Teaching ♥ My "Why" & My Biggest Pet Peeves

Hello, hello, hello!

It has been a hot minute since I have added anything new to my blog and I am feeling particularly inspired today. I want to go a little in depth about my life as a teacher. Don't worry, I am not one of "those teachers" that complains about their job because honestly, it is the greatest job in the world. Sure, I have days when I want to rip every single hair out of my head. However, the good always outweighs the bad and I really love being a teacher! My daily life is like a never ending comedy show with a little bit of sass and a whole lot of love.

Here are three things you need to know about me as a teacher:

1. I do not have an inside voice. This is the best story - It was my 2nd year teaching and one of my favorite students in the history of ever was yelling in my classroom. I said, 'Hey, _______, dude, stop yelling! You don't have an inside voice!" No joke, he cocked his head sideways and said, "Mrs. Donini, NEITHER DO YOU! I couldn't even say anything because he was 100% right.
2. I am very expressive and slightly dramatic.
3. It doesn't matter who I sit next to - I will talk to them at inopportune times. I actually had my seat moved in college because I got in trouble for talking too much. Yeah...I know.
4. When I do something, I want to be the best at it and I am very competitive.
5. I am goofy 90% of the time but the rest of the time I am just a sass machine.

Ok, now that we have gotten the basics out of the way lets talk about being a teacher!
I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. I never flip flopped in college or changed majors because I have been destined to be a teacher all along. I believe whole-heartedly that we all have a calling in life and teaching is my calling. It is what I love to do and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I didn't realize until I started teaching that my passion was deeply rooted in teaching at Title I, high needs schools. One summer I made the decision to work at a "fancy summer camp" and I quickly realized that I am not made to teach at "fancy schools". I am certainly not saying that these schools aren't many teachers' cup of tea, just not mine. I love teaching students that don't always have the easiest life but they come to school everyday ready to learn. The best part about teaching is building relationships; relationships are ESSENTIAL to learning. Significant learning happens with significant relationships. One of my favorite things about being a teacher is  running in to students (past or present) in the grocery store. First, I enjoy look of utter shock when they see me. Second, I love embarrassing them. Third, I love the hugs and the smiles I get when they finally act like they know the crazy lady that has been talking to them the past 5 minutes. I could honestly go on, and on, and on about being a teacher but a basic summary is it is just the coolest (most entertaining) job on the planet.

Pet Peeves

I will try my best to keep this section brief but I cannot make any promises. My pet peeves have nothing to do with the practice of teaching but rather the topics that surround the teaching profession.

1. Every teacher is not made to teach at a high needs or Title I school.

There, I said it! High needs schools come with a unique set of challenges and not every teacher is made for it. Teaching at a high needs school should not be about convenience or a short commute from home. Teaching at a high needs school has to be your passion. You have to have your heart and time invested in the kids and families you serve. If you don't have a heart for it, you are not in it for the right reasons and you should use your talents elsewhere. Kids need the best adults and role models possible for their lives, not a negative Nancy that doesn't believe in their ability to be successful.

2. The "these kids can't do it because they are too low" mentality.

AHHHHH. This one makes me CRINGE. High expectations are essential for success. If a child feels like they don't have to do something then they probably won't do it. If a teacher doesn't believe in them, how are they supposed to believe in themselves? Talking about college starts in Elementary School. High expectations yield exceptional results. A teacher can encourage a dream or kill a dream. Expect greatness from every child and they will amaze you in the process.

3. Corrupting the precious, young intern

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this happen. Precious, sweet intern walks in to the school to collect their observation hours. Grumpy teacher stops precious, sweet intern, "RUN, DON'T BECOME A TEACHER! BEING A TEACHER IS TERRIBLE!" Precious, sweet intern begins to doubt herself/himself. I had a personal experience with this last year. I had a pre-service teacher from a local college completing observation hours in my classroom. She was so excited to finish college and become a teacher. For her level one internship, she got placed with a grumpy teacher. She ended up changing majors and pursuing another career because of her poor experience. It seriously broke my heart because she was excited and ready to learn; one grumpy person changed her whole life path because of a negative experience.

4. Teaching has to be your entire life and you MUST stay late at school

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about being a teacher. I contribute my sanity to leaving school work at school and occasionally bringing stuff home to work on. Teaching is a part of my life but not my whole life. Self care is important and a necessary when you are a teacher. You can't pour from an empty cup.

This list may continue to grow as the years pass by but these are four of my biggest pet peeves that I have witnessed as a teacher. If you agree with any of the above mentioned statements, give me an amen! Thank you for reading my blog and leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by!
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Trendy, Budget Friendly Home Decor!

Happy New Year!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family! If you are like me, I am just now taking down all of my Christmas décor (that I love so much) and creating my vision of what I want our home to look like until Fall rolls around. I call this my "regular" home décor. I am not the type to decorate for ALL of the holidays. I decorate for Thanksgiving and Christmas; the house stays neutral the rest of the year. So what is my style? I like to call it "rustic industrial farmhouse". Now, don't get this confused with the super trendy all white/cream type look that you see on HGTV. I like dark woods, industrial/metal elements, and a splash of chalk paint and burlap mixed in there somewhere. If I had to choose which show best depicts my style it is Home Town. First off, I adore the Napiers and I love that they use color! Have you seen the episode with the dreamy green upper cabinets and the wood finished lower cabinets? Seriously, LOVE it! Lets be real, if everything in your house is white, especially the kitchen, your house has to stay impeccably clean all the time. My husband will confirm that I am the world's messiest cook. I can seriously dirty the whole kitchen making a pan of lasagna. A white kitchen would not be a good fit for me. I know that many people like the all white look and it really does look nice when executed properly. However, I will stick to my dark cabinets and deep colors for now.

Soooo, anyone that likes to decorate their home knows that it can be realllllyyyyyy expensive. However, it does not have to be! You can find some trendy, budget friendly items at places you would never even imagine. I will be the first to say that I used to make fun of my Mom for shopping at the places I am going to talk about down below because I thought she was silly for trying to save a dollar. Now that I am an adult, I totally get it! If I can save some money, I am all about it. I get so excited when I find a deal and feel like a "hot shopper". I am going to highlight some places you can decorate on a budget as well as ways you can save at the popular home décor stores that can be pricey.

For those of you that are on a tight budget but still want to decorate your home this list is for you! When we first moved in to our house, I was on a tight budget and had to find ways to be creative on a teacher's salary. Some of you are going to think I am silly but I have several pieces that I still use during the year that I bought at Dollar General. Dollar General has some trendy, budget friendly pieces in their stores that will help you get started. Plus, if you download their app they typically have a $10 off coupon you can use on your purchase. If you have never been in their store and browsed their home décor section, check it out! Another place where I get 99% of my floral stems is Dollar Tree. Each of their floral stems are $1 and I have some that I have had for years; they still look fabulous! Also, If they start looking ratty, they were $1 and easily replaceable! They also have great prices on glass cylinders, vases, bowls, and fillers. These are all great items that you can use to dress up an area and style differently depending on the season. This next one is one of my all time favorite stores! Big Lots! I love Big Lots! They have a rewards program that emails out coupons all the time which makes their store even better! They have all of the essentials but they are also one of my favorite places to buy Christmas décor! 9 times out of 10 they have similar variations of trendy items that you would find at the more pricier stores for a fraction of the cost. Any store with a rewards program that offers coupons on top of awesome prices is a store for me! The next few stores I am going to clump together because they are hit or miss for me and sometimes the prices are comparable to the bigger home décor stores on the market. The list of stores includes: Bealls Outlet, Ross, Marshalls, Home Goods, and Stein Mart. They are definitely stores where you have to treasure hunt but normally when I hit, I hit it big and find multiple items in one stop. Other times I leave empty handed for one reason or another. It is still worth it to go browse and see what they have available.

This next section is going to highlight the stores that I frequent often. I frequent them often because I receive coupons and sale specials all the time by being a member of their rewards programs. If you know me personally, this store is no surprise to you. Kirkland's is probably my all time favorite store for home décor. Whenever I find something that catches my eye, which is normally always, I watch the sales and the coupons. Most of the time I can catch the item on sale plus have a coupon and snag a deal. I never pay full price for anything at Kirkland's because the items always go on sale but you have to be a little patient (which I am terrible at). I should seriously be sponsored by Kirkland's. You know it is bad when they call you during their holiday preview sales because you are one of their top customers. Seriously...not even kidding. Next on the list is Michael's! They are not just a craft store! Over the past few years they have really stepped their game up in the home décor department. Again, another store I don't shop without sales or coupons. As a part of their rewards program I get coupons and sale notifications all the time. If there is one thing I have learned is you NEVER buy anything at Kirkland's or Michaels at the very beginning of a season or right before the season starts. The best sales happen in the middle of the season and towards the end. You can get AMAZING deals during the middle-end of the season. Both stores makeup 98% of my home décor at any given time. The final store I will chat about is Hobby Lobby. Now, I do not shop at Hobby Lobby all the time. I would say that I shop there "occasionally" because their regular prices are steep. Their coupons are so/so because in order to get a deal you need to make multiple transactions since you only get the percentage off of one item. I have several pieces in my house from that store but I don't get the best deals at their stores. It just has to be something that I really need (yes, need) in order to make the trip. Their clearance section is where I always hit first. Still, they have really cute, trendy stuff in their stores! 

Ohhh yeah, one more last place that I love for furniture or larger type items! I love browsing on Wayfair! They have some expensive items but some really great deals as well! You definitely have to browse for a minute but you can find some really awesome deals. I have gotten lamps and side tables from Wayfair but I also enjoy browsing their website on occasion! Check it out!

Hopefully I have shared some of my shopaholic knowledge with you and I have inspired you to venture outside of your comfort zone to try a new store! Always remember to track the sales, join the rewards clubs, and don't be afraid to wait until something goes on sale! Thanks for reading and have a great day! 

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