Five for Friday!

Packing? Who needs to finish packing when I could be blogging? Lol! Five for Friday is about five random things from my day or week.  In case you haven't read this before, this is my very favorite linky and I faithfully post it every week. So.... head over to Doodlebugs and read everybody's Five for Friday!

1. It's officially ours again! Our house in McPherson.  On June 22 we will have been the home owners of our Habitat for Humanity house for five years.  This house has always been a miracle and we've always appreciated it. But I wanted to teach SO BADLY that I convinced myself that it was "just a house." I had it partly right, I am sure that God had a plan for us this year.  One thing is, we now now have a new appreciation for our home.  We did a little jig on Friday when we got there. One of my favorite things about it my little gardens.  My strawberry patch is three years old this season and it is growing like wildfire! We picked strawberries and ate them like candy while we were there.

HOME!

Sweet like candy.... 

2. Summer Bucket List.  On Monday I had a job interview. I am not certain what happens to me in interviews because job offers don't follow.  I am not trying to be ignorant, I know there is a lot I have to learn, but the truth is, I am good teacher. I invest in my students.  Being a teacher makes me a better person. But I digress. After the job interview, my daughters (all three of them) and I and my grandkids went to the zoo.  It was a perfect day for it! How many times have been to the Sedgwick County Zoo when it is 100 degrees out? (answer: too many times to count).  But it was only in the low 80's. It was fabulous.

3. I am the old cat lady this week. It's just Sam and I down here in the panhandle packing up. He's been extremely affectionate and when he's not sitting ON me or putting a paw on me or touching me in some way, he is sitting close to me. He's a little freaked out about no kids and no dog and all this packing. Poor Sammy! I love him dearly and I'm so grateful for his company to ease the loneliness. I really don't know what to do without my girls.

4. So far I have seen about a bazillion great new ideas for next year. I missed the linky parties I wanted to participate in, they are closed now. But I have some ideas for things I want to change next year.  I was told that my cooperating teacher would influence my teaching more than anything/anyone else. That is SO true. I was so fortunate to have an AWESOME cooperating teacher. In fact, I had awesome support for every experience I had from internships to cooperating teaching. I heard some unfortunate stories and I am grateful for the experiences I had. I learned from the best because great teaching is what was modeled for me.  Oh man, off track again! Next year, I will do some things differently.  I've been reading The Daily Five and I've gotten some great ideas there. I found all my Kagan structures and I've been reviewing them, and (of course) I've been stalking blogs and haunting Teachers pay Teachers. I can't tell you for sure what I will do next school year because it will depend on the school district I become a part of.  The first thing I will do is submerse myself in their curriculum and learn as much as I can about it as I can and start planning and curriculum mapping. Then I'll figure out how the changes I want to make fit the school and the plans I am making. Next I will take things that worked well last year and prepare those for a new school year.

5. I am out of random things. This is a first for me. I can blog about ANYTHING. All the time. Yep. I'm sick of typing about moving and I am sure you all are sick of reading it. But it consumes me.  And it will be over in a very short amount of time. Here are some non-school things on my mind, and they will affect me as a teacher: my health and how it is necessary to get out there and do something (walk, walk, walk); spirituality and my need for God and for spiritual food: it was great to go to church last week in my own church; attitude of gratitude: my attitude determines everything else: my ability to be a good Mom, a good teacher, a good citizen, and a spiritually fit human being. If I can keep an attitude of gratitude, I will have the gumption to achieve the rest of my goals, desires, and dreams. I will have what it takes to be that fully invested teacher, mother, friend.

Happy Friday! I can't wait to read everyone's Five for Friday!