Sunday, May 24, 2015

Liebster Award!!

I am honored to be nominated for the Liebster Award by Kindergarten Planet!  I am so excited that she thought my blog was worthy of this award.  If you are unfamiliar with this award, it is an award given to new bloggers with a growing audience to help welcome them to the wonderful world of blogging.  Blogging, and especially teacher blogging, is comprised of a fabulous and positive community of educators who are looking to connect with each other and share ideas and stories from the classroom.  

  1. Why did you start blogging and how long have you been blogging?  I work with a talented team of teachers at my school.  However, we are a small school and I am the only kindergarten teacher.  From reading others blogs and attending conferences, I realized how much I would love to work with a team of kindergarten teachers so that we could share ideas and plan together.  I started my blog in January of this year so that I could begin to connect with other kindergarten teachers as well as reflect on my own teaching. 
  2. What one word sums up the heart of your blog?  Coffee :)  Just kidding!  I have a two year old at home and I teach kindergarten.  That makes for a very busy day.  As of right now, I think the best word to sum up the heart of my blog is reflection.  I love reflecting on my own teaching as well as reading other blogs and seeing what everyone has been doing in their classrooms.  This helps me figure out our next steps for teaching and learning in my classroom.  
  3. How many hours a week do you dedicate to your blog/TpT/social media? Good question!  Since I stared blogging, I am amazed at how many new ideas I have had for the classroom.  I try to take the time to blog/TpT/social media when I am at home, my son is sleeping, and (to be completely honest) have the energy.  This varies each week.  I am excited for summer break! 
  4. Where does your blog inspiration come from?  My blog inspiration comes from my students/classroom.  This is usually what happens: I write my lesson plans, go to use them in the classroom, end up with a better idea during the middle of my lesson and change them, and then a blog idea is born.  
  5. What category of blog posts do you like to read best?  I love to read about the way other teachers run their classroom and implement curriculum.  This inspires me to try new techniques or strategies in my own classroom.  
  6. What is your favorite aspect of blogging?  I love connecting with others.  Teacher bloggers are some of the nicest and most encouraging people in the world.  
  7. What idea from a blog would you like to try yourself?  This bubble/matter experiment from A Day in First Grade looks like so much fun!  I have to try it next year.  
  8. Salty or sweet?  I have a sweet tooth!  I love chocolate, ice cream, and any kind of fruity dessert. 
  9. Are you a morning person or a night owl?  I am a night owl.  My parents used to say I got my second wind around 9 PM.  I have always wished I was a morning person. I think I would get so much more done that way!
  10. If you weren't a teacher, what career would you choose?  I would love to be a children's book author. 
  11. What is your favorite grade to teach?  This is the end of my tenth year teaching.  If I include my experiences teaching when I was in college, I have taught everything from pre-k to 6th grade and have enjoyed each experience.  However, kindergarten is my favorite.  I love teaching kids to read and building foundational skills to be life long readers and learners.  
Here are my nominees for the Liebster Award (in no particular order):
I would love for these bloggers to answer the following questions:
  1. Why did you start blogging and how long have you been blogging?
  2. What one word sums up the heart of your blog?
  3. How many hours a week do you dedicate to your blog/TpT/social media?
  4. Where does your blog inspiration come from?
  5. What category of blog posts do you like to read best?
  6. What is your favorite aspect of blogging?
  7. What idea from a blog would you like to try yourself?
  8. What do you like to do when you are not blogging or teaching?
  9. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
  10. If you weren't a teacher, what career would you choose?
  11. What is your favorite grade to teach?
Here are the Liebster Award rules:
  • Link back to the blog that nominated you (me!)
  • Answer the 11 questions posted by the nominator 
  • Nominate 5-11 blogs (with less than 200 followers) and link to them in your post
  • Contact the nominees and let them know they have been nominate

Thank you again to Kindergarten Planet for nominating me!  I feel so privileged to be nominated for this award!  

Have a great weekend!