New Years resolutions

I started my teaching blog this year in the midst of getting all my paperwork in order to move to South Korea and teach.  With all the preparations (there is A LOT), my teaching blog got a bit neglected.  I also have a personal blog about teaching in Korea where I share my pictures, stories, and experiences.  I've been trying to get my teaching blog up and going, but I feel like I don't know what I'm doing.  Does anyone read my blog except for my tried and true 4 followers?  How do I get followers?  How do I do giveaways?  Thank goodness I finally figured out how to link up with other blogs.  I suppose it just takes time to learn everything.  Any of you blogging buddies have any tips for me?

With all of that, I am linking up with Diane at Fifth in the Middle for her New Year's Blogger Resolution Linky.  I LOVE this idea and just HAD to join!

Here are my blogging resolutions:

• Figure out what in the world I'm doing - I read all these wonderful teaching blogs, and everyone else seems to have it all together on their blog.  They share stories, show how they are using their TPT products, give great ideas, do giveaways, link up with other bloggers, etc.  I aspire to be like them.  I wanna be a "good teacher blogger" when I grow up.  LOL!

• Get my new blog design up and going - I am SO excited to be working with Barbara at Ruby Slippers Blog Design to get my new blog up and going.  I am actually even switching my blog url, title, and everything. 

• Blog 2-3 times a week - It's different teaching English in South Korea than it would be if I were teaching back in Texas.  Hopefully I can at least get my blog up and going by the time I am teaching back in Texas in August...saying a prayer for that one.

• Make blogging friends - I really want to make some blogging friends.  Applications currently being accepted! :)

• Get more followers - I have NO idea how to do this.  Any tips?  Suggestions?  Advice?  On my new blog, I will have a "Blog Lovin'" button, but other than that, I just don't know.

• Have more freebies and giveaways - I don't know how to include freebies on my blog and how to do a giveaway.  Help!

I do have a funny story to share with you today.  For winter camp, I have two elementary classes that I work with.  One class is made up of visually impaired 5th and 6th graders.  The other class is made up of blind 3rd and 4th graders.  This particular class makes me laugh.  We have been singing "BINGO" with the students, since it's a great repetitive song.  One student simply cannot say B-I-N-G-O and continually says B-I-M-G-O even though we correct him.  It's so cute, and it makes myself and the other teacher giggle every single time.

Linky party!

I have been finding quite a few new blogs to follow, and I am officially hooked.  I just got started in the blogging world and can't wait to "meet" fellow bloggers, so I am linking up with Simply Kinder for her Teaching Blog Round Up.

This week and next week is Winter Camp at my school.  During winter vacation, schools usually provide a winter camp for students to come and have fun at school.  Families with money send their children to hagwons every day after school sometimes until 10:30pm-11:30pm.  Crazy, isn't it?  Then during winter vacation, these families send their children to the hagwons.  In Korea, it's all about the education...or actually how well you do on your final exam to get into college.  I heard today that 86% of students pass this test, so it's now all about performing a perfect score or as close to it as possible to get into the good colleges.  To give more students a fair chance, schools started offering winter camps, summer camps, and after school classes, especially for those students who can't afford to go to hagwons.  If you want to learn more about hagwons, you can read about them HERE.

I will be posting some pictures of our Winter Camp very soon.

I know our education system in America has its flaws, but I'm glad our students don't have to go to school until 10:30pm.  I have a teacher friend who has high school students that don't get home until close to midnight.  No high school football, no high school band, no drill team, no soccer team, no nothing.  So.  Much.  Pressure.  Many students are so tired in their classes that they fall asleep.  My friends say that it is often the case that out of 36 students, only 4 of them are awake.  The students at my school don't have all these extra classes because they are blind or visually impaired.


Go check out my TPT Store.  To celebrate the New Year, everything in my store is 20% off!  Woo-hoo!  Go HERE to check out all my products.

Speaking of the New Year, I am wondering what 2014 will bring.  2013 brought some exciting changes in my life that I would have never foreseen.  The big one being moving to South Korea.  I still can't believe that I'm here.  But I am quickly reminded when I walk to school or walk to the subway in the cold weather.  Last Saturday, it was 19 degrees F when I started walking to the subway and got up to 24 degrees.  You might think that's nothing (especially if you live up north), but for this Texan, that's cold....especially when you don't have a car and have to walk everywhere.  You have to wear thermals under your jeans and your sweater/sweatshirt, a down coat, scarf, and gloves.  Here I am all decked out in my winter gear..and yes, my nose is cold.  It never fails...my nose always runs when I walk out in the cold.  What do you hope 2014 will bring you?

Happy New Year!