1,000 Follower Giveaway (Day 3) & Budding Blogger Showcase: Tales of a First Grade Teacher

It's Day 3 of my 1,000 Follower Extravaganza!!  Who doesn't LOVE using music in the classroom?  Enter today to win a $10 iTunes Giftcard!!  I've decided to give away TWO of them!!  It's easy - just enter below.  And, make sure you entered the previous days' giveaways, too (see below)!

Day 1: Two $25 Barnes & Noble Giftcards

Day 2: Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Wednesday, so it's time to meet a fabulous new blogger!  I hope you'll read on and drop over to visit her blog!  She has lots of ideas and plenty of experience at several grade levels!

Hi I'm Jessica Berggren from Tales of a First Grade Teacher. The above meme just cracks me up! I grew up in the 80's/90's and MC Hammer was one of my middle school faves.

I am originally from New York. Long Island to be exact. I grew up there, got married there, had my first teaching job in NYC and then moved out to the island. I even had my first baby there....and 1 month later moved to S. Florida. We have been here for 8 1/2 years.

I have been teaching for 15 years.  My teaching career is a bit of a circle story.  I started in 1st, and then moved up to 4th. I stayed there for 5 years. I moved to Florida and taught 3rd grade for 3 years. Now I teach 1st again--so another 6 years  (or 5 1/2).

My Favorite subject to teach would have to be writing. It's the one area that my kids and I can show off our personalities and be creative and imaginative.

If you popped into my classroom unannounced you would probably see me turn white, then red, and then slowly come back to my self.  Even after 15 years, I get a little anxious when someone comes in unplanned.  After the initial shock, I will pretend you are invisible and go on with my routine.  So you might see......kids in the zone, building stamina, being independent, having fun.....and hear.....classical piano music (I like to play music in the classroom).

On those tough days, I do 2 things:

1. I take the advice of a former colleague of mine from my third year teaching. Patty would say to me. 'Jess, remember they are just kids.' I would take a deep breath, and be like oh yeah. It's easier now that I have kids of my own.  I always picture one of my children, and think, What would I do if it were them?

2. I pray!!! I've had some pretty rough classes in my 15 years. Prayer is what truly got me through  and why I am still teaching.

In this new age of technology, the teaching resource I could not live without (well almost anyway) is the Document camera/projector/ CAVS unit.  I literally have my screen down and teach with my computer and Inter-Write pad or my document camera all day long, in EVERY subject.

My teaching style/favorite classroom project:  My style is to give my students the skills they need and allow them explore and learn. "Be the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage"

I LOVE Daily 5 and how they explain how to train your students. I read the book about 3 years ago, and said to my self, "If I knew then, what I know now".  Daily 5 is my favorite time of day. My little first graders are so independent and learning!  When I go around with my penseive binder and read with my kids I truly get to know my students. When I look up from my reading table and see kids giggling over a story, or writing eagerly in their journals... it makes my heart happy.

My Blogging goal for this year, is to blog more often and to share as many free ideas that I can. 

Thanks for reading and letting me share my tale.