Making 2016 AWESOME for others!

Happy New Year, my blogging friends!
It's that time of  year....
Time to think about resolutions for the upcoming year!

One issue I've felt "resolute" about for the past few years is teaching children to be thankful, grateful and generous to others. 

I often feel frustrated, as both a parent and teacher,  with the fact that it tends to feel like our kids are being raised in a generation of "entitlement."

I find myself in a constant struggle trying to teach my own children, in addition to my students, how to GIVE to OTHERS... and think of themselves secondarily.  So as the New Year approaches, I've been thinking about how accomplish these things... and this is one simple activity I have come up with!

...And of course, I want to share it with YOU!

Start 2016 out right with your students by helping them focus on how they can make this year awesome for OTHER people! 

Need a little inspiration?  

Check out this YouTube video by Kid President:

http://youtu.be/GQOcEDD5hR8

After watching this inspirational video, challenge your kiddos to think of a way they can make the world a better place in 2016.  

Download this little FREEBIE to make the activity a snap! {Just click on the image below for the link!}

Little THINGS can make a difference…

and Little KIDS can too!

Happy New Year!

Oh.. and what better way to celebrate the New Year than by throwing a SALE?!

Click on the button above to go to my TPT store and enjoy a 20% off of all of my products until January 3rd!

Reflecting on 2015

What?!! It’s the end of the year already?

How did that happen?

My blogging friends Hadar, Traci and Kristin are back with their annual year-end “Reflections” linky.  Join in the fun (by clicking on the image above) as we all review some of the highlights from 2015.

Here are a few of my 2015 highlights….

1.    “Fun Fridays”

If you have followed me for very long on FB, Instagram or here on my blog, you know that one of my professional goals is always to increase student engagement. My dear and brilliant friend, Hope King of Elementary Shenanigans, has been such an inspirational force in challenging me to “Set the Stage 2 Engage” which has turned out to be such a powerful way of engaging students and increasing rigor in my classroom.  Every Friday I try and “flip” my room into a magical place in order to increase engagement and take their learning to a new level!  One of my new favorite Fun Friday’s was geared all around the Frozen theme and learning about the states of matter! 

2.  Purdue Games

Hail! Hail to ole’ Purdue!  Troy and I love our alma mater and we are doing our best at sharing that love with our kiddos!   We take as many road trips as possible to Lafayette for family fun time! 

3.  Spring Teacher Blogger Meet-Up

What a fun time!  I just love planning parties for my 100+ closest blogging buddies!  French Lick 2015 was amazing!  Betcha’ can’t wait to see what we have in store for this March!!!  (Registration opens soon!  Keep your eyes open! You do NOT want to miss it this year!)

4. Vegas Week

How do I even put into words how awesome my week in Vegas was this summer?! The SDE conferences, the annual TPT conference and the biggest teacher blogger meet-up in the country…all in one week! It was truly an awesome week of learning!  Oh…and the BEST part…meeting new friends and spending time with my besties!  I am beyond blessed to call these amazing and brilliant girls my friends! 

5.    Family Vacation

There is nothing better than spending two weeks with the people you love the most in the world!   This summer we enjoyed a week in Disney and an awesome week in Hilton Head.  Ahhh… Take me back to summer, please!

6.  Coaching Cheerleading

Love these girls! Coaching our middle school cheer team the last few years has been so much fun!   (Kinda helps that one of those super cute and talented girls is my daughter!  Love her!)

 

7.  Kids’ Sports

Whew!  I wonder how many miles I put on my Suburban this year running to and from my kiddos sporting events!  Three kids in middle school sports = Sport Mom Chauffer!

8.   Visiting Ron Clark Academy (RCA)... TWICE!!!

It was truly a dream come true to be able to visit RCA with some of my very best blogger friends in the world!  :)  RCA is truly a magical place.  (Putting the experience in words is very difficult...but you can see my attempt HERE.) But I not only got to visit once this year... I actually was able to take my co-workers to visit Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, as well later in the year! It was a life-changing experience for us all!  Here is just a peek at some of my RCA fun…

LOVE these girls!

2015 was amazing.  

I am so thankful that God has blessed me 

with an amazing family and such talented 

and wonderful friends.  

I can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store for me!