HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Good evening, friends!

Last month I shared news that I had been notified I would be an involuntary transfer due to budget cuts.  This has been an extremely emotional month for me as I find myself in daily conversations with colleagues about my upcoming move.  Everyone in my school made me feel so welcome this year.  My administration has been nothing but supportive, my team has been so helpful with my first year in 2nd grade, and I have a pretty great group of kids who are so kind and loving.

About two weeks ago, the Wednesday before Spring Break, I went on an interview at another school in the district.  I had visited the building a few times this year for some after school professional development sessions.  I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the school's administration and have a few friends who attended the school as kids.  During my interview I felt pretty comfortable with the administration and was able to picture myself teaching there.  On April 2nd we went on Spring Break and I tried to stop worrying.  Packing your apartment while touring wedding venues over the course of one week is ENOUGH for one person to handle.  Sheesh!  I returned to school yesterday and it occurred to me that I hadn't thought about my placement at all due to my brain being on overload.  Today I was speaking to one of the other teachers at my school who will be moving buildings about how we hadn't heard anything yet.  Two weeks is a LONG time to go without knowing or hearing anything at all.

This short, detailed story has a happy ending.  I received my e-mail when I got home today that I got the job I interviewed for!  I feel so relieved to no longer have that piece of my life up in the air.  Now for the next part of the big news....

Whale-come to 2nd Grade will be swimming into THIRD GRADE next year. 

Yup.  It's true.  I'm processing this brand new information of another grade level change and praying for a smooth transition.  

At the end of the day I'm "whaley" grateful for a job and I know there is a purpose for my journey.  If you currently teach 3rd and have any advice I am MORE THAN WELCOME to it. :)

500 Instagram Followers Giveaway!

I had been logged into my personal Instagram account for a few days as I started spring break but logged back onto @Whalecometo2ndgrade to find I had 500 followers!  I think a small giveaway is in order.  I am hoping this will be greatly successful so I can plan a bigger giveaway for a larger milestone.

Go ahead an enter my 500 follower giveaway for your chance to win a product from my TpT store of your choice!

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Online Portfolio

Happy Tuesday!

This week I FINALLY have my spring break vacation.  I know we had a few "snowcation" days but this wait for break feels like it was taking FOREVER!  The rush to get grades in within the same amount of time since the quarter wasn't extended definitely put a large amount of stress and pressure on all of us.  While sitting for a few minutes to enjoy my morning before resuming packing my apartment I realized there are less than 50 days left of our school year and I had a rush of feelings come over me.  Every teacher gets excited about summertime.  A few months off to relax, enjoy the weather & our families, and mentally prepare for the next school year is what each and every one of us needs.  I love my job but I lose "me time" during the school year because I dedicate all of my time to preparing for the next day or the next week.  In addition to an excited feeling I started to feel upset.  As I mentioned in my previous post I will be moving buildings (again) next year due to budget cuts.  At this point in time I am still awaiting a new placement and feeling very unsure, overwhelmed, and anxious.  Will I be moved to another supportive and positive building?  Will I be teaching 2nd grade or be making another grade level change?  What will my students be like?  It is all so much to think about.  A few weeks ago I posted a picture on Instagram referencing my online portfolio and said I would blog about it.  It isn't much but here we go!

My online portfolio is set up through Google Sites.  I had set it up a few years ago when I first started applying for jobs and have updated it as needed.  Click any of the pictures below to check it out for yourself!  It is pretty simple and user friendly for your employers to check out.  The first two images show the main page.  It describes my reason for becoming a teacher and the journey I took to earning my license.

One tab gives some overall information about myself.  Every interview I have ever been on starts off with the employer asking me to tell about myself.  Why not put some information in writing for them to refer back to if they would like after the interview?  Think about all of the people they interview sometimes.  This is a great way for them to remember you!

I have a separate tab with attached test scores and professional evaluations.  After a while I don't think the test scores really matter but I like to have them there just in case.  By attaching my recent professional evaluations I feel like I'm not hiding anything and am showing how open I am to them reviewing the files.  

 Lastly, I have added snippets to show some of my creations.  During my most recent interview I was asked about my comfortably with technology and how I would describe myself?  This provides proof of my creativity and my comfortably with technology.  You can talk someone's ear off all day but providing proof is so meaningful. 

I hope this helps for anyone who was interested!  Please e-mail me (whalecometo2ndgrade@gmail.com) or comment below with any questions and say a little prayer for me that I find a new, wonderful home next year.  

"Whale" Hello!

My goodness!  I am so terrible still at blogging.  If you follow me on Instagram you are aware of some of the recent BIG changes in my life.  For those of you who do not follow my Instagram (although you really should ;) haha) I will catch y'all up.

Let's start off with the bad news:

At the beginning of March, once we returned from our "snow-cation," I received news that my position in my building is being cut due to allocations that came out for the following school year.  Our building is losing almost one teacher per grade level.  It is absolutely heart breaking.  Our class sizes will be growing next year to most likely 26-28 students as an effect of these cuts.  I am considered a "priority transfer" so I have a job in the district but my new location is unknown as well as my grade level.  I am hoping and praying every day for a new home that is just as wonderful as my current building.

Onto the GREAT/FANTASTIC news:

After leaving our district Meet and Greet even on Wednesday I GOT ENGAGED! Yup! What a wonderfully surprising ending to quite a stressful day.  My fiancé (y'all I still can't get used to that) had been hinting he wanted to take some walks through a local park once the weather started to warm up for a while.  I was definitely not opposed to this but it has just been too darn cold lately.  On Wednesday it was absolutely gorgeous.  We drove out to the bay and I was not too excited about it.  I currently live minutes from the oceanfront so a drive to the bay after the long day I had was NOT what I had in mind.  Anyway, it was really nice out and walking on the sand felt so nice.  I am beyond ready for summer.  However, if you know me you know that I'm quite the complainer when I'm tired.  After what felt like 20 minutes I asked if we could turn around and go home.  I was informed that we had only been walking for just over 5 minutes. Haha! (It really was a long day, y'all.  Full day at school followed by parading around and meeting many new administrators hoping to make a good impression.  It was exhausting.)  He agreed to turn around and just before reaching the end of the beach he proposed.  Boy did I feel like a big-ole whiny pants!  Lucky for me he knows what to expect from me on any given day after work.  I really am in disbelief that he can handle me every single day. 

When we got back to my place I was in for even more surprises.  He had been working with my childhood best friend to set up a romantic dinner.  They are seriously the BEST!

I am so excited to start planning a wedding.  Thank you to all of my followers who have sent congratulatory messages.  Y'all are too sweet!

Next week is our spring break.  I will be packing up my current home and starting the moving process into OUR first home together.  In addition to moving, I, like every other teacher on the planet, also have plans to write upon our return.

Up Next: My plan for my next post is about my online portfolio I referenced to in one of my Instagram posts before the Meet and Greet.  I am hoping to get to that soon.

NEW PRODUCT ALERT!

Happy Sunday Funday!

I swear, this year is flying by.  How are we already halfway through the 3rd quarter?  I'M NOT READY FOR THIS!! Don't get me wrong, I am JUST as ready for summer as anyone else.  Living minutes away from the beach is really a plus during our summer break.  However, I am in denial that my 2nd year of teaching at my awesome school is almost over.  Last week I received some saddening news that I will be moving to a different building (TBA) due to our superintendent pushing for classroom sizes to grow by 1 student.  Our building will unfortunately be losing 3 teachers in addition to myself.  Needless to say I am heartbroken since I will have to pack everything up, move to an unknown building, and HOPE to be teaching the same thing.  I don't know if I can handle a 3rd grade level change within three years for sanity purposes.

Ok... enough of this sad stuff.  Let's move on to the EXCITING stuff...

This week we will be wrapping up our fiction study for the quarter and moving on to non-fiction.  We're starting off with main idea (Lord, help me) and fact vs. opinion.  I am a Duck Dynasty fan because they crack me up.  I put together this Duck Dynasty themed scoot thanks to some ADORABLE Melonheadz Illustrating clipart.  You can click any of the preview images below to take you directly to the product in my TpT store.

What's the BEST part about this new product?  It's only $1.50 until midnight!  That's right!  Tomorrow it will go up to it's normal price of $2.50.  Go ahead and grab yours today!

TPT Teachers Are Heroes SALE!

Hey, y'all!

The Teachers Pay Teachers: Teachers Are Heroes SALE started today!  Hop on over to snag any item in my store for 20% and check out some of the other AMAZING deals! Click the banner below by Jillian Starr of The Starr Spangled Planner to take you directly to my store.

Happy shopping!

Getting Started

Today is our district's 3rd snow day this week and I just learned we will be off tomorrow as well.  Our main roads are cleared but low temperatures are freezing over what snow there is left on side roads and in neighborhoods.  If any northerners saw what our area currently looks like y'all would laugh at us for still being shut down.  However, with a whole week off I have had time to relax, think, and make lengthy to do lists.  

This is my 2nd year of teaching but my 1st year in second grade.  With the grade level and building change I sometimes feel like a first year teacher again.  So here is a question for all of you veteran teachers: What is something you wish you knew within your first few years of teaching?

Please comment below with your feedback!  I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks, y'all.