Student Info Cards Freebie

Click on the picture of the Student Info Card to link to the PDF version on Google Docs.

Made these student info cards really quick tonight for this year. Here's the idea....

These do not replace my student info sheets that I have parents fill out at the beginning of the year- these are supplemental for me. Run these off on card stock (I'm doing pink for my girls and blue for my boys), then I will take the student info forms with similar information and transfer onto these small cards myself. Hole punch twice in the top then use binder rings. Voila, you have a very easy, very portable set of student info cards to take with you anywhere you need them!!

Ps. the Google Doc has them two per page.

Have a cupcake

If you have never been a teacher, I am not sure that you can fully understand the stress that often comes with a class birthday.

Parents show up, sugar loaded cupcakes are given, Capri Suns are stabbed (after several attempts) and chaos ensues. My once quiet obedient little rule followers begin talking with their mouths full, making ungodly messes and look at you with teeth and tongue icing stained smiles. Chaos.

And today we had a birthday.

In all fairness, this one really was not bad at all. One of my sweet and precious little girls turned 8.

{Side note: this baby girl is such a cute little "Stepford Student". Her favorite day of the week is Monday because she gets to come back to school and she hates Fridays because it means she has to stay home for the weekend and miss school. This is not a suck up tactic, these feelings have been verified by her mom. I love her.}

So anyway... most parents are kind enough to consider teachers in their cupcake head count and while it is always appreciated, as often as I can I try to practice self control and say thanks, but no thanks to the sugary sweets. When I was offered my treat today, I politely said no thank you and informed Mom (who I know well) that I was trying to be good and not cheat with the unhealthies. As I was saying this, a child who generally does not pay attention to me, must have turned her hearing up over Spring Break because this was her speedy interjection,

"Ms. Steel, you need to loosen up. Have a cupcake!"

Haha loosen up. I know it may not be as funny to some as it is to me, but this is stuff you just could not make up. Out of the mouths of babes.

Stuck

Ever feel like this poor guy? Stuck in a rut. Yep, my current status.

It's a gross feeling, if you ask me, to feel like you are literally stuck. Whether you are stuck in a job, stuck in a relationship, stuck in a living situation, or just plain stuck in life in general, it is not enjoyable.

I've got a lot swirling around in this little head of mine- and if you know me, you know that I dwell, and dwell, and dwell on things until I have just about worked myself into a panic attack. Yes, I know, not normal or good. I have this overwhelming feeling of "stuckness" {yeah, not a word} and the worst part about that feeling is that you are in that rut because you just don't know how to get out of it at the moment. It's as simple as that. If I knew how to be unstuck, I would take care of it quickly. So it just hit me like a ton of bricks and it comes down to this....

Matthew 6:25-27

²⁵ "So I tell you, don't worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it."

That's it. No ifs, ands, or buts. He's got it covered. Verse 27 is something I need to be reminded of daily... hourly. I know that worrying does nothing but take away from the life that I should be living. Every second I spend in worry is a second I could have used more wisely. Y'all that know me know that this is probably the hardest thing for me- to let go of the worry. I am working on it. And let me tell you, it is a slow and painful process and I often take one step forward and 19 steps backward but I will keep trying.

As I read back through this post, I realize I have rambled a little and I'm not quite sure that I actually made a point of any sort but really I wanted to write this more for myself than anything else. I wanted to get it out of my head and written down so that I would have this as a reminder to myself that I know He is in control of all things- as much as I would like to think I have control. And that the constant worry and anxiety that I bring upon myself is doing nothing but taking away time from a life that I should be living more freely.

I'm going to throw in a few of my favorite little quotey-quote findings on Pinterest that seem to really fit so well with all of these little stirrings in my head and heart. So, here ya go...

*Click images for links back to sources.

**Currently listening to Control by JJ Heller.

Friday Find

Pinterest Find - DIY Goal List

Found this little guy on Pinterest this week and am planning to sketch one out for me soon! It's a very simple idea but so good for those of us who are list makers and need visuals. This link to the website, Cornflower Blue Studio, gives step by step instructions on how to create your own rotating goal list. Because they give instructions and not a PDF template file to use, it leaves room for tons of personalizations. I'll post a pic of mine when I get it done!

Blackfoot

An afternoon in Blackfoot, Texas.

{near Montabla}

Friday Find

Going to try something... Friday Finds.

Knowing me, I doubt there will be one of these posts every single Friday but we will see. So on Fridays I will try to post something that I found online that week. I'll go ahead and tell you that I am willing to bet that most things will come from my Pinterest boards or from YouTube or Twitter- as those are currently some of my obsessions.

To start today I'll share this Kacey Musgraves Merry Go 'Round video.

Her voice is so unique and I love it. She's well known in the Texas Country realm now due to her work with Josh Abbott on Oh, Tonight. Merry Go 'Round puts an interesting twist on several different classic nursery rhymes and causes you to think.

Glad I found this one this week.

Just like dust, we settle in this town

On this broken merry go 'round.

More than a pot of gold

Since we won't be in school on St. Patrick's Day, I used today to do all those cute little Pinterest ideas (also know as killing time until Spring Break).

So anyway, instead of talking all about it I'll just show you.

Here are just a few of my favs.

I have to admit, I am a little partial to the one about me. I mean, I didn't even ask them to write about me and look at how fab that drawing is... not quite sure what happened to my legs, though. But, I think if we're being honest, the Jesus one takes the cake. How cute is that kid? I texted her mom that picture with the caption, "Good job, Mom". Ohhh these babies :)

Pretty every day

So there's this girl in my class...

She's the little one that's so enamored with teachers. She can be very, very clingy at times, but let me tell you... that kid is one big, fat confidence booster.

Even on the days when I'm too lazy to finish drying my hair or don't go for the full face of makeup, this one cannot stop herself from giving a compliment. Some days they are more like compliments on work ethic and character: "you're doing a really good job teaching us" or "you are very kind" (her words, not mine). However, most days, in fact, pretty much every day they are more along the lines of this: "you're the prettiest ever", "you're pretty", or my personal fav "you look very beautiful today". No, I'm not lying.

Like I said, these "pretty" comments come at least once a day. And while they are very sweet, those days where my hair is in a rat's nest and my makeup is half rubbed off, her compliments seem to become a bit insincere and undeserved. So today, while feeling rather unbecoming, little girl comes chirping up to my table. "Miss Steel, I just want you to know you are very pretty today." Usually I would respond with a generic "thank you" or "thanks, please go sit down", but today I chose a different approach. I looked at little miss upon her compliment and said, "Thanks sweetie, but you say that every day"... to which she lovingly replied, "Well I know, but you are pretty every day". Cute.

So what's the point? None, really. Just thought it was cute. And hey, who am I to judge her opinion? If the kid thinks I'm pretty every day, why should I rain on her parade and lead her to think otherwise? :)

If you are ever in need of a good compliment, stop by our second grade classroom. My little cheerful child will be more than happy to help.

Shadow days are over

I recently rediscovered my John Mayer Battle Studies cd

(yes, sorry, I still have cds) and was immediately reminded why I love him so much. And yep, the rename of my blog just so happens to be come straight from John Mayer lyrics.

Well... as fate would have it, on my morning drive today I was so pleasantly surprised to find out that Mr. Mayer has a NEW SONG!

Shadow Days

I'm a good man

With a good heart

Had a tough time

Got a rough start

But I finally learned to let it go

Now I'm right here and I'm right now

And I'm hoping, knowing somehow

My shadow days are over

Ummm... I LOVE it.

So here ya go.

Listen, it's good :)

Take #17

Hm, let's try again. I took a nice long break from the little bloggie-blog, but thinking about giving it another shot.

I will make zero promises this time. I have no idea how long I will stick with this or how often I will write, but I will try.

Unfortunately today doesn't bring with it any great stories so this first post back is a bit lack-luster. Sorry, readers (i.e., Morgan & Amber). I'll try to think of something good between now and the next time I remember to write again. Quite frankly, after messing with HTML codes and CSS and colors and image alignments for about 2 hours, I'm too tired and annoyed to write anything now. Hope you like the way the little blog looks right now, because it's probably going to stay like that for a while.

Check back in about 2 weeks (giving myself a nice big window to allow something even remotely interesting to happen) :)