Top 5 Children's Books

A parent came to me the other day and asked what books I would recommend her to read to her son. I told her that I thought any book that she could read to him would be perfect as that is such a valuable thing.

Most of my first memories include my parents reading to me. My parents made it a big part of our day to read. Before I got out of bed in the morning, my mom would read me a story and before I went to sleep at night, my dad would read to me. I believe that not only is reading obviously important for development but it is such a bonding experience. 

Of course being that I am a teacher I can rattle off tons of story titles but I started to think about my absolute top favorite books and this is what I came up with:

1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. This will forever and always be my favorite book because of the memories I have attached to it. My dad would read this to me almost every night after we read a book of my choice. He would read this right as I was on the verge of crashing. He would(and still does) tell me that he "loves me to the moon..and back".

2. Oh The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. This book is another all time favorite again because of the memories it holds. Both of my parents have always been so supportive of my sister and I and have told us that we can do anything or go anywhere as long as we put out minds to it. At my high school graduation, my parents gave me a copy of this book with the sweetest notes inside.

3. Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino. I love this story because in each toddler class I have taught, after reading it once they keep asking me to read it and will pick it off the shelve themselves. They start to guess the animals before I say them and they just seem to really enjoy the story. 

4. The Moon Shines Down by Margret Wise. This story is actually fairly new to me. Each year we ask every parent to donate one book and we separate them based on classroom ages. This book was donated this year and put into my classroom. I don't necessarily think that it is "toddler material" but, it is a very thoughtful and cute story nonetheless and my two year kids love to look at the bright and colorful pictures. 

5. Horton Hears a Who! By Dr. Seuss. I am a huge Seussfan obviously! I love this story though because the message is that everyone matters no matter their size. I like this because I have one of the smallest and youngest classes at our center and I like them to feel included and important no matter what. 

What are some of your favorite children's books? 

Sarah 

Five for Friday!

Hallelujah it is finally Friday! This week has been a rough one. Weeks like this almost make me want to transfer into the school system but then I realize I would miss my little babes too much! It does get difficult sometimes though working in such a close environment with all female co workers-YIKES! Anyways, I am linking up again with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! 

 I am so SO excited for this weekend! J is a die hard Massachusetts sports fan and this weekend the Red Sox will be in town playing against the Rays. I bought us tickets for our one year anniversary back in June for the Sunday game and I can not wait to go! And after the game, we are going to a Hibachi Grill dinner because...why not? We are also going to find time to see the new movie Lucy which we have both been anxiously awaiting 

Us at Fenway during our trip up north! 

http://www.fandango.com/lucy_170271/movieoverview

 I finally have all of my Back to School/Parent Information forms completed and ready! *whoop whoop* With the help of some items from Lindsey Johnston's TPT store my 'newbie' folders are all done! (can I get a high five drink for being the first one on staff to be completely finished?) 

Many people don't know that I am a Fur-momma and a Fishy momma. J bought me a 28 gallon biocube for my birthday last year because I have always wanted a salt water tank. I have a "nemo" fish, a blue spotted watchman goby, and a cleaner shrimp but I am mostly interested in corals.

 This would be my ever growing Ricordea rock! I am so obsessed with this rock and Florida Ricordea is very inexpensive at the moment! 

My shrimp chillin' on my hand while glueing corals. 

But let's not forget about my adorably cute fur babies. 

I have been so addicted to glitzing up my clipboards! These are two more that I did this week! 

I am now in the process of making one for each of my co teachers. 

I think that EVERYONE needs to head over to Miss Lindsey Johnston's Blog and congratulate her and Jason on their very recent engagement! 

Congratulations pretty girl! 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! 

-Sarah 

From Files to Binders

Like most teachers, I have acquired LOTS of materials since I started teaching. I have resources from team teachers that retired, from current co teachers, my director, and other miscellaneous things I have come across. Over time, all of these papers have piled and piled...and piled themselves into filing drawers. To be exact, I have  had 102 different theme/lesson folders...INSANE, right?!

 Drawer Number 1

After reading various blogs on organizing lesson plans, I decided to jump on the binder bandwagon. I was kind of hesitant on this idea originally because the way our curriculum works, we teach a new theme every week, so there are four-five a month, but they also change each year. 

Many fellow teachers organized their binders by month. Mine are alphabetical by theme. I basically transitioned all of my papers that were in files into standard page protectors. Being that I am a preschool teacher, we also do at least five art projects a week. I like to keep project examples so, I will usually do the project while I am lesson planning so that I have it to remember for the next year. I realized that these just took up an insane amount of room..and don't fit into page protectors so I snapped pictures of all of the projects (349 pictures later..) and added these pictures to the corresponding page protectors. 

 Getting ready to transfer the papers...

And, Viola! Here we have:

Three, two inch binders

58 tabbed dividers

90 themes

5 hours of hard labor

a very satisfied, organized, and happy teacher. 

-Sarah

Meet The Teacher!

Happy Tuesday fellow bloggers! I was browsing through my bloglovin feed and came across this pretty neat linky! Trina at The Ordinary to Extraordinary Classroom created this! I'm a day late on posting this on a Monday but who's judging?? 

Meet the Teacher Monday: Summer Edition

1. What's your summer teacher persona? 

• Slacker Teacher:catching up on every episode of everything you wanted to watch during the school year 
• Mommy-On-The-Go: consumed with your children's extracurricular activities
• Summer Fun Teacher:hanging with friends and traveling the world
• Overachiever Teacher:Making TPT products, proparing your classroom, you never really took a break

Unfortunately, I work for a center that is insession year around. However, we are all entiled to half days and vacation time during the summer as our numbers are typically lower so I'd have to say that my summer teacher persona is a mix between the overachiever and the summer fun teacher! I definitely take advantage of my vacation times. J and I have been to Massachusetts, Orlando and Miami since the summer started. When I am back on the classroom though, I am totally fpcused on my students and how to make my room a better learning environment.  

2. It's a sunny day in July. Your schedule is wide open, so you decide to?

I would wake up leisurely around 8/830 and take my fur babies for a walk around the trail by our house, make a cup of coffee and browse my favorite blogs then get ready and try one of the many local and new restaurants down town before gorging myself on episode after episode of Orange is the New Black.-are we judging yet?! 

3.What is your favorite summer thirst quencher?

My " I am still only 23" answer would be Shipyard's Melonhead Ale. It is so refreshing and delicious but only found three months out of the year. My "professional teacher" answer would be a Nutella Frap specially concocted by my adorable boyfriend. 

4. Where will you be soaking up the summer sun? Have you planned any vacations? 

We have already been to Massachusetts, Orlando and Miami. I believe this summer is all travelled out! 

5. Any summer reads, professional and personal?

I was definitely one of THOSE girls and sped read "The Fault in Our Stars". I finished it before I saw the movie and loved both equally. I am now on the hunt for a new good read. 

6. What does your summer TV habits consist of?

Lately, J and I have been obsessed like OBSESSED with the food network. We have been binge watching Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen like it is nobody's business! I am also a sucker for Pretty Little Liars, The Fosters, Switched at Birth, and Teen Mom... Yes, I said it and you definitely have permission to judge now! 

7. What is your favorite summer song of 2014?

Hands Down "Where It's At" by Dustin Lynch! 

I hope you enjoyed meeting me! 

-Sarah 

Five for Friday!

Hello lovely bloggers! I am linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching for another Five for Friday! 

Last Sunday, J and I went to our first open house together. Being that we are soon to be first time home buyers, neither of us had done this before and didn't know what to expect. The lady showing the house was so sweet and patient with us. We don't have any intention of breaking our current lease or moving until November but, we wanted to get our foot in the door (haha) and see what it would be like. After talking to the realtor and looking around, we definitely have a more defined list of what we do and do not want in our house. It was a great experience and it was a nice step in our journey together! 

I am pretty excited about this one! I was pinning ideas the other day for different diy projects from my home and classroom. I came across a clipboard diy and decided I would try it! Before I came to my current center to teach, my room had been a teacher-less storage room for about 6 months. When I was hired, I had four days to clean it, organize it, set everything up and label all the items. When I was going through the never ending box pile though, I found a box of 24 plain brown clipboards. I asked if any of the other teachers wanted them and they all said no. Being the type of person that I am, I kept them anyways and now I am glad I did. 

This is my first attempt at a diy clipboard. I really didn't have high expectations so I rushed it a bit but either way I am pretty happy with it. I used modpodge, cardstock, loose gold glitter, and masking tape. I plan to transform the rest of them and hand them out to the other teachers as gifts in the future. 

I think I'm really liking this blogging thing. Although I don't have any followers and my posts aren't being read, I like to write my ideas down. If I happen to get followers, that'd be neat but if not, I like to do this just for me! And, I signed up for my first SLANT box exchange! So so excited for this! Jameson at Lessons With Coffee set up this amazing exchange and I am so excited to finally be a part of it! 

So being that I live Oceanside in sunny Sarasota, Florida, it is pretty much a guarantee that every afternoon between June and September it will rain. This of course, prevents my little ones from going out. Some of the teachers here gripe and moan and believe me, I've had my days where I was just over being cooped up in a classroom but lately, I've been embracing it. I have created mazes out of nap mats, obstacle courses, we "camped in a tent", we do more than one art project a day, we've been doing more cooking projects, Etc. Being trapped in a classroom with toddlers isn't always the easiest but I might as well make the best of it! 

Finally, I am so excited for tomorrow. I am going to catch up and have lunch downtown with one of my dearest friends. Jane and I have known each other for three years now and I am very thankful for her. We met when we were both working for  the hotel. She still works there and I moved on bit or friendship has lasted. Although I don't have a ton of friends, the ones that I do have are for forever. 

I hope you all have fabulous and safe weekends! 

-Sarah 

But, You're Not A Teacher..?

Ready for a mini rant? Lovely!

So, a few weeks ago, one of my team teachers came to me upset saying that a parent talked down to her and ended the conversation with "Well, you aren't even a REAL teacher anyways!"

Hold Up!

A majority of the girls I work with have bachelor's degrees in education, associates in early childhood or a CDA. We don't claim to be nobel prize winning teachers but we are teachers. The Webster's definition of a teacher is "a person who provides education for students." In my classroom, I teach life skills-I'm aware that sounds like I am putting myself on a pedestal but I am not, promise! Honestly though, at two, you learn to hold a spoon, drink from a cup, language skills, etc. and being that most of these children are in my care for forty hours a week, I'd say I aid in them learning these skills. I feel like I get as excited, if not more, than my children when they acquire a new skill or learn new words. No, we are not teachers for the county school system but, we are still teachers. We also aid them in learning the fundamentals like their colors, numbers, letters, shapes, etc. We work twelve months a year to take care of your child so that you are able to pursue your career.

I get that we are all busy and have lives but it makes me sick when I see a parent walk into our center on their phone, pick up their child and "SHUSH" them and drive away still on their phones. My parent's spent every waking moment talking to my sister and I...asking questions, singing songs. We were speaking in 4-5 word sentences by two. In my room, even if I am talking just to talk with no responses, I am talking. That's one of the most effective ways to teach a child.

I get that some people don't respect and see toddler teachers as "REAL" teachers but, we are.  It isn't always easy but we love what we do.

-Sarah

How Exciting!

So, if you have been to my page before, you saw the boring default blogger template...well that is gone for good! 

The super sweet Lindsey from Thriving in Third and Blog Designs With the Teacher in Mind created this AMAZING new template for me! I emailed Lindsey after having my blog for two days and asked her to help me. Being a blogger newbie, I was very unsure of what I wanted but she was so patient and redid the designs until I was totally satisfied. 

I highly highly recommend her! 

Excuse me while I continue to obsess over my blog's new look! 

Ten for Ten

So, I have stalked researched many other blogs and saw that most blogger newbies started off with an "about me" tag or something similar so, I have decided to do a Ten for Ten.

Here are Ten facts about me!

I am a diehard coffee addict. I am a sucker for Dunkin Donuts Blueberry Iced Coffee with cream and sugar. 

I completed my Bachelor's in Hospitality and Tourism Management before I went into childcare and teaching.

I was adopted when I was three days old and could not be any more thankful for my parents and family. 

I lived in Ohio for two years but moved back home because I missed my mommy and daddy too much-judge me, it's okay.

I am Vera Bradley obsessed. Like every time I walk past a display in a mall, I buy something...not even joking. 

I'm a sucker for trash tv and abc family shows... Pretty Little Liars, The Fosters, Teen Mom 2...yeah I am ALL about that! 

I love to cook and bake. I usually spend my Saturday mornings pinteresting crazy ideas and concocting them Saturday nights. 

I am a New England sports fan by relationship and I wear all the team colors proudly! 

I am a "monogram princess' as my father says. I have a monogram on everything. Tumblers, laptop, phone, iPad case, car, you name it, it's monogrammed. 

Blogging intimidates me and it's a lot to learn but I am loving it so far and hope to stay with it. 

Tell me ten facts about you! 

-Sarah

Monday Made It

Happy Monday Lovely Bloggers!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I am linking up again with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for another Monday Made It!

 So, I apologize in advance but, I am horrible at taking "during" pictures but I have mastered the before and afters! 

 I made homemade meatballs and sauce for dinner last night and not to blow my own horn but, it was pretty delicious! Definitely my go to recipe. (thanks momma!) and J loved it too! 

 I am so excited to be halfway through the summer! I have started to prep my room for all my new kiddies. I started with a new birthday board. Pardon the quality of the last picture but, it is an apple tree with worms because we are "EATING" Our Way Through Another Birthday! Clever, right? Thanks Pinterest! I am pretty pleased with how it turned out! 

After looking for hours online for the perfect labels, I came across Sarah on TpT. I love how adorable and bright these labels are! I re-vamped all of the cubbies, diaper baskets, and art displays with these adorable labels and, they were FREE! 

Finally, and most exciting-in my opinion...I made it to go see Tim McGraw this weekend with some of my oldest friends. (Excuse the photo attack)

This was probably one of the best concerts I have ever been to!

I hope you all have an awesome start to your weeks! 

-Sarah

Five for Friday!

Happy Friday fellow bloggers!

This week has been great for me and I can't wait for the weekend. I am going to link up with Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching for my first Five for Friday!

So we'll go in order of my week. First off, J and I have decided that when our lease is up at our apartment that we are currently living in...we want to buy a house together! I am so so excited for this next step in our relationship. Although it is a big step, I definitely feel like we are ready. We have had a lot of curve balls thrown at us since we have been together but we have made it through all of them. Being my typical self, I have stayed up almost every night into the wee house house hunting and making lists on lists of what we do and don't want! 

These next five months can not go by quick enough! 

Huge huge shout out to Lindsey at Blog Designs With The Teacher In Mind for working so hard on my new blog design that will hopefully be done next week! Lindsey has been so patient and helpful through the whole process and that has definitely been greatly appreciated. I can not wait to see the completed design! 

One of my favorite times of the year is Summer. At our center, we do Water Play days every other Tuesday. It honestly is a huge pain to set up, break down, change all the children in and out of swimsuits and wet diapers but seeing their huge smiles and all of their "cool water tricks", makes it completely worth it! 

I am so excited that it is officially July because I plan to hit all of the Staples, Office Depots, Dollar Stores, Walmarts, and Targets this saturday for some serious back to school shopping. Again, I have lists upon lists of things I need want and I am sure I'll pick up a TON of other miscellaneous items as well!  

 Finally, I am most excited to see my second country music husband this weekend, Mr. Tim McGraw. *swoon* I am a sucker for any country man in tight jeans and a cowboy hat! I live for the summers in Florida because there is a summer country concert series that is hosted only an hour away from my house! These include Tim, Luke, Jake, Jason, Rascal Flatts, Brad, etc. I was invited to see Tim McGraw by one of my longest and best friends and I could not be any more excited! 

I hope all you fellow bloggers have amazing and safe weekends! 

-Sarah