Things I am LOVING-Gearing up (my brain) for School Edition

Alright y'all you can't avoid it any longer.You walk into any store and you see it...BACK TO SCHOOLBackpacks, school supplies, jazzy new outfits and more.But, instead of DREADING let's CELEBRATE with some of the things I am loving for BACK TO SCHOOL.(Not gonna lie, I LOVE BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING, as a kid it was the only type of shopping I liked!)So here ya go! Here are some of my favorite things right now!#1-Teachers Pay Teachers *SALE for MY SHOP on TPT July 29,Aug 1!Why? I am all about being FOR teachers. Why not support some while making my life a little bit easier. That's what we want, isn't it? So here are some of my favorite resources I have purchased (or free downloads) from TPT!First Day Activities from Write on With Miss G (Investigate the Teacher and Back to School Stations)Start Up Notebooks (my resource) Saves me 5 minutes EVERYDAY (That's 900 minutes a school year, 15 HOURS over the school year I have saved by banking all my start ups (bell-ringers) for a year and reusing them year after year.Project Ideas, Creed Project, Sub Plans, and MORE.Growth Mindset Bundle from The Superhero Teacher ( I use this in my leadership class)#2 Perfectly Planned Planner by ATDOne-She is a BALLING middle school ag teacher that I am thankful to call friend. My planner is customized to what I want. I don't add the FFA pages because I make officer notebooks, but I do add the lesson planning pages because I plan all the things on paper first. This is QUALITY stuff my friends!#3 One Less ThingIf you haven't checked out One Less Thing, you should. They are two ag teachers who have created amazing resources for the ag classroom. I personally have their Basic Ag curriculum and it SAVED me my first year teaching in a new state. I love to pick and choose lessons from that curriculum to enhance my content knowledge on areas I'm not super confident. If you are a new teacher, this is a MUST. You can purchase with school funds too!#4 Teacher Care CrateY'all the amount of LOVE teachers have for this company is amazing. I got my first care crate this summer and it was plant themed, and seriously LOVED IT ALL. I mean my whole life is green & growing so give my a palm headband, growth sticker, plant themed notepad, and keep growing print for my desk...I'M SOLD. These crates are easy to gift to a friend or to gift to yourself! The August theme is back to school. You can check her out on Instagram too!#5 My Ag Teacher CommunityI thrive on personal connections and communication. I have absolutely loved growing this past year with a community of ag teachers moving toward growth. I love this Black Panther Quote that says "just because something works, doesn't mean it can't be improved." But, don't take my word for it. Hear what some people involved in the G&G Mastermind and GERMINATE attendees had to sayG&G Mastermind "It's a great way to meet new ag teachers from across the states and collaborating on ideas, sharing stories, and swapping tricks of the trade without leaving the comfort of your house/school""I really loved the comradery across the country. We may all have been from different states, but we all have the same issues. PD always gets me pumped and keeps me from burning out throughout the school year.""G&G Mastermind truly helped me to connect to others in my field. It helped me to re-spark my flame after several years teaching; giving me new ideas, inspiring me to try new things, and to step out of my comfort zone."And guess what! We are starting up another round of G&G Mastermind soon! Stay tuned for more info soon!GERMINATE Attendees"So thankful for this resource and excited to see this community grow together!""Great sessions! I liked how it was on your own. It's hard scheduling PD in the summer so this was very beneficial. I also liked hearing from teachers across the US.""Overall, this was a great experience and I would definitely do it again!"Want to get in on these events? The G&G Mastermind is enrolling soon, check back here for an informational video . The next GERMINATE Virtual Conference will be THIS winter JANUARY 1-5, 2020, just in time for you to recharge those batteries for second semester._____________________________________ Being the best teacher you can be by sharing with others is really what you want isn't it?*None of this is sponsored, just my honest opinion on products I love!

Maximize your summer time

Ahhhhhhh, sigh of relief! It's summer time!(I know some of you are still winding down, you got this)I am pretty sure teachers are more excited about summer than students.And I know we still work in the summer. A lot of ag teachers across the nation have extended contracts throughout the summer to engage with students through the three circle model.For me, that looks like two weeks of camps we put on, one week of FFA camp, a half-week of professional development at our state conference, three days of hosting my own virtual summer conference, a couple days of officer training, days of SAE visits, two days a week with students at our farm and more.Doesn't sound like much of a summer, but OH IT IS.Wanna maximize your summer time?Here is my advice for you!SCHEDULE IT ALLSeriously, to the hour. I know that if I don't schedule it (A) won't get done or (B) I'll spent too much time doing one thing that I don't have enough time to do the rest.I have to be organized with my time management or I will waste away the summer I have.I am a big fan of Google Calendar, its quick and easy and always accessible. If you know you have a really busy week (for me camp weeks are crazy), make sure you schedule some breaks afterword to relax with the family or go on a little vacation!I like to break up my summer so I have some time for my own bucket filling, while still getting all the required time of my contract completed.So, how do you spend your summer?Let me know!

Invest in yourself

"The only person you need to be better than, is the person you were yesterday." -Rachel HollisI am about to embark on a crazy journey in the next 16 months really digging deep into myself, my personality, my leadership style, my weaknesses, my quirks and more.I am more than excited.But, this is an investment. Of my time and my money. And no, none of this is required by my school/county/state.But, I am committed to staying green and growing. So, I am investing the time and the money into myself.And I think you should too. YOU are your biggest investment. Yup, YOU!What do you invest in for you? A celebration here, a new outfit there, maybe a workout plan, what else? What about a couple hours of space and silence? What about a friends weekend away? What about that new book you've been dying to read that is sitting on your shelf collecting dust? What about that podcast that your friend sent you?Investing in yourself doesn't have to be monetary bound. I have grown so much in my personal life, teaching life, leadership life, and business life through free resources.Through things like podcasts (for personal, teaching and business), I've downloaded a billion free lead magnets from some of the best teachers, leaders, bosses around the country. I've watched countless videos on YouTube that have challenged me in my leadership skills.Where do you want to grow?It's time for you to start investing in that ONE area of growth. Invest your time and/or your money.Wanna great place to start? Invest some time and a small amount of money to learn from ag teachers across the county at GERMINATE 2019.

Why we need to remember

I think we live in a time where we don't remember the past (as much) as we are thinking toward the future.I am one of those people. I tend to imagine my future and all the opportunities at my feet. I try and stay ahead.But, today is a reminder to stop, pause and remember.Memorial Day is not for barbecues, mattress sales, and no school, although they have become synonymous with this day.Today we remember those who fell while protecting the lives of people they never met.Those from way before we (or even out parents/grandparents) were thought of.Those chose to serve, when we chose our own path into adulthood.Those who we will never know their name, face, or story.Remember them. Thank them. And never forget.

Try, before you are ready

I had an interview a few weeks back.I wasn't ready for it.To be honest, the spring before school lets out is an insane time for a teacher. But, this is a once in every two year chance so I went for it.I was way out of my comfort zone being the only secondary education teacher there with loads of agriculture industry professionals from executive directors, managers, business owners and more.I wasn't ready for it, but I tried anyway.Have you ever heard the saying "If you wait until you are ready to do something, you'll never do it."Kinda reminds me of parenting, if my husband and I waited until we were ready/prepared/all knowledgeable about child rearing we would NEVER have kids.You just do the best you can, say a prayer, and hope for the best.We should do more of that, we should encourage our kids to do more of that.When was the last time you tried something new, exciting, and frightening and you knew you weren't ready for it?Can you remember?I bet the outcome was either (A) amazing, indescribable, exhilarating or (B) terrible, not what you expected and never trying that again. Outcome (B) isn't bad, you LEARNED something right? That is what life is A-L-L about!Let's keep doing things we aren't ready for, I truly think that is where the amazingness happens. And don't forget to get your kid to too!So TRY, before you are ready.