28 June 2015

Weekend Warriors: 3-2-1 Teacher Bio



I love getting a chance to read more about the teacher bloggers and their lives, it's a great community of educators who truly enjoy sharing their ideas!  After this post, I'm off to read more about the individuals in this community! 


#1 - I've been teaching for a while, but at times I still feel like a newbie.  One thing I truly love about teaching is that I'm still learning new things myself each year.  I found out what works for me and my class and what doesn't.  My teaching style has definitely changed since my first year of teaching, but I have always stayed true to myself.

#2 - One lesson I had done a few years ago for my formal observation was on congruent shapes.  Instead of introducing the concept, I showed digital cards that followed the "definition" (or RULE as I called it) and some that didn't.  I had students tell me what they could see, then I showed them another set of both following and not following.  The students told me their new observations, then they were given cards that they had to decipher if it followed the rule or not.  Then I asked the students "What does congruent shapes mean?" and they all were able to give the definition in their own words.  This was something the NEVER forgot throughout the year.  I truly believe that since they discovered and investigated it on their own that they could easily retain the information.

#3 - This is another big reason why I love the teacher blogging community, you get a chance to get exposed to new ideas!  I had never heard of SCOOT and I tried it once in math with my kids and they absolutely LOVED it!  I changed up my reading groups and applied Daily 5 and my students (and myself) enjoyed our reading block more and got more out of it!


#1 - I was a child of a Military family, but luckily didn't have to move THAT much compared to others.  I grew up in Hawaii from Kindergarten to 6th Grade, then moved to Florida.  I think that getting the chance to live in Hawaii, which was at the time VERY different to lifestyle in the rest of the "mainland" as we called it, gave me to bug to live overseas one day!  I had looked into teaching overseas at one point, but I actually ended up getting a teaching job nearby.  (I wasn't ready to move away from my family at that point.)  But after 5 years of teaching, I made the decision to move to Australia.  It was scary and I didn't realize how big of a move it was!  After being here for over a year I'm still loving it and finding myself really being "at home."  Let's hope my permanent visa goes through and I can stay here!

#2 - Thanks to my dad I'm a HUE technology nerd.  I had 2 iPads, an iPod Touch, current iPhone & an old iPhone, my MacBook and so on.  Really, should I say I'm an Apple/Mac nerd?  (Did I mention I also have an AppleTV?)  Either way I use EACH item in my classroom at some point!  I'm asking all my friends that if they're getting rid of their old iPhones to donate them to my class to use as an iPod Touch! We live in an age where technology is taking over, and I love incorporating it in the classroom!  (But only to a certain extent!  No terminator problems arising in my classroom please!)


I was all about moving and teaching overseas for years and I finally achieved it! (I'm still shocked I went through with this!)  My next goal is to take this blog to the next level!  I want to make sure I post regularly (and schedule posts ahead of time) and possibly get the chance to attend a meet up of some sort!  (Teacher Bloggers of Australia, think we could arrange this at some point?)  I'd love to collaborate more and participate in more of these linky parties! It exposes me to new blogs and bloggers!

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for linking up with us for Weekend Warriors this month! I think you are so right about things always changing, but staying true to yourself. We all know our strengths and weaknesses, what works best with our personalities, and so on and by changing and adjusting, you are doing your students a great service! I'm 10 years in and I still change things up and seek out new ideas. I love that you are already living out one of your bucket list items. That is so amazing! I hope that you and your fellow Australian bloggers do get to meet up at some point. Think of how fun that would be! I really enjoyed learning about you!

    Aimee
    Primarily Speaking

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  2. Thanks so much for linking up with the Weekend Warriors this month! What a great opportunity to move to another country and continue to teach. I hope you get to check that dream of meeting other teacher bloggers off of your bucket list soon!
    Andrea
    Always Kindergarten

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  3. Next time I visit my parents in wa we might be able to do a mini meet up :)

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  4. Your blog is adorable!!! I think it's great that you are checking off one of your bucket list items now!! Thanks for linking up with us!!

    Sarah
    A Sunny Day in First Grade

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  5. Wow - how cool you took such a giant leap and moved - I admire that so much! I too am a techy and love anything and everything that can plug in :)

    Slainte,
    ☘ Molly
    Lucky to Be in First

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  6. I LOVE your blog, it is so adorable!! I too think it's important for my kinders to teach each other, they retain the information much better when they can show someone else how it's done! Kudos to you for moving overseas, I can't imagine how scary that was! I hope you are able to stay and work full time! I too would love to have a blogger meetup, I just have to find enough bloggers that actually live around me! Good luck with getting one going!
    Thank you so much for linking up, I really enjoyed getting to read more about you! I hope you have a wonderful week!

    Warmest Wishes,
    Erin
    Kindergarten Dragons

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  7. Teaching abroad sounds FABULOUS! How exciting!
    We are so happy that you joined our linky! Weekend Warriors hopes to have you back again next month!

    Mrs. DiBenedetto's First Grade Critter Cafe

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