What I Miss Most...

Recently I have been asked by more than one person, "What do you miss most?" At first I had to think about the question, because usually I do not miss a lot of things because I am happy how my life is right now. But after the 3rd time I was asked this I finally realized that what I miss most is my classroom(s). So I decided to share a little bit of my teaching years with all of you. I graduated in 2005 with my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. I did my student teaching a Ira A. Murphy in the Peoria District and I prayed everyday that I would land a job there. I LOVED the teachers I interned with and the kids had the biggest hearts. My internship ended in May of 05 and I had received a letter of intent on my last day. I was going to teach 3rd grade starting in the Fall. My own classroom I thought, oh WOW! I was nervous, scared, and REALLY excited! One of my favorite things to do is decorate, so I was even MORE excited to have an entire room that I could do what I wanted with. Here are a few photos from my first classroom.

In the Fall of 2006, I graduated with my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and I started working for another school district...NOT GOOD! I had NO support from the teachers or administration. I was thrown into a first grade room with NOTHING and I was more scared now than my first year. After, 3 months of this I decided that I could not do it anymore and LUCKY for me I was able to go back to my old school and teach 4th grade...YEAH I even had some of my students from the prior year in my class again. I moved everything from my old district to my new "old" district on a Saturday and set up my entire room that day. On Monday I started with my new class and the rest of the year was great. I only have a few pics of this classroom to share.

Now, for the BIG change. In May of 2007 we moved up North to Happy Jack. I had to switch schools again and now I was going to be teaching in Winslow, Arizona. Now I was definitely scared. I was also offered a position teaching 1st grade again...great I thought. The room was completely EMPTY. NO books, computers, NOTHING! Everything was in the hallway and I had to move it all in! The worst part was I like to work until the job is done, but I lived 40 miles from my new school, so I knew I could not work till dark, because then I would take the risk of hitting an Elk or deer on my drive home. It took me a week to set up this classroom...all the teachers at this school thought I would NEVER get it done! Low and behold I finished the day before "Meet the Teacher" and still had time to do lesson plans! The first picture is a before picture of my MESS!

This was our morning circle area, where we worked on our sounds and math skills.

This was my reading area.

We had bulletin boards outside our rooms and I re-decorated it every month. By the 1st of the month I would have a new theme up and ready to go...You can bet I was "hated" by the other teachers when mine was done and theirs was not! :)

This was my corner! A bulletin board of my life that I shared with my students. I used fabric for everything. My desk was old and ugly so I took fabric and hot glued it to my desk and put posters up. Basically when all was said and done there was really no wall space left in the room. I LOVED it!.

So this is what I miss most...what about you? Is there something in your life that you have accomplished that you do not do anymore that you miss? Share it with us! I dare you!