I am feeling pretty good right now and wanted to document it here.  I had just arrived to work a short while ago when a woman I had never met came into my classroom to introduce herself to me.  She is a tutor who works in the classroom directly next to mine, and our rooms are divided by a partition with a  2 ft opening at the top.  The school was built with an “open” design so we have no doors.  I can see and hear everything that is going on in the 5 other classrooms in my wing and vice versa.  Anyway to make my long story short, this woman came in today because she wanted to let me know that she loves the way I teach and relate to my kids and how positive I am with them.  She told me I inspire her to be a better teacher.  Made me feel proud and appreciative to know that others can see how hard I try to reach these smart but often needy kids.  Times are tough and we are expected to do even more with less resources.  As teachers we often do not feel appreciated enough. Hearing those words made my day :)

Is anyone besides Sam interested in knowing more about my job as a Gifted Education Specialist?  I know I don’t often talk about my job on here, but maybe when I find some time I will try to write more about what I do.

This past Monday was a very special day at one of the schools I teach at.  Last spring our school was selected by the Timberwolves' Fastbreak Foundation to receive a library makeover.  Over the past few weeks several members of the Timberwolves office staff spent hours and hours at our school, painting the library and putting together the new shelving and then re-stocking the library books on the shelves.   The walls are the blue, green and white of the Timberwolves plus we got giant wall decals with the current Timberwolves players.  Everything looks amazing!

Monday was the big celebration, with the Timberwolves people (along with school district administration) coming out to help us celebrate.  A couple of the Timberwolves players were supposed to be there also but
were running late from that morning's practice.  They finally showed up
after it was over and signed a few autographs.  The organization has promised to bring the
players back when they can come, but with the start of a brand-new
season, it may be awhile before that happens, we'll see.

Crunch, the Timberwolves mascot was also along for the fun and even helped act out the book that was read aloud, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. It was great!! 

After the celebration Crunch insisted he have his picture with me. Too bad I was in the middle of saying something when this photo was taken, I look like a big dorkis.

If you'd like to read the Timberwolves article about the project, read here.

Thank you Minnesota Timberwolves!!!!

Warning: Long post ahead!

To say last week was hot is an understatement.  Especially when its 90'+ and you go a week without A/C in your house.  The condenser blew and it needed to be replaced with a whole brand-new unit.  An expensive one (of course!), which we were not able to have installed immediately.  I am grateful to have great neighbors with cold houses who gave us refuge from the heat in the evenings up until bedtime.  There were way too many sleepless nights with having a bedroom on the third floor and afternoon sun beating down on it, making it at least 100'.  Fans didn't do anything but blow hot air around.  I was so dang miserable and exhausted from lack of sleep,  I swear living without a/c  is detrimental to my health!  The last few nights I slept in the basement, which helped some.   The good news is a new unit was installed Saturday and my house is cold again.  Yay! I will appreciate it forever and ever ;)

This past week was also the first week of summer school.  I am teaching 5th grade reading to my class and the other 5th grade class.  Its going great so far, my kids are all very well behaved and the room is nice and cool.  Summer school takes place in this building (taken on a rainy morning last week)

This is the view out of my classroom. I had been waiting for a clear day and the right lighting to get this photo all week!

Speaking of pictures, I bet you're wondering why your blog readers were filled with photo posts from me yesterday.  Well, I decided to import all of my posts from my Daily photo Blog into this Mi Vida Ocupada blog.  I just don't know if it makes sense to me to keep two different blogs when I post so many photos over here anyway.  I have a lot more traffic on this blog and sometimes it seems redundant to post my photos in both places.  Initially the point of the Daily Photo Blog was for me to challenge myself to take better photos more often and  I think I have proven to myself that I can do that.  Especially with all the interest in the Photo Hunt Challenges that I have been posting.  Photography has become my biggest passion in recent months, completely replacing scrapbooking (which I haven't done in a year now and have lost pretty much all desire).    I hope you all don't mind seeing more of my photography right here!

Now about the Photo Hunt:  On Tuesday, June 30th I will be putting up a new post with Mr. Linky so everyone who completed the Photo Hunt #2 can link to their entries.  I know summertime (and life in general) can sneak up on ya when you're busy, but I hope we have a good turnout of people who completed it.  I have just two more photos to take on my list, then I will be posting My Results.  FYI- I am in the process of creating a brand-new blog just for the Photo Hunts.  Stay tuned for more information and when it is ready, I will start redirecting all Photo Hunt related info to that site.

So much happened last week and it was just too dang hot for me to sit down and blog about any of it.  Biggest news of the week: Michael Jackson died.  I was a little shocked at first, but not really.  I guess I had a feeling he wasn't doing very good.  I loved MJ as a kid (didn't everyone?).  Thriller was my very first album and I loved, loved, loved every song.  He has had so many great hits over the years.  I never hated on him with all the drama in his adult life, although there is no doubt he had issues.  I don't know what is wrong with me that I didn't cry when I heard of his passing, I mean I cried when Crocodile Hunter was killed?! Anyway, thank goodness the music of Michael Jackson will live on.

Last but not least, I wanted to direct your attention to the Product Giveaway on the Twin Cities Restaurant Blog.  There are three things to choose from 1.  Lounge Shaker set 2. Bottle Holder  3. Salt & Pepper shakers.  Leave a comment on this post saying which product you like best and a winner will be randomly selected on July 7th.  Feel free to direct anyone in the USA to the site.  Blog about it, spread the word!

Oy! It has been a very busy week at work!
My day job is one that I absolutely love.  I am a Gifted Services
Specialist but the main portion of my job is teaching the High-Ability
students.  Every spring each of my students choose a topic to research
and then spend a couple of months gathering facts, taking notes,
finding photos and other graphics and then put everything together on a
display board.  Between my two schools, I have been working with about 80 students on these projects.  It takes a lot to help 80 kids get everything they need, especially when I work at a very low-income school and very few of them have computers at home. The past few weeks have been hectic as you can imagine.  Here is my wonderful group of 2nd graders who put together a group project on Mammals of the North Pole.  They each chose an animal and then were responsible for coming up with info and pics to add to the project.  Here they are putting everything together.  I was super impressed with how well the 7 of them worked together!

Once all projects are turned in and graded, we have a
Project Fair and invite the school to come see the projects.  My morning school will have their Project Fair next Thursday but my afternoon school had theirs yesterday.  The boards were all set up in a U shape on tables in the library and the guests had to wind their way around them as they read.  Here is a  snap shot of the set-up, but you can only see the inside of the U.

One down, one to go!

Today is a glum day around the school district I work in, especially at the school I teach at in the afternoon.  Last Friday was the deadline for Principals to notify individuals whose positions were eliminated due to budget cuts and at least 11 teachers from our building were cut (including several tenured teachers).  I can't even imagine how this will impact our building next year.  District-wide we had to cut $25.4 million from our schools in one year, the biggest hit of all time.  It is very likely that an additional $10 million will be cut due to an Education Bill that the MN House of Representatives passed next week.  If this bill gets signed into law by the Governor, all teachers in our state will have our salaries frozen for the next two years. (That majorly stinks considering I am now at the point where my salary jumps up significantly each year!!!)
This time of year is one that always makes me nervous because my position as Gifted Services Specialist has been on the chopping block too many times.  This year my prayers were answered and my positions are being kept intact.  That is wonderful news for me, but I am feeling very sad for my colleagues that have to move on :(

The first day of school was a good one.  So far I only have one big class of 6th graders at the beginning of the day, the rest of my groups will start next week.
Do you remember me complaining about the mess the former teacher left me to deal with?  I have turned my new room into a much more comfortable, clean space!

It won't be long before the walls are covered with student artifacts and charts from our mini lessons.

Call me crazy, but I kind of wish I would've applied to get into a graduate  Educational Leadership program starting this fall.  I could probably crack it out in about two years, but I think it is too late to start this semester.  Something i am thinking about and need to look into further :)

After taking my final exam this morning, I have successfully completed all of the requirements for my graduate program.

It is now all a distant memory!!! That means no-more-bitching-about-school-ever-again.

Celebration is in order!

I finished my practicum today!!! That means four weeks of vacation for me until I go back to work :)

I also got my test results back today from my final Praxis test (Middle school language arts) and I passed!!!

I just have one more assignment and the final for my literature class.  Hoping that will all be taken care of in the next couple of weeks!!

Ahhhh, it feels great!!  This has been such a busy year for me with graduate school and work between two schools (three if you count this summer).  So glad its all behind me now!