Here is a FREEBIE of an old calendar. Use it to get an idea of what my review calendars look like. 

Enjoy!