A freebie!

With the start of school right around the corner, I thought I'd share a fun little freebie with everyone. If you have an ocean/beach/surfing themed-classroom, you may want to download these student desk tags from my TpT store:

Click here to grab this freebie!

There are eight different surfboard desk tags, with the alphabet and numbers 1-20 on each.

And don't forget to link up to my Old School, New School linky party! You have the rest of July to dig out those old photos and share your first year teacher stories!
~Swersty

Old School, New School Linky Party

Do you remember being a brand-new teacher? I was looking at some old photo albums the other day and stumbled across pictures from the first few years of my teaching career. I started teaching in 1990, so needless to say the fashion trends from back then are, ummm, no longer in style. Cringe-worthy, even.  I'm talking big wooden "teacher" jewelry, button covers for shirts, floral print dresses (remember Laura Ashley clothes?), shoulder pads, and white Keds shoes with socks to match the outfit. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you must be very young, which makes me very jealous!

My teaching career started with my college graduation:

My mom and me, May 1990. Despite not having a job yet and just a month away from getting married, life was good!

Mrs. Wersterfer's very first class (otherwise known as my 1st grade guinea pigs)! I was hired one week before school started. I remember freaking out at Meet the Teacher Night when a student's dad introduced me to his son as "the lady who is going to teach you how to read". Yikes--that's a lot of responsibility!

That first year I cried almost every night. I had a challenging group of kids and I was so overwhelmed!

Field trip to the San Antonio Zoo. See the parent volunteer on the left? When this picture was taken I had no idea that she would end up being my principal at a different school one day!

The last day of school with my first class (sure could have used Reagan's Candy Awards then)! I remember feeling relieved and a little sad at the same time. My students learned a lot that year, and I did too!

After surviving my first year, I started to get the hang of this teaching thing. By my third year, I was planning with an experienced teacher who taught meaningful lessons, had great classroom management, and really enjoyed getting to know her students. I learned so much from her, and most likely would have left the profession had it not been for her willingness to share! I was eager to learn, and wearing the latest fashions in teacher apparel.

Aside from the obnoxious clothes I wore, the pictures brought back a flood of memories about those early years of teaching. I realize that although there have been lots of changes in education, there are still many things the same about it. For one, sharing great books with kids is instrumental to their learning!

"New School" picture--about to read to first graders. Yes, that's a chef's hat and apron I'm wearing, and years from now I'm sure I'll be laughing at this! Will I ever learn?! 

This got me to thinking that every teacher probably has similar "old school" pictures and memories tucked away, and how fun it would be to share them with the blogging world!  So now that you've taken a walk down memory lane with me, link up with your own "Old School, New School" blog post! This is my first ever linky party, so hopefully things will go smoothly. You have until the end of July to link up--plenty of time to dig out those old photos. 

I'm hoping that I've been a better teacher than a fashionista. And please remember that although trends may come and go, year in and year out teachers have the awesome responsibility to make a positive difference in children's lives (regardless of what the current fashions are)! Now go link up--I can't wait to read your stories!

~Swersty

July Currently

Yay for Currently! Thank you Farley--these are always fun to do and I love reading other people's responses. Here's mine (completed last night):

I can't believe it's already July; before you know it school will be starting! Even though this has been a tough summer for my family, I am not quite ready to say goodbye to it yet. There's something to be said for staying up late and sleeping in, don't you think?

~Swersty