MY BACKGROUND
Hello! Thank you so much for visiting my blog, Color with Kona!
My name is Julia and I am a fifth-grade teacher. I
previously worked as a graphic designer, but after six years, I found
that I needed to take a different path to feel more inspired. In the
back of my mind I knew there was another outlet for my creativity. It
did not take me long to realize that teaching was where I needed to be.
HOW I CAME UP WITH THE NAME Color With Kona
Originally, the name of my Teachers Pay Teachers store was ChalkTeachCreate, but I underwent a name change during the pandemic. My store was already filled with regular coloring pages and coloring bookmarks for most holidays, but once COVID19 hit, I started thinking about how I could make products that could help teachers during distance learning. This is when I started creating digital-coloring pages for Google Slides™. I quickly saw the popularity of this product and suddenly coloring pages were taking over my store and I decided to make the change. Also, the name Color With Kona is easier for customers to remember. At the time of my store name change, I had over 200 products and changed EVERY single one to my "new" name. This was so much work, but I'm glad I did it. I decided to make my Miniature Schnauzer, Kona, the face of my store because well...she's cute! Also her black and white coat is a nice contrast against my colorful products.
CREATIVITY IN THE CLASSROOM
I'm always looking for ways to get creative in the classroom. My students use the chalkboard tables daily for brainstorming, idea sharing, anchor tasks in math, etc. I will be explaining more about how I use these tables in future blog posts. Just check out the "Chalkboard Tables" topic on the homepage of my blog. Besides the tables, I love using technology and incorporating art into my lessons.
