The end is near

As this school year comes to an end, I can't help but think about the last day of school last year. As I dismissed my kids for the last time, I was furious. They were horrible that day and were just not listening. As I was walking down the hallways on the last day of school last year, I saw some of the other teachers crying and said how much they were going to miss their kids. All I could think was, "Good riddance!" Now, maybe that isn't the most positive attitude to have, but you didn't know my class last year!! :) Just kidding! They were a pretty good bunch of kids but they definitely had more bad than good days.
Anyway, this year has flown by and I have become super attached to this years class. Much more than the year before. I honestly think that some of that has to do with me and my better classroom management as well as me not flying by the seat of my pants on a daily basis. I am actually prepared for each day and that make it so much more smoother! I love it. As I was planning out our last day of school on Tuesday, I almost began to cry and thought, "What is wrong with me!" This is the last year that I will be teaching kindergarten. There is a one of a kind innocence about a 5 year old and I will never regret getting to be apart of that innocence for 2 years. My kids have been giving me more hugs lately. I ask why are they giving me and hug and they say, "Just because!" How awesome is that. Would a third grader do that? Would I want a third grader to do that? :)

Another reason I almost started to cry was this is my last year with the only team that I have every known. They have been my rock these past two years in more ways than just school. They were there for me this past year through everything that I have been through, no questions asked, no matter what. I love these girls more than anything and would drop whatever I was doing if they needed me too. I would hope that they know that. They are some amazing teachers that I have learned so much from and hope to continue to learn from. We are a crazy bunch and we all just seem to melt together. I don't think that I could have asked for a better teaching team and I definitely couldn't have asked for better friends. As I said, they are truly amazing. So, here we are:

 From left to right, Me!!, Nehal Elramly, Andrea Conroy, and Valerie Kaulsky!

Yes, two of us are named Valerie! We think it was just easier for our principal! I am going to miss seeing these girls all the time. It's not like we aren't going to be in the same building but I know that it just won't be the same! I am excited for my new team and look forward to what we grow together but I will always see this team as the best! We have accomplished so much and I am so proud of us!

I don't think that I am ready for this school year to end! I know that I am going to cry and I have never done that before! I guess we will see how my kids handle that! Well, have a great day all my positive penguins and stay positive!

It's official!

Well, I got the official news today that I will be teaching third grade next year! I am very excited and nervous at the same time! I know that it is going to be a challenge, but I am very up for it! I am very excited about my new team. They are both awesome people! I feel very sad to leave my current team but I know that we are all onto bigger and better things! It is going to be amazing! Anyway, that's my positivity for the day! Hope everyone has some positive in their day!

Office Depot or Office Max?

It is almost the end of the school year and I wanted to do something inexpensive and fun for my kids. So, they are each getting an award for a different thing. For example, I have best smile, best scientist and so on. I think the kids are going to love it. Anyway, I spent a while getting the awards ready today by creating the myself on powerpoint. They looked awesome. I head to office depot in Las Colinas at 1:20 and they say they can't get to it right away but they would have it ready at 3:00. I wasn't too thrilled by this but ok...I leave and come home to take a nap! I wake up at 2:45 and head back up there. I walk in the store and the lady says, in not a too nice of tone, I haven't gotten to your stuff yet! I'm like ok, fine! I walk around the store and look around. An HOUR passes and still nothing. I start creeping around the checkout area and she says ok, let me get it! She sticks in my flash drive and says, "Is this a PDF?" I say yes! She says, "Oh, we can't open PDF. We don't have Adobe." In my head I'm thinking, what? You don't have Adobe and your a computer/office supply store! So I say nothing and walk out. I am beyond frustrated. I come home and am so upset. I wanted to get these printed for my kids so I would be prepared. I decide to go to office max. I know that would be the only thing that would make me feel better! So, I go back to Las Colinas to office max. I walk in and am greeted by a person who asks what I need. I tell him that I have a PDF document on a flash drive that I need printed on card stock. He says, "OK! Walk around the store a little and I'll have it ready in about 5 minutes!" Wait...What? It is that easy? You mean, I didn't have to waste 3 hours of my life at office depot? I am shocked! So, I walk around the store and find some reusable straws to buy and silver sharpies. I go back to the counter to pay and my stuff is waiting for me! I look at the finished product and am beyond excited!

So, maybe not every office depot is bad, but the one I went to today sure was! I will definitely be choosing office max over them next time! And I think that my kids will like the awards! Maybe it will entice them to put some positive in their life!!! Have a great night!

I've been MIA!

I haven't posted in a while again because we haven't had Internet at our house and I'm way too busy to post from school! Also, with the anniversary of my step dads death on Tuesday, I kind of laid low for a little while! But I'm back with all my babbling!

Well, I am anxiously awaiting Sunday! We find out what grade we are teaching next year. I really want to teach third grade. Not cause I don't love my little babies in kinder but I feel that I want to teach more content than skill. Now the 4 or so kids whose parents requested me as their teacher next year I feel bad for. What if I move to third grade? What would they do? They would survive and I'd still get to see those little babies! So, Sunday can't come soon enough. Third or kinder are my options for next year. Well, not really options cause I have to go where I'm told but I know that either way I'll be happy! So until next time you positive penguins!

Better late than never!

So I haven't posted since Thursday! Not cause things haven't been positive, just cause I've been busy. I am planning a volunteer party at my school that happens next Friday and I finally got all the supplies ordered for it. I had to pay for express shipping to make sure it got here on time. Some of the things ordered were personalized so they said that it could come later than when I needed it. I was so worried. Well... I received an e mail today telling me all my items have been shipped! Yay! And I just have to say that a positive outlook on life makes life so much more enjoyable. I don't remember if I have said that before but there it is. I feel like I have more energy and I feel like I smile more! What harm could come out of that. Well, time to go eat taco cabana with Michael now! See you all Sunday! It's gonna be a tough one.

Positive trumps negative

So, in my quest to be more positive, I have been seeing more clearly how negaitve I used to be. Which is good becuase that is the whole point of this blog. To make me more aware of my negative attitude and to turn it into a positive attitude. For example, I was stuck behind a school bus this morning cause they had to stop for the railroad tracks. You know...safety and all! Anyway, they stopped for a whole 5 seconds and I almost missed the green light and I was already running a little late for work based on my standards. I could feel myself start saying, "Come on bus, just go." But then I stopped and thought, how can I make this a positive thing? What would I put on my blog about this? So, here it is! At least those kids on that bus have a driver who is safe enough to stop for so long to make sure a train isn't coming. At least those kids are going to school and not getting into trouble somewhere else. I think that I can be a few minutes late for safety, especially for kids' safety.

I have had many more negative realizations and I am shocked at myself and wonder how I got this way? And then I wonder how many other people are that way and just don't notice or choose to do nothing about it? What a better world we would live in if some people just gave the benefit of the doubt or saw the positive in things. Believe me, I know that it can be hard to see the positive. I'll talk about that beginning on Sunday. But if there is one thing I have learned this year it's that positivity makes life so much more easier and happier!

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
Hans Selye

Have you tried this today? I know it's hard but so totally worth it!

Smart phones really are smart!

So, I was so frustrated that we didn't have Internet access at our house right now cause how am I supposed to be inspiring!!! Then my husband said, "you know you can get it on your phone?" Well, no! But alas, here I am blogging from my phone! Wow! Now I can be positive from anywhere! And look:


I can even add photos from my phone! This is a ladybug that I saw at our field study! So beautiful! So, what's my positive note for today? You can be positive from anywhere! (just be sure auto correct doesn't take over!) Have a stupendous night!

Field study = Positivity

We went on a field study today to the pond down that street! It was a fun time and the kids really had a chance to show off their learning. Before we were going to leave, one of my kids said, " Mrs. Torres, I have a compass in case we get lost." I ask, " Do you know how to use a compass?" She says, "No!" I just laughed! What a positive attitude she had in regards to helping us get back to school in case we got lost. (By the way, the park is maybe a mile down the road from our school! We weren't getting lost!) The innocence of children really makes me see the innocence in many things! I wish that I had more days like I had today. But I know that a day is what I make of it! If I want it to be positive, I just make it positive. Who says everyday can't be positive? And with that I leave you with:

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude toward us" 

-JimmyJohn N. Mitchell

What is positive?

Everyday, I am going to find one thing that is positive! That is, I will search in all that I do and all that I see to find the positive. I will post pics if possible and why this particular event was positive to me. I am trying to go in a new direction in my life and positivity seems to be the only way to go! So, here goes nothing! My positivity begins now!