“We better stick to the routine; we don’t want to look stupid.”
― Monica Geller, F.R.I.E.N.D.S

The One With the Weekly Slide Template (Pacing Guides)
I learned early on that I love to use google slides or other presentation types like Canva to help guide me through the lesson and…

The One with a Year in Reading: Skills & Strategies Assessments
Quarter 1 (Story 1-5) Character, Setting, Plot: Sequence (Story 2) Greek and Latin Prefixes/Roots (Story 3, Story 5) Context Clues: Paragraph Clues (Story 2) Character,…

The One with the 6th Grade ELA Conceptual Unit on Character Analysis & Character Building
Character, a dual purpose conceptual unit addressing student abilities to analyze characters of a novel; as well as, build their own individual characters. The first year of middle school, is an appropriate time to discover each of these skills; developing a greater understanding of the literary concept of character and creating a deeper understanding of one’s own self.
The One Where I Beat the Sunday Scaries
As someone who struggles with anxiety, I find that my world continues to turn on the right axis when I plan what lies ahead. I have a Type A personality I absolutely love consistency and routines! The more consistent my life is the better I can function. However, there are a few major areas of my life that I do not want to or cannot do the same thing: the daily, weekly, monthly responsibilities; the food we eat; the clothes I wear; and the material I teach. Each day we are destined to make thousands of decisions as a teacher, a mom, and as a living breathing human .. here are four things I do each week so that I can breathe easier throughout the week and not feel so restless on Sunday night.
The One Where I Prepare to Teach During Times of Uncertainty
I began creating this document as I thought about returning to school next month. I will continue to add to it as the weeks go on and I sort out my feelings on the near future. If it is within my control then I do what I can to plan for it and if it is out of my control then I choose not to spend anytime worrying about it.
The One With the Priority Planner
What I have noticed so far in my routine is that I feel accomplished, energetic, and more joyful in my days. These routines incorporate my necessary tasks to complete as a mom and homebody. It also includes time to eat and move, as well as my hobbies I enjoy. When school begins, I am looking forward to having a center of wellness daily rather than just working toward the weekend.

The One With the Action Files
I am in the middle of cleaning my home office. I am motivated to keep the papers where the papers belong and not return to the abyss in this file box pictured above. So, what do I do with all the papers that do not need to be saved or what do I do if I do not have the time to do something with the paper as soon as I get it? (Although, I have found to be the best method) I have put together a system that is going to work great! It may work for you too!

The One Where I Begin Taming the Paper Monster
Gulp! What on earth do I do with all of this?? How do I make it better this semester, so I do not have to spend hours sorting, purging and organizing through all the paper at the end?

The One With Literature Circles in the Middle School Social Studies & Science Classroom
Implementing Literature Circles in the Middle School Science & Social Studies classroom. What does it look like? What resources do I use?