Welcome Friends! My blog's new design was created in honor of my favorite place....Florida's Bonita Beach. I will be enjoying spring break there in 26 more days. Believe me...the countdown has begun and some well-deserved rest and relaxation cannot come soon enough! ...

Hello Friends! I am just stopping in today to share a little more...... SNOWMAN LOVE ...

Welcome Friends! To me there is nothing better to do on a snowy day than wrapping up in my favorite fleece blanket with a good book and a warm cup of cocoa! Snuggling into a wonderful picture book just makes the rest of the cold, frosty world outside melt away, and allows my imagination to go to a magical place!  Using wordless picture books to inspire young writers to create their own stories is another favorite instructional practice of mine, so keep reading to find out how I do it!  I invite you to join me in doing the same now as The Reading Crew takes you reading in a winter wonderland! ...

Happy Monday, Friends! I am just home from another purge and pack session in my classroom, and I just have to say.... I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF! Twenty-four years of teaching, five different grade levels, six room moves, and countless decor themes later, I have been dubbed the "Queen Of Too Much Stuff" by my building custodians and colleagues.   Yep.  The time has come to move away from my pack rat tendencies and create a place for everything....and then KEEP IT THERE!  It is with this goal in mind, that I am participating in this two-part blogger link-up designed to help me reflect on the 2014-2015 school year, and work on refreshing my methods and practices for the 2015-2016 school year. Last fall I established a classroom blog that I intended to post weekly updates, photos, and resources to for parents.  As the year got underway, other priorities surfaced and my good intentions fell by the wayside.  My friend Kimberly over ......