Wrapping It Up

The end of the year is always such a crazy time, especially when you are a teacher. December holds various parties, concerts, and other special events. It also means that the kiddos are crazy excited for all these special things, most especially Christmas. I mean, who can blame them!

Even amidst all of the craziness, we had a fantastic end of 2012 in 2nd grade! My students stayed focused till the end. We even topped off our last day of school with a party, including lots of treats, games, crafts, and waffles! Yeah, we made waffles for lunch. It was delicious and slightly insane of me, I realize. It worked out wonderfully though and was so tasty! We also played games with the 1st graders, created our own sock snowmen, and watched the ADORABLE preschool/kindergarten Christmas play. The best way to finish off the first part of our school year.

I have gotten to spend the last part of 2012 in my homeland of Wisconsin. Time here is always so wonderful and goes far too fast! The days have been packed with family gatherings, hang outs with friends, Packer parties, and sleeping in. All of my most favoritest things! Family Christmas gatherings included mockery, Wii sports (with my dad, which was incredibly amusing!), and pigs' feet. We are quite a diverse group.

A few of my phenomenal cousins! Always a great time with this bunch! And check out that stellar Packer's championship shirt :)

This break also allowed me to spend time with friends, ones I don't get to see much at all anymore. It is so great to get to see them when we all come home, even if it is only 1 night! Though it does hurt my heart a little to only see them for one night every few months. Just a result of growing up, I guess!

Sidenote: I've decided someday I am going to buy up land and make a commune, on which all of my friends' can live. Not the weird kind where we make our own food and dance around in the fields. More like a giant cul-de-sac.

Another sidenote: Have you noticed my new blog look? I figured it could use an update with the new year! Woohoo for 2013!

As I contemplate the upcoming year that is 2013, I feel a little intimidated, a smide anxious, but pretty excited! It is going to be a year of changes, for sure. But 2012 has sure been one fantastic year! So thankful God blessed me with such an awesome year of life. Bring on 2013!!

Hunting for Homophones

You know what is fun? Learning about homophones.

Now you may be thinking that I've lost it, that I have taken a big swig of the 2nd grade kool aid. Perhaps I have developed into a bit of a nerd since beginning my teaching career. Er, scratch that. I have totally become a nerd. I speak in phonegrams. I correct grammar and punctuation of anyone who interacts with me. It happens. I've learned to embrace it.

This year has been much easier for me. It is crazy how much better your second year is compared to your first year! Every teacher says it and it is so true. I have worked to make my lessons better and I really feel like I have done so. Plus, this year's class also really loves to learn about anything and everything!

This week we started learning about homophones: words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Here is an example for you: sail and sale. Well, after introducing what these words are, my students went nuts. We covered 2/3 of the chalkboard with these words including there, they're, and their, sea and sea, and peace and piece.

The only problem? My students couldn't stop thinking of homophones. We would be walking down the hall and all of a sudden I would hear someone whispering, "Miss Ongnaaaaaa! Miss Ongnaaaaaa! I thought of another homophone!" They would be working on their own work and a student would raise their hand, "I just thought of another one!" Then again while we were lining up for lunch. And again while we were packing up at the end of the day. They couldn't stop!

Today we dove into homographs and homonyms. You can only imagine their excitement. Seriously, I couldn't even believe it! This excitement makes teaching totally fun, even when teaching what could be a tedious/possibly frustrating grammar lesson. I also made some posters for each of these terms with Mr. Sketch scented markers. I swear to you these markers make everything exciting! They are scented! How could they not make something instantly fun?

So, to wrap up, homophones are fun. So are 2nd graders. And scented markers. Class dismissed!

A Thankful December

I realize I am quite behind the times with this thankful list. November is the thankful month, seeing as it holds the beloved holiday that is Thanksgiving. Well, I didn't quite get my act together to have this ready in time. Also, why not be thankful in December? Or all year round! That is what I say to students so I may as well break off and use a piece of my own advice. So, as we finish off 2012, here is a list of some of the many, many things that I thankful for and have been blessed with.

1. Communication devices: While I love where I live and the people here, I live around mostly new people, which means all my family and friends from home and from college live in a bunch of other states. This means I use my computer and cell phone frequently to chat. It is amazing to be able to text a quick hello or joke to a friend across the country, 2 time zones behind me! And boy does she love those texts at 4 am her time!
   
2. Wisconsin: The love I have for my home state has only been magnified since I left it. I calculated the other day that I haven't lived there consistently in 6 years. Wow! But I always love to go back for holidays and visits. WI is a beautiful place and is filled to the brim with people I love! It will always be home.
   
3. Books: I realize I talk about books a lot. I'm sorry if I bore you with my limited interests. I'm not really though. Who doesn't love getting sucked into a great book?! This past week I read 4 books, all part of a series. I was addicted. I sacrificed precious sleep. I whipped my hair into a ponytail just to get in 10 minutes of extra reading time in the morning. I have a problem, I know. I am not willing to give up my addiction anytime soon though, so there's no use arranging the intervention.


4. Hot showers: The only thing that can take the sting out of waking up at 5:20 every morning is knowing that a delightfully hot shower will be waiting for me. Helping me to not only stay clean but to contemplate life. I make some pretty solid life decisions at 5:30 am.


5.  My coworkers: I can't even begin to tell you how fantastic the people are that I work with. They are amazing teachers who all have such a zeal and passion for what they do. Whenever I need an idea, am struggling with a problem, or just want to share an adorable story, they are always there. I cannot imagine going through my first few years of teaching without them.
   
6. Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing: This is strange. Don't worry, I realize too. One of my roommates from college and I both had a love for this delicious and random food item. So, this post is for you, Tasha! It is yummy, yummy, yummy! Also, this dressing is not available in PA. Sadness. I'll just have to continue to import it from the west.
   
7. Family Dinners: While I was back in WI, I realize how much I like my family as well as love them. I got to get together with several different parts of my relation, including the always hilarious Voskuil/Beezhold clan. I don't know if you can fathom how much laughter can occur in a couple of hours. I was literally in pain. It is the best feeling ever.
   
8. The Farm: My parents are farmers, thus they live on a farm. Or is it they live on a farm, thus they are farmers? Huh. Profound, I know. Either way, I didn't appreciate this fact as much when I was growing up. This past Thanksgiving, I hung outside with my dad for a bit just petting the steers and walking around. I love everything about it: the smells, the cows, the absolute beauty, and the hard work that has gone in there. I couldn't be more proud to be the child of an incredibly hard working dad!