Listen, Love, Learn Linky

I follow Karen's An Apple a Day in First Grade, and when I found out she was participating in a linky, I decided to join, too (who doesn't love a good linky party?)?

 

Here's how it works:

1. How do you get your students to listen? 
2. Do you have a secret love?
3. What do you want to learn more about? If you were able to attend any professional development with no money limit, what would it be?

LISTEN

I have found that a teacher's voice is her best tool. Volume, tone, and intonation are all essential. I rarely use bells, whistles, chimes, etc. I do, however, count down from five quite a bit, and with the group of (awesome!) firsties that I have this year, it works like a charm!

LOVE

Oh, I have so many guilty pleasures (but none of them are secret!). I adore reality television, particularly anything that airs on Bravo (I could watch Real Housewives reruns for days on end!).

Entertainment news is also an embarassing vice of mine. I have US Weekly, People, and E! apps on my phone, and I check them (way too) frequently throughout the day. 

And then, there's Target. I don't know how I lived before Target opened in Easton. I regularly joke to KShaf that I should just have my paycheck directly deposited there, since I spend all of it there, anyway!

LEARN

I feel like this whole school year has been a learning experience! The advent of Common Core in our county has forced me to completely change the way I plan and teach. I feel like a first-year teacher all over again (even though I've been teaching for more than a decade!); I have spent countless hours planning and creating this year, and although it has been a lot of work, my students are reaping the benefits. I am really looking forward to next year when most of the work will be done, and hopefully, I'll just need to tweak a few things here and there.

Happy Monday!