Meet the Teacher

Hello!  My name is Mindy Thomas and I am a 4th Grade teacher in the state I love - Texas!  I have taught 2nd grade for the last several years and will be in 4th grade this school year!  I am SO excited for the change and looking forward to the challenge!  I am one of THOSE Texans - born here, raised here, won't ever move from here, and feel bad for those of you who have never been here.

I graduated from one of the most beautiful schools in the country, Texas Tech University in 2009.

GO RED RAIDERS!! 

I always joke by saying, "They didn't teach me THAT in college," but honestly, I feel privileged to have earned my teaching degree from Tech.  I bleed red and black for several reasons, (ask anyone who knows me!!) and one of the reasons is I had WONDERFUL professors whom I still keep in contact with today.  

AND - you've never seen anything until you've seen a West Texas sunset, so much cotton on the side of the highway you'd swear it was snowing, or been blasted by dirt on your way to class because of the dust storm blowing through.  Ever seen a dirt storm?  If you haven't, click here.  It's shocking but something you learn to live with!

This is the beautiful statue of Will Rogers and Soapsuds near the front of campus.  On game days, he is wrapped in red crepe paper by the Saddle Tramps.

One of the MANY beautiful buildings on campus.

After graduating, I was LUCKY enough to land a job in the district at the top of my wish list!!  I just KNEW I was meant to be a Kindergarten teacher, but, as usual, God knew better.  On my 5th wedding anniversary, while I was in Hawaii, I got a phone call at 5 a.m. (Hawaiian Time Zone) from my principal telling me he'd like to hire me!  I was ecstatic!  I only had ONE interview the whole summer and was terrified I wasn't going to find anything!  (If you are in that predicament - keep your chin up!!)

(Here I am the first time I got to go to my school.  I tried telling you I am nerd….)

BUT, I was hired the last week in July for a 3rd grade position and LOVED it!  I had an AMAZING team who held my hand and helped me to have a wonderful first year as a teacher!  Two years later, I moved to 2nd grade and have been there ever since!

I have been teaching for six years now.  I spent my first two years in 3rd grade and have been in 2nd grade for the past four years. I loved 3rd and I love 2nd, too!  I am in my element when I'm teaching!  I am now going to continue my teaching adventure in 4th grade.  I am so excited and have already been so warmly welcomed by my new school.

Where I'm even MORE in my element is when I'm at home with my sweet twins and my loving husband.  After 7 years of wonderful marriage, my husband and I welcomed our son and daughter into the world.  Now they are almost four and growing up quickly despite my pleas with them to slow down.

We like lazy weekends, impromptu picnics in the front yard, going on walks in the neighborhood and having dance parties in the living room.

When I'm not teaching, and after my babies go to bed, I like to sit down with the computer and create fun, engaging, quality resources to use in my classroom while I'm binge watching whatever my show-of-the-moment is on Netflix.  (If you ever have a good one, let me know!!!)  I also love reading, sewing, and doing anything crafty.  I could spend a whole paycheck at JoAnn or Hobby Lobby.  Seriously.  My husband would kill me, but it might be worth it!

I am working on my Master's Degree right now to become an elementary Math Curriculum Coordinator, but would love to be a math specialist in the meantime.  (Say a little prayer for me!)

My hope with this blog is to share some ideas that work great for me in my classroom, to become part of the community of bloggers who are doing wonderful things in their classrooms, and who can help shape me as an educator.  I admire many of the people I found through TeachersPayTeachers and would jump at the chance to collaborate with them and pick their brains!

Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you'll visit often!