Welcome to New Teacher Blog Tuesday! If you are a new blogger and would like to be
featured, email me at dml8609@gmail.com
Our first blogger is Lisa from
1.
Name of blog and link:
2.
Tell us about your blog and why you
started it.
I
discovered the world of teacher blogs last summer when I began looking for
ideas for my new classroom. I was
switching to Kindergarten after being a reading intervention specialist for the
past 8 years. I knew it was a world I
wanted to be a part of! I love the
collaboration and all the great ideas that are shared. It has made me a much better teacher and
keeps me excited about my job. If my
blog can do that for others who read it, then I’m thrilled.
3.
Tell us a little about your teaching
background.
I have been teaching for
14 years. 9 of those years were spend as
a reading intervention specialist. I
also taught 1st grade for a few years and am currently a
Kindergarten teacher. During those years
as a reading specialist—I was trained as a Reading Recovery teacher which is
FABULOUS training!
4.
What songs are
included on the soundtrack to your life?
I’m a country
girl. That’s what I listen to most of
the time. However, I do love Aerosmith
and Bon Jovi, too! I love my Sirius
Satellite Radio. I’m always listening to
either The Highway, 80s on 8, or Hair Nation!
5.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
I’m really not
sure how to answer this. I’ve actually
been very blessed in my life. Of course,
there have been hard things, but I’m certain there will be harder things yet to
come! Some of my most helpless times
were when my kids had to have surgery-just minor things like tonsils and ear
tubes, but watching them wheel your children into an operating room is a pretty
helpless feeling.
6.
What’s your favorite TV show?
I
have several! I’ve seen every episode of
Survivor ever! Right now I also love
Duck Dynasty. Those guys are
hilarious! My husband doesn’t share my
love for reality TV so when we watch together it’s usually Justified, Game of
Thrones, and The Following. Plus, we are
big sports fans so we watch a lot of sports together.
7.
What is your favorite item of clothing and
why?
Uggs. I have boots and slippers and they are the
bomb! I also love to be at the beach and
just wear my bathing suit all day long.
There’s sometime relaxing about that!
8.
Number of candles that appeared on your
last birthday cake?
I’ve
reached an age where I always have to stop and think about it! There were 37 last year—YIKES!
9.
What was the last book you read? What are
you going to read next?
I
recently finished The Millennium Trilogy and they were fantastic. I’m currently reading Steve Jobs’ biography,
but I’m looking for something lighter
for my vacation. Maybe a
Stephanie Plum book? Love those!
10.
What was the last thing that you ate that
you really shouldn’t of?
That
bowl of chocolate peanut butter ice cream at 11:45 last night!
11.
Give us some links- Twitter, Pinterest,
Teacher’s Pay Teachers, Facebook, a free teaching item etc.
Instagram--@alwaysanadventureink
Our next blogger is
• Name of blog and link:
• Tell us about your blog and why you
started it.
My
blog is about my life as an Alaskan teacher.
I live in a pretty amazing place and want to show that through my
teaching blog. The Tongass National Forest is a temperate rainforest in
Southeast Alaska. Lots and lots of rain,
mountains in every horizon, a few glaciers, a world class ski area, cruise
ships all throughout the summer, spruce trees everywhere, blueberries (yum!),
rivers, ocean and miles and miles of rocky coastline, salmon, halibut,
crab…this is home. If you want to keep
updated and see photos, go to my blog and start following!
For
the last couple of years, I have been following other blogs simply by
bookmarking and checking in on them once
a week (I didn’t know any other way before I had my own!). This last February, I had an epiphany, and
realized, hey, I could do this. Maybe nobody would read my blog, but I didn’t
care. I wanted to record my career and my life somehow (without writing in a
diary!) and this seemed to be the way to go.
Turns out, I was right! I have only been blogging for a few months, and
it’s still cool to go back and look at what I wrote a few months ago. I can’t wait until I’m a few years in and I
can go back in time. If you haven’t
already started your own blog, go for it! There’s nothing to be afraid or ashamed
of J
• Tell us a little about your teaching
background.
I
student taught for a year in a 4th grade class, had my heart set on
teaching 4th grade (my own personal favorite grade and oh how I
dreamed of reading Where the Red Fern Grows…).
However, life had a different plan for me. I graduated in May, and had several
interviews set up. I only got to go to
one interview, and was offered a 2nd grade position before I could
interview for other schools. I asked how
much time I had before I had to give my answer: until the end of the day. I
hung up and cried. 2nd graders don’t know how to zip their own
coats! 2nd graders don’t know how to get in a line or a circle! 2nd
graders pick their noses! I was devastated. THIS was not how I envisioned
myself as a teacher. But, I had to take the job not knowing if the other
interviews would work out. THANK THE
LORD I DID. I may have cried at the end of the day like a crazy person on my
first day of teaching, but within a few weeks, I had the hang of it and was just
fine. Who needs Where the Red Fern Grows
when you have so many other great stories?!
My eyes were opened and I am grateful.
That was 5 years ago, and even though there have been plenty of
opportunities to change grades, I just love 2nd and couldn’t imagine
teaching anything else!
•
What songs are
included on the soundtrack to your life?
Remember When by Alan Jackson describes my life:
Remember when the sound of little feet
Was the music we danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give it up
Remember when
Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookin' back, it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are, where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when
Got to Be Real by Cheryl Lynn describes my personality. I am
super blunt, and don’t have the decency or the energy to be fake to
people. I am real. If you ask me how something looks on you,
I’ll be honest, but gentle of course!
•
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Giving birth was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was induced and in labor in the hospital
for 4 whole days, which ended up not really working and I need an emergency
cesarean anyway. A rollercoaster of emotions
and in the end, the most rewarding gift of all was wrapped up and laid beside
me. We call him Cheeks since he has
chubby cheeks, but his name is Gavin and he is of course, my life.
• What’s your favorite TV show?
Oh
man, I watch a LOT of tv. Some of my favorite shows have ended, but they are
still worth mentioning! Here is my embarrassing list in no particular order:
Rescue Me, Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, Friends (still watch reruns
and they are still funny!), The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, SNL, Modern
Family, Desperate Housewives, and Chelsea Lately.
• What is your favorite item of clothing
and why?
My
favorite thing to wear are my Xtratuf boots.
They are pretty ugly to anyone who doesn’t live here, but in Southeast
Alaska, they are as common as high heels.
Like I mentioned before, it rains a lot.
There are plenty of cute and colorful rain boot options out there now,
but these brown boots have become a fashion statement and seriously, it would
be embarrassing to wear any other boot!
They are so popular, it is a common theme among the wedding party (including
the bride and groom) to wear them along with tuxedos and dresses! A typical pregnancy announcement (not mine!)
might include the boots also…
• Number of candles that appeared on your
last birthday cake?
30.
• What was the last book you read? What
are you going to read next?
Me
Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I
will probably read another David Sedaris book since I like his writing style so
much.
• What was the last thing that you ate
that you really shouldn’t of?
A
year’s worth of Taco Bell on a 2 week trip to Maui (we don’t have a Taco Bell
in Juneau anymore and our entire town misses it!).
• Give us some links- Twitter, Pinterest,
Teacher’s Pay Teachers, Facebook, a free teaching item etc.
Pinterest:
pinterest.com/Tongassteacher/
Instagram:
tongassteacher
TpT:
teacherspayteachers.com/Teaching-In-The-Tongass
Facebook:
facebook.com/TeachingInTheTongass
Click
the image below to download this FREEBIE from my TpT shop!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Thanks so much for featuring me! It's like seeing your name up in lights!
ReplyDeleteLisa
Always an Adventure in Kindergarten