Hi friends, I felt it time to drop by and share what I have been up to. Teaching continues to go well and I have been able to keep ahead of my work load. I use to leave work late, especially on Friday's and now I am able to leave earlier. My students are full of energy and love to talk and somedays I want to hit my head into the wall to get their attention :) I have a bright group of students and it has been fun watching them grow from the beginning of the year. Some lessons, creativity wise, are easier to plan than others. I search pinterest a lot for ideas. The diocese is working on having all schools create unit lesson plans under Ace- basically all schools will be teaching the same content, just under their own creativity. I have been asked to put together some units this year. I was/ am nervous still about it because I knew nothing of how to put this together. Well I did my first math unit back in October and one of the other veteran teachers said it looked great. Okay, that made me feel good. By the middle of January I have to turn in a soc. studies one that I am doing now in class. This one is tougher so we will see how it goes. I have another math one done that I will turn in and will be done with it! I am trying to make sure and show that I have everything under control, even when I don't feel that way!
 On top of all of these new standards changes (Common core), our school has been working with a consultant (early childhood background) for the last 3 years in having some teachers use PBL- project based learning in the classrooms. So I am also attending meetings on trying to bring this into my room. Projects are meant to show students that their work can be shared/ used by others (i.e. community) and that a problem may be solved. Check out Plymouth school corp's website. They have some excellent examples of this. Most schools don't have a consultant that comes in to show the connection between the projects and dev. of the child. I am trying to make it a goal to have a small project done by the end of the year.
  Christmas break starts this Thursday and I am ready for it, as are the students! We have some fun christmas ornaments that they are making this week and in between all of the fun, squeezing in some academic learning!
 Jordan is still with Ecolab, which he does not like. He is searching for a new job, but not much available. We are searching for houses online. I would love to be able to move this summer- not sure on the reality of this!
I hope to see some of you if you come to visit family. I miss you all and wish I could see you all more often.

Court- my favorite dress is your second picture :) If you go for a strapless, just keep in mind that it fits tight to your body. By dinner at our reception, I was ready to get out of it. I could only arch my body one way in order for my dress to feel okay.

Love, Elyssa