Five for Friday!

Another summer week has come and gone, and I am still so FAR away from being ready for school! I am excited to do my first link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! 

I am still trying to get my head straight after coming home from a whirlwind trip to Montana and back moving my brother home to Texas! He has finished his 6 years in the Air Force and we are so incredibly happy to have him home. It just seems so surreal! (No, he wouldn't let me drive the U-Haul, but obliged me the staged photo to send to my husband.)

Tuesday, my twin sister and I went to a professional development workshop. Woohoo! Well, kinda. We were the only K/1st folks in a room full of high school teachers. We learned a few neat Google tricks and got some much needed work done since the workshop was in our service center's computer lab! 

I have been wanting to learn Google Forms (I know, I'm late to jump on that bandwagon!), and she walked us through all the ins and outs of how to make them and incorporate them in your classroom. We also saw some neat tricks from Aurasma Studio and Quizzizz.com. 

        

I was feeling the love and posted two FREEBIES and a guided reading product this week! Click the pictures or HERE to go to my TpT store. Go check them out and leave me some feedback!! I may even post some more before the week is over, so keep looking back to see OR click the FOLLOW ME button to receive email updates when new products are posted! 

I have been listening to this song like crazy this week. It speaks so sweetly to my soul. As part of our weekly #teachersintheword challenge, I encourage you to link another favorite worship song in the comments! I'd love to hear what has been speaking to your spirit this week! 

I have been trying to work in my classroom. I am desperately behind and only have TWO weeks before inservice starts. I use the word trying, because I have to bring along two very sweet "helpers." My work time with them is half productive work and the other half cleaning up their "help." Who can resist these two adorable teacher kids!?!? Teacher-Moms, I know you can relate right now! I have also been working at night at school. You know it's bad when you leave at almost midnight and you are actually the first to leave and there are still teachers there laminating and working. We don't do it for the money, do we?

As the summer weeks are flying by, I am trying to soak up all the time I can with my girls. Hope you all are having productive work time and family time! 

#teachersintheword

So I am the only kindergarten teacher at my district. I have no "kindergarten team," but we have an amazing team of elementary teachers who build one another up in Christ. Ladies who pray for one another and encourage each other in their walk with the Lord. I know I am very blessed to have that, and that not all of you may be in the same situation. You may be isolated for your faith in the workplace or even ridiculed. I want to point you to a community of teachers that has been an extra blessing in my life and career. Check out the Facebook group Christian Teachers. It is lead by Bonnie Hunter of Bonnie Kathryn Teaching and Meghan Powell Harris of Keeping Up with Mrs. Harris. They are amazing women living out their faith and doing the work God has commanded them to do. I have learned a lot from them and been inspired through our group discussions and challenges.

So if you are aching to connect with other teachers of like faith in Jesus Christ, your first challenge is to join the Facebook group and pray for God's blessing through it.

Then, I want you to really think about joining our current Bible Study "Open Your Bible" by Raechel Meyers and Amanda Bible Williams. I have been so uplifted and encouraged to open my Bible more and truly delve into the Word of God. Through live discussion via Google Hangouts, Bonnie and Megan (plus guest teachers) lead us through this study with excellent points to provoke a deeper commitment in reading and experiencing God's Holy and Living Word. The discussion may twist back to teaching here and there, but ultimately we are seeking God through His Word! I think you will truly enjoy it! You can catch up on previous weeks (Bonnie's YouTube)  and/or jump right in to finish this amazing Bible Study with us. You can find all the information on the Facebook group page or sign up through Bonnie's page. You will not regret it! 

You may want to also check out the hashtag #teachersintheword to see how this study and group has been touching the lives of so many teachers around our country. When there is so much turmoil in our nation- shootings, hate, violence, rampant attacks from the enemy, we need to really stand together to pray for one another as fellow teachers and as fellow brothers/sisters in Christ. We need to seek His truth that can only be found in the Bible. 

Our Week 4 challenge was to really spend daily time with good chunks of the Bible and see what God may be revealing to us. My sister wrote on her Facebook about 2 Timothy, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it tonight! She said it was very relevant to our lives and situations in America today. I completely agree! 

II Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

II Timothy 4:3-5

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. 

What are you studying in your Bibles? Give me a shout out in the comments or in social media on what scriptures are really speaking to you right now!