First Peek and I'm Linking Up!

Hello everyone!

So today was a big day for me in my teaching career: I had my very first day of new teacher training AND I got my keys, laptop, and student roster AND I got to see my classroom for the very first time! So exciting!!

Now I was a little apprehensive about this new teacher training business. When I was doing my student teaching, any small bit of professional development caused my head to ache and I would get very antsy and uneasy. However, today's training was so wonderful and applicable and engaging! I was shocked! We had three sessions: one about professional learning communities, one about poverty, and one on classroom community. I think that all of these topics will be so important as I begin my teaching journey and I am very glad to have been given so much information! I also got to meet the other new teachers at my school as well as the team leader for first grade and the principal and assistant principal (both of them are so nice!).

And my classroom! I am so pumped about it! It's a huge room with a walk-in closet and two huge large cabinets for storage. I definitely won't be short on storage! There is also a Smartboard and four computers that students can use. Of course I have no idea how I want to arrange it or where to even start actually. I plan on blog stalking to get some ideas about it. And I got to see my roster list although I'm trying to resist labeling everything as kids move around so who knows if that is my actual class list. But currently, I have 23 adorable firsties :)

View from the door - lots of space!!!

View from the back corner!

All the chairs and tables! And Evan poking around :P

Anddddd, I'm linking up! Amy over at Step into 2nd Grade is having a super fun linky about us! So...

1. I have been rocking pink neon toenails for over a year now. I just keep repainting them the same color since it's so bright and summery. I always get compliments on it and I adore it.

2. I love animals and for the longest time, I wanted to be a veterinarian. But then I discovered that math and science weren't really my thing so that was the end of that. I something wonder how my life would be if I hadn't given up so easily on it, but I am beyond happy with being a teacher.

3. Along those same lines, my perfect job does not exist. I would be a professional animal petter and go around petting and snuggling animals all day long.

4. I don't have any hidden talents. And I hate the question "What's your hidden talent?" because I have none.

5. I love to cook and bake. It's soothing for me. But I hate cleaning up and will often let dishes "soak" in the sink for days on end.

6. I am super cheap and not afraid to admit it. I hate spending money and avoid it at all costs unless it's a gift for someone else. But I usually try to get things on sale or use coupons. Or better, for free!

7. I am from Wisconsin, but I hate the Packers, the Brewers, beer, and cheese..well actually most dairy. The sports teams are because everyone treats them like they are so special. When the Packers played a perfect season except for the one game that actually mattered, everyone was devastated. I was celebrating. Beer, I just hate the taste and smell. And cheese is a texture thing. The worst is semi-melted cheese (like pizza cheese). If I get too much in my mouth, I start dry heaving. However, I love cheese fondue and string cheese. So kinda weird. I'm also not a fan of milk...unless it's chocolate. Yogurt I occasionally like. Ice cream is the only dairy food I always enjoy eating, and let's be honest, it shouldn't even be considered dairy.

8. I love to grocery shop. There's just something about being surrounded by food and planning meals. Although I always hate the bill at the end :(

9. When I was little, I really wanted to take horseback riding lessons. But there wasn't a stable near my house (darn you city living!) so I pretended my bike was a horse. And during my senior year of college, my dreams came true and I took riding lessons for one semester. But being on a college girl's budget, they were too expensive to continue taking. 

10. I have snoozed with a baby kangaroo. When I was in Australia, I volunteered at a kangaroo rescue facility that took in orphaned joeys. At night, since it gets so chilly, we had to take the joeys to bed with us to keep them warm. Pretty much one of the coolest things ever.