The Newest Blogger for Stories From School Az

I have an exciting new opportunity to share with you! I will be blogging for Stories From School Az and my first post went up this past Friday. Stories From School Az has bloggers write about how education practice meets policy, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the team! 

Check out my first post!

Big News!

A lot has gone on in my little break from blogging.. and luckily it was all good things! I thought I'd share one of the big things that happened.

I got engaged! 

Matt and I were hiking along the Oregon coast over spring break, and when we got to this beautiful view of the coast and the forest he proposed. 

Let the wedding planning begin... 

Welcome to 2nd Grade Post Cards

Sending your students a welcome letter or post card prior to school isn't a brand new idea. It's something I've done for the past 2 years, and today I want to share a story about the impact this little thing had on one of my students. 

I was getting a student that I knew was going to give me a run for my money this year. He had a 1:1 aide for his behavior, and was always seen around school crying and giving his aide a hard time. I kept an open mind since kids can grow up a lot over the summer, and a fresh start may just be what the doctor ordered. 

Well, a lot happened to this little one over the summer, and not the type of things you would hope for. The family wasn't sure if he was even enrolled anywhere, and the post card I sent out was a huge relief for them - it was one less thing to worry about!

But, that's just the tip of the iceberg. On the first day of school -- they got the postcard after Meet the Teacher Night -- he came up to me and very politely said "Thank you so much for the card, Ms. Corrigan. I really enjoyed reading it, and I'm so excited to be in your class!".

He still gave me a run for my money while he was in my class, but because that postcard started the year off right with him. I was able to build a positive relationship with him and his family. His behavior improved drastically, and he no longer required an aide for behavior. 

It's a small gesture, but it can make a big difference! What do you send home before the school year starts?

Calling All Mentor Teachers!

This past year I had the opportunity to mentor two amazing student teachers. If you haven't taken the leap into mentoring, I highly suggest it! I think I learned as much from them as they learned from me. So, I want to share some tips and tricks with you about mentoring your student teacher. 

Only problem is, I have WAY too much to say about the topic. So, what information would be helpful? Between both of the student teachers I worked with I have seen A LOT, so I'm sure I'll have some helpful advice for working with yours! 

Let me know what you'd like to see in the comments!

The Blogging Drought is Over!

I am BACK!! 

I never planned to take a break from blogging. But, sometimes life gets in the way! I am dying to share what I've been up to since the minute I took a break from blogging, but I'm sure there's a character limit to how much you can put in one blog post. So, for now I'll summarize my break in one sentence:

National Board Certification is A LOT of work!

Now that I've submitted my portfolio, and I'm in for the long wait until December 2018, I've found so much more free time! I can read, relax, and of course - blog! I'll be back soon with new ideas, stories from my classroom, and resources.

Update: Where I've Been

You know how sometimes you have the best plan for the future and then life gets in the way? That's pretty much what happened to me these past few months. Luckily, it's all been great things and no bad news! Here's a bit of what's been going on in my life:

I knew this would be a long and challenging road going in, but I didn't realize exactly how much time it would take up. The answer is.. All. Of. It. 

As I work toward becoming a National Board Certified Teacher, I will continue to blog as time allows. This process has caused me to become much more reflective on any and every aspect of my teaching, which includes blogging and designing products for TpT. I want to bring blog posts and resources to all of you, and those take time. I just need about 20 more hours in the day! 

Have you ever heard of PiYo? It's one of the workouts from BeachBody, and it's amazing. I started taking PiYo classes a year ago, and fell in love with the format. I loved it so much I decided I wanted to teach it! 

This one is a biggie. I needed a break to disconnect from blogging, Instagram, and just all. the. things! I needed time to myself again.

Spring Training Games

Flagstaff Extreme Adventure for my birthday

More fun at Flagstaff Extreme Adventure

I picked up hand lettering. I've got a ton of practice to do, and a lot to learn, but it sure is fun!

Kayaking on Catalina Island

Now that I took some time off, I'm refreshed and ready to bring you new products and ideas. So... that's it in a nutshell! Check back for more posts again soon. 

Volunteer Appreciation

My team and I do a big fundraiser and sell Otter Pops during Field Day Week. I wrote all about it here and here! 

Only downside of this fundraiser, is that it happens during school hours. I can't exactly leave my class alone to go run it, so I beg send out parents to help me run it! 

We have a few parents who run the thing all day, and every day during the week. Of course, there are some who can only help out for an hour or so.. I'll take any help I can get to run this thang! I really believe that a little bit of appreciation goes a long way. So we make sure to get thank you notes and gifts for all those involved in helping out. 

The cafeteria ladies help us with freezing the otter pops. This sounds a bit more complicated than it is since these things don't freeze in the box! Noooooo. You have to lay them out flat and they take several hours (at least!) to freeze. When you sell 1,000 otter pops a day... this adds up pretty fast. So the cafeteria ladies received a card with a thank you note from each 2nd grade teacher, coffee, a plant, and pastries. 

There were some volunteers who helped out during the week quite a bit, and they received a card with a thank you note from each 2nd grade teacher, a starbucks gift card, and hand lotion. 

The other volunteers who helped out when they could received this card and Extra gum with a thank you from all the teachers. 

I really believe a little appreciation goes a long way.... and who knows? Maybe I can convince them to help me out again next year!