Jenna Allen
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wingingit.bsky.social
Jenna Allen
@wingingit.bsky.social
95 followers 150 following 97 posts
Wife, mom, teacher. Mostly stories from 4th grade, half-finished crafts, and bizarre conversations I have with my husband while he's asleep. I swear a lot. She/her.
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wingingit.bsky.social
Yesterday I had my students draw posters to represent the expectations we are recommitting to for the final 3 weeks of school. These kids KNOW me 😂
Child's drawing with three panels. The first panel takes up the top third of the page, and the second and third panels split the bottom two-thirds of the page vertically. The top panel says, "Be safe in class and don't sit in Mrs. Allen's spinny chair or ELSE." The second panel is labeled "wrong" and shows a turtle spinning on a stool, with me saying, "GET OFF," followed by a picture of the turtle having fallen off the stool and me saying "KARMA". The third panel is labeled "right" and shows me sitting in the stool. One speech bubble from my mouth says, "Son of a gun", and the other says, "Back off guys... I can't see. Where's my glasses?"
June 4, 2025 at 2:37 PM
wingingit.bsky.social
We start state testing next week, so I had the kids write some positive notes that I could put on their desks to lift their spirits while they're deep in it. I'm keeping this one forever because it looks like how I feel each morning this time of year. Deep breath in.... and.... scream. 😂 #iteach4th
Fourth grader's drawing labeled "Take deep breaths!" across the top. The rest of the note is split into two panels. The panel on the left is labeled "In". and shows a drawing of a brown-haired girl wearing a red shirt and smiling with her mouth closed. The panel on the right shows the same girl with her mouth in an "O" shape, and lines coming out to show breath.
May 9, 2025 at 12:13 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
These kids kill me. (Translations in alt text for those not skilled in reading 4th grade scrawl.)

#iteach4th
I would ask the neighbor's dog why he doesn't like (unspecified), and the neighborhood cat why she's always pregnant. I would do nothing. I'm not a hero. I'm a 10 year old. What did you expect me to do.
April 15, 2025 at 11:49 PM
wingingit.bsky.social
Things that are making me feel at peace in my classroom today:

The sun shining through the windows and...

1. The first fully fenestrated leaf from my monstera that I've grown from a single clipping.

2. The new shoots from my 3-year-old calla lily.

3. This gorgeous bloom from my peace lily.
April 14, 2025 at 7:32 PM
wingingit.bsky.social
Legend for Owl by MIYAstitch
3 over 2 on 25ct Lugana
started April 8, 2025
319 / 5924 stitches completed (5.4%)

I'm going to have to pick up the pace if I want this one done before school's out!

#weekendWIP #crossstitch
Close up view of pink embroidery hoop holding a cross-stitch project in progress.There is a blue magnetic fabric holder on the upper left holding a threaded needle, and a red magnetic fabric holder on the upper right. The fabric is a blend of grays that has a marbled or smoky effect. The completed stitches are creating the tip of an outstretched owl's wing in shades of light blue, with a line of darker blue on the left. Extreme close up view of a cross-stitch project in progress. The fabric is a blend of grays that has a marbled or smoky effect. The completed stitches are creating the tip of an outstretched owl's wing in shades of light blue, with a line of darker blue on the left.
April 14, 2025 at 3:57 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
My next project is ready to go! When I ordered this gorgeous Lugana, I thought it was 28ct, but it's 25ct which makes the design too big to fit in any of my Qsnaps. I don't like moving hoops mid-WIP, so (tl;dr) I'm trying out my first Nurge hoop when it arrives tomorrow morning. ♥️

#crossstitch
Cross-stitch fabric with swirls of dark gray on light gray, creating a marbling effect similar to a stormy sky.
April 7, 2025 at 11:21 PM
wingingit.bsky.social
I was sitting with a student as he tried to come up with a strategy to figure this one out. Another student sitting across from us glanced over at the paper and announced, "Oh yeah, I already solved that one! I made them take the stairs."

#ITeach4th #AlmostSpringBreak #NeverEnoughCoffee
A printed math problem states that a group of 137 students and 15 adults go to a museum. The students and adults have to take the elevator to the 6th floor. The elevator can hold a maximum of 12 people, and at least one adult must ride with each group of students on the elevator. Part A asks what is the fewest number of elevator trips it will take to get all of the students and adults to the 6th floor. Part B asks what is the fewest number of people in the final elevator trip. No student work is shown on the page.
April 2, 2025 at 12:03 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
She's done! What a labor of love this was, and I cannot wait to gift her at graduation. ♥️

Pattern:Ukrainian Soul by Nadezhda Nagornaya (via NonStopStitch on Etsy)

Inscription: freehanded - all errors are mine

Material: 28ct Lugana (2 over 2)

#crossstitch #slavaukraini #СлаваУкраїні
March 31, 2025 at 1:52 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
That was the only part directed at me - the rest is her filling me in her latest gymnastics adventures 😊
March 21, 2025 at 1:34 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
She's almost done!! All that's left is the French knots (which I've never done before, so... gotta learn how to do those this week 😂), and an inscription for the former student I'm making this for. I think this is my favorite piece I've ever done. 😍

#crossstitch
Cross stitch of young Ukrainian girl in left facing profile. She's wearing a traditional wreath, embroidered blouse, and dress. Her hair is braided, and a yellow and blue ribbon is weaved through the plait. She is holding a duckling, and the skirt of her dress shows a thatched-roof cottage in the middle of a garden, surrounded by forest and field.
March 17, 2025 at 4:22 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
Who needs therapy when you have a 9-year-old life coach?

#iteach4th
Writing prompt asking the student if there is anything they want their teacher to know. The student wrote, "Ms. Allen, you need to calm down someday."
March 16, 2025 at 9:08 PM
wingingit.bsky.social
Full stitches are complete! Some noticings:

1. Backstitching is magic.
2. I learned way too late in this process that pin stitch still works on evenweave - all my buried threads are making progress of this stage painfully slow.
3. I love colorful pieces way more than I thought I did.

#crossstitch
March 10, 2025 at 1:18 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
I'm so close to starting the backstitching that I can almost taste it! But school nights are challenging stitching nights because my brain is worn out, and I'm starting to make sloppy errors, so... I'm hoping to be on to the finishing touches by this weekend! ♥️

#crossstitch
Cross stitch work in progress showing a young Ukrainian girl in traditional wreath, blouse, apron, and skirt, facing left. Her long brown hair is braided, and there are blue and yellow ribbons woven through the plait. Her skirt has a picture of red flowers in front of a cottage surrounded by green trees. Her legs are still in the process of being stitched. She's holding a small duck in her hands.
March 6, 2025 at 6:13 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
Ukrainian Soul
Started: 2/8/2025
2009 / 2564 complete (78%, not including French knots or backstitching)

It was much slower going this week, with school starting back up after mid-Winter break, but I got some solid stitching time in this weekend! ♥️

#crossstitch #weekendWIP
March 3, 2025 at 4:35 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
Ukrainian Soul
Started: 2/8/2025
1596 / 2565 complete (62% without French knots or backstitching)

This skirt is going to kill me! Every color has both full Xs and half stitches, so I've had to be super strategic and obsessively counting. I'm excited to be so close, though!

#crossstitch #weekendWIP
February 24, 2025 at 5:18 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
I just had to frog 76 stitches, so I'm done stitching for tonight. I need to just lick my wounds awhile, the get back at it tomorrow.

#crossstitch
February 21, 2025 at 3:29 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
Ukrainian Soul
Started: 2/8/2025
690 / 2,565 complete (26.9%, doesn't include French knots or back-stitching)

#crossstitch #weekendWIP
February 17, 2025 at 4:57 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
A quote by Omar El Akkad appears on a red background, "One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this."
February 16, 2025 at 4:59 PM
wingingit.bsky.social
One of my amazing colleagues had her 5th graders make bookmarks for staff members or fellow students, and I was handed these by some former students this afternoon. My heart is SO full. 😍

#talesfrom4thgrade #iteach4th #whyiteach
February 12, 2025 at 1:59 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
February 10, 2025 at 6:35 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
The final design for this one is so intensely beautiful that I want it to be a surprise, unfolding as I stitch. ♥️

Ukrainian Soul
Started: 2/8/2025
138 / 2,564 complete (5.4%, doesn't include French knots or back-stitching)

#crossstitch
In-progress cross-stitch project with stitches in shades of red, yellow, green, and brown. Multiple parked threads stretch from bottom of completed areas. Stitched image is not identifiable.
February 9, 2025 at 6:30 AM
wingingit.bsky.social
When you have a super literal group of kids.

#talesfrom4thgrade #iteach4th
January 29, 2025 at 2:30 PM