30 Before 30 Bucket List

A few months ago a coworker of mine asked me about my white jeans. She said she always wanted white jeans and that she put it on her list of things to do before 30. I started thinking of the different things I would want to do. Now that I had the idea in my head I decided to sit down and make a list: 30 before 30. Since my 27th birthday is coming up I decided I would start on my birthday. That gives me 3 years to complete it. Things might be changed along the way but here is my first list. I tried to categorize it a little. 

THE LIST and why

Healthy/Fitness

1. Run a full marathon- I ran my first 10K on Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to complete a full marathon. Watching my sister V do it makes we want to do it even more. It will give us something we can do together. 

2. Complete the Insanity Program- I have tried to do this program a few times and failed each time. I can make it through the first month but that second month is so much harder. I know I can do it I just need more encouragement. 

3. Go hiking- 

4. Eat healthy- I cut out soda this summer but I'm still not completely healthy. I know this one wont be checked off until the end but it might change to a diet (100 days of real food challenge, vegan for a week). 

Cooking

5. Host a dinner party- cook for a few friends or couples at my own home. I want to do all the cooking myself. 

6. Be able to prepare 5 meals from memory- I want to be able to do this so I don't have to always look at a recipe. It will help me learn how to cook and feel confident cooking for C. 

7. Take a wine tasting class or visit a vineyard- I want to learn more about wine. I know C will enjoy this also. It will be a great couple thing for us to do. I will finally know what kinds of wine I like and don't like. 

8. Take a baking or cooking class- It will make me feel more confident with cooking for C and others. 

9. Make a menu planning book and use it- Yeah for Pinterest! I have seen so many different menu planning ideas on it. I know it will help not only knowing what we will eat for dinner but also help us budget. 

Travel/Adventure

10. Travel across the Atlantic Ocean- I have only been to Mexico. I want to travel anywhere across the ocean. I would love to go to Europe!

11. Swim with dolphins- dolphins are just cute. I think it would be so much fun!  

12. Race a sports car- Driving a fast car. Need I say more! 

13. Overcome my fear of heights- I hate heights. I want to do something that is high. May it be bungee jumping or zip-lining.  

14. Take a risk- Not sure what the risk is yet. I'll keep you updated. 

Learn something new

15. Use my sewing machine- My brother bought me a sewing machine and I have let it mentally beat me. I want to learn how to sew my own things.

16. Montessori Training- I want to have begun my training and be on my way to becoming a teacher.

17. How to take a compliment- I am terrible at this. 

18. New language (Spanish)- I hear Spanish at work all day. I want to be able to communicate with the other assistants. 

19. How to curl my hair- My hair is boring straight. I want to know how to curl and it to stay for more than a few minutes!

20. How to say "no" without feeling guilty- I always feel guilty telling someone no. I am the worse when it comes to my mom. I have gotten better at it over the years but I'm still not good at it. 

Things for others

21. "Pay it forward" project: I saw this great idea from someone else's blog "Pay it forward". I can't wait to help some random people.

22. Write letter to my family telling them why I love them- I want my family to know how I feel about them. I don't always get to tell. I know this will be a very emotional task.

23. Spend quality time with friends and family- I want to make sure I take time each week to see my family and at least once a month hang out with my friends. It's hard because I spend so much time with C.

Love

24. Plan MY wedding- I know, I know I'm not even engaged. This gives me 3 years to get married. That is plenty of time for C to propose and us to get married. 

25. Buy a house with C and put 20% down- I don't want to be renting for the rest of my life. I want to get a house to start a family in. 

26. Kiss C in the rain- I know its silly but very romantic. 

27. Sit down with C and talk about our future- I want to make sure C and I are truly right for each other. We need to sit down and ask each other questions about the future. 

Other

28. Do a 365 Instagram photo a day challenge - I have done this for a month but have missed a few days here and there. I think I can do a whole year. I want to make a book of all my pictures. 

29. Throw a Pinterest Party!- I have been to one of these before. I want to host my own party hopefully in my new house. 

30. Celebrate and make a big deal out of our 10-year-friendaversary with Katie- I can't believe Katie and I have been friends for 10 years. Sophomore year of high school we became friends and have stayed friends the whole time. LOVE YOU BESTIE!  

Bonus: Accept that I am turning 30 and blogging about it. 

New Job

Tomorrow I start substitute teaching. YEAH for having a job after graduation! I am excited to be at my dream school. I will be subbing in the same class all week. I will be in a primary classroom at a Montessori school. This is my favorite age to teach. They are learning so much at this age and are still excited about learning. Because I am a sub I will not be teaching any lesson. I will act as an assistant in the classroom. 


Through working at this school I am hoping to get Montessori trained in the primary age group and get my Masters of Education in Montessori Education. I hope to begin the training and masters program in the next year or so. 

New Teacher Gift!

One of the subs that I have worked with this semester gave me a great new teacher gift! I am so excited to use everything she gave me and look through the folders.

Here is what I found in my bag.

The green gift is a pocket chair bag. 

The other bag is a great bag to take out to recess. 

Inside the pocket chair bag:

1 clipboard with mini popsicle sticks to put names on and a dismissal list template. 

1 packet of subject labels.

2 folders: 1 of the folder is a sub folder that gives me ideas to leave for a sub. The other folder has many different ideas and printables for me to use. 

The Recess bag:

1 mini clipboard for nurse slips and a pen

1 packet of Wet Ones

1 packet of tissues 

1 whistle 

1 key chain 

Full Teach done

I know it has been a while since I updated. Full teach went by way to fast and I was so busy I forgot about my blog. Everything went pretty well.

My last observation went really well. I did three engaging stations on balances that the students really enjoyed. For the first station I found a great website that had an an interactive balance on it. The students were very entertained while finding the different combinations to make the balance equal. The next station was making a Matter Marzano's. The students drew a Marzano's on matter and were able to quietly talk with their group members. The final station was where the students were able to use a real balance and find the measurements of different items using gram stackers.

Full Teach

I am so excited and nervous all at the same time! I begin my full teach on Monday. My students are listening to me so much more than they did before. My star student behavior chart seems to really be helping. I had one little girl yesterday ask me why she didn't get any stickers and I had to explain to her that I was only at the school for the end of the day and all we were doing was taking tests. I can't give everyone a sticker for not talking when they all know not to talk during tests. She understood and was ok with it.

Yesterday morning I went to the Dinah Zike workshop. She is the lady that invented foldables. It was the best workshop I have ever been to. I bought a book that I am really excited to be able to use as a resource. I hopefully will buy all of her books and will try and use foldables in each subject. I think they really help students learn because they are kinesthetic. They are great for all students at all ages from pre-k all the way through college.

Wish me luck next week!

Crazy Week

My CT was out most of the week and so I took over and taught most of the day. I did feel bad and would let the sub do parts of the lessons he was supposed to do. I learned a lot about teaching full day and having complete control of the class. The students really tested me on Thursday but I think I passed the test and they will hopefully behave for me on Tuesday. I will have a sub again on Tuesday and hopefully have my CT back on Wednesday.

On Thursday I had to keep 12 out of 21 students inside during recess. I hate taking recess away but I warned them. I told them if they do not line up correctly and quietly or come to the carpet correctly and quietly they would be staying in for recess and practice these two tasks. I think they didn't believe me and so they talked and lined up incorrectly or came to the carpet incorrectly. They learned I was not playing and that I meant what I said. I was very proud of a few of my students. One of the boys in my class when I told him thank you for lining up correctly he replied by telling me he did talk. Because he did this I only kept him in for a few minutes. I told him thank you for being honest with me and sent him outside. I was very proud of one of the girls. She usually talks but when I told her I was taking away recess she crossed her arms and glued her mouth shut. I told her I was very proud of her.

Friday we had a workshop by Grace Dearborn on Classroom Management. I learned a lot from it and want to buy her book. She had a lot of great ideas that I would like to implement in my classroom right away. I will not be able to do all of them but I will start with a few next week.

I hope next week goes much smoother than this week was!

First Observation

Yesterday I had my first observation from my supervisor. I told the students in my class that my teacher was coming to watch me and that they all needed to behave and listen to me. They were terrible for me! The good thing about this was that my supervisor was able to see that I can redirect the students. After the second redirection the students were finally ready to learn. By this time we had to line up to go to lunch and the lesson was over. I was really surprised by my grade when I got it. I got an 86! My CT (cooperating teacher) gave me a 90 when she observed me. The students were much more behaved during this lesson.


I am so happy that my first observation is over!