Budding Bloggers Showcase: 3AM Creations

If you would like to be featured on my blog as a part of this series, just shoot me an email!  :)  Today, I'm featuring the fabulous Amy from 3AM Creations...read on to find out more!



Name: Amy Dahmke

Blog 
3AM Creations
Photobucket
Personal info (state/family/pets/interests): 
I live in Omaha, NE with my husband and 2 little kiddos! Ava is 3 years old and 
Owen is 6 months. Both of my kids come with amazing stories and have left my 
husband and I feeling blessed to finally be living a "normal" life after 2 
years of medical bills, turmoil, and most recently...triumphs! Our house is 
also home to Libby the crazy puggle and Bandit the talking cat (seriously, he 
is part siamese and never stops meowing). My interests are making hair bows, 
playing around with photography, and working my tail feathers off to finish 
my Master's degree in Elementary Administration.

 



Grade You Teach: I taught kindergarten for four years before teaching first grade

How long have you taught? 
I have been working in Early Childhood classrooms since 2004. I worked for a 
non-profit agency as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher until I decided to make the move 
to public schools. After applying at Omaha's largest school district,I ended up 
taking a teaching job at the school where I completed my practicum work during 
college, which was a VERY rewarding experience. The school served a high percentage 
of Hispanic students and was located in a low-income neighborhood in the heart of 
South Omaha. 
 
What is your favorite subject to teach?
As a kindergarten teacher my favorite area to teach wasn't from the books! I 
enjoyed the"teachable moments" that occurred frequently throughout the day. It 
was amazing to use those moments and watch the eyes light up as the student would 
realize what was happening.  In first grade I LOVED teaching math. My school 
adopted a new curriculum called "Math Expressions" and the approach it took to 
teaching the students was amazing! I think I was learning new things right along 
with the kids! 
 
What would we likely see if we popped into your classroom unannounced?
If you came to my classroom you would be amazed with the bright colors and 
organization!  Students would be engaged in independent activities while I 
was instructing small group time.If you came at the right moment you would 
see us dancing and singing to the latest Dr. Jean or Jack Hartman tunes and 
when I say "dancing" you better believe I mean it, and YOU wouldbe forced to 
join along! I am also a huge believer of providing opportunities for success 
for all learners, so you would see a lot of visuals and the students working 
at their own independent levels in all areas of the classroom.
 
 
What gets you through one of “those” days?
For the last 5 years I kept a picture of one of my Pre-K classes hanging in 
a storage cabinet! The class in the picture was by far the MOST interesting 
group of kids I have taught. The class had all personalities; from students 
being sexually and physically abused to a student who could go from being my 
"best bud" to charging at me with a file cabinet or pinning me against a wall 
with a broom. So, on "those" days I would open my storage cabinet and think 
"if I made it through those days... I can make it today"!

What is one “can’t live without” teaching resource?
The SmartBoard!!!! I LOVE everything about it :)
 
 
Give us a glimpse of your teaching style by sharing a brief summary of a
favorite classroom activity/project.
I loved a writing activity that I had the kids take part in last year. We read 
the book, "Are You My Mother" then we talked about animal traits. The students 
selected an animal of their choice that they wanted to research. They had to use 
the specific internet sites to determine the animal's habitat, neighboring animals, 
specific traits unique to the animal, and how the animal communicates to others 
around it. From there the kids wrote stories of their own, similar to the book 
we read, and they illustrated the cutest pictures ever!  One other writing 
activity that the kids would probably say was their favorite was writing their 
personal timelines. I had parents send a sequence of memorable moments to school 
with their kids for the write-up. The students loved comparing information like, 
when they first walked or used the potty for the first time! 
 
What is one of your blogging goals for this year?
Well, I had to take a leave of absence from teaching for the 2012-2013 school 
year (mysalary last year was non-existant due to medical bills and daycare). 
So, I am hopingto stay current on latest trends fun things to do when I return 
to teaching next fall.
 

1 comment

  1. Thank you for introducing us to Amy. She is pretty dang great (her and I have already chatted a bit via blogs). I would LOVE to be on you budding blogger wait list! I have a question for you too...How is the world did you get SO MANY followers in such a short time?

    Tina
    Crofts' Classroom

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my blog and sharing ideas! I love to read your comments. I like to reply back by email, so make sure you have that option enabled so we can chat! :)

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