My CK-12 update

Time to give an update on my educational journey. Today I completed my fourth CK-12 assignment. Screenshot below.

Hold off on the kudos though as it may be time consuming to watch the webinars and complete the work but it is NOT hard! Any one interested in learning more about what CK-12 has to offer should look into it. You have five required webinars to watch and five required, very easy quizzes to complete and any entire year in which to do so. It’s free (they are privately funded by a massively wealthy family) and all they ask is that you pay it forward by telling others about a free educational resource. Not onerous and you can find great resources to supplement your teaching materials. End of spiel!

Time flies except in a pandemic

When I started this blog ten and a half years ago, I had such grand plans to craft frequent pretty, poetic, and pithy posts. But as the saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.  It’s been over two years since my last attempt to resurrect this little beast. This time, perhaps…

Nowadays, time seems to be flowing rather differently. As the title says, time flies except in a pandemic. Normally the days are busy with rushing the kids to school and myself to work, planning dinners, activities and gatherings. Now with Covid-19’s insidious spread we are staying home to flatten the curve and March break has yet to end, a month after it started.  With the wonderful weather we’ve been having, it should feel like an early summer vacation but we’ve nowhere we can go – I’ve always hating grocery shopping so no joy in Muddville with that chore – and around the block is considered an outing right now.

Lethargy is running rampant through the household with teenage complaints of “It’s too early” at 10 am and nagging is becoming par for the course with regards to this nightmare called remote learning.  High school was quite a while ago for me so in order to help, I’m forced to learn again!  And as time is moving like molasses going uphill in January and I’m spending so much time in front of the computer anyway, I’ve decided to use that time to better myself and to create again.

At the elementary school where I work, a colleague mentioned that she was CK-12 certified when we were bandying about ideas on how best to assist our students while they are at home. Ultimately, we decided to use Readworks and Khan Academy to ease the kids into the online learning world but the idea of certification struck a chord with me.  I love to learn and research but I often need a carrot dangling at the end to keep me motivated. So I’ve jumped in and yesterday began the journey to become a CK-12 certified educator – it’s free and completely online.  I’m blabbing about it online to ensure I continue. You, people of the internet who may happen to read this, are the public I’ve chosen to announce this to in an effort to hold me accountable throughout this process. Fortunately they allow a year to complete this but with the expectation that we  are in for a bit of a wait before life returns to normal, I’m hoping to get this done before June. I’ll keep you posted…hopefully!

Okay, that’s the “better myself” part.  Next post will be about my creative stuff.

 

“No school without spectacular eccentrics and crazy hearts is worth attending.”
Saul Bellow

 

 

One Craft Addiction is Apparently Not Enough!

This summer I bought myself an amazing birthday present. Why? Because I’d been eyeing one for a few years and decided that I deserved to treat myself… a beautiful Cricut Explore Air 2.

Isn’t she a beauty?

 

Anyhoo, I’ve been experimenting with paper cuts and vinyl too.  Loads of fun but it could easily become a serious and expensive addiction.

H’s water bottle

H’s class all received identical water bottles and I’m completely grossed out by the thought of drinking from someone else’s glass or bottle and I DO NOT share cutlery – even with my kids.  So it’s a no-brainer that I’d have to clearly indicate which one is hers.  It was my first time doing a project with vinyl. Not too shabby!

 

I also tried my hand at Christmas ornaments…who (pun intended) doesn’t love this face?

 

Hmm, what’s missing?

We decorated our classroom doors for Christmas and well, I left my NEEDS at home!  Yup, I did fix it but it left folks confused for a day as the world really is not a stable influence.

 

 

Still struggling a bit with this one as my FAITH won’t stick…yup, another funny! But seriously, I had to make a second vinyl Faith as the first one wouldn’t stay on the wood.

 

 

My current project. I just have to find the time to stick my words on and glue my pretty little flowers to the plaque.

 

“Creativity is Inventing, Growing, Taking Risks, Breaking Rules, Making Mistakes And Having Fun.”  – Mary Lou Cook

Thank you gifts

The school year ended a couple of weeks ago and I did get my butt in gear and make cards and gifts for the classroom teachers and learning assistants who help my kids out.  Everyone got a variation of the teabag holder that I showed in an earlier post, Tea Time.   The cards were inspired by something I saw in the Sale-A-Bration brochure in the spring but I mucked about and made them all my own.

More another time – the kids need milk!  Like what you see?  Let me know!

The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.

~Author Unknown

Hallowe’en Treats

I love, love, love Hallowe’en.  The kids look so darned cute in their costumes and get so excited about begging door-to-door!    Ever since S started preschool, I’ve been trying different ways to package treats for classmates.  Now that all three girls will be sharing, I set up my trusty assembly line in the basement and mass-produced over 90 little bags.  Yeah, I know that was overkill but I’m always paranoid that I won’t send enough.  Last year, H didn’t get one and was in tears that she had to give all of them away!

So, I pulled out my Big Shot, loaded up the Top Note die with a bunch of retired cardstock and got to work.  Then I pulled out an embossing folder and back into the Big Shot the Top Notes went.  Once I scored them and folded them over, I stamped the girls’ names on most of them and attached a cute little stamped pumpkin (from a retired set).  I put two pieces of candy in the Summer Reading Club medal bags that I’ve been collecting and stapled the decorated Top Note to the bag.

So what am I going to do with the other dozen that aren’t heading to a classroom?  Well, for you VPLers, I’m pulling an Eric Smith!  If you’ve read to the end of the post and come down to see my display table during lunch at the Staff Conference, let me know and I’ll give you a little treat!

Like what you see?  Let me know!

 

I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween. 

Author Unknown

 

 

When does school start again?

I’m not  in a rush to get the kids back to school.  Summer vacation for them is a break for me too.  When I’ve off on a weekday, I don’t set an alarm, rush around getting lunches ready, bribe the girls to get into their uniforms, or stress about getting them to school on time.  Waking up to the sound of the girls playing quietly down the hall, knowing that I’m not in a rush to get anywhere, is quite enjoyable.  Now I just need to win the lottery so that I can enjoy that feeling every day during the summer!

This summer seems to be moving along a little too quickly for me.  It’s already August and I’ve yet to post the cards I made as Thank You gifts for the girls’ teachers.  Teachers get so many trinkets, candies, and flowers as gifts that I figure I’ll make a batch of cards (with envelopes decorated to match) and they’ll either use them throughout the year or regift them.   One of Sarah’s teachers is a card maker herself and she was thrilled when she opened her gift.  She’s the type that won’t use them until after she’s CASEd them.

I take no credit for the original designs of most of these.  I CASEd what my fellow Stampin’ Up demonstrators created either for a shoebox swap or one of our meetings.  I mainly changed the stamp sets, embellishments and colours used.  I certainly have some talented ladies in my up, down & sidelines.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness.

Richard Bach