Budding Bloggers Showcase {Jen from Sparkling in Second}

Everyone knows I love all things that sparkle.  And all things 2nd grade.  So what's not to love about Jen from Sparkling in Second??  Read on to meet Jen for yourself and then click over to her blog and welcome her to the world of blogging with some teacher love!



Hi Ya'll! 

I'm Jen from

I'm so excited to be featured on Amanda's blog as a Budding Blogger! She's one of the many awesome bloggers who inspired me to start in this crazy world of blogging just over a year ago ;)

I have to say that blogging has been something that has been both therapeutic & challenging. It has held me accountable to be a better teacher, helped me connect with some amazing friends/fellow teachers, and given me an outlet with people who understand exactly what I do!



This will be the start of my 5th year in teaching! I feel like that's a milestone and I finally know what I'm doing ;) I am {now} a 1st grade teacher in sunny Southern California. I was teaching in Los Angeles at a charter school for 4 years in 2nd grade {with a lovely 405 commute}. I recently got a job in my neighborhood district as a 1st grade teacher! I am overjoyed to get a new opportunity and be close to home {and get the benefits of a union and a district, you charter people know what I'm talking about}.


I recently got married to my wonderful hubby in April. It really was the best day of my life and I would do it over in a heart beat! 






We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon and enjoyed snorkeling and zip lining through the jungle!




I love to travel and cannot wait to get more stamps in my passport. 



My husband and I have a thing for the California Missions. I'm not exactly sure how it got started. One day when we were first dating, we decided to go to San Juan Capistrano, visited the mission there, one thing led to another and we've been on a journey to visit all 21 missions in California since. He told me he wouldn't marry me until we visited all 21, thank goodness that wasn't true because we've only made it to 15, but maybe before kids we can fit the rest in :) 
{look for an accomplished post the day we hit all of em!}


My favorite subject to teach is math. I'm a bit of a math geek myself. Took a TON of math classes in college and ended up with it as my minor!
I absolutely love when I get to see my kids faces light up when they finally understand or finally finish a timed-test correctly :)
AND OMG. HIGHLIGHTERS!? A students' best friend!



I'm a bit ADD myself, SO you'll definitely see a lot of activity in my classroom. Discussions, centers, brain breaks, Daily 5... you name it, we are up doing it! I figure, if I'M bored, my kiddos must be too..


  

One of my favorite activities in class is our Sound Unit. I've done it for a few years now and it is SO fun. We learn about sound in different ways and at the end, we have a Sound Celebration where we get to go to different stations to figure out how sound is being made. You can check out my posts about that {here} and {here}.



I also have an obsession with tissue paper art, check that out {here}, {here}, or {here}.

When I have "one of those days", I've got quite a few release patterns! 



Starbucks makes EVERYTHING better {and guess what!?! I don't even drink coffee! But a tea latte with soy or a passion tea lemonade can fix just about anything}! 



A few of my favorite coworkers also keep me sane! I guess with moving to a new school, I'll have to find a few new "go-to" peeps. 





Talking to my best friend.


Dinner with my hubby.

Even blogging can help ;) 
{Especially when you make such great friends}

Or let's face it, if none of those work...SLEEP!



Or I can't forget...coloring in the middle of the day {you know, prepping some anchor charts while everyone works quietly??}

 

My must have teaching resource...TpT! Is that a thing? I can say that right? Let's admit it, most of us frantically search TpT each night in hopes of something that we can print out and have ready for tomorrow ;) I've been so grateful for TpT and what it has inspired in my own teaching.
In order get some of those TpT items into the classroom, it may take some laminating and cutting. My life saving, best investment ever, products are my laminator and paper cutter!
Besides that I'm a post-it, list-making fanatic, so you'll see post it's everywhere on everything to remind me of all the things I've got to get done in a day/week/etc.

My blogging goals for the year are to take better pictures of my classroom and activities {you mean iPhones don't take the best pictures!?} & make some new friends {especially some firstie teachers}!

Thank you so much for having me Amanda! I hope to meet many of you soon :)

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6 comments

  1. Just found me a new blog to follow! Thanks, friend!

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  2. EEEK! Thanks for having me Amanda :)

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  3. Yay, I love Jen!!! So glad we both teach firsties, I love using her stuff!!

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  4. Great post! I just love seeing travel pictures because I love traveling!

    Shelley

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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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