Writing in a Winter Wonderland!

Winter is here!  Thankfully, winter means one thing for teachers: SNOW DAYS!  I'm currently enjoying a not-so-hot cup of coffee, writing this blog post , and watching the snow slowly melt outside my door.  The surprise day off is just what this teacher to relax and get writing again!  

This year, teaching has taken up the majority of my time and energy.  Teaching is a work of heart, and unfortunately, that often leaves little time for many other activities. There sure have been some exciting times in second grade lately!  We made Oobleck and ice cream on the same day  (which I don't recommend) to learn about states of matter, performed a reader's theater about Inuit Native Americans (www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Inuit-Tribe-Readers-Theater-3570043), and got a class pet! 

Although the beginning of the school year presented some very challenging behaviors, my class has really improved over time, and I wanted to reward them for their hard work.  I decided to surprise them with a hermit crab.  The kids decided to name the hermit crab Mr. Claws. It was probably the most exciting day of second grade so far!  

You're probably thinking: "Surely teaching doesn't take up ALL your time!  What else have you been up to?"  

• Going on a spy mission at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. 
• Visiting friends and family all over the state of Virginia to celebrate weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries galore! 
• Ringing in the New Year by snow tubing at Massanutten Resort  
• Planning my school's Multicultural Night 
• Coordinating a surprise reader to visit my classroom each Friday from now until the end of school
• Trying to solve a murder by subscribing to Hunt a Killer boxes (Check it out here: www.huntakiller.com/) 
• Educating myself about how to care for a hermit crab 
• Geocaching 
• and working on two different stories, both featuring animals as some of the main characters! 

As the year progresses, I hope to be more diligent about updating this blog.  It is my hope that in the next few weeks I will have a sample illustration to show you for my newest story!  Another one of my goals for 2018 is to book at least two speaking engagements at local schools or libraries!  I would love to have the opportunity to read aloud to different groups of children and talk about the writing process.  Please contact me via the "Contact" tab if you're interested in coordinating an event.  

​Happy New Year, friends!  May 2018 be filled with good memories, good books, and sweet friendship like Maryam and Aila's.