I've been hearing a lot about Oprah lately, due to the fact that her show is coming to an end. The woman rocks. Regardless of what anyone thinks about her, you have to admit that if you tried to start a national daytime talk show, you would probably fail. Epically. Hers has been around longer than I have been a real person. She is a rockstar.
Anyways, Oprah always gives away her favorite things, so in my effort to become a rockstar, I'm going to give away some of mine. Luckily for Oprah, she has lots of money to give away electronics, books, perfume, and general goodies. Luckily for me, most of my favorite things are free. Most of them.
I went from "playing school" to teaching it. I'm a nerd, and I love it.
For all of my non-teacher friends, the first chunk of my favorite things will be incredibly boring. I sincerely apologize. I'll get it over quickly, like ripping off a band-aid.
I love reading teacher blogs. I am a student teacher in a kindergarten classroom, and a lot of times that leaves me feeling less like a rockstar and more like someone they feature on the "Where Are They Now?: One Hit Wonder Edition" shows on VH1. So, sometimes it's nice to read about other teachers who feel the same way. I'm not the only one who comes home and cries sometimes, or goes and hides in the bathroom with the teeny tiny kindergarten toilets to splash my face with cold water. I'm also not the only one who thinks I have the best job in the world despite the occasional breakdown.
1. One of my favorite blogs is Look At My Happy Rainbow! This guy is a rockstar, for sure. He teaches kindergarten, and his stories alternately make me laugh, cry, and run to my teacher supply closet (okay.. box underneath my bed) to work on some amazingly cool lesson for my cherubs. Even if you aren't a teacher, or you don't teach kindergarten, you will probably find something here to make you laugh out loud.
2. A resource I found recently and can't wait to use in my typically over-excited excessive style is Books That Heal Kids. Some of you may know my graduate school plans, and if not, you will soon.. but this is right up my alley. Kindergarteners have a really hard time processing emotions, so a lot of times I have to explicitly teach them about various emotions and teach them strategies for dealing with the tough stuff. This site is a lifesaver. Whatever the emotion or sticky situation, there is a children's book about it linked on this site. Most include some discussion points or teaching strategies. Even if you aren't a teacher, but you have kids or have a couple favorite kids in your life, bookmark this site.
3. I Want To Teach Forever. I have the best job in the world. This site agrees. Stories, resources, links, lesson plan ideas.. it's here. Love it.
4. Sometimes, I don't want to be fed crap about how teaching is all wonderful and amazing. Some days, like when a five year old blows apple chunks all over me after I told her not to eat so many apples on the field trip to the orchard, or a hard-headed little lady in pigtails tells me "no", or I have explained something five hundred thousand, six hundred and eighty-eight times and my cherubs still don't understand, I just want someone to say "Yep. Been there. It sucks. Tell me all about it." It's Not All Flowers and Sausages is written by the Chelsea Handler of teachers. She tells you when it sucks, and makes you feel better about the days you are less than a rockstar. I just found this blog yesterday and it's already one of my top sites.
I have a lot more teacher resources, but this post is already becoming exceedingly long, so I will save the rest for later posts.
Late at night when I can't sleep, I find random things online. It's better than watching infomercials.
I am obsessive compulsive and have inherited my grandmother's "worry gene". A lot of the time, I can't shut my mind off and find myself awake at 3 in the morning doing random Google searches. For those of you who do sleep at night, I'll save you the exhaustion and just share what I have found.
1. I enjoy the simple things in life. Like a website with a million handmade giraffes. Rock on, One Million Giraffes.
2. If you are the kind of person that feels the need to vent frequently, but you don't want to have all of those whiney, unpleasant things coming from your mouth, Dear Blank, Please Blank does it for you. These things make my day on a regular basis.
3. ThxThxThx sort of makes me feel like an ungrateful brat for not thinking to be so thankful, but it reminds me that I should be. This woman writes thank you notes to anyone and everything. I love it.
My crazy beautiful life has more of my favorite things than the Internet does.
The rest of my favorite things are not in Internet form. I can't really give these things to you, because they are here, in my life. So these don't really count as freebies, just show-and-tells.
1. I love my brother. He is this amazingly talented, smart, wonderful, HILARIOUS young man. I am so incredibly proud of him every day. Doesn't he make me look good??
"They're the people you can share your secrets with, cry with, laugh with, and just be yourself with. They don't judge you or make you change. They accept you exactly as you are. They look at you and they see a great person, one they love spending time with. You all share something in common and are tied together by memories, tears, laughs & smiles. You're tied together by love for the other. Sisterhood is the greatest thing in the world. I find my time with my sisters the best times of my life. My sisters are my heart, my soul, my fun, my laughter, my tears, my love and my life" - Unknown
I had a picture of an elephant to share that used to be the background on my MacBook (which is also one of my favorite things, although I will not be talking about it today). I realized, though, that I have no idea where that image came from and I really don't think going to jail for copyright violations would be a great idea. Orange jumpsuits aren't that flattering.
6. I love my puppy. Excessively. He is the love of my life, and that is not an exaggeration. It's pitiful, actually. But if you saw his sweet, pathetic little eyes and furiously wagging tail everyday when you came home, you'd fall in love with him too. He steals my socks every morning and paws at my face when he wants attention. He has polka dots on his tummy and inside his mouth. He kept me awake at night like a newborn when he was teething and I have spent my entire life savings (and half of my mom's) on his vet bills.
Tucker thinks he is Christopher Columbus and likes to explore. When he was nine weeks old he explored his way right down an entire flight of stairs. Thud-thud-thud-thud-crash-squeal. [Insert my dramatic freak-out here.] About $200 and one hysterical and dramatic crying scene later, the vet told us he was fine. Very brave and somewhat stupid, but fine.
Tucker is not free. He is actually very high maintenance and expensive. I probably shouldn't have given him such a high-maintenance name. Tucker, Prince of the Mountains is a bit pretentious. He eats expensive food that I have to drive an hour to find because I live in the middle of the sticks and his haircuts cost more than mine. I would probably shut off my cable and eat ramen for the rest of my life before I gave him up, though.
xoxo
-mts
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