Sunshine Blogger Award!

If for nothing else but to prove it is a SMALL world, I have to share the story of how I got nominated for the Sunshine blogger award... a blogger who went through the same undergrad program as myself and had viewed my blog via one of our professors nominated my blog for the Sunshine Award! She too had a blog assignment for our professor's class and made my day saying that my blog helped motivate her to start blogging again! Thanks to Katie from Teaching Voracious Learners! Makes me feel like I need to do a few book reviews to add to the "Great Books" section of my blog soon since that's how this all got started in undergrad... anywho, enough about how small the world is...

So there are 4 parts to receiving this award...
1. Post 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 facts asked by the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers you think bring sunshine sunshine to the world.
4. Make up 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
I secretly feel like there should be 11 parts since the number 11 is obviously key in these steps ;)

Here are my 11 facts...

1. I married the love of my life who I have known since I was 11 in October.

2. We have a puppy... (well technically he's not a puppy anymore) named Bogey (as in the golf term).

3. I'm in my 2nd year of teaching, both years in 2nd grade and I'm increasingly convinced I will have to be dragged out of that grade level kicking and screaming because I love it so much.

4. My grade level partners are both men. I love working with them because it's NO DRAMA! Plus we have way too much fun. I'll be very sad if either of them ever leaves the team.

5. I'm a Whole Brainer. I love the way whole brain teaching and learning activates all parts of the brain. I have seen so much success in my students over the past 2 years and I think it has a lot to do with the use of all parts of the brain being involved in almost all the learning that happens in my room.

6. In high school I played 3 years of basketball and ran 5 seasons of indoor/outdoor track & field, I then competed in 11 seasons combined of cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field in college. I competed in nearly every event (except throwing) and have had a love/hate relationship with running since graduation. Here I am after Color Me Rad.

7. My husband is first assistant superintendent at a golf course. Said golf course is literally my backyard. It's pretty amazing to have such a big back yard to walk the pup or go for a run or hit up the driving range late at night (I'm terrible at golf though)!

8. I also live about a mile from the beach. Clearly my husband should have picked a less appealing place to work as our first home haha!

9. The summer before student teaching I went to Ireland for 5 weeks with a group from my college, it was probably the most amazing experience of my life!

10. I HATE the dark! But, I can't sleep unless it is completely dark... makes no sense, but it's true!

11. I love to bake! I actually just made 7 dozen chocolate chip cookies for the hubby because it's his birthday and he doesn't like cake :)

Here are my 11 answers to Katie's questions...

1. If it was your birthday and you could do ANYTHING you want, what would it be?

Go back to Ireland :)

2. What’s your #1 favorite book?

Hunger Games. I couldn't put any of the 3 books down and neither movie has disappointed!

3. If you could play any sport, what would it be?

If I was going to compete professionally it would be a close call between track & field and basketball.

4. Could you not watch TV for one month?

If netflix didn't count then yes :) Sometimes I just need to zone out in front of the tv!

5. Who is your biggest role model in life?

My mom! She never went to college because she hated school but ironically ended up working as a paraprofessional. She has always supported my dream of being a teacher and is always, always there for me!

6. What are your nicknames?

I used to have a few that involved my former last name, but those don't really count anymore. So, the only one I can really think of is Ash.

7. What did you want to do with your life when you were 7?

Be a teacher. My 1st grade teacher inspired me :)

8. If you could have ANY superpower, what would it be?

To read people's minds as long as I could turn it on and off at will. It would be so helpful especially when kiddos try to pull one over on me haha.

9. If you had to wear pants or a dress for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Pants! I was NEVER a dress/skirt person until I started teaching and needed a way to not sweat my butt off in terribly warm classrooms at the beginning and end of the year.

10. Why do you think there are SO many women teacher bloggers but not a lot of men?

I think a majority of teacher bloggers teach younger grade levels and there just aren't a lot of men who teach younger grades, despite my grade level team being me and 2 guys.

11. What or who made you want to teach or work with children?

My first grade teacher was simply amazing. She made me love learning and from the time I left her class I knew I would be a teacher. We are still in contact, she was even at my wedding :)

Here are my nominations (in no order)...

1. Butterflying through Teaching

2. A Rocky Top Teacher

3. Teachers are Terrific

4. Magic Mistakes and Mayhem

5. Confessions of a 3rd Grade Teacher

6. The 4th Grade Journey

7. The Perks of Teaching Primary

8. Seconds at the Beach

9. Live Laugh I Love Kindergarten

10. Kindergarten: Holding Hands and Sticking Together

11. Time Two Teach

11 questions for nominees to answer...

1. What do you order at your favorite coffee place?

2. Give your #1 behavior management strategy in your classroom.

3. Why are you a teacher?

4. What's the best part of teaching?

5. What's the worst part of teaching?

6. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

7. What's your favorite thing to do over the summer?

8. Do you have any siblings? Are you close with them?

9. Do you have any pets?

10. Why do you think so many people leave teaching after 5 or fewer years?

11. If you weren't a teacher, what would your profession be?

Thanks to Katie for the nomination! Excited to read the posts by my nominees :)