Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Welcome to my new blog.  I've blogged in the past as a digital scrapbook designer and as a member of various scrapbooking creative teams.  However, this is my first blog dedicated to my life's work as a reading teacher.  I've been a reading teacher for 16 years.  Before that I taught a year of first grade, and worked two years in special education as a long term substitute.

I became a reading teacher when my first grade teaching position was cut due to low enrollment.  I found myself falling back on my master's degree in literacy.  I was sad at first, being a first grade teacher was my dream.  I quickly learned that reading was where I was meant to be.  Now 17 years later, I can't imagine doing anything else.

After many years of working with kindergarten and first grade readers, I'm now serving first, second, third, and fifth graders.  I've had to make some adjustments, but I love a challenge.  I still trying to find my way with my older students.  They bring a different dynamic to my day, and I'm enjoying them more than I ever imagined I would.

Despite enjoying this new wrinkle my principal has thrown at me, helping first graders learn to read is my first love.  They are the highlight of my day and watching them grow from brings me such joy.  Combine that with my love of creating classroom materials and you have my latest creative outlet, designing materials for TPT.
Right now most of my products are sight word activities.  Our school district purchased HMH's Journeys last school year.  I started making materials to use with my first grade readers and now I'm sharing them with others through TPT.

Here's my first freebie for those you don't use Journey's: Stop! A Sight Word Game.  It includes flashcards for words 1-100 on the Fry list and directions on how to play Stop!  Stop! is our favorite review game.  You can find it here in my TPT store.