It's hard to believe that it's 2014. Wow! Where did it go??  It just flew by. I have much to be thankful for this past year from achieving my National Boards in Exceptional Needs and finishing my endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education. I know that if my friends and family were not in my corner they may not have happened. This is a good time to reflect on what worked and what didn't work last year.

More importantly, its the family I work with daily at school that helped guide me into be a more reflective and stronger teacher than what I was the year before. That's what makes this hard--early last week a close friend that I work with passed away. She helped me be a better teacher each day I walked in.

As a National Board Teacher, reflecting on my practice is more a matter of course than an event. I can't wait to get back and change things up for my students before state testing begins in six weeks. (Yes, really. I know. OMG!) My students had some great gains the first part of the year. Now I just have to maintain it and go just that much further.
Today, I'm working through the pile and list that I brought home with me while I listen to the TV. I work best with noise. I tend to have my TV on all the time. My mom wonders how I'm able to get anything done but I need that noise.

I loved spending the last two weeks with my family and friends, for our first Christmas in the mountains. Mind you I have lived in Colorado for 30 years. It was even white--that doesn't happen much in town. After breakfast, we went snowshoeing. Yes, dogs and all.

I have about a third of "Catching Fire" to finish. I want to finish it before next week. If I don't it could be sometime before I get it done.

I have six weeks to get my third grade students ready for state testing and 8 weeks for fourth to sixth graders. Rumor has it that we are giving PARCC in science and social studies on the computers on top of CTAP. I have no clue when or who. So much fun:)




I would be nice if I could finish all the projects that I planned to get down over the two weeks but I'm not sure that going to happen. I have a sight word freebie for you.

For those traveling, be safe. Have a great last few days of break if you don't have to go back until Monday.