Part2: More Visions of Vegas

So have I made one single reference to the classes I attended at the I Teach K conference? They were fantastic and I feel like it was money well spent. A few of them were not what I was looking for so I was able to change my mind and go elsewhere. That is so impressive to me! Here are some other pictures that are special to me.

Kathy Griffin is an excellent presenter and made my understanding of Common Core so much deeper. She is a really talented presenter who filled this time with great information and songs. I really enjoyed this and ended up attending a bunch of her classes. If you don't know who she is, click on this picture. Check out her blog. It has great information! Hugs to you Kathy.

If you are a kindergarten teacher you will recognize these two ladies. Both of them did a fantastic job of presenting and made sure we all had fun. Of course the bloggers made tons of noise and gave them a few woohoos and shout-outs. We had a blast being with them and supporting our kindergarten rock stars! If you have never seen them come to Vegas next year! You will be so glad you did.

Finally, I want to talk about some new friends I made. These are just a few pictures I was smart enough to take but there were so many other talented teachers, bloggers, and presenters. It was overwhelming to me. If you think education is going down the tubes come and meet some of these educators. I had coffee with them, sat with them in classes, ate meals with them, and just hung out between sessions. They are kind, generous, and smart women who left their families to continue learning during their summer vacation. Who else does that? These arededicated individuals who are making a difference... one kid at a time. Many are young and filled with enthusiasm and love for this wonderful grade called Kindergarten. I am so lucky to have been a part of this conference. This is what teaching is all about. Collaboration.

My Bags Are Packed... I'm Ready to Go!

I cannot believe all the fun that will be happening in Vegas in the next few days! I cannot wait to get there and learn more about Common Core at the  I Teach K conference and meet up with all my blogging buddies. How lucky am I! I hope you are coming and we get to meet each other. I will take tons of pictures and jabber about this soon!

The Final Chapter of Sin City

Here are my final pictures that you have already seen on other sites but just in case... Meanwhile, Cindy is not in these and I am so upset because she is a great teacher and blogger.We had lunch together and I loved being with her.  Her blog is For the Love of Kindergarten and sweet Michelle from Apples and ABC's.

Okay I am married to a man who takes huge pride in his wife's small achievements and thinks I am the best thing since peanut butter. So, he took all these pictures and a million more but I cannot bear to put them up. Check out the picture where I am presenting and look at the lady standing. I think she wanted to bolt out of the room but I am sure my husband blocked her at the door. I am not even kidding. If you attended my session I cannot thank you enough for supporting me. It meant so much to me. My friend Meredith came from my district, Kim and Megan from Kindergals, Crystal from Kreative in Kinder, Michelle from Apples and ABC's, my friend Valentina with her whole kinder team , and I was too nervous to notice anyone else-sorry. Michelle even brought me coffee to keep me calm and I love her for trying to keep me glued together. I woke up with a killer headache and could not believe how anxious I was. I woke the hubs up so I wouldn't have to suffer alone. We set the room up by 7:00, the Tech Guy from SDE came to make adjustments, and the hubs undid his work and did it his way. Gotta love the man's confidence. I thought I was going to die. Then I assumed no one was going to come at this ridiculous hour but much to my surprise ... some people came in. The hubs was pumped with pride!
I babbled on and on and paced it all wrong. There was no clock in the room and I never finished the slides. It was pretty embarrassing so I jammed through to get to the end. Sorry you guys. If there is ever a next time I will try not to run out of time. Thank goodness I survived! 

What Happened In Vegas Will Stay In My Heart Forever...Part3

You thought I was finished with this and maybe I would post about getting ready for school. Sorry. I have more pictures and the story continues...

Are you wondering who the party planners for this gala were? Rachelle Smith put this into place and made it happen. There were well over 100 women in the room and fabulous prizes for everyone. We told her to make sure this becomes an annual event. I love this lady. She is the whole package, smart and beautiful. Thank you Rachelle for providing a night to remember forever.

Here are the Kindergals. Now you can see the powerhouse mother daughter team. They are great women.

Crystal invited me to go to dinner with her and it turned into a six hour event! She brought these two friends who are amazing kindergarten teachers. I fell in love with both of them. They are full of energy and passion for their
job. Who thinks teachers aren't committed?  These ladies are superstars in the world of teaching and I had a great time in their company.

What Happened In Vegas Will Stay In My Heart Forever...Part2

At the end of Vanessa's session I literally run into Heidi as I am ready to leave. I love and respect this lady so much and it was so fantastic to see her! I really wanted to chat but had to get to the next class. Elizabeth is a teacher who recognized us both and begged for a picture so we were happy to do that. Who doesn't love fans?
Later that day I met up with other bloggers for lunch. So in addition to the others, I finally  met THE Chrystal from Kreative In Kinder which made my trip worthwhile. Seriously, we became instant BFF's and yes she is hilarious to talk to. In addition, she is smart, generous, and so committed to her job and family. This lady is the real deal and I hope our friendship is a forever one. She only stayed a few days but she came to my presentation to support me (like she needs to learn about blogging) and it meant so much to me. Check out her blog but I am sure you are always on there. It is fantastic. The girl can write the best personal narratives!
Are you getting bored with this? Sorry, but I promised you a story so grab another cup of coffee or go take a break cause you know how I am.
Rachelle Smith (insert super hugs and love for this girl)  and I texted each other so we could meet up for lunch and who do you think she brought with her? Anyone ever heard of Deanna Jump? Yup, I finally got to meet this beautiful southern belle and she was so much fun to be with. We talked about being train wrecks because we were presenting later in the week (loved dumping my anxieties) but we also talked about teaching and our families. She is the kindest, sweetest person you could meet. Deanna is modest but she has such a passion for teaching and life in general. I was blessed to spend time with her. I hope I see more of her in the future.
Here is a picture we took after one of Kim Adsit's fabulous presentations on Interactive Writing. She is amazing and so funny. Why do I love Kimmy so much? She is super smart but she is honest and real about teaching and life in general. I love being with her.She is a gifted educator. I wish she lived much closer to me. Her daughter Megan is pretty special too! Last year I never left her room but this year I HAD TO. She shares a blog with Megan and it is full of  important content so get over there and read, read, read...I am sure you are quite familiar with Kindergals.

Have you had enough? Too bad. The laundry is out of control and half my plants are dead (bless the husband) so I have to take a break. I haven't even gotten to my presentation so hold on...

What Happened In Vegas Will Stay In My Heart Forever...

I made it to the I Teach K conference in Vegas and filled my week with memories that will last me a lifetime. So much happened and I will have to blog about it over several days. I am still trying to wrap my head around the amazing time I had and friends I made. I love my peeps so much!
 My husband insisted I leave Sunday night so that I could get up early on Monday and not miss a single session. The hotel was enormous and I needed a navigator to find my way around. I met the SDE people who gave my presenter packet and all the information I needed. Insert major anxiety as reality started to sink in.  Okay my stomach got a little queasy but I put on my best smile and tried to act intelligent. I don't think I slept too well that night but I could not wait to meet other bloggers the next day! Would I recognize anyone in the crowd? I decided, like all kinder teachers, to grab coffee ( a small fortune in Vegasville) and head for  the exhibits. Guess who I found? This beautiful celebrity, the owner of TLC- Kaye Espinosa. It was like seeing a friendly face in a foreign country. Here she is with me and she tried to reassure the crazy babbling idiot that I had turned into.  She is so calm and sensible. But she got busy because everyone loves her books and she had to work. So I took this picture and said goodbye.
Time for classes...

Deedee Wills from Mrs. Will's Kindergarten ran into me on my way out the door along with these other amazing bloggers. She was with Cheryl from Primary Graffiti, Kathleen from Growing Kinders, She asked me if I knew who she was. Was she kidding? Of course!  We took this picture right in front of Kaye's booth. It was a blast to meet and chat. They are beautiful, intelligent women. I loved spending time with them.  Later I took a class on Nursery Rhymes with Vanessa Levin from the blog Pre-K Pages and she was such a great presenter. She has such an important perspective on young children and I really got a lot out of her class. I loved HER and we got a chance to chat for a few minutes afterwards. This lady is on top of her game! We hugged and parted because other teachers were dying to talk to her.
More to come tomorrow... good night!

Are you coming to Vegas?

I am so overwhelmed with work that I haven't even mentioned this huge event in my life. I am presenting at the I Teach K conference in Vegas this summer. I have not even had time to think about this  and I am so excited to be attending. I hope lots of you are able to come. I'll be there for the entire time and I can't wait to go to learn from the experts on CCSS, new technologies, and other things that will make me smarter!
 My presentation is on the value of teacher blogs and why you should follow them. I have a lot of ideas on blogging and  you can hear about my journey (yawn) through Blogland. Seriously, it should be fun because I am loud and silly. 
It's on Wednesday morning so I hope you are willing to roll out of bed, grab your coffee and come meet me. I am super excited to see you in person. (Yup, that is me screaming with happiness.) School will be OUT and I can be relaxed and more human. Just sayin'
Are you in? 

I Am Back and My Brain Is Full of Kindergarten

I am back at my home in California tonight and my head is buzzing with all the things that I learned at this conference. I will tell you about it tomorrow. I learned that kindergarten teachers are the best people on this earth and they never stop loving the lives they touch. I am blessed to be part of this community and I need some sleep. I can't wait to share tomorrow. Good Night. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.