Back to school pressies!

My Summer break is officially coming to an end. It always feels like it's just not long enough hehe. These past few weeks I've had some meetings and trainings so, it's been exhausting! 

I wanted to share this with you because I think it was such a sweet detail and, it made my day.

I don't think I've talked about this in here but, I love my English coordinator. I started working with her last year and she's just great, she's a great guide and support and and you just learn a lot from her. To welcome us to the new school year, she prepared this type of basket (more like a tray) full of goodies for all the english teachers. I didn't check what the others received but, I really liked what she gave me. She didn't only include things we could use at work but also personal, cute things.

This is the basket she gave us last year. I didn't share it here but it had some tea, hand cream, stationery and other goodies.

This year my basket was super personalized, everything is pink! Hehe. She told me she picked the items thinking about the things I'd like.

Let's take a look at the goodies!

This is how the tray looked when I received it.

Flor de la paz chamomile tea. It is an organic tea and it's perfect for a very needed relaxing afternoon. Especially with this rainy weather.

She chose strawberry Tic Tac for me because, they were pink, haha. But, they are also my favs.

"Pink Paradise" Sensa Zen Dreams body mist. It's a sweet but floral scent with great durability.

For stationery, I recevied a pink Sharpie, cute paper clips and post it labels.

She also included some cute accessories!

This is defo one of my fav items here, a vitamin E Moist Lip Plump by Saniye.

Harajuku Lovers Lil' Angel mini perfume. It smells delish and it has the cutest size! Perfect to carry around with you.

Mini hand sanitizer wipes. They are always very helpful.

Bailey's chocolate and a cute badge that says: "The future is now"

And of course, the bin/tray thingy. It's a plastic pink one. I'm sure I'll use it for some organization around the house.

And there you have it guys, my back to schoo pressie. My brain is not ready to fully go back to work yet but, I don't have another choice, hehe. Someone's gotta pay those bills. 

See you next time~! ♡

✏ Teacher Chit Chat #8: My COVID19 Vaccine Story

Not my most glam pic ever but, yeah.

 One of the things most of us have been waiting for this year is the COVID19 vaccine. I know this process has been different depending on the country but over here, they seem to be taking baby steps. Not complaining tho, it's better than doing nothing.  

Last weekend they announced that the vaccination for teachers would start this week and that we all had to register online to get the vaccine. Of course everyone wanted to register and the system wasn't exactly the best one, it was impossible for most of us. 

I do consider myself lucky because my school gave us big support and did their best to get us the vaccine and even tho we had to wait in line for hours, on May 13th, I officially got my vaccine.

Finally getting close!

It it the first time I feel happy, excited and thankful to get a vaccine, ever. It's a big relief. I know how privileged I am and how much we exposed ourselves leaving the house for work for so long. 

The vaccine we got was the Chinese CanSino one, which didn't make me too happy at the beginning because, from what I've read, only has like a 65% rate preventing COVID. They wanted to apply that one because it is only 1 single shot. In the end, it's better than not getting anything at all.

After getting the vaccine, I didn't really feel bad, just weird and with a slight headache. I don't usually get weird reactions with vaccines so I thought it'd be the same with this one. Oh dear, was I wrong...

My headache never went away and around 12:00am I woke up shivering like crazy, I got the worst fever ever and my whole body and skin were aching. I felt like that the whole night so, obviously, I couldn't sleep. Luckily, I didn't have classes the next day so I could recover. I was still feeling really, really bad, and I didn't feel like eating anything. I spent the whole day in bed napping, but I don't think I've felt that bad in a while. A long while.

Funny thing was, I was back to nomal on the next day. No more pain (other than my arm, which is still very sore as I'm typing this) and no more fever.

I know this won't be the same experience for everyone, most of my coworkers didn't have such a hard time with the side effects. But, other than that, I'm very lucky and thankful to say I'm already vaccinated.

So, what's next? I'm not quite sure, all I know is I'll still be very careful and continue with the whole social distance thing, the mask and all that stuff we're so used to now. 

Can't wait for other people I love to get the vaccine too so I can finally give them a big hug.

| September Blogging Challenge | ✏ Teacher Chit Chat #7: Why did I decide to do what I do?

Now that I've been back to work this post feels just right. Most of you already know that my plan wasn't exactly to be a teacher when I was younger. I'm actually a fashion designer who accidentally fell in love with teaching.

And it's funny cuz it all started with me taking a teaching job to "do something" while deciding what I really wanted to do with my life after realizing that fashion design wasn't for me. After that year I decided to continue, and spent many years working in preschool. Somehow I was always a little hesitant to work with older kids until I got a good opportunity and went for it. And gradually I started opening myself to work with different ages, now I work with children, teenagers and adults.

And well, throughout my life I've been trying to find something I'm good at (and I still am) but it wasn't easy for me to step out of my comfort zone and I think that, in a way, teaching helped me to push mysef and do it. Cuz first of all, no day is the same and no student is the same. You have to be in constant innovation and learn to adapt to different situations. It also makes me be more creative and a little more confident. Whenever my students learn somethng from me, be it life or school related, I feel everything I do is worth it. And the cool thing is, they are not the only ones learning, I learn from them too. Even from my youngest.

And well, with time I also discovered that I love to insipre others and share what I know. That is part of why I have this blog too. Cuz if what I share in here can reach at least one person, inspire or help someone, I'll be the happiest. And same thing happens with my students.

But, why did I choose teaching? 

Because even tho it can be exhausting and stressful, it's been the best challenge life has thrown at me. I love what I do and I really enjoy it. There have been times when the classroom was my happy place, it has made me grow professionally and personally and, I don't know, I feel like even tho everyday Mon and Teacher Mon are slightly different people, I can really be myself around my students and that feels great. 

Sorry this post is a little shorter than usual but, I've been crazy busy lately and it's been hard to find time to  sit and write a proper post. 

✏ Teacher chit chat #6: Teaching online

Being totally honest with you guys, I didn't think this situation could last this long but, I've been working from home for 3 months now and I'm not gonna lie, it's being hard.

As much as I enjoy doing what I do, teaching through online platforms has been a challenging experience, first of all, because it is not for everyone. And I don't mean people can't learn online but not everyone has access to online resourses and that is something we didn't take in consideration when we had to plan a new way to teach our students. It is true this whole situation brought out our most creative side, trying to find ways for our students to learn without becoming something flat and boring but all that effort couldn't reach all our the students for many different and personal situations.

Still, we are doing our best.

I don't think of myself as a super creative person, especially when I'm out of my comfort zone. When this thing started I strongly refused to teach stuff through videos and I hated the idea of doing online classes because I thought it'd be awkward, and yeah, it was awkward at the beginning but I ended up enjoying it because it was the only way to keep in touch with my students. Plus, there are so many online tools and resourses you can use to teach now, it's amazing! In the end I've learned a lot and also stepped out of my comfy zone.

It's funny how some people think I have more free time now that I work from home because, it is a lot more work! Especially paperwork. It's not like we didn't plan our lessons before but the amount of work increased. My coworkers agree with me.

The goverment took the decision to end the school year on June 05th. Not every school ended classes that day but our school decided to do it. It was super sudden and we had to rush everything. Sadly, we didn't have a closure ceremony or graduation celebrations. It was sad to say goodbye through a computer, knowing it could be the last time we meet some of our students. We shared happy memories and a couple of tears on our last day~ It couldn't be helped. I hope I get to see my graduates again to give them a big hug.

This pandemic doesn't seem to be getting any better here where I live, it's worrisome to see how some people don't take it seriously.
Working from home could go on for months and months and even tho my adult students seem to be coping with it just fine, I don't think it'll be the same case for children.

It's uncertain what will happen, I'm really keeping my fingers crossed, hoping we will be able to go back when it's planned.
Of course it won't be the same, and of course we will have to continue finding new ways to work but, I've realized that is just part of life, we need to adapt to whatever comes our way~

✏ Teacher chit chat #5: Things have changed! / working from home

Hi guys!

It's been a long time since my last teacher chit chat. I remember I was pretty much saying goodbye to the school year and... a lot has changed after that.

Where to begin? That Summer, during my break, I got the chance to start another teaching job in an after school languages club for a couple of hours a week, including Saturdays. So yeah, I started juggling 2 jobs. It was crazy at the beginning but I slowly began to organize my schedules, lesson plans and timing. I was happy. Tired but, happy. Hehe.

At school things were going great with my students. I could tell they were improving and their first evaluation came with great results. At the same time, so many unpleasant things happened and I decided to quit my job. It was hard but it had to be done. Lucky me, I had a job interview the next week and, I got a job!  So I pretty much said goodbye to 2019 with a new job and my afternoon classes.

I'm constantly reminding myself that changes are always for the best, no matter how much I hate the process. I do miss the good friends I had in my previous job and my students but, I'm happy where I am at right now. It was an adapting process of course because now I have a busier schedule and I'm running all the time. I'm working with the Montessori system which I'm still not too familar with and I don't only have 3 elementary school groups, I'm also teaching jr. high. Surprisingly I just love to work with them, they make me laugh so much!!
In the afternoon I took less hours but I still have to wake up early on Saturdays to teach adults.
And it's funny how much I refused to work with teenagers and adults and how much I love it now.

That's pretty much the short version of my working journey since late 2019 until now.

Moving on to this whole coronavirus thing... I know things have been crazy and hard for many people around the world and even tho it hasn't gotten as bad over here yet. It is scary and it's already affecting us.
I'm lucky to say I can still work from home (I need to keep myself busy!), planning and sending daily activities for my students and even using different platforms and video calls to continue my work with them. It's been a big change, yeah but I still consider myself lucky to have this chances.
Hopefully this thing will be over soon, we gotta stay safe and take care of ourselves and people around us as much as possible.

All in all, and to keep this post short-ish, this year has been a very good one working wise, it has already taught me so much about so many things I thought I'd never do. I'm even learning from this whole virus situation.
Not long ago, I was told that I am a bit of a workaholic and you know what? maybe I am. But this time is for the right reasons. Work is not my priority because I need to fill in empty spaces like I did years ago. Right now, working it's one of my priorities because I enjoy it and because it is one of the most rewarding things I have. There are a few things I still need to work on like organization because, I'm still all over the place all the time, finishing tasks last minute but... I guess some things will never change. Right?

✏ Teacher chit chat #4: Bye bye to another school year~

Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another Teacher chit chat. I was planning to do some of these posts every couple of months but clearly, I haven't. My bad.

Sometimes I feel like I have a lot to say, share my struggles but then I don't want it to make it sound like a rant. Some other times I want to share my activities with my students but, I just have no time.

Anyway, this school year was such a challenging and stressful one. Lots of things changed throughout the year, and I have to admit, I felt like giving up at some point but, I didn't! Cuz I knew my students deserved better.

But even with all the ups and downs, I enjoyed my time with my students, and I'm so proud of how much they've grown in just one year. It's crazy!!
I also made so many fun memories with the kids and my coworkers, got to make some great friends too, learned so many lessons and got to challenge myself to try different things and overcome some personal "fears."

One of those, as some of you know, were the "open classes", they always stress me so much. But this time I tried something different, something that the parents, my kids and even I would enjoy. We played, worked together and I got some really good feedback from their parents. That helped me a lot to feel more confident and believe in myself a little more, which is always such a struggle.
Now I can also say that I don't let other's words or actions get to me as bad as I used to. I think I'm better at dealing with "problems" now.
Adult life sucks at times but I think I can handle it a little better now.

And well, now that the school year is over, is always hard to say goodbye to some of the students (cuz they just graduated from elementary school), who knows if we'll see each other again! But then I know once we start the new year, I'll see new and familiar faces again.

As for the graduates, 6th grade was a group I'll never forget. Not only because they were my first 6th grade but also because we got along so well, we had fun working and learning together and we had a million things to share in and out of class.
I still remember how scared I was to work with them because I never worked with kids their age before. Who would've thought they would end up being one of my favs ever.
I'm so proud of them and I hope they know it. They are capable of doing great, great things.

small graduation pressie for my students

All in all, I'm glad that I got to experience it all (good and bad) because it made me a better teacher, it opened my eyes to so many things and it made me a stronger person.

A new school year is always an adventure, can't wait to see what will happen on the next one!!
x

✏ Teacher chit chat #3: New year, new challenges. Will I survive?

Hi guys!
I realized that I haven't posted a teacher chit chat in a long, long time. A LOT has happened since my last one so, now that I'm having some time, let's have a little chat~

Last year, when I started working in elementary school I thought it was a big change and I knew I had to learn new things to work with older kids. I was only working for 2 hours everyday with the younger groups and I eventually got used to that. It wasn't that hard after a month. But! I got the offer to have all 6 groups this new school year and guess what? I took it.

I was already aware that it was going to be a lot more work. 6 classes a day, 6 times more work and of course, a lot of stress. But I also felt like if I said no to this opportunity, I was going to regret it later. It was a chance for me to grow a lot as a teacher and as a person. I kinda want to prove myself I can do it.
Do I regret doing it? Not really, but I do admit that I sometimes wonder if I'll be able to make it work through the whole year~

Some people think having a teaching job it's easy, but they don't really see all the work behind it. It's not only about standing in front of a group and do a random activity. There is a lot of prepping and planning behind one class. It can be exhausting!! Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but, it can get crazy sometimes, especially now that I have to take care of 6 completely different plans and try to make them all interesting and creative.

We started the school year on Aug. 20th and it's been already challenging, no group is the same. I've had some ups and downs and even felt desperate at a certain point with some situations. Older kids have a stronger temper and not all of them are easy to handle, I'm surprised to admit I enjoy working with 6° a lot more than I thought I would tho.
I'm starting to deal with situations I never experienced before, and I'm trying hard not to get all apprehensive about it.
But, I've also been called a "Kawaii teacher", got a chocolate with a note on the second day because a first grader thought I was the most amazing thing she saw on her first day.
I've been running up and down the stairs to get to my classes, I've got to use my "mommy voice" way too many times now and, 6th graders say I'm always high on coffee because apparently, I talk too much and too fast all the time. So yeah, it's been a roller coaster... Can't wait to see what will happen next~

To me, teaching is also a learning process for the teacher, not only from my coworkers but also from my students. No day is the same and even tho I'm tired all the time and I don't go out as much as I used to during the week, I think it's worth it.
I feel like I'm finally in a good place work wise. It was a big step for me and I'm glad I took this opportunity.
This is it for now, I'll work hard(er) to make this school year, a great one and deal with the pressure.

Until next time~!!

✏ Teacher chit chat #2: Teacher Tag! | 20 Questions |

It's teachers day and instead of going for a teacher's day pressies post I decided to go for a Teacher tag! I really enjoy doing these and it'll help you to get to know more about that side of me and my job.
Here we go!

1. What do you teach? 
English.

2. How long have you been teaching? 
For about 7 years now. (Time flies!)

3. Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher? 
Nope, it's funny because I used to hate the idea of becoming a teacher, it was never on my plans but, it was my first official job and I loved it.

4. What is your typical #teacherootd?
I don't think I have a typical one but something I do try to go for, are comfortable shoes. Flats mostly.

5. What do you usually bring for lunch?
It depends. Like, right now I don't really stay at school for too long so I don't bring lunch with me. On those days when I have an earlier start I bring some coffee with me. (And I always have sweets in my bag so, yeah)

6. What is one of your favorite teacher movies?
Mmm... I've seen teacher movies but I don't think they are exactly the most inspirational ones out there. One of my faves is "Innocent thing" (I wonder if it can be considered a teacher movie tho...)

7. Who was your favorite teacher?
My french teacher when I was studying Fashion Design. She was the sweetest!

8. Who are some of your favorite teacher YouTubers/instagrammers/snapchatters, etc?
To be honest, I don't follow many teacher accounts in there so, I'd say Meejmuse (who is a former teacher) and my teacher friends Tomi and Lu (both have a YT channel, IG and blogs so, it counts!)
If you have any suggestion for me to follow, let me know!

9. What is one of your best classroom management tips?
I'd say always keep the students active, and try to work different activities so that children won't lose interest

10. What is one reason you decided to become a teacher?
I realized I really enjoyed doing it after my first year. I was taking it as a temporary job while deciding what I really wanted to do and... surprisingly, I loved it.

11.What grades have you taught?
1°, 2° and 3° of preschool and I'm currently working with 1° and 2° of elementary school.

12.What grade do you teach?
1° and 2° of elementary school ↑↑

13.How many students are in your class?
15 in 1° and 9 in 2° at the moment

14.What's your ideal class size?
I've had groups with more than 20 kids so I'd say 15 is a decent/ideal size

15.What's your favourite drink from Starbucks?
This is random but, Cranberry white mocha. Pumpkin Spice and Green tea latte

16.What's your favourite online resource?
I used to check Teachers Pay Teachers a lot but I don't have a favorite resourse, I try different sites.

17.Describe your perfect classroom.
I don't have an ideal classroom...that'll change when I get my own

18.Whats your favourite part about teaching? 
Sharing with my students my love for a language, knowing that I can do something positive for the kids I work with and the fact that I'm not only teaching, I'm also learning.

19.What's your least favourite part about teaching?
All the side work it comes with... paperwork, planning, extra hours, exams, all that not-so-fun stuff

20.What advice would you give a beginning teacher or someone who wants to become a teacher?
If you want to teach, you have to do it because you feel passionate about it, it's not an easy job, it can be stressful but, it's very rewarding. Knowing you have such impact on your students makes it all worth it.

Fellow teacher-bloggers out there, feel free to answer these questions too, I'd love to read your answers! And, Happy Teachers day!

✏ Teacher chit chat: From preschool to elementary school

Hello loves! This is a bit of a different chit chat I guess, it's kind of a heart-to-heart but in a teacher version.
As some of you already know, I recently started working again, and I couldn't be happier.
My whole working life has been in preschool, I was very used to work with kids from 3 to 5 years old and now that I'm working in elementary school, I admit it has been a bigger change than I thought it'd be.

I'll start with the kids.
I'm currently working with first and second grade (kids from 6 to 8 years old). And even tho they're still little kids, there's a massive change.
Considering they are older kids, you get to do a lot more because they can already read, follow instructions a lot easier, write more and analyze things. That makes me really happy cuz I feel like I can achieve a lot more but there's also a lot for me to learn.

First graders are still like my preschoolers, they love to sing, play and they are very affective. They still need a lot of accompaniment during activities and they question everything. But second graders are a lot different, even tho they are affective, they are a lot more independent and most of them are starting to feel like "grown ups" now. They don't find songs very entertaining, they ask you more serious questions and they want more and more challenging activities. It is interesting and fun at the same time cuz as a teacher is a new experience but also a big challenge.
I think I managed to make the kids like me pretty fast, they are both very active and smart groups but veeeery different even if there's not a big difference between their ages.

Work wise I fell like I'm having more paperwork than before (and I HAAAAATE paperwork). I had no idea how to make a proper weekly planning for each group cuz, even tho I used to plan my classes, I never had formats to fill in. My coworkers have been very helpful explaining me how to
do it and it's not as hard now. I also have been working on a teacher course I was asked to do, we all have to do it and...it's painful, haha.
So yeah, even tho I'm not working those many hours, I do have work to do but I kinda enjoy being busy again.

Something I also like about this school is that it is a bigger school, and since they're starting, I'm starting this journey with them and I'm sure it'll grow a lot more in the future. Also, I feel like us English teachers are considered a lot more to do important activities and celebrations which makes me happy.

I know I was veeeery lucky to be able to get a job in a school at this point of the school year. I came back home just in time to be considered for the job. And even luckier to get it right away.
A month went by since I started this new adventure as an elementary school teacher and I've been enjoying every part of it (maybe the waking up early part not that much...). Can't wait to see what the rest of the school year will be like!!

The type of teacher I want to be + Teachers day & gifts.

Hi there my darlings!
Teachers day was just a few days ago! But since I had so many things to do these past few days, I just got the chance to sit and write a new heart-to-heart related to my job.
As some (or most) of you know, I am an english teacher who works with preschool kids. I've said this before but, I truly think my job is a very rewarding one! There is no one day that is the same. Kids are very spontaneous and they learn super fast! I love English, and I love to see how my kids learn the language, feel so curious about it and even copy my expressions!

But after some years of work, I realized that working with kids around that age is a lot bigger than just helping them to learn a new language, it is also about helping them to become more sure about themselves, to be a little more independent, to show them what they are capable of doing and more.
Sometimes it's easy to just think that teaching is just a "job" but we lose the idea of what that job really means and how much of an impact it can create on a kid.

Because even tho it can be really exciting to see how they learn what you teach them, it's even more great to see how much they change as the school year goes by. And to know you are a big part of that change is the best reward I get from my job.
Some of our kids spend main part of their day at school/daycare with us. We teach, we learn,we play together and yeah, it comes a time when we become a little family. It is a BIG responsibility when you see it that way.

So, the more I think about it, the more I know that yeah, I want them to learn English or all the "academic stuff" we teach them but, I also want to remember me as someone who helped them to become better people, to know what they are really capable of and to always dream big. I want to be a teacher who teaches from the heart, not only a language but also happy life experiences, morals, and who gives them the security they need to always aim for the best.
We're working with little human beings after all.

I'm getting a little emotional since the end of the school year is close to an end~ Hehe.

As for teachers day, we had a nice breakfast together and then took them to have some bubble tea to continue our fun chat. I'm happy to say that more than coworkers, we've become good friends!
I also want to thank all my kids and their parents for always showing us big love and sweet details! I know gifts are not the way to measure love but it always feels nice to see how excited the kids are when they give you one, when they see you using it and also, because it is a way from the parents to show you how thankful they are.
I'm also very thankful for them and for my coworkers/friends. They keep teaching me so much about our job and about life.
Happy teachers day to all my fellow teachers out there! I hope you had a wonderful day and let's always remeber the importance our job has.

Some of the pressies I recieved. Took the pic this morning so I couldn't include the ones that came in today. They keep coming!!! Thank you ♥

✏ Teacher chit chat: How my job has changed me~

I don't share much about my job in this blog, and that is mainly because there are things that are meant to be kept as private. Especially working with kids.
As some of you know I'm an English teacher, and I work with preschool kids.

Honestly, I never, EVER thought I'd end up working with kids. When I was younger, I hated the idea of being a teacher, I didn't even liked to play the teacher when playing with my cousins and stuff.
But during my "I-don't-know-what-I- want-to-do-for-living" moment, somehow, I decided to give it a chance "while" I decided what I really wanted to do.
When I first started, I had no idea of how to teach or deal with kids. I didn't even liked kids!! It was my first time ever in front of a group and I had to work with 3 different groups!

I had no patience and didn't even knew if what I was doing was right. I was lucky enough to had the chance to work there being so unexperienced, and even luckier to have such great people as my co-workers who helped (and still do) me a lot through the years.

With time I've learned that my job, is one of the most beautiful ones. I get the chance to teach, share, learn, and maybe even be an important part of a human being's formation.
I spent most of my days with the kids, and I can tell not a single day is the same. They always make me laugh, they have a very unique way of seeing things, I'm amazed of how fast they learn (the good and the bad) and of course, I've seen the most sincere love.
I don't know if this will make any sense but I feel like working with kids has made me become more...human in a way? I don't know how to explain. Heh~~~~~

I think this 4 or 5 years I've been working as a teacher have been some of the greatest! Like I always say, I'm learning a lot about everything! Parenting, life, education, responsability, and the most important, I'm doing something I really enjoy. Hehe.
Kids are amazing! They keep surprising me everyday. They want to learn, they are always curious and even the most common thing can be amazing to them. I think we should learn from them and neve loose that excitement about everything we do or learn.

I could say I'm slowly becoming a teacher, with lots of help I've learned a lot and I know there is a lot more to come. I've became a much more patient and somewhat creative (in a way) person and I love spending time with my kids, in fact, I can't wait to have my own someday soon!!

I wish I could share my everyday at work with you all so you could see how fun it is. And if I can make a good difference, even if it's just a small one, in one (or more than one) kid's life; I definitely will be very proud of myself.