What is the Liebster Award?
The Liebster Award is an internet based award that is given to bloggers... by other bloggers! How cool is that?? To qualify for the Liebster Award, a blog must have less than 200 followers and to accept it I must nominate other bloggers and answer some interview style questions here in this post! For more information, check out this website and if you'd like to nominate someone for the Liebster Award, all the pertinent details are listed there.
So now that we know what this is all about... let's get this party started! Here are my interview Q&A's from Susan!
1. How long have you been blogging?
This blog has been active since January 1st of this year. It was kind of a New Year's resolution of sorts for me. I had a blog a few years ago because I just like writing and talking and meeting people. Unfortunately I never found the right niche for that blog and it has since died out. I also became very busy with school, but I made the decision to go for it again and have been loving it ever since! I would say, collectively between this blog and my last flop, I have been blogging about a year. This blog however is only 4 months old.
2. What made you decide to start a teaching blog?
Other than the fact that I missed the general act of blogging, I decided to start a teaching blog because that is my major in school and my passion. I am a senior at the University of Central Florida finishing my BS in Elementary Education. Part of the requirements of graduating is making my own resources and lesson plans, implementing them in my internship classroom, and always always always reflecting and growing. This is not headline news for teachers... this is life! What better way to reflect than to blog about it and gain insight and feedback from those more experienced than I? What better way to grow than to make new friends across the world who have the same passion as mine? The only problem I have with my teacher blog is why it took me so long to get it started!
3. If you could teach any subject all day long, what would it be?
Oh golly, Social Studies. I LOVE IT. It is so interesting to me and there are so many possibilities with my lessons! Right now we are doing a unit on maps in my Kindergarten classroom and I am loving every minute of it! I love how natural it is to integrate other subjects into it (or it into other subjects). I could go on all day!
4. What is the one country you would like to visit?
If you had asked me this question just a year ago, I would have said Italy, hands down. But for some reason lately, I have been incredibly intrigued with Australia! My grandparents went there when I was a child and they said throughout all of their travels, Australia was their favorite. One of my husband's closest friends is from Australia and this year, I have a student who's family is from Australia! Australia is all around me! It MUST be a sign!
5. What is your favorite children's literature book to read aloud?
How is this question possible to answer?? Oh goodness... I love read alouds and try to do several every day. I adore anything Dr. Seuss because the kids are just mesmerized by it and I am the type of person who finds pleasure in speaking in rhymes. I also LOVE Pete the Cat. I work at a community theater in the Education Department and every year they hire actors/instructors to do a Literacy Tour across the county. I was hired last year to do the Pete the Cat Literacy Tour and this was the first time I encountered Pete the Cat and his groovy ways. I instantly fell in love because it was the perfect book series to be "performed" by a theater professional in front of hundreds of kids at a time. I just love how the books get the kids hooked. I know this answer is getting awfully long, but I also recently discovered the book The Love Monster and read it aloud for Valentine's Day. It is so fun to read aloud (from the teacher's perspective) and the kids loved it... so I would say that is one of my newer favorites as well........ Okay. I'll stop now.
6. What is the one habit you have that drives you crazy at times?
I desperately want to be the most organized person of all time. I am very organized to some degree. My school things are organized. I meticulously write notes and important messages/tasks in my planners and notebooks. My lessons are mega neat and tidy. But by golly, if my house isn't a total train wreck, it means I'm not home. I hate how messy I am at home and as much as I try, I can't keep it tidy for more than 24 hours. I have truly tried. The worst part is that my husband is very tidy and I know it bothers him, too, so... it will be something I work on probably for the rest of eternity.
7. How long have you been teaching? Do you imagine retiring as a teacher?
This is an interesting question, of which I will give an interesting answer to! I am currently not a teacher. Ha! As mentioned before, I am a college student in my FINAL semester of my FINAL year of my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. I am interning currently in a Kindergarten classroom and I have worked extensively in a 4th grade classroom as well. Although I am not a full time general classroom teacher at the moment, I have been an instructor of the arts for about 10 years. Since I was a child, theater has been a passion of mine and I originally majored in theater for my career for 3 years before I decided that I was not meant to be directed. I love acting, singing, and dancing, but it is not a career for me whatsoever. Through my early years in college I taught at various dance studios in central Florida and Northeast Florida as well as modeling agencies and community theaters. What started out as a way to help pay the bills, wound up helping me discover my true calling. I adored teaching the children. I do see myself retiring as a teacher. This is the first time I've felt that I've found the right career for me, after trying my hand as an actor as well as a long 4 years in retail and computer repair.
8.What do you think of the Common Core Standards?
I have never taught anything else. I am coming into the field fresh and through college, Common Core is what I've been studying and applying. I like them! I am comfortable with them and understand them. I think the hardest part of Common Core is making such a huge national change. Change is hard. And change that large is even harder.
9. What is one supply in your class you just can't get enough of?
Oh Crayola markers and I are BFFs. I just LOVE opening a new box of markers and going to town on a new anchor chart. And I love it when I say, "Yes, class you CAN use markers on this project!" and hearing the inevitable, "You're the BEST teacher EVER!" Sigh.
10. If you could write a children's book, what would it be about?
I would write about puppies. Overdone, I know, but boy am I a sucker for some cute little puppies. I have two dogs (story HERE) that are my fur babies! They are my children! They are so important to me and Daisy Designs is actually named after one of them! (My name is actually Amanda :D)
11. What is your favorite store or website to shop for school related items?
Teachers Pay Teachers of course! I love the fact that my money is going to the pockets of other teachers. I am a seller on TpT as well and love that I just revolve the money I earn back to those who really deserve it for all the awesome work they do. And, I mean, you can find anything on there! Anything you need!
Random facts time!
1. I consider myself a Florida native, but I moved here when I was 6 years old. I am originally from Las Vegas, NV!
2. I have been married for a whopping 8 months! Wooo!
3. I eat an unnatural amount of Taco Bell. And my husband is worse.
4. My husband is a YouTuber who talks about video games and leadership skills. He has more Twitter followers than me...
5. I want to love the gym. But sometimes, our relationship is rocky.
6. I tap dance. And I'm good at it. Even in my 20's.
7. I worked in computer repair for a few years. Not my jam... but good to know that I'm good at it!
8. I have two brothers. One brother is 10 years older than me. One brother is 10 months younger than me. They're awesome.
9. I have never seen snow.
10. I was in a movie twice which was on my bucket list! I was an extra in the pretty ridiculous Final Destination series (don't bother watching it...) and a film called Catch of a Lifetime which is going to be featured at a film festival (tomorrow as a matter of fact...). I had 12 lines and straight red hair. Good times.
11. In the year 2012, I challenged myself to read 52 books in a year. I got to 48 because Game of Thrones was a doozy!
And now for those that I have nominated! My absolute favorite part about blogging are the people I meet and follow!
Here are the questions I'd like answered by my nominees in the event that they accept!
1. Why do you blog?
2. What are your hobbies?
3. What is one thing you cannot live without in your classroom?
4. How long have you been teaching and do you imagine yourself retiring as a teacher?
5. Who is your favorite children's author and why?
6. Who is your role model or the person who has had the most positive influence on you?
7. What subject could you teach all day long?
8. Think of your favorite teaching resource you've purchased. Where did you buy it?
9. What are your pet peeves in your classroom?
10. What is your favorite part about your job?
11. What are you going to do over summer break this year?
Click the buttons below to see the blogs I've nominated to see their answers!
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