Wednesday's Featured Teacher.....Meet Heather Meek

Meet Heather Meek over at 

The Meek Moose

Check out her blog: The Meek Mouse

Check out her TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Meek-Moose

What do you teach? And where? 

I teach Second Grade in Northern Virginia.

What is one of your favorite memories in the classroom?

We do a Famous Americans Talk Show for our students. We drop them off for the "show" and then say we have to go to a meeting. We come back in dressed up as the different famous Americans and give a short speech. I love it when the kids tell us for the rest of the day "You were George Washington, weren't you? You weren't really at a meeting were you?" They are always not 100% sure. Makes me laugh every time.

What was your hardest experience while teaching? How did you overcome it.

Class management. And it's still a work in progress. But, part of it is finding the right age group for your teaching style. My goofiness is just a better fit in Second than it was in Fifth. And then another part is just getting older and more reflective- realizing what is important and what is not. Making sure I'm enjoying my job, waking up every morning ready to roll.

What advice would you give a new teacher or someone switching grade levels?

If you can talk to the team you're joining, do so. Quick and often. Ask every silly question you have. New teachers - ASK about every single minute of that first day long before it happens. Seasoned teachers do this sort of thing on auto pilot, and it is not at the forefront of our brains to tell someone how to take attendance or the best way to handle a lunch count. And don't spend your instructional money on office supplies. Seriously- you're never going to be at a loss for a paper clip. Spend instructional money on things you can use to INSTRUCT.