One Year

I'm excited to be back at blogging.  It's been exactly one year since I posted here.  There are a lot of reasons I took a year off, and it wasn't entirely planned.  I would love to tell you more about that, but not just yet.  I made a list of the top ten things that happened this year.

1. Today is our 3rd anniversary!  Woohoo!  I love you David!

2. It's almost been a year since we MOVED!  It was a LONG process due to many different life changing events happening at once, but we finally finished!

3. I started a new job!  This year I made a huge transition, high school teacher to middle school teacher.  There are things I love about both, but the world of 8th grade social studies stuck to me like glue, and I loved it.  And those sweet adorable kids.

4. Husband passed the bar!! Woohoo, real lawyer status!  He also started a new job.

5. Husband and I did a lot of renovations on my grandma's house.  It took a lot of energy and time, but we got it done!  We also revisited the last four decades through wallpaper, it was an adventure.

6. We went to a lot of UGA games... GO DAWGS!

7. Husband and I bought a truck!  Merry Christmas to David!

8. We took a couple vacations this year.  We took our new truck on a winter vacay to Asheville.  It was a much needed and refreshing break.  And at the end of the school year, we went to St. Simons for a few days for some sunshine!

9. I went to Washington, D.C. with my parents for my spring break!  We had a great time!  We did a lot of walking, taking in the monuments. David and I are headed back later this summer.  We have had a lot of fun planning our trip, now we are just ready for it to get here!

10. I joined a special new little family called OrangeTheory Fitness, and it has been an awesome new beginning.  More on that another time!

I hope you will continue following my at SimplyIndecisive.  I look forward to sharing some new things to you!

i'm back with black bean hummus!

It's been awhile, but I'm back!  Over the last few months, I've been a little overwhelmed.  However, I can officially say that I'm leaving the high school I've been at for the last three years.  It is definitely bittersweet, but I'm moving onto middle school--eighth grade to be exact!

 

David graduated law school in May.  He was the student speaker at graduation, and did an amazing job!  In other exciting news, David and I are moving to Atlanta towards the end of the summer!  So many big changes, but we are very excited!

As you can see, we have had a lot going on!

With so much going on lately, we've been sticking to the regular rotation of our staple dinners and snacks.  But now that summer is here, I have a little bit more free time to work in the kitchen!  Recently, I had some Eat Well Embrace Life Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Hummus.  I loved it! 

So I set out to make my own version.  I love homemade hummus so much more than store bought.  It turned out to be great!  Typically, hummus recipes call for tahini (roasted sesame seed paste).  I am not a fan of the taste, so I leave it out, and I don't miss it!

Black Bean Hummus

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained

1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained

2 cloves minced garlic

1 lime, squeezed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Add a diced jalapeno.

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree.

Slowly add additional chili powder for more heat if desired.

ENJOY :)

todays things vol. 3

TIRED

This past weekend two of my best friends came to visit me!  We had the BEST time!  We laughed so hard and had a great time catching up.  We went to dinner and a concert together.  It was such a great time!  However, I have been totally exhausted ever since!  Still catching up on sleep!

OVERJOYED

We went to the UGA vs. LSU game this weekend!  It was the most exciting game I've ever attended in the Sanford Stadium!  I screamed until I lost my voice, cheering as loud as I could!  There was this feeling of pure joy radiating off everyone in the stadium!  We won 44-41!  It was an amazing experience.

FOOLED

Today, I attempted to trick my 3rd period class.  We have a little prank war going, and I am currently losing.  At the end of 2nd period, I turned all the desks turned over and stacked them against the walls.  My plan was to run up to my mailbox in the school and return just as the bell rang.  I was going to pretend like I was mad at them for turning the desks upside down and stacking them against the walls!  Unfortunately, they realized what was going on as soon as they got there.  Before I got back, they had moved all of the desks on top of, underneath, behind and all around my desk.  Guess they won this time!

WARM

October, it might just be my favorite month of the year.

The weather is perfect and everything smells of warm spices. The leaves start changing into beautiful colors.  It's just perfect.

That's all for today, just enjoying this amazing weather and season.

drama queen challenges herself

It's no secret that I have a love for all things diet.  Especially, Diet Coke.  I even recently participated in RaceTrac's teacher appreciation, where they gifted me a tumbler and 10 free drink coupons!  Needless to say, I was a happy girl Friday!

Late last night, David and I were watching a movie.  We paused a movie because David was experimenting with the ice cream maker, and I wanted a Diet Coke, of course.  However, things went badly for me.  For some reason, as I opened the bottom part of the refrigerator, I also swung open the freezer door.  Normally, this would not be an issue, but there is a TINY bit of space between them, and they will just swing closed.  But as I swung that freezer door open, my thumb got caught in between.  I was in a bad way.  It hurt so bad.  My poor husband thought I was being a little dramatic, but when I swung for his stomach with my good arm, blinded by the pain, he realized this was a serious situation.

I was hysterically crying and couldn't feel my thumb.  It was really bad!  I couldn't ice it, because it caused too much pain to put pressure on it.  I cried for a long time.  I think David started to worry I was going to hyperventilate.  Eventually, I calmed down, medicated and we finished the movie.  The feeling hadn't come back in all of my thumb--which worried us a bit.  But I was going to power through.  I'm here today to tell you, I can feel my thumb again!  My thumb might be slightly purplish and blistered, but it's going to make it.

Drama queen right?   

Well speaking of Diet Coke, I collect the Coke Rewards points to order magazines for myself.  I also received a couple subscriptions for Christmas--I just love magazines y'all!  They always come on Fridays, so I get to enjoy them on the weekends.  This weekend I got Health and Fitness.  As I was reading, I stumbled across a few new recipes that looked awesome!  So I've challenged myself to attempt them over the next week.  David was on board.  I asked him if he thought brussels sprout salad sounded good and his response was, "Brussels sprout?  You know I'll eat anything with brussels sprout!"

Here is what is on the docket...

Peppercorn-Crusted Steak with Baked Parsnip Fries

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs

Mashed Roasted Acorn Squash

Brussels Sprout Salad

I will have to make some adjustments for dietary needs, but I can't wait to tell you how they turn out!  Hopefully these dishes will become some of our favorites!

bacon, spinach, and mushroom egg muffins

We are almost half way through the semester, and midterms are closing in.  Things are speeding up like crazy!  I feel like I'm constantly grading and just trying to stay on top of things.  These kids hormones are raging too!  They have homecoming this weekend, and it seems like they have been pairing up all over the place.  Looking around the school and parking lot, you can see all of the imaginative ways the students have been asking one another to the dance.  They are so funny.

  With the semester moving so quickly, and the work piling up, breakfast becomes the hardest meal of the day for me.  It is hard to begin with because there are not many low-carb options for breakfast.  Secondly, those low-carb options are hard to eat on-the-go.

I know I've talked about this on the blog before, but truly, breakfast is the hardest meal to prepare when you have to be at work so early!  I've seen these floating around Pinterest and finally decided to give them a go and they are fantastic!  They are great on the go.  Just warm one up in the microwave!

Bacon, Spinach, and Mushroom Egg Muffins

Makes 12

6 eggs

1 box of frozen spinach

1 box fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1/4 cup 0% Fage yogurt

2 tbsp skim milk

2 tbsp of turkey bacon pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat to 350.

Cook the spinach and mushrooms down over the stove.  While they are cooking, mix the eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, bacon, salt and pepper together well.  The greek yogurt can clump sometimes, so mix well.

Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray well.  You want to make sure these pop right out!  Once the spinach has cooked down, mix it into the mushrooms in the skillet.  In each of the 12 cups, put some of the spinach and mushrooms.  Then scoop the egg mixture into each of the cups.  You can fill them up almost all the way.

Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy!

why am I crazy?

As I prepare lesson plans for this coming week, I reflected on this past week.  I was sick for most of it and even had to stay home one day.  There is nothing like being miserably sick at work and also dealing with 90 kids throughout the day.  Last week, one of my adorable students erased the essential question I'm required to post on my wall every day and replaced it with his own.  So I was apparently teaching my U.S. History class all about why I'm a crazy person and not all about Jacksonian Democracy.

However, it got me thinking... Why is Mrs. Dove crazy?

Most of the time I'm an exciting, singing, energetic, positive to the point of annoyance teacher.  But there are "those days," where Mrs. Dove might seem a little crazy, in the "I have been driven to the point of insanity" way.  So I complied a list of things that make me crazy...

1. Talking while I'm talking (especially while I'm giving notes)

2. Having Axe sprayed in my classroom

3. When kids write on my white board and make it dirty

4. When students hand in work with orange stains on it from their Hot Cheetos

5. Attitudes/Mood Swings/General rudeness

6. Thinking Hot Cheetos are healthy

7. Wandering around the room without permission

8. Leaving your group and hanging out in another group while working on a project

9. Unnecessary fighting

10. Refusing to do work/being lazy

11. Licking fingers and then using my markers/pen/pencil

12. Complaining about the air, smell of hand sanitizer, not being able to use phone or earbuds

13. Using earbuds/headphones/Beats by Dre

14. Trying to sneak one earbud in while I'm teaching

15. Asking to go to the bathroom every 5 seconds

I limited myself to 15, but the crazy thing about this list is that, these are all also reasons I care about these kids.  Because on top of making sure they know and understand the material I'm teaching them through a variety of differentiated lesson plans, I also get the opportunity to teach them how to become good people.

I might not always be successful.  And its more difficult that it used to be, because this new generation has so many more distractions than we did growing up.  But it will always be worth it to attempt to make an impact on their lives.

Good thing Ryan Gosling is here to help me get through the hard days :)
Thanks HeyGirlTeacher!

version 2.0

Today was my day to eat lunch in the cafeteria.  There is something about watching kids eat that is not that appetizing, but nonetheless, I made it through.  Well that is until I went to throw my trash away.  As I made my way to the trash cans with a coworker, I made the greatest save of all time.  Unfortunately, everyone in the cafeteria was there to witness.  What was this great save you might ask?  Not touching the floor when my ankle gave way to my body, and I almost completely crashed into the ground.  It was painful.

And embarrassing.

Just imagine millions of high schoolers laughing at you.  So fun.

Tonight, for dinner I made a new summer salad!  I have had a small obsession with chickpeas for awhile now, seriously, I love those little things.  And I have seriously made the most delicious salad ever!!  Really, I had to literally put the salad away to quit eating it.  YUM!  I definitely don't want you to miss out, so here is the recipe!

What recipes do you make with chickpeas?

Chickpea and Cucumber Summer Salad

3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1-15 ounce can of chickpeas

2 roma tomatoes

1 large cucumber

1/8 cup diced sweet onion

Pepper to taste

Mix everything together well and refrigerate! 

Hope you enjoy!

what really went down...

School has really taken off.  I can hardly believe I've made it through 3 units in both of the classes I'm teaching this semester.  Collectively, my students have been doing wonderfully.  However, there is always a moment that you just wonder... are they hearing me?

My moment from this last week occurred just after we talked about President Washington and his role in the Revolutionary War.  A girl looked to her desk neighbor and very loudly said, "I just don't understand...I always get George Washington and George Bush confused!"

I had to take a deep breath.

A couple weeks ago, I posted ideas I found on Pinterest that I was looking forward to implementing in my classroom.  And much like the year before, all of them actually happened!  This year I am teaching Government and US History.  So I thought I would show you a little bit about what really went down....

Bulletin Boards

I think it's really important to stay relevant with kids, especially when teaching high school.  Using things that they are familiar with, think are cool or just generally draws their attention.  When I was thinking about my bulletin board this year, I came up with a few ideas.  First, mustaches!  I mean they are just funny!  So I found some mustached presidents for my board and cut out a giant mustache.  Get it? "I 'mustache' you a question?"

I had a harder time with the rest of the board.  I really wanted to use the "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign, but couldn't think of anything cool enough!  I asked my husband to think about it as he walked to the mailbox, and he came back with this! Awesome!  Abe and Andrew are just chillin' in their glasses--excited to debate the differences between Republicans and Democrats!

Lastly, these kids love music more than anything.  I see Beats by Dre more times a day that I would like to.  So I thought the kids can look to this board to see what's on our "playlist" for US History!  It's really just a list of all the topics that coincide with each of their units.  However, I have seen numerous students go over to the board, just to see what it says!

Review Game

If you were ever a student at any point in your life, you probably know all about "trashket ball."  For some reason, it is a review game favorite.  We've never played it in my classroom before.  I've always tried to come up with new interactive ways to help my class review for an upcoming test.  I was inspired by a magazine someone put in my mail box at work.  It had all kinds of materials you could order to use in your classroom.  Unfortunately, everything was super expensive!  Don't they know we're teachers!

So I ripped out a page and headed over to the Dollar Tree determined to recreate something I really loved in that magazine....generic game boards.  I bought eight foam boards and construction paper.  The only other materials I needed I already had--eight dice and a hot glue gun.

I made eight games boards exactly alike.  Just plain, not geared towards anything.  I have a new set of questions for the game every time we use them!  I call it, A World of Possibility!  The students love it!  There are crazy things for them to do on the "Possibility Cards" and when they land on "Roll the Dice"!

Warm-Up/Do Now/Starter

Whether you call it a warm-up, do now, starter, or something else, those first few minutes of class always need to be planned strategically.  You need something that draws them in for the whole period.

One of my favorite warm-up activities is a scavenger hunt.  Now I don't let the kids run around the school, just my classroom!  I've been known to tape things under desks, under seats, on the ceiling, on the walls, hide Easter eggs, and more.  I try to keep my methods of scavenger hunting different and exciting so they never know what to expect!  I do it about 2-3 times a week and it never fails to be exciting.

What do you do to keep the attention of kids? Or stay relevant?

back to school prep

I have done a lot of preparing for the new school year this summer.  Every now and then, I do or see something that inspires me to create a lesson or activity.  But more than refining my lesson plans and preparing to get my classroom organized, I am teaching a new subject this year!  And don't you know that Pinterest is the best place to get new ideas! There are only two weeks left of summer, so it's time to organize my thoughts!

Everyone wants to start the year with a get-to-know you game or activity.  I think I've used a different one every semester!  But with shorter semesters this year, I try to think of something that is less time consuming, but still gives me the most information about them.  So far, I'm really liking both of these ideas.  I could have the students start it in class and finish it for homework!

Source: Teaching Madness

Source: CZ Blog

I also really like the idea of incorporating current technology into the classroom through different methods.  The students are always on Facebook, Twitter, Vine and Instagram, so why not figure out a way to make history relevant to them, right?

Source: Integrating Tech

Inevitably there is always a handful of students per class that do exactly what they are supposed to all the time and do a good job.  Sometimes its difficult to have enough extension work (extenstion work is for students who work far ahead of others).  This year we are implementing some new common core literacy standards.  I love this idea.  Of course this teacher uses it with smaller children, but I could EASILY upgrade this for my students!  She has several notebooks with different writing prompts on the front of each.  Students write responses in one when they finish early!  What a great way to keep students engaged!  She also has a lot more really great ideas such as this review game, I could easily do this with history or government!  When kids have fun they learn!

Source: A Love for Teaching

As a teacher, you are always trying to think of ways to evaluate your student's understanding.  Sometimes it can be really difficult if I'm trying to do a silent activity with the students and their hands start flying up and they are asking each other questions (especially when I really want them to be thinking for themselves!)  Last year, I tried a red card, green card system.  Early on, the cards were lost or damaged (even though they were laminated!)  But I really like this idea!  I know it is made for an elementary classroom, but I could definitely upgrade it for my high schoolers.  Even put a couple 3m hooks on the wall to keep them safe with!

Source: A Teacher's Wonderland

I love this idea as a warm up or summarizing activity.  For my 11th graders, we could read something and each of them could place a sticky note on the light bulb to get conversations flowing at the beginning of class.  Especially in government, when I really want students to be thinking for themselves and developing their own ideas about the world.

Source: Not Found

These are just a few of the new ideas I will be implementing in my classroom this year!  I'm looking forward to getting started and seeing how they work.  I can't believe pre-planning is just around the corner!

Check out last year's prep here!