Race Into Success

Hello All :) Hope you've had a great week! It's been crazy busy so I'm very excited the weekend is finally here! I wanted to share with you all an assignment I had to do for my management class. We had to conduct a mock first day of school presentation. We had to have five classmates act as our "students". I chose to do first grade and I had so much fun with it! We had to have an overall theme, so I chose to do cars/racing (hence the title, "Race Into Success". Children are fascinated with just about anything at this age but cars/trucks are usually a hot topic, so I figured I'd go with that! So here it is...

We had to decorate outside of the classroom door to make the students feel welcome. I actually forgot to take a picture of the end result of my decorated door, but here's part of it.  This poster hung on the middle of the door.  There were cut out letters taped to the door that read, "Race Into Success".  I asked my five students (my classmates) to give me their first grade picture (if they could find it) so I could hang it on the poster.   Two of them found theirs, and boy were they cute!

Here is the students Hot/Cold Attendance Chart.  This allowed me to see if students were eating in the cafeteria (Hot) or if they brought their lunch (Cold).  At the same time, it also let me know if any students were absent.  At the bottom of the poster is a car, with each students name on it.  Each morning, they are to make a "Pit Stop" at this chart to move the car on the correct road which specifies which lunch they are having that day.  The cars (students) that didn't get moved up onto a road, are absent.  This is killing two birds with one stone! TIME is something teachers don't have enough of, so this is a great way to knock these two morning procedures out together!

"Peacemakers or Peacebreakers?" Here was something I introduced to the students that really targeted behavior and how I expected them to act in order to "Stay On Track." I didn't want to come straight in and tell them "Don't do this, don't do that." So, I figured this was a great way to get the main rules introduced to them in a positive way.  Some of the pieces to this were glued, but others were velcroed. I left the velcroed pieces off and stuck them in each child's grab bag (you'll see below).  I told them that Ms. Morgan had a little trouble putting them on the correct side, so I needed their help! Each student grabbed the pieces out of their bag and stuck them on the correct side! Peacemakers (good behavior) and Peacebreakers (Bad behavior).  Thanks to www.teacherspayteachers.com for this awesome idea!

Here is the grab bags (before they were filled.)  Each students name is across the front of the bag.  Inside is the peacemaker/peacebreaker pieces, pencils, erasers, bracelets in the shape of a car, and a personalized note from Ms.Morgan welcoming them into the first grade, I had so much fun making these!

AND here is.... a big jumbo mess! Haha! We had to do an "About me", so the students could learn about their brand new teacher!  I asked the students to tell me what makes a car go around.  They told me "tires". I then pulled out my tire and told them, "Now,  I'm going to tell you what makes Ms.Morgan's world go around!" So cheesy, but so fun! I push pinned each little item to the tire. The sunglassses represented warm weather and the beach, concert ticket stub representing my love for country music and concerts (my best friend, Casey and I are complete concert junkies), zumba key chain for my love for staying fit, MLB Club Card and baseball bracelet (Go Braves!), and my coffee card (my lifeline).  There were a few more things pinned on the tire as well, but I won't bore you!

  The tire is actually a dog toy! Not only did it represent what makes my world go around, but also my love for my two chiwuawas (Roxy and Chance) :)

And that was my project! Even though I had a ton of fun putting all of this together, I'm glad to have the assignment behind me! Four more days of classes and I'm counting down the hours! Thanks for reading and have a great weekend everyone!

Morgan Blair :)

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Do you agree?

Hello bloggers, viewers, and friends! Hope you've had a great Sunday/Mother's Day. I sure have, and I believe I owe it all to this morning's sermon.  It was so wonderful, I have to share! Our message today was about "Finding Time". Not finding time to be with your mother, your friends, to go shopping, etc., but finding time for Jesus. In today's society, everything moves so fast.  We get up, rush to work, and then do whatever we can to get at least half of our To-Do list finished.  For me, I wake up and head to school for 8 hours, go to work, then come home just to do more school work. Stressed doesn't even begin to explain how I feel each day. Yes, I talk to the Father. But, enough? Absolutely not.

Our preacher wasn't in town today, so someone filled in. She has a heart for Jesus and is a great spiritual role model for anyone who knows her.  With having that said, she completely wowed me today with her words.  She stressed that speaking to God every morning can indeed set the mood to your day.  As soon as your feet hit the floor in the mornings, your knees should too. Make your bed the altar, and yourself the sacrifice.  Ask God to use you to the best of your ability, to be a light, and to be a blessing to someone you cross paths with that day.

It really is so important to take time to be holy. One cannot over estimate the importance of finding time in our "busy schedules"to be with the Lord alone- through prayer and the reading of his word. After all, we are his children and we should put ALL of our trust in him.  That leads into another suggestion Syd had for us...Making friends of God's children. Spend time with like-minding people to fellowship with one another. She spoke about her grandfather who worked on the farm. He barely made it in to town but once a week. When he passed another person he never needed to use his rein on his horses because they just knew to stop.  He would stop and talk to every single person who passed him.  Whether it was checking to see how their day was, talking about their family, how the sky was blue or how the grass was green, etc. Catch my drift?  No matter what, he made time.  He made time to fellowship with friends, and even strangers.  Today, we are making sure we make time to update our Facebook, twitter, blogs, iPhones, etc.  So many "tools" and so little Jesus.

We must not be so busy that we forget to talk to the man upstairs.  We must not be so busy that we forget to fellowship and help others when there is an opportunity. There are so many benefits of being holy. We will be blessed with inner happiness and peace. Most of all, we will have renewed strength with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

On top of the great sermon, we sang one of my favorite choruses today, "Breathe"

"This is the air I breathe.  This is the air I breathe.
 Your Holy presence, living in me.  This is my daily bread.
  This is my daily bread.  Your very word, spoken to me.  And I,
  I'm, I'm desprate for you.  And I, I'm lost without you.  And I, I'm
  I'm lost without you.  This is the air I breathe. This is the air I breathe."

Something about this song calms my heart.  One last thing about today's sermon melted my heart and it was the "Children's Time".  Before the children go to children's church, they go forward and have children time with the preacher.  Today's lesson was on giving and receiving.  She asked the kids how much they liked m&m's. Of course they all replied with, "Yeahhhhhhh!" "This much!" "I loveeeeeeee them!".  So, she gave them each a mini bag of m&ms, but told them not to open them.  Once each child had a bag, she said "Okay, now I want you to go find someone in this room that you love and give them your bag of candy."  Of course, they all shouted out "Awwwwwwwww man".  But, each child ran off giggling and smiling, giving their candy to their loved ones.  Then, right back up there they went.  She said to them, it is more of a blessing to give than to receive. This is hard for a child to understand. Being a child, and having to give your candy away? Shoot, that's tough! She said to them "you receive an inner blessing by giving, and since you all were so nice to give yours away, I'm giving you all each a BIG bag of m&ms!" How cool is that? I guarantee each child walked away with a new outlook on giving.

Be a blessing to someone this week & find time to talk to our Father, for he is the soul reason we are here. Have a great week!


P.s......A special shout out to my beautiful mother, Sidney! What in the world I would do without her- I have no clue! Happy Mother's Day, you gorgeous thang! ;)


Morgan Blair

Summer Classes Begin!

As many college students are going home for summer/vacationing/not doing anything school related- I will be in a classroom for not one class, but two! Today was the start of intersession classes, and as nerdy as this sounds- I was actually quite anxious to start. My first class is my early childhood class, which I already love. Along with this course is a 15 hour clinical! Clinicals are my thing. I would much rather be out in the field with the students than sitting in a classroom full of lectures. I mean, don't we learn so much more from observing and actually working WITH the kids, rather than learning about kids in a textbook? Anywho, I'm excited to see where this course leads!

My second class is classroom management. We got out early on the first day, so that put a pretty big smile on my face! There is a couple assignments that I'm eager to do.  We have a "First Day of School" presentation, that I think is going to be just fabulous! I already have my idea and am still doing some brainstorming so I will post more on that (with pictures) once it gets closer! The main thing I want to share is something that happened at the beginning of this class.  Of course, our professor wants to get to know us so when she called our name, we were to share something special and unique about ourselves. It came to this one girl who decided to share with us how she was in a gospel band with her family.  Our professor said, "Would you sing for us? How about Amazing Grace?"  This girl belches out one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. First of all, the lyrics and melody to Amazing Grace ALWAYS shoots right to my heart. But this girl, WOW! I immediately got chills and couldn't help but tear up.  How brave was she? A college class full of twenty students you don't personally know, a professor you don't know, and a room of silence?  What a blessing she was to our class. This was a complete pick-me-up. I mean, how could I not go about my day feeling blessed?

I now need to get back to these assignments that are already beginning to make my brain go a million miles a minute! Happy Monday!

Morgan Blair 

Hola!

Since this is my first blog, I think it's appropriate to introduce myself! My name is Morgan and I'm a 22 year old college student at Marshall University.  Exactly one year from now I will be a.....TEACHER! It seems so far away but I know time will fly (or hoping it does, at least). Children are just my thing.  There's a kind of happiness they bring me that nothing else can. Maybe it's their ability to not have a care in the world?  Maybe it's their overflowing love for life that shines right through them? Or, it could just be their absolutely adorable little faces that I can't help but smile at? Yeah, that's what it is. It would be ideal for me to teach 1st or 2nd grade, but of course I will take anything that comes my way! Little kids are so eager to learn so I know I will be blessed wherever I end up.

Of course, there is more to me than my passion to teach. I'm probably the most family oriented girl (or person, for that matter) that you will ever meet. I have a 25 year old sister who just recently moved to Nashville, TN. I miss her every single day but this has always been a childhood dream of hers. So, yeeehaw to that!  And here she is...the beautiful April Richelle!

My mother and father are nothing short of amazing. They've always given me an overflowing amount of love and support ever since I was a little girl. I'm honored to be their daughter. The family doesn't stop there though. I have huge families on both my mother and fathers side. I have 5 aunts and uncles and 7 cousins on my mother's side. On my father's side I have my mamaw, 2 aunts and 8 cousins. Never a dull moment!

My wonderful parents. How cute are they?

The Moore Family Vacay to Key West!

And here is all of the ladies on my Dad's side. Girl Power! ;)

Me, my sis, mom and dad in Nashville after running the trails. Beautiful!

  

Alright I'm done with the pics...for now!

This next person deserves far more recognition that I could ever give, Mamaw Bertie. Mamaw Bertie was my mothers mom and the person who made our family complete.  Anyone who crossed paths with her can vouch for me that she is God's sweetest angel. Growing up, I don't think there was ever a Sunday that she didn't cook! Our Sunday consisted of: Waking up, heading to church, then off to Mamaw Berties we went. All of us grand kids, uncles, and aunts piled into one kitchen.  What I would do to have just one more Sunday dinner at mamaws house.  Nine years ago, cancer took her away from us and nine years ago, heaven gained the most perfect angel.

On top of that big ole fam of mine, I have some absolutely beautiful friends that I couldn't imagine living a day without. I thank the Lord for blessing me with friends that make me want to be a better person every day of my life. Our goals, expectations and morals all match up with each other- which is truly hard to come by these days!


School, my family, and my friends keep me a very busy gal! I love to work out,  go to concerts, shop, and bake some balllllllin cupcakes whenever there's a break in my schedule.

As you can tell, the good man upstairs has truly treated me right. I thank God every day for providing me with more than I deserve. Blessed is the word.

-Morgan Blair