Wrapping up 2012...

Wow, it's so hard to believe that 2012 is almost over! This has been a tough year professionally and personally, but it definitely had its good points and it's still a year that I am so thankful to have experienced!

In 2012... Professionally... we started the school year with both a new assistant principal and a new principal. Having completely new administration is a challenge for them and for the teachers as everyone gets used to one another, but I think everyone's doing really well! We also made the switch to the Common Core Standards, so that's been a big adjustment for everyone. On the upside, my Kindergarten Team is the strongest it's been in a really long time, and that's been such a wonderful highlight to the year!

Personally... we've had a tough year as we continue to go through our adoption journey. My husband and I are pursuing adoption to start our family, and we're closing in on 2 years of being a waiting couple with our agency. So, it's been tough to go through another year of not being parents, but we're strong and we're hanging in there! :) We've had a great year with our families, though, and enjoyed an awesome summer beach trip in July!

This year was also the year I started my store on Teachers Pay Teachers! I opened my shop in June and I am still in awe of the support I've found and I'm humbled every time a teacher spends his or her hard-earned money on my products to use in the classroom! Creating products for my TpT store has made me a better teacher and it's helped me get a grasp on those Common Core Standards!

For 2013...
Professionally... I plan to continue to learn and develop a deeper understanding of the Common Core Standards and how to best implement them in my classroom. I also plan to continue my goal of being more organized in the classroom... so far, so good!

Personally... I am hoping and praying that 2013 will be the year that my husband and I will match with an expectant mom considering adoption and bring home our baby! Starting our family has been our biggest goal for the last 8 years and we are so ready to reach that goal!

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2013!