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Thursday, April 23, 2020
Friday, January 31, 2020
5 Whiteboard Alphabet Games for the Online ESL Classroom
When I was a classroom teacher, the Pre-K age group was my absolute FAVORITE! I love the idea of learning through play. I love setting up pretend play. I love that they are little sponges for new vocabulary. It is so fun to see them learn a new word and then figure out how to apply it to their lives. One of my very favorite skills to teach is alphabet skills. Learning to identify letters and matching the sounds... so fun!
In the online ESL classroom, those alphabet skills are just as important. It is the foundation for learning to read! But trying to teach those skills online can be tricky. We don't have the same manipulatives or activities that a brick & mortar classroom would use. But there is a tool that we DO have that can be just as functional for teaching those fun alphabet skills... the whiteboard.
Stick with me here. I know that can sound a little tedious, but I have some activities for you today that go beyond just "call & reply." In the online classroom, these whiteboard games can serve a few different purposes. Primarily, yes, they are intended to teach the skill. That in and of itself is a reason to prioritize playing these games. But the benefits go beyond just skill building!
*They help you with your pacing. Have you ever had a student blow through the material and you end up with several minutes left at the end of class? Do you ever feel nervous about skipping those blank "extra" slides? Play a whiteboard game!
*They show parents that you are invested in helping their child master the content. Choose letters that you know the student has not mastered. Give them an extra chance to practice with you in class. Play a whiteboard game!
*They present information in a new way. We all know that those lessons can get a little repetitive. Switch it up a little. Play a whiteboard game!
*They give the students different exposure to a familiar letter. Sometimes a letter can look one way on a screen when it is typed. Students may even associate a letter with a certain color or matching picture. Give them a chance to see those same letters written by hand or in a different color. Play a whiteboard game!
*They demonstrate mastery. When information is only presented in a handful of ways, it becomes easy to rely on the method and not truly the content. See if your student can apply their alphabet knowledge in a variety of ways. Play a whiteboard game!
5 Whiteboard Games You Can Play Today!
1. Erase the letters
The kiddos that tend to scribble on the screen will love this one! This is probably the simplest and quickest game to play. You can even use the whiteboard screen within the lesson. Pick a few letters that were included in the lesson (or additional letters for review). Write them around the board. Call out a letter, and have the student either erase or cross out the letter. Let those little scribblers have their fun!
2.ABC Tic-Tac-Toe
Pretty simple. Draw a quick tic-tac-toe board on your screen (or handheld whiteboard). Pick two letters and play until your heart's content (or until you run out of time). Be sure to have the student say the letter name or sound each time it's written! Play a few games with new letters each time! If you're playing on a handheld whiteboard, you can write a number in each box to help the student explain where they want their letter to go.
3. Create a graph
This one requires a dry erase die or cube. Write a letter on each side of the cube. Roll it on your desk, and then have the student name the letter. Create a graph on your whiteboard! Be sure to count the letters in each column before ending the game.
4. Complete a pattern
I actually saw this idea from a teacher on Instagram (looking at you Teacher Karli!) and I loved it! I've used it in my own classroom many times. It works especially well if a pattern was learned in class, such as the Level 1 VIPKid lessons. Use the same AB or AAB (or ABC, AABB, etc) pattern, but use the letters from the lesson. Double skill building!
5. What's Missing?
This one is a favorite of many of my regulars. If you're a VIPKid teacher, this game is also played in the Level 1 Peru unit. This one is best on a handheld whiteboard. Write a few letters that you want to review. Have the student close their eyes while you cover one letter with a sticky note. They'll open their eyes and guess which letter is missing! So fun!
A few notes on games:
*Be sure to use both upper and lowercase. Many students tend to learn the uppercase letters first. In all reality, they will see lowercase letters more often in their reading. Be sure to utilize this time to reinforce both sets of letters!
*Verbal output on every slide! Make sure your student says the letter names (or sounds) with each turn. Get those kiddos talking!
*If your lesson included alphabet skills, be sure to include those letters as reinforcement. If you have experience with your student, you may already have an idea about which letters they need to review. Include both letters from the lesson AND letters from previous lessons!
*These games can be played at any point during the lesson. In the Level 1 VIPKid lessons, I like to play one on the ABC song slide and one at the end on the blank slide if I have time. During an assessment, a quick game could even be a reward.
*If your student already has a good understanding of the letter names, you can extend their thinking to include letter sounds. Instead of naming the letter, they will say both the letter name and sound. For more advanced students, take it a step further and use high-frequency words!
So tell me. Do you play games in your online classroom? Do you have any ideas for variations of these games? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments! Let's chat!
NOTE: Affiliate links may be used in any post on this blog. This means that if you make a purchase of any item after clicking a link, I may receive a small commission. It does not affect the amount you pay for the item. It helps support the costs of maintaining a blog. I always appreciate your support!
Monday, January 6, 2020
10 Winter Picture Books to Read Aloud
Can you believe it's already January??? And 2020??? What?!?!
Here in Texas, January isn't really all that cold. Today is only slightly warmer than usual, and I had to have an actual discussion with my son about whether or not he could wear shorts. We definitely don't see many snow days, so we have to squeeze in our winter fun in other ways. And of course, my favorite way is through books! Check out this list of some of our favorite picture books to read in the winter!
How many furry little creatures can you fit into one tiny mitten?
Tacky is an odd bird. And we certainly love him for it!
This is a classic that belongs on every early childhood book list!
We love everything by Lois Ehlert! The unique artistry is simply delightful!
This story is just simply delightful. So cozy and a perfect book to read while snuggled up under a blanket!
Sometimes it is just so HARD to wait! But there are definitely things that are worth the wait!
The repetitive, familiar text is excellent for your little pre-readers. And you get to build a snowman!
After my youngest was born, Little Owl became one of our favorite characters. I was thrilled to see a winter version on the shelves at our library!
What happens when Sneezy gets cold? And then what happens when he gets too warm? Just build him again and make him brand new!
That silly old lady... how does she swallow so many crazy things???
What are some of your favorite winter books? Is one of your favorites on this list?
Note: This post includes affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission for any purchases you make through one of my links.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Do you really earn money with VIPKid?
Hello, dear friends! I cannot tell you how happy I am that spring has sprung here in Texas! I took my youngest out for a quick walk this afternoon and the expression on his face was pure joy! He has finally grown into the tricycle that he received as a birthday gift last year. He absolutely loved riding up and down the sidewalk. He would just yell and cheer! "This is so much fun!" It was such a delight to my mommy heart.
I am loving this season of getting to be home with my children. When I write out my gratitude list each morning, being able to stay home and be present for these moments is almost always at the top of the list. Prior to being at home, I was a classroom teacher. I taught everything from Pre-K to 8th grade. And I loved it for many years. But on the flip side, I feel like I missed a lot with my oldest son. I didn't get to spend mornings at the library storytime. I didn't get to sit down at lunch with him every day. We didn't go on afternoon walks. When I think about it now, I get a little bummed.
That's why I'm so thankful for opportunities like VIPKid. Right now, I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Not only do I get to spend my days as a mom, but I'm finding that I enjoy teaching again. I thank God daily for recharting my course and placing me here.
So what exactly is VIPKid?
Here's a quick rundown. I am an independent contractor for a company based out of Beijing, teaching English to students in China. I currently teach one-on-one sessions, but the company is growing and expanding to offer courses to full classrooms, as well as to students in other countries. VIPKid teachers operate on Beijing time, so I teach early in the morning, before my own kids wake up. As an independent contractor, I set my own hours. I am paid per class, with various incentives. While I have a home office, I am free to work from anywhere. The coursework and lesson plans are created for me, so I have little to no prep time. In short, it is the perfect job for a stay-at-home mom... if you can even call it a job. I absolutely love it.
But what is it really like? Here are some of the questions I get asked most often:
*How does it work? Do you get assigned students? When parents sign up, they are able to select their child's teacher from a pool of teachers. I have a profile with a short intro video and a few pictures, as well as a little blurb written by me, and some personality tags created by my interviewer. Parents see my available schedule, and are free to book any open slot. After they take a class with me, they are then able to choose to take another class with me, or they can select a different teacher for their next session. My schedule is usually a combination of regular students (who book with me almost exclusively), students who rotate through several teachers, or brand new students (possibly taking a trial class or their very first full session).
*Do you have to teach in the middle of the night? Since I set my own hours, I choose when to work. The only restriction is when students in China are sleeping or at school. The peak times for being booked are 7:00-9:00pm BJT. I am in CST, so this is currently 6:00-8:00am (or 5:00-7:00 when the time changes). The whole weekend is a peak time. This is an extra-curricular activity for these students, so they are taking classes outside their regular school hours. Sometimes students will book during their lunch break, which would be the middle of the night for me. I simply choose not to work at that time. The hours I have chosen for myself are 4:00-7:00am, Monday-Friday. Because I set my hours, I can choose to change that at any time. If I decide I don't want to open slots on a random Monday, I can easily choose to work on a weekend. Or not. I can just take the day off. It's completely up to me and my budget. With that said, I do see teachers who work overnight "shifts." They do this because they want to, not because it is required.
*So when do you sleep? I set a bedtime for myself of 9:30. I turn off the phone and social media at 9:00. I spend about 30 minutes reading to relax. I turn out the lights at 9:30, and I am asleep (ideally) by 9:45. I wake up at 3:45, so this gives me 6 hours of sleep. However, because my days are completely free, my youngest one and I often take a nap in the afternoon. I also make sure that I get plenty of sleep on the weekends. Because my weekdays are free, I am able to accomplish all the "stuff" that has to be done, and my weekends are free for family time and resting.
*How much money can you really make? So this is one of those questions that I have to say just depends. Teachers are paid a base rate of $7.00-9.00 per 25-minute class. There is also a $1.00 incentive for a class finished on time, as well as a $1.00 incentive for teaching at least 45 classes per month. For most teachers, this works out to be $18.00-$22.00 per hour. When we made the decision about whether or not this would work for our family, we figured out the amount that I needed to bring home each month for it to make sense financially. I broke that down into a number of classes per month. We found that 120 classes per month (or 30 per week) was the magic number for me. I am able to contribute to our monthly income, but I don't work so much that I can't function. I teach around 15 hours each week.
*Do I have to have a teaching certificate? No. You are required to have a Bachelor's degree (in any subject), and some sort of experience working with children (mommyhood, teaching, Sunday School, babysitting, coaching, etc.) Your experience and education will be considered when determining your pay.
*What other requirements are there? You must be a native English speaker. You must have high-speed internet (ideally one that connects to the router), headphones with microphone (not just earbuds), and a webcam (the one already installed on your computer is fine). You will be required to create a suitable teaching environment, including a quiet space and an appropriate, educational background). A quick Pinterest search will show you some extremely creative ways to make this happen. I've seen teachers work from their bedroom closets and their laundry rooms!
*Do you have to grade their work or write lesson plans? There is no grading or lesson planning. There is no documentation that I have to keep up with for each student. I just log in and teach. After each session, I write a brief paragraph of feedback about the lesson. If the student is a regular student, this paragraph often becomes a conversation between me and the parent. For a new-to-me student, I am simply touching on the skills they have mastered and what still needs work. I click a few buttons to rate them on a scale and then I'm done. The entire feedback process for each student takes around 5 minutes. As for lesson planning, I spend a few minutes glancing over the lesson slides (similar to a PowerPoint) ahead of time just to make sure there aren't any wonky slides that I don't understand. As I've taught more and more, there are fewer and fewer lessons that are new to me. Once you've taught a few, you'll see that they all have a similar pattern. I take a moment to gather any props I might use, and I'm ready to go. Each teacher is different, and preps differently. You'll find what works best for you. My prep time currently takes less than 5 minutes. If I'm teaching a new lesson, I will add an extra 5 minutes to go over the slides.
*Do you actually get to talk to the kids? I have been amazed at how many relationships have been formed with these students. I know them by name, and they know me. I am welcomed into their living rooms, kitchens, offices. They are excited to show me around their homes and introduce me to their family members. As we talk about the vocabulary, I get to see their personalities, their likes and dislikes. Every single day, we are laughing and talking. As we take more and more classes together, they become more comfortable trying new sentences. They want to talk. They want to try out this new language. They brighten my day every single morning. I had a student complete one level and move up into a level that I don't teach. I actually cried. These are real kids, real families. Real relationships are formed across the globe.
Overall, this has been one of the best seasons of life for our family. I cannot tell you how much this company and this opportunity have meant to us. If this idea intrigues you, I encourage you to do a little digging. Ask questions. Feel free to follow me on Instagram (@love.read.learn) to get a glimpse into my daily life as a VIPKid teacher. Follow this blog on Bloglovin for teaching ideas and resources! If you have more questions, email me! I'd love to hear from you! I promise to share the good and the bad! No secrets here! :) What questions do you have?
Have you already decided you want to teach with VIPKid? I would love to help you during the process!
My referral link: Apply with VIPKid
My referral code: COURT0151
Talk to you soon! Happy teaching!
Courtney
I am loving this season of getting to be home with my children. When I write out my gratitude list each morning, being able to stay home and be present for these moments is almost always at the top of the list. Prior to being at home, I was a classroom teacher. I taught everything from Pre-K to 8th grade. And I loved it for many years. But on the flip side, I feel like I missed a lot with my oldest son. I didn't get to spend mornings at the library storytime. I didn't get to sit down at lunch with him every day. We didn't go on afternoon walks. When I think about it now, I get a little bummed.
That's why I'm so thankful for opportunities like VIPKid. Right now, I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Not only do I get to spend my days as a mom, but I'm finding that I enjoy teaching again. I thank God daily for recharting my course and placing me here.
So what exactly is VIPKid?
Here's a quick rundown. I am an independent contractor for a company based out of Beijing, teaching English to students in China. I currently teach one-on-one sessions, but the company is growing and expanding to offer courses to full classrooms, as well as to students in other countries. VIPKid teachers operate on Beijing time, so I teach early in the morning, before my own kids wake up. As an independent contractor, I set my own hours. I am paid per class, with various incentives. While I have a home office, I am free to work from anywhere. The coursework and lesson plans are created for me, so I have little to no prep time. In short, it is the perfect job for a stay-at-home mom... if you can even call it a job. I absolutely love it.
But what is it really like? Here are some of the questions I get asked most often:
*How does it work? Do you get assigned students? When parents sign up, they are able to select their child's teacher from a pool of teachers. I have a profile with a short intro video and a few pictures, as well as a little blurb written by me, and some personality tags created by my interviewer. Parents see my available schedule, and are free to book any open slot. After they take a class with me, they are then able to choose to take another class with me, or they can select a different teacher for their next session. My schedule is usually a combination of regular students (who book with me almost exclusively), students who rotate through several teachers, or brand new students (possibly taking a trial class or their very first full session).
*Do you have to teach in the middle of the night? Since I set my own hours, I choose when to work. The only restriction is when students in China are sleeping or at school. The peak times for being booked are 7:00-9:00pm BJT. I am in CST, so this is currently 6:00-8:00am (or 5:00-7:00 when the time changes). The whole weekend is a peak time. This is an extra-curricular activity for these students, so they are taking classes outside their regular school hours. Sometimes students will book during their lunch break, which would be the middle of the night for me. I simply choose not to work at that time. The hours I have chosen for myself are 4:00-7:00am, Monday-Friday. Because I set my hours, I can choose to change that at any time. If I decide I don't want to open slots on a random Monday, I can easily choose to work on a weekend. Or not. I can just take the day off. It's completely up to me and my budget. With that said, I do see teachers who work overnight "shifts." They do this because they want to, not because it is required.
*So when do you sleep? I set a bedtime for myself of 9:30. I turn off the phone and social media at 9:00. I spend about 30 minutes reading to relax. I turn out the lights at 9:30, and I am asleep (ideally) by 9:45. I wake up at 3:45, so this gives me 6 hours of sleep. However, because my days are completely free, my youngest one and I often take a nap in the afternoon. I also make sure that I get plenty of sleep on the weekends. Because my weekdays are free, I am able to accomplish all the "stuff" that has to be done, and my weekends are free for family time and resting.
*How much money can you really make? So this is one of those questions that I have to say just depends. Teachers are paid a base rate of $7.00-9.00 per 25-minute class. There is also a $1.00 incentive for a class finished on time, as well as a $1.00 incentive for teaching at least 45 classes per month. For most teachers, this works out to be $18.00-$22.00 per hour. When we made the decision about whether or not this would work for our family, we figured out the amount that I needed to bring home each month for it to make sense financially. I broke that down into a number of classes per month. We found that 120 classes per month (or 30 per week) was the magic number for me. I am able to contribute to our monthly income, but I don't work so much that I can't function. I teach around 15 hours each week.
*Do I have to have a teaching certificate? No. You are required to have a Bachelor's degree (in any subject), and some sort of experience working with children (mommyhood, teaching, Sunday School, babysitting, coaching, etc.) Your experience and education will be considered when determining your pay.
*What other requirements are there? You must be a native English speaker. You must have high-speed internet (ideally one that connects to the router), headphones with microphone (not just earbuds), and a webcam (the one already installed on your computer is fine). You will be required to create a suitable teaching environment, including a quiet space and an appropriate, educational background). A quick Pinterest search will show you some extremely creative ways to make this happen. I've seen teachers work from their bedroom closets and their laundry rooms!
*Do you have to grade their work or write lesson plans? There is no grading or lesson planning. There is no documentation that I have to keep up with for each student. I just log in and teach. After each session, I write a brief paragraph of feedback about the lesson. If the student is a regular student, this paragraph often becomes a conversation between me and the parent. For a new-to-me student, I am simply touching on the skills they have mastered and what still needs work. I click a few buttons to rate them on a scale and then I'm done. The entire feedback process for each student takes around 5 minutes. As for lesson planning, I spend a few minutes glancing over the lesson slides (similar to a PowerPoint) ahead of time just to make sure there aren't any wonky slides that I don't understand. As I've taught more and more, there are fewer and fewer lessons that are new to me. Once you've taught a few, you'll see that they all have a similar pattern. I take a moment to gather any props I might use, and I'm ready to go. Each teacher is different, and preps differently. You'll find what works best for you. My prep time currently takes less than 5 minutes. If I'm teaching a new lesson, I will add an extra 5 minutes to go over the slides.
*Do you actually get to talk to the kids? I have been amazed at how many relationships have been formed with these students. I know them by name, and they know me. I am welcomed into their living rooms, kitchens, offices. They are excited to show me around their homes and introduce me to their family members. As we talk about the vocabulary, I get to see their personalities, their likes and dislikes. Every single day, we are laughing and talking. As we take more and more classes together, they become more comfortable trying new sentences. They want to talk. They want to try out this new language. They brighten my day every single morning. I had a student complete one level and move up into a level that I don't teach. I actually cried. These are real kids, real families. Real relationships are formed across the globe.
Overall, this has been one of the best seasons of life for our family. I cannot tell you how much this company and this opportunity have meant to us. If this idea intrigues you, I encourage you to do a little digging. Ask questions. Feel free to follow me on Instagram (@love.read.learn) to get a glimpse into my daily life as a VIPKid teacher. Follow this blog on Bloglovin for teaching ideas and resources! If you have more questions, email me! I'd love to hear from you! I promise to share the good and the bad! No secrets here! :) What questions do you have?
Have you already decided you want to teach with VIPKid? I would love to help you during the process!
My referral link: Apply with VIPKid
My referral code: COURT0151
Talk to you soon! Happy teaching!
Courtney
Saturday, March 30, 2019
The Book That Helps Me Maintain Control Over My Housekeeping
Hello friends! Today was an absolutely beautiful day. It was the kind of day that I imagined would fill my weeks as a stay-at-home mom. I taught my classes in the morning, went to morning Bible study at church, made a quick Target run, prepared a healthy lunch for the little one and myself, did a quick clean-up of the kitchen, spent a few minutes doing Mommy School, and then grabbed some picture books for an outside storytime. I was able to relax in the hammock, enjoying a great novel and throwing a ball with my son. When my husband came home, the house was clean, moods were pleasant, and he was able to relax with us outside on the patio. Sounds fantastic, right?
Now don't get me wrong. Not all of our days are like this. But, I'm finding that days like this happen more and more often. Over the past year, I've been on a mission to find the "right" schedule, the perfect chore chart, the best planner. And do you know what I've found? They don't exist.
But I have found a few things that have helped me tremendously. I'd love to share them with you!
1. I threw out my preconceived idea of what this season of life would look like. I had a picture in mind, and when I found that my days did not look that way, I felt frustrated. I felt like a failure. Confession: I actually had a lesson plan book for my four-year-old. Crazy! I'm having a hard time actually admitting that. And it caused some serious stress to throw it out. But I did. And I threw out the chore charts. I started from scratch. For some reason unknown to me, I actually thought stay-at-home moms had all the time to do the things they wanted. Wrong. And I apologize to anyone that I said that to before knowing better. So... after I threw out my ridiculous thinking, what was I to do next? I asked my husband what he wanted. And I talked to God.
2. I asked God to realign my priorities. I asked Him to write my to-do list each day. The word I heard over and over again in my prayer time was "simplify." Simplify the to-do list. Simplify the Mommy School. Simplify the menu planning. Simplify the routines. I talked to my husband and wrote out what our priorities were. I looked at how I was scheduling my day and tossed anything that didn't truly align with our God-given priorities. I was surprised at the things God revealed during this exercise. There were aspects of my homemaking that I genuinely thought were crucial, but in reality were just causing stress. I heard a quote on a podcast that said, "God always gives you enough time for the things on His to-do list for you, but not necessarily enough time for all the things on yours." That was eye-opening for me. I still write out a list each day, but I am confident now that each thing on that list fully aligns with the mission God has set before me. When I start to feel overwhelmed, it's time to re-evaluate.
3. I gave up on chore charts and read this book instead.
Now don't get me wrong. Not all of our days are like this. But, I'm finding that days like this happen more and more often. Over the past year, I've been on a mission to find the "right" schedule, the perfect chore chart, the best planner. And do you know what I've found? They don't exist.
But I have found a few things that have helped me tremendously. I'd love to share them with you!
1. I threw out my preconceived idea of what this season of life would look like. I had a picture in mind, and when I found that my days did not look that way, I felt frustrated. I felt like a failure. Confession: I actually had a lesson plan book for my four-year-old. Crazy! I'm having a hard time actually admitting that. And it caused some serious stress to throw it out. But I did. And I threw out the chore charts. I started from scratch. For some reason unknown to me, I actually thought stay-at-home moms had all the time to do the things they wanted. Wrong. And I apologize to anyone that I said that to before knowing better. So... after I threw out my ridiculous thinking, what was I to do next? I asked my husband what he wanted. And I talked to God.
2. I asked God to realign my priorities. I asked Him to write my to-do list each day. The word I heard over and over again in my prayer time was "simplify." Simplify the to-do list. Simplify the Mommy School. Simplify the menu planning. Simplify the routines. I talked to my husband and wrote out what our priorities were. I looked at how I was scheduling my day and tossed anything that didn't truly align with our God-given priorities. I was surprised at the things God revealed during this exercise. There were aspects of my homemaking that I genuinely thought were crucial, but in reality were just causing stress. I heard a quote on a podcast that said, "God always gives you enough time for the things on His to-do list for you, but not necessarily enough time for all the things on yours." That was eye-opening for me. I still write out a list each day, but I am confident now that each thing on that list fully aligns with the mission God has set before me. When I start to feel overwhelmed, it's time to re-evaluate.
3. I gave up on chore charts and read this book instead.
It's all about decluttering and simplifying your routines. It's about letting go of perfectionism and loving where you are. It aligns completely with how God redirected me in regard to my home.
The CHAOS Cure is actually one of four books by Marla Cilley, also known as FlyLady. The first book, Sink Reflections, is all about establishing routines to help your home run on auto-pilot. As you're putting those routines into action, The CHAOS Cure helps you to prioritize and simplify the actual *things* in your home.
These books are quick, fun reads. Marla is hilarious and completely "real." I feel like she could be sitting across from me and talking over a cup of coffee. She actually does Facebook live videos every day to talk through various aspects of her FlyLady system.
You'll definitely want to check out her website and her books, but here are a few highlights of her system that have drastically changed my thinking about housekeeping...
*a morning, afternoon, and evening routine keep me on track
*a shiny sink makes everyone smile
*a load a day keeps the laundry monster at bay
*a 27-fling boogie keeps my stuff to a minimum
*a daily mission and zone cleaning mean my house is always company-ready
*a daily FlyKids challenge keeps my boys' rooms presentable (without the yelling and arguing)
*a 15-minute timer means I'm not cleaning all day
*a weekly schedule keeps my brain clear to be present in the moment
*self-care makes my to-do list every single day
So, if you're feeling like your homemaking could use a little jump start, a little renewing, or even a complete overhaul, I highly recommend checking our FlyLady. Grab any one of her books. Enjoy a few evenings curled up in your chair, and get excited about Finally Loving Yourself.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Welcome to Love, Read, Learn!
Well, hello, friends! I'm thrilled that you have stopped by! I can't wait to get to know you. Grab a cup of coffee and stay for a bit!
Like many of us, I wear many hats. I am a....
*Jesus girl
*wife
*mother
*friend
*teacher
*leader
*blogger
*Scout mom
*WAHM
*learner
A few things I love ...
*time with Jesus and coffee in the morning
*scented candles
*a good reading challenge
*menu planning
*seasonal scents and foods
*an afternoon in the hammock
*the sunrise
*doggie snuggles
*picture books
*Target and Dollar Tree runs
What you'll find here ...
*conversations about teaching online
*tips & tricks for the virtual classroom
*book chats
*a few of our favorite recipes
*mommy school ideas
*thoughts about biblical womanhood
*homemaking wins (and probably more than a few failures)
*chats about the life of a work-at-home mom
*reading challenges
*laughs and authentic community
Random facts about me ...
*I knit my wedding bouquets.
*I feel that every month has it's own scent.
*Every paint color in our house is named after a food.
*I have the sense of humor of a 10-year-old (so my husband tells me).
*I am a boymom.
*I love paper, pencil, and sticker planners!
*I organize two different moms' groups (one for our neighborhood, and one for our church).
*I'm known for being a bigtime nerd, and I love it.
*We're currently redoing the floors in our house and we have furniture stacked in the kitchen and bathrooms.
*I'm a vegetarian, but my family is not.
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