You Think You Know...Shana Grooms from Mrs. Grooms' Room BUT....

Hello sweet friends!  It's Shana Grooms from Mrs. Grooms' Room!  Can you believe we are revealing all of our secrets???  It's so fun learning about each other!!

Something you would never guess about me is...I LOVE to garden!!!!  I don't really seem like a gardener on the outside. (When I tell my coworkers, they look at me like I have two heads.)  On the inside???  I love reading and learning all about plants. I love getting into the soil and growing little seeds into strong, healthy plants.  

My husband and I live on a three acre lot so we have lots of room to play.  He likes to grow big plants you can eat like peach, apple, and pecan trees and blueberries.  I prefer the little plants. 

Here is a picture of our mulberry tree.  My niece and I love the mulberry tree. 

We have a raised bed full of asparagus, and we love to grow lots of tomatoes so we can make our own salsa.  OMG!  It is SOOO delicious!!  I grow a variety of plants in our flower beds.  Strawberry patches and mint gardens....yes,please!!   (We have all kind of mint...from chocolate to peppermint.  YUM!!) 

Here are some pictures of our flowers...

Here is one of our moonflower buds...they only bloom at night!  Moonflowers are really evening glories or the opposite of morning glories which bloom in the morning.  

Noctornal animals and insects pollinate these pretty moonflowers.

Here is one of my favorite photos of our flower beds...

I live in Greenville, South Carolina.  We are among several cities in the Upstate.  I have lived in the upstate ever since I was twelve, and I have watched Greenville grow up into the city it is today.  

 Greenville is on a small river called Reedy River.  My husband and I actually live right along the river.  Downtown there is a park with a waterfall on the river and it is called Falls Park (see the photo below)  The River Falls Park is a very popular part of Greenville's downtown.  They have a gorgeous bridge across the river.  

Here is the bridge that is in Falls Park.  Gorgeous!!!  

One of the sweetest things about Greenville is that we have nine hidden mice around our city that you can find using clues.  Jimmy Ryan created this scavenger hunt as part of his senior project.  We love taking the little ones to find these nine cuties.  It is based on the book, "Goodnight, Moon." by Margaret Wise Brown.  (There are nine mice you can find in the book, "Goodnight, Moon."  So why not in Greenville?) 

Aren't they the cutest?

The first little guy....

There are so many other things about Greenville that make is really special but that might be another post!  :)

Since Halloween is one of my favorite holidays,  I have a week of scary science and I realize most of my teacher friends do...BUT we spend two weeks learning about everything that seems scary but really isn't THAT scary when you learn all about it, like bats, and bones, and worms, and germs and OWLS!!  And my all time favorite is bats!!!  We learn all kinds of things, and I give them treats to go along with their lessons like bats rings, and gummy worms.  

As I read this section again, it really doesn't sound as fun...haha. But my kids LOVE it.  And it's not so scary anymore...um...skeletons?  You have one in your body...how can it be scary? 

Just look!!!  Gross, huh? These aren't real worms even though we pretend they are.  We use hand lens to look at their parts.  Then we draw and label them.  So fun! 

Here are the real worms!  We did this is science lab! 

Since forever!!!  Ever since I was a little I have wanted to be a teacher but I think that my big decision came when I was in high school.  I was a Teacher Cadet and got to work in the classroom doing all those fun teacherly things like cutting laminate, listening to students read, and making copies.  I was in Teacher Heaven!  

Everyone has given such awesome advice...and the one thing that I can add is to remember to find what works for you and do it!!  It's okay if you don't file papers like anyone else.  If it isn't like your neighbors, it's okay.  You have to try different techniques and strategies.   Talk to friends and other teachers to learn what they do.  Sometimes the simplest tips come from those you know...or Pinterest!!! Haha! You will find your way, and it will work for you!