Happy New Year

Well, here we go again.  I love a new start. Being a teacher means you get two New Years but I am looking forwards to this one most. This year has been an incredibly hard one so using this as an excuse to start again is a blessing.

This past year has been terribly painful so this year I hope to close some doors and start new more pleasant things. I know that some people believe the new year means change in itself but I am very aware that I need to make the change if I want things to happen.

These are not resolutions (I feel that I just break resolutions) but just thoughts about the new year.

1) I have moved to a beautiful part of the world. I want to get outside more and enjoy the beauty.
2) Talking of moving, I used to live with someone who took zero pride in his surroundings and I want to be the complete opposite of this in my new place. I am saving for pretty things and want to make this place a wonderful place for my new start.
3) Last year was very much about looking back (and not always in a good way) so this year will be about living in the present and celebrating the happy moments.
4) It is safe to say, I let myself go a bit this past year. Obviously, I know that looking good isn't the key to happiness but I want to feel good and looking good is a part of this (for me). I want to eat better, keep up with the fitness, get a better skin regime and learn to do my makeup better.

If you are reading this, I wish you every blessing for the new year. I hope that in a year's time you will look back on it and smile at the good bits and marvel at how well you dealt with the not so good bits.

Happy New Year!

Rural Life in Town

Summer is here! Let's get reading.

Well, it has been a very long while since I wrote on here! Let's get back to it.

It is finally August and I am officially on holiday. I have already read two books. The first of which is Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler. A story based around returning sentimental items to an ex. It was beautifully written and quite cathartic! The second story I read is Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. This a great British Urban Fantasy. I am a sucker for a fantasy novel and this lived up to my expectations. Set in present day London, it follows an unexpecting PC who finds himself immersed in the unknown magical side of London. It was great. I'm looking forward to reading the others in the series.

I'm on the look out for other summer reads. I have just started The Queen of the Tearling (as I said, I'm a sucker for fantasy) and so far I'm really enjoying it. I heard that Emma Watson is down for the lead role in the film... Should be awesome!

Keep happy, keep reading!

♥

5 things that have made me smile this week #4

I have a had a busy busy week, but there have been so many brilliant things!

1) My Mum being inducted into ministry in a church that was my family during my childhood. 
2) Hubby launching a missional community at church. He is a real blessing to the local community as well as me. 
3) Fajitas and sour cream. Yum!
4) Finally getting a new shed door! Sounds odd, I know. But our shed door was on the verge of disintegration! 
5) Really getting back into teaching. Its been super to get back into the swing of things and get into more of a routine. We have had lots of exciting things to do already this term and there is so much more to come. 

A pretty inspirational week! I'm looking forward to what comes next!

♥

I want...

Here are a few things I would really really like. Some are more frivolous than others!

I want...

• my garden to be a place I like going
• to have more time to laugh with my hubby
• to crack D7 on the ukulele
• to find a foundation that lasts the whole working day
• for people in power to use that power to help others
• for people to treat each other with respect
• for my favourite shoes to stop hurting my feet
• for strawberries to still be in season

This has been a interesting post to write. I would definitely recommend it!

♥

5 things that have made me smile this week #3

This week has been a bit different from my previous weeks of blogging as I have gone back to work. Here are some of the things that have made me smile:

1) The weather getting colder. I'm not one for hot weather. Never have been. This is the time of year when I get my slippers out and put on my hoodies in the evening. Lovely and snuggly!

2) Seeing friends and colleagues again. Although I have seen a few people over the summer holidays, it is lovely to catch up with people after the break. 

3) Learning new names and getting to know new personalities. A new class means new names to learn and lots of little people to get to know. 

4) Getting excited about the future. We had an inspirational Professional Development day all about where we want to take our school. So exciting!

5) Cracking television dramas. There are so many on the TV at the moment! I'm hooked! 

I hope lots of things are making you smile!

♥

Teaching Organisation Tip

My love of organisation has caused me to write this post. As school begins in a few days I have been sorting a lot of stuff out. I thought I would share how I organise my ‘everyday’ folder for work.

The first thing in my folder is my timetable. I often scribble my timetable because of the many changes on a weekly bases.

Behind this I keep class lists. I keep one of all the children in the year group and a further two for my own class; one with tick boxes and another with space to write next to names. I find I often need a class list for some reason or another; ticking off trip money, observations etc. I keep multiple copies just in case!

The next section is devoted to assessment. Now, as this is just a folder that is an everyday folder, it does not contain all my assessment. Currently it just holds the data from the end of the previous year. It is useful to have it easily accessible, particularly at the start of the year when you are still getting to know the children.

The next section holds my groups. I change these around quite often so it’s useful for my brain to keep them to hand. I also try to keep a record of the stage of reading book the children are on in this section too.

The next session holds my long term plans. These help me to see clearly what topics I will be teaching and help get the creative juices flowing.

The next section holds my marking stickers. These are a relatively new addition to my school but they are brilliant. There bright and child friendly but have useful information for assessment. E.g. ‘I assessed this learning by myself’ and ‘Verbal feedback given by a teacher’.

The next section is a classroom plan. When I have got my new class settled into table places I write names and additional needs on a classroom plan. This can be useful for people who come into your classroom but don’t know your children.

I do not keep planning in my folder. I keep the weeks plans in my room where both me and the classroom assistant can scribble all over them. I then file them in another folder at the end of the week. I don’t find I need to take plans home as I generally make tweaks to my Smartboard pages if I think of changes at home. Other changes usually get decided after the previous lesson due to Assessment for Learning.

This folder is not jam packed with lots of stuff but useful stuff I need at a glance. I love technology and have it all on computer and memory stick, but some things just need to be ‘real’!

♥

5 Things I Can't Live Without

The other day I was thinking about all the things that make my life easier. The things listed below are things that I obviously could live without, but do make my life sunnier!

• My iPhone. This is my calendar, my link to social networks, my email, my bible, my information finder. Oh, and I can make calls and text on it too! 
• Jumper/Coat/Scarf. Actually, anything that keeps me warm. I get so chilly!! I was once sat in the South of France in July with a winter coat on! I generally always carry something that I can wear to bring my body temperature up a bit.
• Music. I need this in my life. Radio, MP3, those funny old things called CDs (!). I don't mind as long as there is music. Music sets the mood, evokes things and makes you feel things. I have an 'eclectic' taste in music which means I can always find something that suits the moment - whether it's to sing along to or relax. 
• Stationary. Sad but true. I love this time of year when all the 'back to school' stuff hits the shops. A new pen or folder fills me with glee! I love organising stuff. Putting bits into the correct places makes me smile and makes my life more manageable. 
• The internet. The internet is full of amazing stuff. From shops to creative projects, make up tutorials to sheet music, the internet has it all. Like with lots of things there are some rubbish bits to it and some highly dangerous stuff, but the internet can be such a creative and enriching experience if used correctly. 

What are your 5 things you can't live without? I would love to know. Please leave a comment or leave a link to your blog. I love reading other people's blogs. 

♥