Meet the Teacher Monday!

Blog Hoppin' is hosting Teacher Week 2011! So hop on over and link up to tell us all a little about yourself!

The Boy and me in Vegas

A bit about me...
The kids call me Ms. L, but you can call me Lori. I teach K-2 in a self-contained classroom for students with emotional impairments. This blog started out as an online diary and has sort of evolved into this mish mash of things, including my adventures in teaching. I'm hoping to add to it a bit and begin sharing ideas because I LOVE when all of my bloggy friends share their ideas. So I'm  not really a teacher blogger, but I'm a blogger that teaches. I hail from the Midwest (the best place in the US) and hope to someday end up back there. For now, you can find me in the metro DC area.

How long have you been teaching?
This is my sixth year teaching! I can't even believe it. I started out doing special education resource (pull out/push in/co-teaching) for two years in the upper grades. When I first moved here, though, I did a long term sub job in my current school and I fell in love with the school and the elements of a self-contained classroom (it combines my passion for special education and all the perks of a general education classroom), so after two years I moved to my current position. I absolutely LOVE working with the little ones.

You might not know...
I'm obsessed with office supplies, specifically post-it notes and sharpies. I use them for EVERYTHING. I especially love a brand new package of post-its and sharpies. Especially a brand new fresh-tipped sharpie. In addition to my post-it note love, I also enjoy paper clips. Someone recently posted about a paper clip in the shape of Michigan. I begged and pleaded to get them to send me it... but they wouldn't. So I'm on the hunt for the mitten-shaped paper clip.

What are you looking most forward to this school year?
Hmmmm... every year is so different, but I'm really looking forward to all of the growth in my kiddos. I know it's so cliche. But this batch of little ones were only with me for a few months last year, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the growth they make after a full year in our program and with me. There is SO much growth academically and socially in K-2, so I'm excited to watch them blossom!
What do you need to improve?

Time management, for sure! I'm social by nature and I currently live alone, so I often find myself talking during my planning time instead of working. Naturally, that means I'm working late and on the weekends. Because I'm making a vow this year to live life a little more, I'm going to get my stuff done at work so I can take less home. I'm sure there has to be a happy medium!

I've also made a personal goal to live a clutter-free lifestyle. If I don't use it, it's gone. Thankfully my teaching assistant is on board (she made me throw out almost 4 trash cans full of STUFF) and will be gently reminding me to use it or get rid of it.

What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?
Post-it Notes, sharpies, and my Diet Pepsi. Seriously, they all three get me through the day. My heart also skips a beat for a box of brand new markers because I love writing in fun fonts and a new marker is always the best for that.


Head on over to Blog Hoppin' to link up!

I'm a Little Late..

I'm a little late for the start of "Teacher Week", hosted by the Lovely Babbling Abby but I want so desperately to participate.. so I'm breaking the rules and I'm going to post yesterday's subject today.

Ten Things About Me as a Teacher:

1.. I will start my 5th year of teaching this August and I'm still just as excited/nervous to start the school year.

2... I always pick out my first day of school with students outfit at least a week before the first day with students.

3... My favorite part about teaching first/second grade is teaching the kids to read. I love when they come to me as non-readers or barely-readers and leave me as full blown readers. I love the growth they make both academically and emotionally. They come to me as babies and leave me as third graders! It's amazing.

4... I LOVE teaching math. I wish our math block was longer than it is. The things I could do with 2 hours to teach math! There's something about teaching math that gets me so excited and my kids have learned to love math, too. They get just as excited for math as I do. Last year I had a student write our principal a letter asking her if it would be okay to skip language arts and just learn math.

5... I loathe teaching social studies. I think it's because I already focus so much on being good citizens and social skills, that by the time social studies comes around, I'm bored with it. And I'm not a history buff by any means.

6.. I teach students who are emotionally disturbed or have some pretty severe behaviors that interfere with their ability to be educated in a general education setting. My classroom is a multi-grade self-contained classroom that is usually filled with boys.

7... I want to be a principal someday and I'm halfway through my master's in school improvement/leadership. This summer I was a site director for summer school and it was great practice. It provided me with great opportunities to see if being a principal really is something I want to do. It sealed the deal.

8.. I'm a huge nerd when it comes to school. I read, read, read anything I can about being a better educator, leader, and student. That's probably why I enjoy taking grad classes so much.

9.. I was a horrible teacher my first year of teaching. Horrible. I had no idea what I'm doing. I've improved over the years and now I think I'm a pretty decent teacher.

10.. Sometimes I feel like I can write an IEP in my sleep. (IEP's are individualized education plans-- a sort of road map for education students in special education. It outlines their strengths/weaknesses and how we are going to educate them. and it's a legal document) I can take one look at an IEP and have it basically memorized. I can also write goals/objectives for just about anything. Seriously.