5 for Friday & 5 Places

Happy Five for Friday!

I'm switching it up this Friday for Doodle Bugs Teaching linky:

 I thought I would also tag along with Lifestyle Sistas 

for "5 Places I Want to See..."

It may be a little off topic, but the subject of teaching still makes a sneaky appearance!

This is actually a tough post to write because I've been lucky enough to have visited so many wonderful places and I interpret this linky as places I haven't seen yet. 

Places 1-4 are random choices, but

 #5 holds a special place in my heart :)

1. Belgium. As in Belgium Chocolates. I love chocolate, but don't have cravings for it. I'm sure a trip to Brussels may change that!

2. London. I actually don't want to visit London, I want to LIVE there. I love history and would literally spend my days on a park bench people-watching (while drinking tea).

3. Atlanta. It would be a DREAM to spend the day at Ron Clark Academy. You can register for professional development...maybe I could write a Donor's Choose for it!

4. Harlem. I teach inner city and feel very called to do so. If I could, I would take a sabbatical and go live and volunteer at a school in Harlem. I'm fascinated with what the charter schools are doing there and would love to experience it first-hand. 

5. Riga, Latvia

My father was born in Latvia and came to the United States as a child. Growing up, I experienced Latvian culture, tried to pick up the language, and heard nostalgic stories from my grandparents. I've always wanted to visit and connect with my heritage. The history is so rich, plus the beaches look pristine! 

Where would you want to visit? I'd love to add to my list!

And because it's Friday...
I'm linking up to share a freebie I'm excited about!

At my school, we have TDL's (Teacher Development Leaders). There's about 10 teachers who receive training on instructional coaching and then work with 1-3 teachers throughout the school year. It's similar to mentoring, except everyone has one - regardless of role or experience. The TDL's do weekly check-in meetings and drop-by observations. I'm honored to be a TDL this year. The training is top-notch and pushes me to
1) hopefully be an effective mentor teacher, and
2) be a better teacher for my own students.

This year, I have the privilege of working with one of the kindest and most thoughtful special educators. The really awesome thing (and I'm sure the administration planned this)? This teacher works with my caseload from last year! The caseload I ADORED.
Every question and topic we've discussed has been centered on launching these new second graders on the path to success. I've been so impressed with what this teacher has already done in only one month!

This past week, she asked about the different reading intervention programs we have access to and how to maximize small group reading time (did I mention how awesome she is?). It's no secret how much I love using Leveled Literacy Instruction and she seems to agree (yay!). She will be using the weekly lessons and looking for opportunities to insert even more phonemic awareness/phonics skills based on the text.

I made this little cheat-sheet for reference:

What do you think? Am I missing anything?
Please let me know and I can add it to the list.
Right now, this list is available for free by clicking here.

I'm linking up this freebie with a few of my faves:

The Daily Alphabet

Freebie Friday

Enjoy your weekend!