Honored Again with a Liebster Award

It wasn’t long ago that I was nominated for my first Liebster Award, so I was surprised to be nominated again by Kelly at Sliding into Second. I love reading the answers of all the teachers nominated for a Liebster Award because I feel like I get to know each of them a little better.  I hope you will visit the bloggers who I nominated and become their newest followers.

The "Rules" to Accept the Award:

• Link back to the blog that nominated me

• Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers 

• Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator 

• Share 11 random facts about yourself 

• Create 11 questions for your nominees 

• Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them

Kelly’s Questions:

1. If you could teach ANY grade level (Pre-K - college) besides the one you teach now, which grade would it be? I did my second semester of student teaching in kindergarten, and I absolutely loved it.  I have enjoyed teaching 3^rd and 4^th grade, but I would love an opportunity to go back to teaching kindergarten one day. 

2. What's your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long work day? The most effective way for me to unwind at the end of a long day is go to the gym for a spinning class and then come home and take a hot bath.  Although watching some terrible reality television does the trick some times too. 

3. If you could retreat anywhere for a weekend where would you go? I would go to Hawaii for a weekend retreat.  My fiancé and I met in Hawaii, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. 

4. If you could spend $1,000 at any 1 store, what store would it be and what would you buy? I would love a brand new work wardrobe from Banana Republic.  Their clothes definitely fit me the best, but I don’t have many items since they are so pricey.

5. What's your favorite season? As much as I love having summer off, my favorite season is fall.  I am in love with everything pumpkin or apple.  Fall clothing is also my favorite…thankfully I get to wear fall clothes almost all year here in the Bay Area. 

6. What's your guilty pleasure(s)? I am a sucker for teenage drama television shows on ABC Family and the CW.  I have at least a couple on the DVR for when I just need to unwind.  They are also great background noise when I’m correcting papers. 

7. What organizational advice do you have for veteran/new teachers? Start by making a yearly plan to ensure that you will have time to cover everything that needs to be covered.  Then you can go into the specifics of what to teach each week.  Having a yearly plan really helps me stay on track.

8. What is the most recent Pin (or idea if you're not on Pinterest) for your classroom are you most excited about doing/trying? I am excited to try using behavior/brag beads in my classroom this year. Last year, I really tried to limit buying prizes for my students and went to coupons for privileges in the classroom.  I love the idea of the beads because it is a tangible reminder to the students of what they did well.

9. Which childhood book was your favorite growing up? The very first book I read by myself cover to cover was Go, Dog, Go, so that always was a special book to me.  As I got older, the most memorable book I read in elementary school was The Giver.

10. What is your teaching goal this school year? My goal is to stay organized throughout the school year.  I am great at getting everything organized in the summer, but then stuff starts to pile and my organization goes out the window. 

11. What is your greatest teaching accomplishment? My greatest teaching accomplishment is watching the pride in my students’ faces when they finally learn something that has been a struggle from them.  With third graders, I see this most often when multiplication finally clicks for them.  I love those light bulb moments!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I have moved 18 times in my life (all but one move was within the state of California).

2. I currently have two dogs as pets, but have had cats, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, and turtles.

My two pups, Stella and Guinness, at the lake near our house

3. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was 27, but now I can’t go a day without it.

4. Water is my drink of choice. Other than water, I only drink coffee and iced tea.

5. Sushi is my favorite food and I would eat it every day if possible.

6. In high school, I thought about going to culinary school instead of college. 

7. I could live on bread, but sadly developed a gluten sensitivity in my 20s.

8. I love watching football.

9. I even play fantasy football with my fiancé and his friends.

10. I would be lost without the navigation in my car.

11. While driving, I love to sing along to the radio…especially country songs

Blogs That I'm Nominating:

Jessica at Ruminations of a FirstGrade Teacher 

Crystal from Second Grade Zing! 

Miss Muir at Sprinkles for theTeacher 

Brianne from Hooo-Ray for Teaching 

Ali from Teaching (Powered byCaffeine) 

My Questions:

1. What song describes your personality?

2. What is one item in your classroom that you could not live without?

3. How did you end up teaching at the school you are at?

4. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

5. What is your favorite hobby outside of school?

6. What is your favorite unit/concept to teach?

7. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

8. What is your favorite thing about having summers off?

9. How do you spend your weekends during the school year?

10. How do you unwind after a long day of school?

11. If you could time travel, what era/time period would you go to?