Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Teacher Week Day Two: Advice

As I write this, it's an hour past my bedtime, I haven't yet taken a shower, and my makeup is still on. I. am. beyond. exhausted. I'm sure y'all know this feeling well. My brain is so tired and it's only Tuesday. Goodness Gracious! I was gonna skip today's post, but since I haven't yet found the energy to get out of my comfy, overstuffed chair, I figured now was the perfect time to blog!
This year is only my 3rd year to teach, so I still have LOADS to learn and I feel a bit odd giving advice, but I'll just tell you what I've found helpful to me. 
1. The basic computer class you take at the beginning of college will be useful in your classroom. I'm sure everyone had to take this. It went over all the Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. One of the most helpful classes I've ever taken. Word and Powerpoint help me create so many things for my classroom. 
2. Invest in a good eye cream. After teaching all day, coming home and working in front of a computer screen, my eyes tend to get just a tiny bit really puffy. I like this eye serum by Olay:
3. Teacher books- Okay, I know I may sound like a dork, but I really love reading educational books. I love Debbie Miller's Reading With Meaning. Such an easy read and it's packed with useful info. I also love Debbie Diller's Creating Literacy Workstations and Creating Math Workstations
4. Your reading program's Teacher's Edition will become your best friend. I kid you not, I could almost recite the week's lessons layout I've read it so many times. My first year, I didn't leave the building without taking this book home. I now distance myself from it since we are old pals :) 

5. Request Ticonderoga Pencils on your supply list. This is seriously the only pencil that will sharpen. We put these on the supply list this year and oh my goodness ya'll...what are difference it has made! I would have to stay after school for an hour to sharpen pencils. If you could see all my sharpened Ticonderoga pencils right now, y'all would be proud :) 

That's all I've got for tonight. There's probably a lot of spelling errors in this post, but I'm just too tired to proof read it. Sad, I know! Please just look over them :) 


4 comments:

  1. You are totally right about the pencils! I definitely agree! I always feel bad requesting only those, though. Maybe I'll work up the guts to put "Ticonderoga" on the supply list next year! :)
    Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

    http://queenof214.blogspot.com/

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  2. Gosh, I know what you mean. Even as a fifth year teacher, I feel like I have so much left to learn! :) Also, I'm nerdy like you - I love reading teacher books!

    Mrs. Lopac Teaches...

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  3. Ticonderoga pencils are the best! The past two years my electric sharpeners have bit the dust mid-school year and I would end up having to use the manual sharpener. I got excited everytime I saw a Ticonderoga pencil!

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  4. Thank you so much for being REAL! Loving you from Iowa!

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