And so we begin ...

I started teaching 12 years ago at Belen High School. I did not really know where I wanted to teach or if I even wanted to teach, but I did know I needed a job. I had applied with Belen Public Schools, and they offered me a job at the high school teaching ceramics. I knew nothing about ceramics, so I turned the job down. They called again insisting that I would be great at this job and there would be plenty of people to help. I took the job. Needless to say it was the most challenging positions I have held and there really were not a lot of people around me to help! Once I figured things out, I did start to have fun and realized that maybe teaching was where I belonged. The following school year I transferred to Los Lunas Schools and landed a job at an elementary school. I have been with Los Lunas Schools ever since. I began running a computer lab where the main focus was Fast ForWord, a program that was meant to help students learn to read. From there I moved to fourth grade and then to fifth grade which is the grade I teach today. I like bike ride. I find solace in bike riding some days my mouth waters when I think about what I get to do when I get home or when I get up in the morning. Bike riding clears my mind, calms my nerves and gives a burst of energy. I set goals for myself when I bike ride. I work to push myself over the next hill without having to stop or bike to the end of town and back home within a certain amount of time. Small goals that keep me energized to get on that bike again! I have a new found love of cooking. I like to read recipes and search for something I would like to try. I have given some of Julia Child’s recipes a try. Some I have been successful with and others, well I guess I need a little more practice. The book I am going to blog about is Literary Elements. I selected this book because I felt not only did it have theory, the book is teacher friendly with activities that can easily transfer to the classroom. The authors promise a refreshing approach to literary elements and offer teaches a wide range of specific activities to enhance student learning. So far the book has been pretty good!