Buttons and Bows

Hi everyone! Welcome to my TPT Store! <p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91286354@N06/8289493997/" title="The River by Buttons-&amp;-Bows, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8289493997_c644a34ebd_n.jpg" width="320" height="227" alt="The River" /></a> </p><p> I've taught First Grade through Sixth Grade. Loved it all! Having spent so much of my childhood moving, I was always open to change when it came to teaching. I can't say that one age or ability group was better than another in my eyes. It was all fun. Each group of children taught me new things, and I made a lot of wonderful friends along the way. </p><p> In addition to main stream classrooms, I have done a lot of teaching with academically advanced children. I've taught in public schools, parochial, university level summer courses for young children, and tutoring. I've also been a test administrator for public schools profiling for advanced enrichment, and an instructor and exam specialist for Sylvan Learning Center.</p>

Kind with reasonable and challenging expectations. <p> Kids love to learn, especially if they know you believe in them. Through my years of teaching, I always set high expectations for all my students (within their limitations), and guided them and supported them and ~believed~ in them. It always made me smile to see how they flourished. </p><p> Give a child a safe environment to grow where they have an understanding that failure isn't getting the answer wrong, but rather in not answering, and they will amaze you. </p>

<a href="http://www.kdp.org/">Kappa Delta Pi</a>- Charter Member // University of Portland

I grew up traveling a lot. So needless to say, I went to a lot of different schools in a lot of different places. I think it gave me a great foundation in understanding that we are all different people, with different passions, and different stories to share. <p> My family settled down when I reached high school, and I was able to see what small town life was all about. Most of my friends had lived in the same town their whole life. I took away from that the importance of friendships- that trust and history mean something. </p><p> I ventured off to college with a cloudy mind on where I was headed, but knew I loved math. In desperation to be -declared-, I labeled myself as Business. Technology, math, numbers... all things that I worked well with. </p><p> My creative side was squashed in this field. I began reflecting on what I wanted and thinking about where I wanted to go. My thoughts took me to memories of working with children: summer programs to teach wee ones about street safety, at-risk children struggling through junior high, tutoring, hospital volunteering for severely disabled children, and the list goes on. </p><p> I had to ask myself why I wasn't working toward becoming a teacher. Everything I had been doing had been leading me right toward it. </p><p> After switching universities, majors, and adding a large amount of summer school and another year of undergraduate work, I graduated happy and headed off into the real world to enrich and nourish young minds. Now I enrich and nourish my own children while volunteering at the school to help out, create worksheets/forms, and leave my two cents around where anyone will listen to it. :) </p>

In addition to the teaching stuff, I'm a happy -happy- mother of three amazing children. <br /> I'm also a professional food photographer. It's a lot of fun and yummy! :) Commercial Licences held with the following:<br /> Graphics &amp; Fonts licensed from <a href="www.djinkers.com"> DJ Inkers</a> // License #0312183089<br /> Fonts licensed from <a href="http://www.letteringdelights.com/?cid=145863&amp;chk=470313">Lettering Delights</a><br /> Graphic Credit to Scrappin Doodles found on Etsy.