Inside Bell's Brain

First, I should apologize for my belated post .  I'm not sure where the month has gone!  The week before our spring break was so busy that I haven't had a chance until now to officially write and link up with A First for Everything on her Teacher's Pets Linky .  I've been trying to be better about my blogging goals this year by linking up and connecting with other bloggers, but I'm still navigating that whole balance of time issue!  So here goes... First up...photos of my boys!  People often think I'm a mom to human children because I've always called my fur babies "the boys" or "my boys," but to me, they are my real children.  That is why I was completely devastated last year when I lost two of my babies almost back-to-back.  My whole world turned upside down in a matter of minutes...and again just three weeks later.  But I still hold them close to my heart , and I'm dedicating this post to their memory! Of all t...

The new year is off to an amazing start, and I wanted to share something with you that I've been working on for a while.  The school where I work practices the 7 Habits of Happy Kids.  I read the version for teenagers when I was a preteen and was made a believer!  The principles are timeless and logical and, perhaps most importantly, provide EVERYONE an opportunity to reflect and improve.  No matter where you are in the process, you've never "arrived"...you can always work to better yourself on some habit, in some way.  It's interesting to revisit the habits as an adult, after I've had tons more life experiences and my paradigms have grown and changed.  When we completed our training on the 7 Habits at the beginning of this school year, we contemplated our major roles and began establishing our personal mission statements.  I've been working on a "map" of that idea for a while, and I've finally had a chance to sit down and finish it.  I rel...

Hello, friends & followers!  I stumbled upon an awesome "Meet the Teacher" linky , and I've finally found the time to jot a few thoughts down.  I've been so busy in the back-to-school swing that it seems like a long time since I've blogged.  I thought this was a great way to get to know some new friends with common interests.   My name is Erika, and I am proud to be from Sweet Home Alabama.  (Roll Tide Roll!)  My undergraduate degree was in business, but then I realized my true purpose the semester before graduation.  That's when I went back to pursue teaching.  I earned my Masters degree in English as a Second Language.  I absolutely love my job and everything about education.  (In fact, sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I detoured from that path in my undergrad years.  But I still learned important things along the way, so it was a great opportunity to build knowledge and experience.) So the directions...