Part 1 On Friday, November 16 I opened my results from Ancestry.com. I had been putting off looking at the results because let’s face it- you never know what you are going to get when you open that kind of Pandora’s Box. As I waited for the results to populate I was definitely anxious. I’m […]

Last year (2018) I did the whole #OneWord thing for the first time. Honestly I thought it was kind of silly and wasn’t sure how it would truly impact my year. I went into it full throttle despite my apprehension. I wanted to give it a fair shake. Clearly I’m doing it again so it […]

I want to take a minute and reflect on my word for 2018 as the last few hours dwindle. It was the first year I participated in the whole one word thing and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I have to say I didn’t expect as much of an impact as it had.   […]

  This time of year I begin seeing “cute” Pinterest, Intsagram, and Facebook posts about ways to incorporate Elf on a Shelf and even “Santa cams” into your classroom.  The theory goes that once you bring these into your classroom children will magically be able to use self-control and “behave” lest the ...

Below you will find a series of entries from the #4OCFpln on thankfulness.  Check it out, then check out the other amazing educators! Elizabeth Merce- Kindergarten Teacher Virginia Beach, VA @EMercedLearning EMercedLearning.com As I reflect on all the things I am thankful for I keep coming back to the people.  Each person I meet has […]

  Have you seen the story about the Florida teacher who was allegedly fired for refusing to comply with her school’s no zero policy?  Have you read the dialogue that has been taking place on posts about it? Honestly this is why I avoid reading the comments most of the time.  Sometimes I can’t help […]

I didn’t get into this profession for the cutest classroom, or the cute clothes, or a Happy Teacher Planner. I’m not here for accolades, awards, or titles. I’m here to support kids. Advocate for kids. LOVE my children. I taught for almost ten years before having my own child.  Everyone said being a teacher-mom would […]

My daughter LOVES the Fisher Price Little People. Somehow they wind up everywhere. She ensures that they all have names and they all have personalities.  It is an amazing sight to behold as she cares for each one.  Sometimes lining them up just so or giving them their favorite treat.  On occasion one even needs […]

Social-Emotional Learning. Mmmmm…. There are few topics that can really get me going like SEL. Why? Social-emotional learning is the basis for EVERYTHING. We are social creatures.  We learn best through social-interactions (see social-learning theorist Bandura and to a lesser extent Brofenbrenner, Vygotsky, Piaget). Social-emotional ...

  Tomorrow is #CelebrateMonday How are you planning on making the most of the minutes you have? Time. Time is the most valuable resource at our disposal. It is finite although we trick ourselves into believing we have all the time in the world. Often times we wake up and wonder where the time went. How it […]