Leibster Award!

I was so excited to find out that Rachel from La Señorita Creativa nominated me for the Liebster Award! This is an award given to new and up-and-coming customers to welcome them to the blogging company. I have had so much fun blogging and learning more about the blogging community. I also have to give a shout out to probably my “blog-celebrity/hero/idol” Charity at The Organized Classroom Blog. She has built herself a little blog empire, but I love her Teaching Blog Traffic School, and that’s where I found some of my nominees!

To accept this award I must:

1. Link back to the blog that nominated me 
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers 
3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator 
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself 
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees 
6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them

Questions for me to answer:

1. What is your must-have teacher tool?

There is so many! But write now I would say my InterWrite tablet. It is a Interactive Whiteboard and Remote Desktop controller all in one! I don’t have a SMARTboard, which I actually don’t mind not having, and it works with a screen and projector. I still have full use of my whiteboard. I dropped it and it didn’t work for a few days and I just about went insane!

2. What is your favorite age to teach?

I have taught 6th-8th grades. At my previous school, I would have told you 6th or 8th, and that’s what I told my principal when I interviewed. But I currently teach 7th, and I LOVE IT! They are older, but still a little bit young. They understand sarcasm and you can joke around with them a bit. It’s like The Three Little Bears, it’s just right. Lol

3. If you had to eat one food/dish every day for the next year, what would it be?

I love “Mexican”. I say that with quotes because I don’t like spice or hot food. Quesadillas, tacos, or “pollo con queso” from my El Metate. But I probably shouldn’t do that! I do eat chicken salad a lot for school lunches though. Easy to make!

4. What is your favorite subject or topic to teach?

Well…I’ve only really taught Math! I student taught in self-contained 5th and math/science. But math has always been my favorite! Standard within math, would be Probability and Statistics.

5. What is your favorite place to buy teacher clothes?

On our one income, teacher salary household it’s ROSS, Cato’s, and Walmart. But I would love to shop more at Torrid or Lane Bryant.

6. Chevron or polka dots?

Chevron!

7. What is your best teaching-related memory?

I went on two separate retreats with my 7th and 8th graders, cabins, team building exercises, and all. I got to know my kids outside of the classroom, who they are as people on a deeper level. It was a great way to start the school year, and something we really needed to bond. I ran into one of my kids today after sending him off to high school last year.

8. What is the funniest thing a student has said to you?

I can’t think of anything in particular, but I have had some goofy students who in the end turned into some of my favorites.

9.What is your favorite organizational tool (teaching-related or not)?

Teacher Assistant App! It helps me manage homework, behavior, etc. It’s easy to pull up info on a particular student during a meeting, and assign missing homework to several students at once. I have it on my iPad and iPhone.

10. If you could talk to yourself before you started teaching, what would you tell yourself?

RELAX and BREATHE. Not everything is going to be perfect, and it gets better every year.

11. What is your favorite movie or tv show?

Big Bang Theory, I actually reference it often in class. J

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I started teaching in the 6th grade at my dance studio.
2. I took tap, jazz, ballet, and gymnastics for 13 years and can still do many of the steps, including my splits!
3. I played clarinet for 6 years, but have always had a passion for singing.
4. I am ADDICTED to pinterest! I have a personal and a teacher/blog account!
5. I love cupcakes, our wedding cake was actually made of cupcakes.
6. If I had another occupation it would be something with computers or event planning.
7. My maiden name is Griswold. I would always get comments about it from National Lapoon’s Vacation.
8. My family actually lived up to the Griswold reputation with having a 12-foot tree and tons on the house.
9. I’ve seen over 20 Broadway shows in 5 different states.
10.  I would love to travel across Europe, like everywhere!
11. I have two tattoos, and have plans to get at least two more.

11 Questions for My Nominees

1. Who inspired you to start teaching?
2. If you had an all-expenses paid trip, where would you go?
3. What is something you have always wanted to try or do?
4. Who is your favorite author?
5. PC or Mac? iPad or tablet?
6. What made you start blogging?
7. Coke or Pepsi?
8. Where did you go to school?
9. What is your favorite grade and subject?
10. What is your favorite season?
11. Are you married? Do you have any kids?

And the nominees are…

1. Melissa and Brittany at Frugal in First
2. Kim at Frogtastic Friends
3. Amber at Creative Ideas for the Upper Elementary Classroom
4. Mary Ann at Superteach's Special Ed Spot
5. Jamie at Sixth Grade Tales

Happy Blogging!
Melissa