You could say that teaching is in my blood. My grandfather was an assistant principal for more years than I can remember. I have 3 aunts that have worked in schools as either teachers or administrators. Even though teachers were everywhere in my family, it wasn’t my first choice. I wanted to be an engineer like my dad. It wasn’t until high school that my mindset changed.
In high school along with my drafting classes I also took some child development classes and it kind of became my passion. I loved working in the preschool that we ran and most often that’s where you could find me.
During my senior year a friend of mine and I worked together to raise $23,000 in a year to build a playground for our preschool. It was a huge accomplishment and a lot of work but it just showed that I was meant to work in education.
I went to the college of Notre Dame of Maryland and was in rolled in there for year PA/MET program. I got my undergrad degree in liberal arts in three years. And then got my Masters degree in the fourth year. During my junior year I started the first ever sorority with a group of friends, I was president. I continued as president my senior year while working on my masters degree in education. I graduated with a masters degree in early childhood and elementary education.
My dream was to go back in and work in Anne Arundel County which was the county I grew up and I was lucky enough to get a kindergarten job right after I graduated. It was not necessarily in the best area but I It was a job in the county that I wanted. I worked at that school for a year and it was the hardest year of my career I’m at the end of the year I was accessed and had to start looking for jobs again.
Right before the school year ended I excepted a job at another elementary school in Anne Arundel County not very far from where I was working at the time. I was excited to have a job and the layout of the school was exactly the same as the layout of my elementary school.
Over the summer I nannied for a family and one day while I was sitting out at the pool a parent who are used to babysit for called.
She was the new principal at Crofton Elementary and was looking to hire two new kindergarten positions and she was curious as to what I was doing. I told her that I had excepted a job at another elementary school teaching kindergarten but if she could make it work I would love to come to teach at Crofton. So she made a phone call and that principal released me from my position and I got to teach in Crofton which was my dream.
About halfway through the school year I became the team lead for kindergarten and also became the Union wrap for the building.
Kindergarten was my passion and I it. I moved classrooms three times because the school was renovated. I loved every minute of it it! Kindergarten was a great grade, I had great support and great kids and great parents.
In 2014 I became a National Board Certified Teacher. It was not an easy process but I did it with a group of friends that kept me on track and a constant support system. There were many days when I thought I was not cut out for this becoming a National Board Certified Teacher; they were my cheerleaders pushing me along.
I started my first blog (Waking Up in Kindergarten) in 2013 as a way to document what I was doing in my classroom. 2016 was a year of many changes for me and when I finally had time to blog again Waking Up in Kindergarten really didn’t fit me anymore so I started The Tickled Pineapple and have been blogging here ever since. I have included some of my blog post from Waking Up in Kindergarten here on The Tickled Pineapple. 🙂
After having my daughter and being pregnant with my boys I decided that I need to switch so I asked to move to first grade and it was granted. I taught first grade for one year until my husband and I realized that me teaching and affording daycare for three in fence just really wasn’t going to work anymore. The icing on the cake was that our daycare provider was moving and we needed to find a new daycare.
So at the end of the 2017 2018 school year I took a leave of absence to open a in-home daycare and stay home with my kids.
My Kiddos:
Ruben is our fur baby. He is an 87 pound chocolate lab that has the sweetest demeanor. This boy only chewed when I got him newtered and has been the biggest lover from the beginning. He loves to chase a tennis ball and it’s a bonus if you throw it in the water. If he’s not chasing a ball you will find him curled up in his favorite blanket on the couch, which he will sometimes share if you ask. Lol
In 2016 we had our daughter Henleigh. She is the spitting image of me but has my sisters attitude. She has been a go getter from an early age; she has always wanted to know what is going on and be a part of what ever you are doing. She definitely keeps us on our toes and makes everyone smile.
Exactly 13 months after Henleigh was born we had the boys. We knew we wanted our kids close together and having three close together and in such a short time span was a blessing. Garrett and Hunter are fertinal twins. Garrett looks just like my husband and Hunter looks like a Curtis (my dad’s side of the family). They have completely different personalities. Garrett is definitely the thinker, he takes him time when doing something but get angry when it doesn’t go his way. Hunter will be our builder. You can’t leave tools out around this kiddo, he will pick them up and start using them. Hunter has to have the hardest head, that boy doesn’t look where he is going and is consistently falling.