New blog design, some {ShOuT oUts} and my very first LINKY party!

It's here....it's here....it's here!!  If I could physically climb on my roof (without hurting myself) and shout it....I would.  But instead, I'll settle for a more metaphorical "shout if from the rooftops" kind of thing. 

My new blog design is here!  I love it...do you love it??  It's bright, it's colorful, it's perfection!  A huge, huge shout-out to Christi from Ms. Fultz's Corner!  She is not only a fanstastic teacher and "sharer of knowledge" (is sharer a word?!?), but she also does blog design.  You can visit her web design page here! If you are looking to have a blog make-over...she's your gal!

And...to add to my hysteria (the good kind, not the crazy kind), I have some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G new followers: Dana @ 3rd grade Gridiron, Christi @ Ms. Fultz's Corner, Mandy @ Mandy's Tips for Teachers, Diane @ Teaching with Moxie and Donna @ Math Coach's Corner!  Ohhh.....mmmm...geeeee!!!  These women are like celebrities in the blogging world...and they are following my blog!!!!  Are you kidding me?? How generous of these ladies to offer their support and expertise to a newcomer!?!?!  Thank you ladies!  It means more than you know :)

And last, but not least....my first linky party!  I'm so excited!! (and, just to warn you....I overuse exclamation marks {!!!!})

Christi over at Ms. Fultz's Corner is hosting a "My Advice to You" Linky Party!  It's a brilliant idea and I'm honored to be a part of it!



As a 2nd year teacher, I don't have any veteran teacher advice.  However, I do have some advice for the soon-to-be 1st year teachers that some of my more experienced colleagues may have forgotten (mostly because they do it so routinely, they don't even realize they do it).

1. If something isn't working; change it!  This seems like a simple concept, but I can't tell you how many times I tried to "stick it out" when something wasn't working.  I don't know if it was because I didn't want to admit that I was wrong with an idea or strategy or if I thought I hadn't given the concept enough time to work itself out. Don't get me wrong, some things need time before the kids get the routine, etc.  But trust your gut.....if it's not working, try something else.  You won't look stupid, or out of control.  Champion teachers do it all the time.  I've seen it.  It's brilliant.

2. Choose your teacher peeps carefully!  You have no control who your principal hires or what team you get put on (usually).  But you do choose who you spend your extra time with....so choose with caution.  Spend time with positive people....people who make you want to do better....not the people who make you want to quit...each day....again and again.  We all vent, we all gripe....we have a hard job and we need an outlet.  But don't spend your extra time, or your "down" time with people who cannot, or choose not, to lift you up and support you!  You are a product of your surroundings.  Make your surroundings beautiful and uplifting!

3. Leave work at WORK!  This is, by far, the hardest thing for me to do.  This does not mean that you can never bring papers home, or read a teacher blog or do anything "teacher-like" at home.  It does mean to set up boundaries.  This is hard.  We are do-ers.  We are planners.  We are get-it-done types of people.  If we have an idea or a thought, we want to share it, create it, send it,  etc.  And that's a good thing.  But we also need rest.  We need time to relax.  We need family/friend/dog/cat/movie/whatever-you-do-to-chill-out time! When you are with your family or friends....really be there.  Put your work aside and commit to the moment you're in.  Work will be there when you get back!

That's all I got...I hope it helps.  You have a community of loving, devoted, caring and genius people at your fingertips here in our teaching blogging community.  Take advantage :)