A Crazy Texas Teacher

Based on the title above, you already know I am going to be talking about the things I wish I had known BEFORE I started teaching (that I plan to focus on in my second year). If you would prefer to watch this in video form rather than reading, click the link above! (The video is cut off because I didn't want the video to be super long! Part Two will be up this week!) Otherwise, keep on reading! Things I Wish I Had Known BEFORE I Started Teaching: *Absorb any and everything Hope and Wade King and Teaching And So Fourth One word: AMAZING teachers. Like I said in my GYTO Recap, Hope and Wade (and Amy Lemons!) filled in those gaps I knew I had during my first year. *You are NOT going to cry everyday. Maybe you will. I'm an easy cryer and recall only crying maybe once or twice. Never in front of the kids. *Get to know your team! This should go without saying. I work with a FABULOUS third grade team who answered every question I had, no matter how silly I felt asking ...

Last week, I went to an amazing teacher conference in Forney, Texas. I learned SO MUCH. I saw immediately where I could have filled in several of the gaps I had during my first year. But, gotta keep moving forward, right? I'm going to jump right into sharing some photos to highlight my mini trip! I decided to go ahead and make the looooong drive from Fort Worth to Dallas (about an hour from my apartment, yikes!) the day before the conference. I stayed at the NYLO hotel in South Dallas, and it was a fabulous experience! Highly recommend! I valet parked there once for a concert, and knew that one day I wanted to be able to stay there, and the time finally came. This hotel was about a twenty minute drive from the church where the conference was held. Their food was incredible! Below is the steak frites, which was AWESOME. During our Math session with Amy Lemons (!!!), we used these handy little eye on a stick tools to close read our word problems. I already have a set made for w...