Who am I? Well let me tell you a little about me!

My name is Kelley and I am currently a graduate student at Georgia State University. I am studying to get my Masters of Arts in Teaching for middle grades, specializing in language arts and social studies (what a mouthful!). I received my undergrad from the University of Georgia (GOOO DAWGS, sic ‘em!) in Child and Family Development and feel as though I got the best of both worlds through my education. Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher; with a 2^nd grade teacher for a mom and a principal for a dad, I like to say, “It’s just in my blood”. Through my undergraduate courses, I learned a lot about how children grow, develop, and learn and how their families and environments impact their learning and academic success. Through my graduate courses, I am learning how to teach these different types of learners, but I feel as though I can be sensitive and compassionate to their environments and home situations. I am from Snellville, Georgia and attended Brookwood High School, where I enjoyed four years dressed up in maroon and gold cheering on the Broncos. I was a cheerleader and participated in extracurricular activities and really feel as though I did my high school years justice.

After those wonderful four years in high school, where I met some lifelong friends, I made the big move to Athens, Georgia to become a Georgia Bulldog! I would say those four years were some of the best and most memorable years of my life! I attended as many Georgia football tailgates and games as I could possibly get to and still continue to find ways to make it there for those events! I never miss a chance to wear my red and black and do the famous “Goooooooo Dawgs! Sic ‘em! Woof, woof, woof!” Being in Athens gave me a true sense of what college life was supposed to be like! It was everything I had imagined and seen in movies; a big campus, popular football team, exciting nightlife, and you never had to leave. Everything was right there for you in Athens! I try to convince anyone, and everyone, to attend the University of Georgia, as I feel it is the greatest place on Earth!

Once I graduated in May of 2009, I found myself to be terrified and nervous of what was to come for me in my early twenties. I had already made my decision to go straight into graduate school because I knew it would be nearly impossible for me to go back to school after I had taken some time off! It was also very important for me to go ahead and get my Master’s because my mom had hers and my dad has his doctorate. Education is extremely important in my family and it was expected that I would have, at least, my Master’s. I received my acceptance into Georgia State University in November of 2009 to start Spring of 2010 and made the scary, yet exciting, move to Buckhead with a roommate, one of my friends from high school and college. That about updates you to my current life status!

Alumni Girls at the Georgia Game

Saturday in Athens (not my Saturday, but this gets me excited for football season everytime)

So What Am I Doing Now?

To answer your question of, “What am I doing now?” Well, I am having THE time of my life! While college was a blast and very memorable, I think my early twenties have been the most exciting years so far. While I have only been in Buckhead for a little over a year now, I have definitely taken advantage and am looking forward to another year! There are so many fun activities and events all throughout the year and the nightlife is legendary! While it is MUCH more expensive to do things in Atlanta, it is definitely worth it! When the Spring and Summer roll around, there is a festival almost every weekend! While I cannot commit to one every weekend, I try to scout around for the best and most fun ones to attend and save up! Most of the time there are large groups of people that I know going and it always makes for a fun time in Buckhead!

While the social scene is impressive, keeping up with the trends can be a little intimidating and can become very expensive! With two malls within walking distance, Lenox and Phipps, and Perimeter just down the road, it is important to keep up with the latest clothing trends and styles. Not to mention the amount of boutiques that are around here! You could shop constantly. Too bad I don’t live on an unlimited budget or else that would be incredible and easy to do! I hope you find this introduction to my life somewhat interesting! Not trying to brag or anything, but I do find this time in my life to be exciting and the only time I can ever live this way. I love my posh apartment right in the heart of Buckhead with a full social calendar to keep me busy once my school work is completed! I will also post links to some of my favorite restaurants and boutiques around Buckhead as well as a list of upcoming events in Atlanta that I plan on attending!

Boutiques: Festivity
                    Fab Rik
                    Market

Restaurants: Treehouse
                        Coast
                        Twist

Upcoming Events: 5th Annual Bar Golf Classic
                                 2011 Country Megaticket at Aaron's Ampitheatre

 Girls at Jason Aldean/Luke Bryan

                                                                     Girls Downtown

                                                                       Braves Game!

                                                                       Girlfriends Out!

                                                                        Oktoberfest

Oysterfest

Once all of this fun is over, then what will you do?

Well I hope the fun NEVER stops, but I am definitely excited to start thinking about my future career, which will begin in Fall of 2012. Once  I have graduated with my Master’s in May of 2012, I plan on applying for jobs (fingers crossed this job situation for teachers gets better), and beginning my career as a middle school teacher. I currently substitute teach in Gwinnett County and love every second of it! It is a glimpse of what life in a classroom will be like. It also has helped me to develop classroom management skills, learn what works for some students and what does not, and the act of following through! I have found that I love having a classroom full of students and being in a school environment and it definitely makes me excited to have my own classroom one day. I have had the privilege of observing excellent teachers and hope to one day be a teacher who makes an impact on my students! I remember my middle school language arts teachers and love how I can remember what books were read and activities were done! I want that for my students as well. My favorite memory from a middle school language arts teacher was Mrs. Flood and we had “book clubs” and “coffee houses”. Each week we would find a group who wanted to read the same books as we did, read them like a book club, discuss and answer questions and hold a “coffee house” type forum to present our information from our book clubs. Refreshments were served, lighting was low and it was extremely effective. It took us out of the white cinderblock walls of the classroom and put you in a peaceful and calming atmosphere for 50 minutes. It felt like a field trip every Friday and most of my classmates enjoyed it! I vividly remember how I used to feel and the disappointment I felt in 8^th grade when we did not do those anymore. I strive to be this kind of teacher who makes a difference in reading and writing and really engage my students in their education! I want them to take control of their own education and empower themselves with my guidance! I feel a blog can also empower my future students because it will be a safe and shared space among myself and their peers and I would like to incorporate this kind of technology into my classroom, given the resources. It helps students with their writing, gives them enough time to think about their responses and what they would like to say, and also can give those who are not as comfortable speaking up in class an opportunity to share their feelings as well. I would like to help my students become responsible digital citizens and show them their options with the internet but I will only make it available if they can treat it properly. I want to make sure my blog in the classroom will be respected and appreciated and they are the ones responsible for that.  The choice is ultimately up to them, but I hope to help them to make the right choice for them! I will continue my blog to keep up with my current status updates between my education, social life and trendsetting updates, and I hope you find some interesting, exciting, and helpful information! Please enjoy my blog and any helpful comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Digital Literacy 
Classroom Blogging