I am so excited a couple of teachers of Instagram that I have followed for many years, Life In Fifth Grade and  Teaching in Room 6,  are hosting blog topics each week this summer! I can remember when I blogged consistently and when blogging was one of the only outlets to share teaching approaches, activities, and resources with others. That feels like many years ago!! LOL!  I definitely don't blog frequently and have honestly not even updated my blog in the last year or so.  Last year, I think I wrote only one blog post :( Today with a plethora of social media outlets, we can share and collaborate a lot easier especially with hashtags. Hashtags make for one very happy teacher! #hastaghappyteacher

Today's topic is an Introduction or All About Me. 

I'm Erica Shepherd a 4th grade teacher. I have been teaching for 15 years. I began teaching a 4th/5th grade Math and Science for 3 years. I earned my ESL certification and then began teaching ESL to Kinder-1st graders for 3 years. Then because a 4th grade teacher was needed and I missed the classroom, I moved back to 4th grade and have been there ever since. So, for 9 years I have taught ELA and Social Studies, but this coming year I will be self contained teaching ALL subjects. I am so nervous about teaching 4th grade Common Core Math, but am so excited to bring together social and academic learning throughout the day with a new approach.  I am hopeful that as a self-contained teacher and taking on the Responsive Classroom approach this coming year that my classroom climate will flourish and my students will achieve high academic success. 

I am married and have 4 boys. Yes, four boys who keep me extremely busy or at least when they are not playing Fornite! I love to exercise and workout. The last few months I have been working out super hard and watching my diet and I am so excited about the results I am achieving. With 4 boys there's no time for me to go to a gym, so all of my exercise is done at home with workout DVDs, (Jillian Michaels) is my favorite, lifting weights, using my husband's workout bench, and running. I try to get my boys participating as much as possible and occasionally they will run with me in the evenings. Yesterday, I signed our family up for membership to the New Orleans Running and Track Club and my oldest son and I ran in a 2 mile race for the Summer Series. Next year, I turn 40 and one of my goals is to run a half marathon. 

I also love to read! So, I joined a Book Club two years ago with some amazing friends and have read more than I ever had. Our book choice for this month is All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire. It just came in the mail yesterday, so I am excited to get started. 

Now that I am moving into my 15th year of teaching and my 3rd year at a new school, I am excited to continue to grow as an educator and step outside my comfort zone. 

So, that's enough about me. You can check out the hosts' to learn more about them and use the hashtag #teachertidbittuesday on Instagram and Facebook to find all the posts and read along. 

Life in Fifth Grade

Teaching in Room 6 

Teaching in High Heels

The Hungry Fifth Grade Teacher

5th is my Favorite

Fairchild in 5th

The Creative Apple  

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Mrs. Shepherd

Tell us a little something about you...

I'm Erica and am a 4th grade ELA teacher. I have been married for seven years and have three boys. My twin boys began PreK-3 today and were not happy campers when we left them. They were kicking and screaming for us not to leave. It was heartbreaking. Patrick Jr. who is 4 begins Prek-4 on Wednesday. He insists he is going to be strong and not cry. I think I may do some crying for both of us. My boys are growing up! I am currently in my last semester of Grad School and can't wait for graduation. I will have my Masters in Educational Leadership and Technology in December. Yeah!!!

How long have you been teaching?

I am going into my ninth year teaching. I began teaching 4th/5th grade Math, Science and Social Studies for 2 1/2 years. Then, I decided to get my English as a Second Language Certification, due to my love for teaching English Language Learners. The following year I moved into an ELL position and stayed there for 3 years until I was bumped. For the last three years, I have been teaching 4th grade ELA and love every minute of it. I still have my ELLs!

You might not know...

1. I drink half a cup of coffee every morning in a Mardi Gras cup. I never finish the whole thing!

2. I spend at least 2 hours a night on my computer reading blogs, posting, tweeting, reading emails,and reading status updates on Facebook.

3. I won a Technology grant for this coming school year and am anxiously awaiting my equipment.

What are you looking most forward to this school year?

I am looking forward to helping all my students succeed. I am looking forward to all of my students building their comprehension and fluency. I am looking forward to them all passing the state test in April. I am looking forward to all their smiles and cheers at the end of the year when they move on to 5th grade. These are the things I am looking forward too!!!

What do you need to improve?

First, I would like to accomplish the Daily 5 and Cafe. So far it is going very well! After coaching students through each component I would like to eventually allow them choice during the week, with set expectations.

Next, I would like to improve upon the technology products my students complete. My goal is for students to finish 4th grade with an electronic portfolio of products created throughout the year.


What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?

I can not live without my Interactive White board. My pen started acting up today and the kids told me I could just right on the board since it would be easier. What??? I had to get this fixed. So, within 5 minutes I had my pen working again.

I also could not live without my laptop which hooks up to my Interactive white board and provides all of my lessons and flipcharts. I am lost without it!


Head over to Blog Hoppin' to link up!

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Mrs. Shepherd

Interactive White Boards is hosting a linky party on ways to use Tagxedo in the classroom. Tagxedo is a lot like Wordle, except it can do more things.

I have used Wordle with my students for the past two years. We have used the program to paste our essays on "All About Me", which we hang outside the classroom the first few weeks of school and during open house. We have also used it to make Mother's Day cards. Now, after discovering Tagxedo I think we will use this program instead the first week of school. Tagxedo allows you to make shapes out of your word clouds. You can even upload your own image. You can make the shape ‘blank’ & fill the words around the shape. You can customize what words are shown or hidden. It uses something called ‘Silverlight’ which means as you hover over the words.

You could use it to do a class survey such as on their favorite book!!!

I made one using the words in my profile.

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Mrs. Shepherd