M.I.A and Leibster Award!

I have been M.I.A. as of late because...well, it's Summer!  That, and I spent the last two weeks on a fabulous family vacation.  We spent time with family, played the days away in lakes, and loved every minute of it!  But with the end of my vacation comes the (almost) end of my Summer, as we return to school in two short weeks!  I stopped by my classroom yesterday for a few hours to get a head start on unpacking, and this is what I am up against:

 

 I like the new neutral wall color, as I previously had what I lovingly referred to as "1950's Hospital Green".  However, I was overwhelmed by all that I had to do...so I chose to do next-to nothing!  I'll post up later about my progress, stay tuned!

 

In the mean time, I've been nominated for the Leibster Award by Janet at Live, Love, Laugh, and Learn in Third Grade, Carrie and Caitlyn from Table Talk with C&C and Colleen at Tales from 3rd Grade! 

 

 



 

To accept the nomination, I have to do the following:

1.  Link back to the blogs that nominated me
2.  Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted by my nominators
4.  Share 11 random facts about myself
5.  Create 11 questions for my nominees
6.  Contact my nominees to let them know I nominated them

I am choosing to nominate the following blogs that I follow and love, but I have no clue if they have fewer than 200 followers:
Real Teachers Learn
Teachers are Terrific
Mrs. Stanford's Class
Third Grade is the Place to Be
Thirsty in Third
Trendy in Third

The questions I was given are below, and I copied and pasted some of my answers to the questions that were the same. 

 

Janet's questions:

Where do you teach?  I teach 3rd grade at an elementary school in southern New Mexico!
How long have you been teaching? This is my 5th year teaching.
If you could have any super power, what would it be?  Definitely teleportation!  I love to travel, but don't really like the trip getting there.  I'm usually too excited to enjoy the ride there, and am too anxious to get home on the way back...I'd rather just teleport!
What is your favorite weekend activity?  Spending time with my family.  And shopping. 
What is the funniest thing you caught a student saying?  Oh, man!  There are so many to pick from.  Off the top of my head, recently, regarding 'school shirt Friday', a student told me, "Is Friday the day where teachers get to dress-up like regular people?"
What are you reading this summer?  Lots of mindless magazines (Real Simple, Food Network), Beyond Good Teaching, and whatever pops up as free on my Nook!
If you were granted 3 wishes, what would you wish for?  World peace, good health for my family, friends, and I, and lots of money.
What is the most exotic place you've travelled to?  Probably Cozumel, Mexico.  It had white sand beaches, warm water, and all the fancy coconut drinks you could handle!
Do you have any pets? If so, how many and what are their names?  I have a black lab named Coco, who is the epitome of me in pet form.  I love her to pieces!
What is the best advice you ever received?  Greet your students with a smile everyday because it may be the only smile they see.   
What is your favorite thing about teaching?  The best thing about being a teacher is the impact you get to have on the students in your classroom!  I love that "ah-hah" moment for kids when the pieces finally fit together, and the look of pride on their little faces.  I also have frequent "ah-hah" moments, as they teach me something new each day!

Questions from Carrie and Caitlyn:
1. What is your favorite grade to teach and why?  3rd grade!  The kids still love school and their teacher, and the content is fun.

2. Tell us about your pet.  If you don't have one, what would you get and why?  I have a black lab named Coco, who is the epitome of me in pet form.  I love her to pieces!

3. What is your favorite blog (besides ours)?  I love Miss Math Dork and The Pioneer Woman Cooking Blog

4.  What is your favorite musicians and have you seen any of them live?  I love Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, and Jason Aldean.  I've only seen Jason Aldean live, but I've seen him twice!

5.   What is your favorite children's book?  My favorite children's book is "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" by Judy Blume.  It's silly and relatable.  I read this book each year to my class, and without fail, it manages to hook in reluctant readers who then seek out and read the other Fudge books. 

6.  What is something new you've tried in your classroom that worked really well?  I recently introduced a super-simple 'come together' attention getting signal that can be used by both teacher and students.  When you are ready to come together, simply raise your hand.  Students know (because we practiced lots!) that this means finish your thought and raise your hand, also.  As more hands go up, the conversations die down, and soon, it is quiet!  Works like a charm.

7.  Where would you go on your dream vacation?  Somewhere tropical.  Warm weather, white beaches, good food, and family. 

8.  If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?  Definitely teleportation!  I love to travel, but don't really like the trip getting there.  I'm usually too excited to enjoy the ride there, and am too anxious to get home on the way back...I'd rather just teleport!

9.  If you could create your "dream" school, what would it be like?  Money would be no object, and it would be a true 'community' school with resources for families, like pre and post school care, skills training for adults seeking work, and English Language and GED courses for parents.  It would be large, bright, with lots of storage, outdoor learning labs,  HUGE classrooms, class sets of iPads, and happy, dedicated teachers.

10.  What are your favorite movies?  I'm a cheesy romantic comedy fan, so "Sweet Home Alabama" is my favorite.

11.  What do you like to do in your spare time for fun?  I love to spend time with my family and friends.  I also enjoy cooking and yoga.  

And last but not least, here are my answers to Colleen's questions:

1.  What is the best thing about being a teacher?  The best thing about being a teacher is the impact you get to have on the students in your classroom!  I love that "ah-hah" moment for kids when the pieces finally fit together, and the look of pride on their little faces.  I also have frequent "ah-hah" moments, as they teach me something new each day! 
2. If you could choose to any two consecutive months as "summer" break, which months would you choose?  I'd stick with June and July, as those are the two hottest months where we live.  Recess is no fun when you spend more time sweating than playing, and we all know how pleasant a classroom can smell with 25 sweaty 3rd graders in it!
3. What is your favorite vacation spot?  Based on my most recent experience, my favorite vacation spot is Michigan in the summertime.  My family is there, the lakes are amazing, and the weather is much better than ours here in New Mexico.  It feels like home :-)
4. What is your favorite beverage?  Iced coffee, sweetened with a little bit of cream!  Yum!
5. What was the last song you listened to?  Justin Timberlake, "Mirrors"
6. What is your favorite tv show?  "Property Brothers" on HGTV
7. Mac or PC? PC
8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?  I'd love to live in a big city like New York or London, but I think the appeal would wear off quickly.
9. What is your favorite meal to eat?  Carne asada tacos with lots of cilantro, lime, and guacamole.
10. What is your favorite grade to teach? 3rd grade!  The kids still love school and their teacher, and the content is fun.
11. What are you reading this summer?  Lots of mindless magazines (Real Simple, Food Network), Beyond Good Teaching, and whatever pops up as free on my Nook!

11 Random Facts about me:
-I love to cook but HATE cleaning up.
-My husband and I have birthdays that are one day apart.
-If I wasn't a teacher, I would be a chef.
-I HATE scary movies.
-Math is my favorite subject to teach, and because of this, I try and integrate all other subjects into math.
-I only found out about Teachers Pay Teachers last Summer.  You wouldn't know that based on the amount of money I have spent there, though!
-I really like tattoos.  If I wasn't a teacher (and wasn't so indecisive), I'd have tons!
-Mexican food is my favorite, and I can make some mean fajitas.
-My vacations usually center around the new and delicious food I can find there.  I'm noticing that many of my facts revolve around food...not surprising!
-I have been known to cry at sappy commercials. 
-Colored Sharpies and baskets are my FAVORITE classroom supply.

Questions for my nominees:
1.  Why did you decide to become a teacher?
2.  What is your favorite subject to teach, and why?
3.  What is your favorite classroom tool or supply?
4.  What item could you not teach without?
5.  What is your favorite read-aloud?
6.  Do you have a theme for your classroom?  If so, what is it? 
7.  What is your favorite meal?
8.  What piece of advice would you offer to a first year teacher?
9.  When do you start back to school?
10.  How long does it take you to set up your classroom each year?
11.  Did you (or will you) take a summer vacation?  Where did you go?

I can't wait to read the responses from my nominees!  Happy blogging!