Advance: Formerly just a category students were put into based on English-as-a-second-language assessment scores; now it is the name of a new teacher evaluation system we are all still trying to figure out.

Budget: Hopefully in my second year of teaching I won’t have to spend quite as much of my own money on classroom supplies as in my first.

“Charlotte’s Web”: The first text my 2nd-graders read in our ELA curriculum.

Danielson: Familiarize yourself with this teaching framework and you will be amazed at how you grow in your instructional practice.

Engagement: No matter how interesting and awesome a lesson is, there’s always one student who sits in the corner and reads a book.

Family: The relationship I have with my students. We stick together like Krazy Glue!

Gobbela: What we named our paper turkey, who was eventually replaced by a stuffed turkey acting as our class mascot. Fortunately, by “stuffed,” I mean with cotton.

High expectations: Because sometimes all it takes for students to succeed is a seed of belief planted by someone they believe in.

Inspiration: Learn to grow, grow to teach, teach to learn.

Just kidding: Something I learned I can no longer say to my students — because after a while they won’t take me seriously. I’m not kidding.

Kaleidoscope: Looking at my students is like looking into a kaleidoscope. I see so many bright possibilities. We as teachers have the ability to adjust our perspectives to create high expectations for all students.

Laughter: Giggles, chuckles, snorting and bellyaches.

Mathematics: What’s odd plus even? Even odder. Math has become more than numbers. It includes word problems or riddles that calculators cannot solve.

Normality: Each student shows me unique and extraordinary possibilities, and this has become the norm.

Oops: Failure drives our success.

Princess: I have one student who frequently forgets to write her name on her test papers and assignments. However, her illustrations always include the same princess on a unicorn with a rainbow background. While other students print their names, she has her own signature!

Quiz: What used to be called quizzes are now called assessments. If you tell students they are having a quiz, you’ll just see a quizzical look on their faces.

Rainbows: See princess description above.

Sarcasm: Sarcasm confuses the students who are told their parents are going to be so happy to hear that they are misbehaving at lunch that day. I will just say what I mean and mean what I say from now on.

Tattle: Yes, because your partner spilling a drop of water on her desk will somehow have an astronomical effect on your learning.

Unicorn: See princess description above.

Vow: Because children have pretty darn good memories, keep those promises. Once a promise is broken, good luck!

Why: Curiosity sparks discussion. Get ready. Kids can say the darnedest things!

Xerox: Another paper jam?

Yo-yo: Days are filled with ups and downs … ah, and the worst is when the tricks are performed!

Zeal: If you still have this on day 180, then congratulations; you have survived your first year of teaching.