A- Z of Teacher Me!

The Polished Teacher is having an interesting linky party!  It's called A-Z of Teacher Me!

Teacher Bloggers are Writing ABCs about themselves!  What fun!

Here we go:

A:  App - Although I don't have an iphone, and I haven't used my ipad in school, I've heard of some apps that I'm aching to use in my classroom.  How about.... scootpad?  Xtramath?  Mathtopia?  Yep, I need an ipad for my classroom!

B: Book Character - Oh, there are oh, so many book characters I truly love, and almost all of them are from children's books.  But I have to admit, I love The Paper Bag Princess! She's a strong woman who outsmarts a dragon and doesn't stick around with that guy who doesn't treat her well.  Now that's a princess!

C:  Clip Art - I just bought THIS collection of USA maps, and I can't wait to use them!

D:  Dollar Spot Find - I found these hearts last week, and made a cute Valentine's Game on Antonyms and Synonyms to go with them!

E: Essential To Start Day -  Coffee.  I take it straight... black... extra caffeine!

F:  Font - I love LD Dabble!  It's right on Microsoft word, but it's my "go to" font!  I'm also a fan of Comic Sans, even though I know there are people out there who hate it.  I just don't get it, it's close to what we expect kids to write!

G: Game - Oh, another tough decision, but I'd have to say Apples to Apples!  It's guaranteed to make kids giggle!  (and teachers, too!)

H:  Holiday - I'm a big fan of Halloween and Christmas, but for some crazy reason, I've always gone "all out" on St. Patrick's Day!  Maybe it's because I grew up near Boston, where the local Irish are famous for their celebrations of St. Patrick's Day.

I:  Ice Cream - chocolate chip cookie dough!

J: Jewelry Piece - I'm a fan of the necklace.  I love earrings, too, but I can't have enough necklaces!

K: Kid-ism - I always tell my kids... a wrong answer is better than no answer.  It means at least you were trying!  I'm not sure that qualifies as a "kid-ism" but I emphasize with my kids that mistakes are ok.  I remind them "Every mistake means you've learned something!  That's how I got so smart!"

L: Location to Travel - Disney World!  When my daughter was growing up, we went every other year from the time she was 3 until she was 17.  We can't go now, since her college schedule doesn't match mine.  Besides, she's in college, we're too broke to travel!

M: Management Technique - Whole Brain Teaching!  I love it!  And it works!

N:  Nail Polish - I have "pink and white" gel put on my nails every few weeks.  It lasts, and my nails aren't constantly breaking like they used to.  It's worth it, since my nails are a non-issue with the gel.

O: Open House Idea - play "fun" music while people visit.  It will make them feel good the minute they walk in your room.  Music is magical.

P: Pinterest Find - THIS is one of my favorite Pinterest finds ever.  It's a link to a whole bunch of free videos that are great for introducing topics for instruction.  Did I mention it was free?

Q:  Quote - Music washes away from the soil the dust of everyday life.

R: Read Aloud - This was a tough decision.  Reading aloud is one of my very favorite things to do as a teacher, and I have so many books I love to read to the children, including pictures books as well as chapter books.  I've finally decided on a Patricia Polacco book:  For the Love of Autumn.  I have already read this book to my students, and plan to read it again this week, since it's the kind of "love" children can relate to on Valentines Day:  the love of a pet.  Autumn is the adorable kitten on the book cover that belongs to a school teacher.  Maybe I just relate so much to this book because I'm a teacher and a cat owner, but I also love all the "awwwww"s that I hear while reading this touching story.  

S:  School Supply - I couldn't survive without individual white boards.  I use them several times a day.  All my students have their own, plus I keep several in various locations around the room so I can grab one if I need to make a point!


T:Tpt/ TN Product -  How could I ever choose just one?  I love learning games.  As a fan of brain based learning, games involve several things that activate the brain for learning such as the social component, fun, and repetition of skills.  Scoot games are very popular with the kids!

U: Un-Official Hobby - My hobby used to be performing with local and regional theatres.  Because of health issues, I had to back off from the performing, but I still love to watch theatre, especially musical theatre!  I miss my performing days, and think of them often.  (See the picture from 3 years ago of my "duet" in Nunsense with "Sister Mary Annette")

V:  Video Brain Break - I'm sorry, I just can't decide on just one, but anything that gets the children laughing is great.  Laughter is the best brain break I know.  Click the "Smile Break" image for a link to my Pinterest page for Brain Breaks!


W:  Way to Spend a Day Off - I'm doing it right now!  Hanging out in sweats, blogging!  I can't think of anything I'd rather do with extra time!  Much better than housework!

X: X-tra Special Blogs You ♥-  I could never narrow down my favorite blogs to just a few!  I follow so many great blogs, and I really love them all!  I'm so inspired by my fellow teachers and their wonderful ideas!  Be sure to check out my Blogs I Follow page for a start, but honestly, I desperately need to update this page to include more recent discoveries!

Y: Yummy Dessert - There is absolutely nothing better than my daughter's home made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Z:  Zoo Animal - I have a confession to make.  I'm just not into zoo animals.  I do love cats and dogs... you know, pets with personality that are almost like people!  But honestly, I fake it well when it comes to the kids, since I know they love all animals!  If I truly had to answer this one, I'd say my own cat Mia is my favorite "zoo" animal.  She is kind of wild, in an adorable kind of way!