Ready to Get Back to It!

I started this blog to get through the isolation of Covid. Then I got sucked back into the isolation. That's ok though - every day is a new start! I have been busy, just not social. 

Since my first post I have interviewed and landed a new job. I went through training and taught summer school. Now I am getting ready to head back into the classroom in just 2 weeks. I cannot wait!

I am a planner kind of gal, so I went back and forth about my new planner for this year. I love Happy Planner for my personal use, but the teacher planner doesn't have everything I need. So, I decided to make my own. I went with a binder style so I can add and change pages as needed. We all know that change is the only constant in life!

I have 2 preps this year and wanted a separate binder for each.  I'm sharing my files for FREE for anyone that would like to print and use a copy themselves. WARNING: I like color! 

I printed these myself on my Epson 2720 for a lot less money than having them professionally printed. I used 67lb cardstock for the first page of each section. I was going to use it for all the pages, but my binder got very thick, very quickly, so I switched to regular bright white printer paper for the inside. I picked up Post-It stick on tabs to add to the first page to make flipping to the desired section quick and easy. My binder choice is a 2 inch binder that allows you to slip the covers into the front and back. 

I created these in PowerPoint and posted them to Google Drive. They work great in Google Slides too. 

TIPS:

• Set up for double sided printing.
• Feel free to personalize and adjust for your own use. 
• If you want to print multiples of certain pages (student info pages or notes for example) it is set up so you can do that by printing the second of the 2 slides first, then flip and print the first slide.
• Feel free to use as a digital binder in Google Slides. No printing necessary!

TERMS OF USE: Free to copy for personal use. You may share for free personal use with proper attribution. Not licensed for commercial purposes or resale.

Get the Animal Print version HERE.

       

Get the Rainbow Houndstooth version HERE.

Share your thoughts in the comments!

2020 - Reevaluating My Life

2020: Very bad. Would not recommend. That's the general consensus on this crazy year. 

Has 2020 been a really rough year?  Definitely.  Is it the worst year of my life? No. I have had more difficult years. As this year comes to a close, I find myself hoping for a better 2021 but also thankful for the gifts that 2020 has given my family. 

I have been in quarantine since March 13th. I have only left my house to go to the doctor during this time. No visits to extended family or friends. No eating out. No quick trips to the store. No haircuts. No going to school. It gets frustrating and sometimes I feel really isolated. Working from home while all my colleagues are in the building has many challenges. Distance learning is its own beast. But I am blessed to have the ability to still work at the job I love and protect myself from this crazy virus which would be a likely death sentence for me. I am also blessed to have more time with my family and their unwavering support. 

Some day I will tell you the entire story about how I left my job of 10 years, could not find a new job for more than a year, then found a job 1000 miles away from home. For now all you need to know is that last year was one of the most difficult years of my life. I learned the hard way that relocating with custody agreements is not for the faint of heart. I also learned that 1 year can change everything. 

After a year of "commuting" between work and home, quarantine came at the time when I was starting to get worn down. I welcomed the opportunity to stay in one place and be surrounded by family. This year has been about rebuilding, taking care of ourselves, quality time, and reflection. The time apart made us all appreciate each other more because we had the time to missed and be missed. Quarantine has given us the opportunity to act on that appreciation. 

Are we perfect? Absolutely not. We still get on each other's nerves as our large family navigates life in this small house. Family game nights are planned and then put off because we are tired, but we do a better job of making time for each other. The kids still fight over who has to take the dogs out but the dogs are well cared for and forget what a quiet house is like. I sometimes miss not having to fight over the covers at night or the ease of sleeping without an animal in the bed but I always have someone available when I need a hug. Would we go back to the separation? It may not be a choice in the future but for the time I see ahead of us it is not something we have to worry about. 

Maybe the best gift from 2020 is that I am actually enjoying the holiday season. No worries about where we have to be and when or how to fit in a million social engagements has made all of the difference in the world. Thanksgiving was relaxed and stress free. Christmas shopping is a little more difficult because no one really wants anything this year but I get to focus on gifts with meaning rather than filling a wish list or taking care of an endless list of things everyone needs. No stress over a long list of holiday preparations. No pressure to entertain. The irritation from being sleep deprived and feeling like a "perfect" Christmas is out of reach? Gone. I would not have even known how to make these changes in a "normal" year but I plan to keep them when normal returns. 

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What have you learned or appreciate more thanks to this crazy year? Share in the comments!

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