Classroom – De-clutter and Decorate!

I taught in a trailer for 7 years before I got my amazing room at my current school!  Honestly I didn’t know what to do with it at first! Now that I’m at year 5, I’m really settling in (I know, 5 years later?? Remember I had 3 children in that time!).  I have started decluttering my stuff and painting my room so it doesn’t look like a prison!  I am finally getting rid of some handmade visuals from 12 years ago when I was in a trailer with a chalkboard.  There is nothing wrong with them but with the availability of technology and projectors I really won’t have a need for some of this stuff.  It was really hard to let it go, but I threw out a bunch of stuff before break and will continue to go through my closet and room.  I also plan to clean up that desk of mine!  I will continue to share the awesome resources I have created for my room onTeachers Pay Teachers!

Professional-Present without Fear!

Want to know a secret? I’m TERRIFIED of presenting in front of adults.  A hundred 9 year olds?  No problem!  10 adults? Shaking in my boots!  But I LOVE to share and have been presenting at my own school and own district several times. I  just got inducted into our district technology leadership team so will presenting several times with this and am looking to apply to present next year at our state music and state tech conference.  Wish me luck!

TpT/Blog –
Rainbow Ukulele Curriculum

I have been working on a Ukulele curriculum called Rainbow Ukulele for 2 years!! Hopefully it will be ready to share this year!  My kids LOVE it and I presented on it with my district to good reviews. However, I am having trouble getting permissions for some amazing songs.  I will go with with I do have by the end of this year.  (If anyone knows anyone important in the lyrics permission business, PLEASE send them my way! 🙂 ).

Just for Me – Lose Weight/ Drink Water

I had 3 kids in 5 years.  That was tough on my body.  Now I’m about 10lbs from my pre-pregnant body and it is all sitting in my belly. I get asked pretty often if I’m having another child.  Um, no.  So hopefully this year I can shake those 10 lbs!  I also need to drink more water.  When I was breastfeeding, I drank about half a gallon a day.  Now I drink maybe 2 glasses.  I am going to go back to that 1/2 gallon! Or at least more than 2 glasses 🙂

Wish me luck!  What are YOUR resolutions! Happy 2015!!  (Don’t forget to Follow me on Facebook and Follow My Store for awesome surprises!)

Wrapping Things Up

My final advice? When in doubt, bake cookies! (Pillsbury makes an excellent pull apart cookie dough, I must say). A dozen cookies on someone’s desk can make them feel warm and gooey inside (pun intended). This strategy has been around since the beginning of time and is a tried and true method.

If you are new at school and looking for lessons for the first day, you might also enjoy this post on first day lesson plans! 

Who did I miss? Any other key people in school we should add?

Musically,

Shelley