I've been nominated! TWICE!

I am SO honored. I have been nominated not once, but twice for the Liebster Blog Award. Woo-hoo! You have no idea how much it means to me to be have nominated.

Thank you so much Heather at The Land of I Can

and Miss B at Butterfly Teaching!

I appreciate it more than you know! You definitely gave me warm fuzzies by being nominated!

Liebster is a German word that means beloved, cute, lovely, dearest, and welcome. The Liebster Award is an award for new blogs, and I am so grateful that I got it! I am combining my questions from my two nominators into one BIG post.

Here are the rules:
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 me by my nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about myself
5. Contact my nominees and let them know that I nominated them

Well, here we go! Here are my nominees:

Jo Anne, from Teaching in Cardigans  is a 5th grade teacher from California and is just getting started on this whole teaching journey. She is a big runner and reading her blog encourages me to keep going on my healthy journey.

Amanda, from My Shoe String Life, is also a 5th grade teacher and has some good, practical ideas for the classroom. I really liked her activity with "3 new facts, 2 ah-ha's, and one big question". I have done something like that before with my students, but I really liked the "ah-ha" part.

Mandy, from The 4th Grade Journey, is a 4th grade teacher from Florida. What makes her extra special special in my opinion is that she is an Army wife and mom, and her husband is deployed. God bless you and your family. I LOVE her idea of having folders where the students write what they have mastered and moved their papers to the "mastered" side of the folder. What a cute and clever way to reinforce that students are responsible for their own learning!

Princess, from Teaching, Love, Cupcakes, is from my favorite state of Texas! Whoop! She has just gotten into this big ole' world of blogging, and I am so glad! She includes a lot of great pictures from her classroom, which you know I love pictures. Check out her shout out box. Such a cute idea!

Kelli, from Tales of a Teacher, has the cutest blog. You just have to check out her Mastery Connect idea where the students have their own laminated bubble sheets and get instant feedback. I would have loved to have done something like this when I taught 5th grade math.

Laura, from Learning, Lessons, and Life, is a teacher from Georgia. I love how she shares ideas and products from other bloggers. She also shares many adventures from her life with 3 boys.

Heather, from Learning With Mrs. Langley, is a first grade teacher from Georgia. She shares great pictures and ideas from her different stations along with techie tips like Woobox, which I can't wait to check out.

My last nominee is a big surprise. I had just found her blog the other day and thought it was super cute. And it was right after I had been nominated and posted about it...but I hadn't done the "homework" behind my own Liebster blog award list. She mentioned that getting this award was one of her goals in the bloggy world. Little did she know that I decided to give her the award as soon as I read her blog because it was that cute. I loved the title, the design, and her personality. So...without further adieu...

Emerald, from If You Mustache I Heart Teaching, is a 3rd and 4th grade math teacher, and I feel like I know her. Her blog is super cute, and she puts a lot of personality into her blog, which I love.

Ladies, I am new newest fan and follower, and I can't wait to get to know you more!

Here are the questions given to me by Heather at The Land of I Can:
1. What grade do you teach and why do you love it?
I currently teach E3 (3rd grade) through H1 (10th grade). I do enjoy the different grades and personalities. However, my favorite grades to teach are 4th, 5th, and 6th grades - they are at such an important age...figuring out the type of person they want to be. I also love having conversations with them and having fun with them. I can be a complete goof with my kids and I love doing it.

2. What is your favorite book to read to your students?
I love reading Earthquake Terror by Peg Kehret. It is such a great read aloud and keeps the kids on the edge of their seats, often begging me to keep reading past our dedicated time. I love it when a book does that!

3. Which do you love more: sticky notes, hole puncher, or dry erase markers?
It's a hard one between sticky notes and dry erase markers. However, I would have to go with dry erase markers because I can't imagine teaching without them.

4. What is your drink of choice to get your through the day?
It used to be Dr Pepper (before I moved to Korea and before I started taking Plexus and don't crave it anymore), but now it's water. I try to drink a lot of water...which means I have to visit the bathroom often.

5. Favorite school lunch that your cafeteria serves but you might not actually eat?
Haha. This is a good one. Anything with eyeballs or body parts floating around. I love to take pictures of them, but I do NOT like eating them.

6. How long have you been blogging?
I started blogging last spring but didn't get really into it until this past summer when I began the process to come teach in Korea. That was for my "other" blog. As for my teaching blog, I got really into it back in October.

7. What is your favorite TPT product?
My favorite product of my own would probably have to be my Math Stations. I LOVE teaching math and really enjoy creating activities for my kiddos to practice math.
My favorite product of someone else's is pretty much clip art by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips.

8. What holiday do you look forward to most during the school year?
I would have to say Christmas vacation. I love the music, the decorations, the cheesy ABC family Christmas movies, the time off...

9. What do you do with your summers? 
Travel, travel, travel...and I also like to chill with my dogs, read books, take naps, and volunteer at the dog shelter.

10. Do you pick out your school outfit the night before or the day of?
The day of...pretty much 95% of the time.

11. What do you wish all your students would know before coming to your class?
I REALLY wish they knew their multiplication facts (and addition facts and subtraction facts for that matter), especially when teaching the intermediate grades. I would also like them to know that I will love them and can't wait to get to know them.

Here are the questions given to me by by Miss B at Butterfly Teaching:
1. What are your top 3 favorite teaching blogs?
Oh' Boy Fourth Grade
Runde's Room
Step Into Second Grade

2. Do you have a TPT store?
I sure do! You can check it out HERE.

3. What is your favorite resource that you have ever made?
I love my Mix and Match Math Choice Boards. When I taught 5th grade math, I had so many low kiddos. I needed to work with them in small groups, so I had the rest of the class work on choice boards. It worked out perfectly, and I was able to really bring my low kiddos up.

4. What topic do you love to teach?
I love to teach anything in math. Seriously. I love the moment when they realize that they finally get it after struggling to understand it. I teach math in a fun, engaging way, and I love to hear my students tell me that they never liked math before my class. Warms my heart.

5. First ever linky party you joined in?
Doodle Bugs Teaching - Five for Friday. Love reading about everyone's week!

6. Who did your blog design?
Barb at Ruby Slippers Blog Design just redid my whole blog. In one word, she is awesome. I HIGHLY recommend her. She was so easy to work with and created my unique blog using the vision I had in mind. I couldn't be happier!

7. A funny comment you have had from a child?
Years ago...many years ago, when I taught 3rd grade, I got some great advice from Leo, one of my 3rd graders. We were eating lunch together in the classroom, and he told me that I needed a "Mr. H". I asked if he had any advice to give me. He put his fingers on his chin and thought pensively...
Then he said, "Well, you need to get interested in the things that he is interested in." I asked if he had any other advice. He thought pensively again and said, "Well, you could walk by him and do this..." - he stands up, walks by, sighs, and goes "hmm", and drops his napkin on the floor in front of me. Then he says, "You could get him that way. He picks up your napkin for you." I could NOT stop laughing. I guess I should have taken his advice because I am still single.

8. Helpful tip to a new blogger 
Put your personality in your blog. Don't be afraid to put in your sense of humor. That makes me want to read you more.

9. Favorite book to use in the classroom?
When I taught 6th grade World Cultures, we had to read this book called, Homeless Bird, by Gloria Whelan. It's about a 13-year-old girl in India who is forced to get married and endures many hardships. My students were fascinated by this book, and it really opened their eyes as to how other kids around the world have a different life from theirs. It provoked great dialogue and thinking.

10. Best ever teacher gift in the classroom?
I have gotten ratty stuffed animals, pictures, gift cards, etc, but my favorite gifts have been notes, emails, and letters from former students telling me what a difference I have made in my life. I still keep in contact with many of my former students, and their words mean more to me than anything. They always make me cry. This is why I still teach.

11. Memory from your first year of teaching?
My first year of teaching wasn't easy. In fact, it stunk. I could tell you many awful stories, but I will choose to tell you a funny one instead. I was hit on by two of my students' fathers. It was really weird.


And here are my 11 random facts about me...enjoy!
1. I worked at Chuck E Cheese in high school and did everything there except make the pizza. My least favorite job there was the merchandise counter...parents screaming at you that their kid was first. Um, there aren't any numbers there so how was I supposed to know?
2. I have an affinity for 3-legged dogs. I have had two of them. People tell me how lucky the dogs are, but it's actually the other way around. I'm the lucky one.
3. I went sky-diving in New Zealand. I LOVED it and can't wait to go again someday.
4. When I was 8 years old, my mom and I both broke our arms...same arm, same place, same night, same way. We were roller skating at our church gym.
5. I don't have any desire to go scuba diving. I LOVE adventure and trying new things, but for some reason, scuba diving creeps me out.
6. I know all the words to "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. My voice sounds like Ariel's too. And she is my all-time favorite Disney princess.
7. I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird. It's on my list of books to read.
8. I love weird animal sci-fi movies like, Frankenfish, Ice Spiders, Lake Placid, Mega Piranha, and of course, Sharknado. I know. I'm weird.
9. I love to host parties and cook for people. It's a little hard to do that here in Korea. I miss my kitchen back home terribly. Have you seen the size of my kitchen in Korea? It's tiny. And...it's the biggest kitchen I have seen out of all the apartments I have been to. Some of my friends here in Korea have kitchens that are 1/4 the size of mine. I'll post a picture some day.
10. I have traveled to more than 40 countries and have wanted to teach overseas for over 12 years. And I'm finally doing it. It's an amazing feeling.
11. My favorite movie is Facing the Giants. It gets me every. single. time. Such an uplifting movie.

Here are the questions for my nominees:
1. What is one of your favorite teaching memories?
2. What is your favorite school lunch?
3. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
4. What song gets you up and going and puts a smile on your face?
5. If you had to give any advice to a new teacher, what would you say?
6. What is a simple review activity that you do in your classroom?
7. What is the best teacher gift you have ever received?
8. What is one piece of advice you really wish you could give to parents?
9. What do you love about blogging?
10. How do bring laughter into the classroom?
11. What is your favorite book to read to your students?

OK guys! Head on over and check this blogs out!

To celebrate my two nominations, I'm joining in the huge TPT sale on the 27th and 28th. Can you believe that Teachers Pay Teachers is 3 million teachers strong? I am so excited to be a part of it!

Everything in my store is 20% off. Enter in the promo code, and you get even more off. Woo-hoo!