Sally Camden
The light at the end of the tunnel? Yeah, that's the last day of school...wow. I'm finishing my 21st year of teaching. I have very clear memories of my first day on the job, and the proverbial saying "time flies" certainly applies to me. I get asked occasionally about my future and when I might retire, but that's still too far down the road for me. … [Read more...]
Hello, friends! Did you have a great Easter break? It probably went by way too fast, and now we're in full-on countdown mode. T-minus 24 days for me! We ate a decadent quiche on Easter, as per our tradition. It's delicious, but soooo rich that I only make it once a year. At least I got a long walk in before we ate and the rain arrived. Then I got … [Read more...]
Quick question teachers - are you a fan of "pern-cipal" Gerry Brooks? He's an elementary school principal who has developed a following among teachers because of his hilarious YouTube videos about what it's really like to be an educator. His latest video is frequently a topic of conversation among my colleagues at lunch, with one talented co-worker … [Read more...]
Three cheers for the fact that the season that shall not be named is done! Of course, at school that means the pace of life has at least doubled with everyone frantically trying to schedule all the end-of-year activities. For me that also means getting in those last important lessons before our state standardized testing begins in - gulp! - one … [Read more...]
Do you like change? What about surprises? I've never been a big fan of either one, honestly. I'm so much more productive and focused when I have time-tested, proven routines and strategies I can rely on to make it through life. So imagine my surprise when I decided 2017 was the year I would embrace change. Yep. There were so many changes happening … [Read more...]
We're almost there, folks! In less than one month, the spring season begins. Personally, I. Can't. Wait. To help me get through the worst of winter's dreariness, I'm writing about some of my travels last summer. (Ah, July...I miss you.) A few weeks ago I shared about my trip to Lincoln's home and museum in Springfield, Illinois. Today's post takes … [Read more...]
Regular readers of my blog know that I like to go on short road trips in July to visit historical sites. My mom and I call these our "Friday Field Trips." Last year we went on four of these trips, and every one of them was a winner. This month I'm posting about two of these visits. Normally I don't wait this long after one of my trips to share the … [Read more...]
I'm fortunate to have enjoyed a great childhood - loving parents, loyal pets, friends to hang out with, and a younger brother to torment. Yep, it was pretty good. However, if I had to choose one aspect that I most definitely did not enjoy about my growing up years, it would be all the moves we made. I absolutely dreaded being the "new kid" in … [Read more...]
Hello everyone and happy 2017! I hope you had a relaxing and awesome break from school. The start of a new calendar year is one of my favorites because I dearly love to set goals and make plans for the future. Of course, goal-setting is a frequent topic in my classroom, too. However, I've learned over the years that reaching a goal takes more than … [Read more...]
Do you decorate for the Christmas holidays before Thanksgiving is over? I usually start decorating almost as soon as I'm finished eating my Thanksgiving feast. Not that I put out a ton of decorations, but what I do have are my absolute favorites - a ceramic Christmas tree, quilted stockings made by my Mom, and of course a string of pretty white … [Read more...]