Blog Award

Maris Hawkins over at Information about My Middle School Spanish Classroom gave me a Leibster Blog award!

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 me by my nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about myself
5. Create 11 questions for my nominees
6. Contact my nominees and let them know I nominated them

1. What is your favorite teaching and non-teaching blogs?
I have several favorite teaching blogs. They are all listed on the right hand side of my page.

2. Who was your favorite teacher?
My favorite teacher was my choir teacher. I had him every year from 7th grade through 12th grade. He was the single most inspiring teacher I ever had. He made every student feel as if he was there to personally help them individually, and he was never too busy to meet with students and get to know them.

3. What was your favorite college class?
I never thought of teaching middle school until I went to a middle school methods course. I don't remember the teacher's name, but she opened my eyes to the joy of teaching middle schoolers.

4. Where is your next travel destination?
No plans, but hoping to travel somewhere for my 5th wedding anniversary in October!

5. What is your favorite website to incorporate into teaching?
Of course, the answer to this question is Whole Brain Teaching. It has changed my teaching life! There is no better program for classroom management, engagement, and critical thinking.

6. What is your best advice for new teachers?
Go to the website from #5 and read as much as you can, and use Whole Brain Teaching techniques in your classroom!

7. What is your favorite place to eat?
My favorite place to eat is in a seafood restaurant in the Florida keys. Since I live in Illinois, I don't get a chance to eat there very often. :) So around here, I love Noodles and Company, Jimmy John's, and Olive Garden. Simple.

8. What are your must-dos for the summer?
Set up WBT conferences for schools in Illinois and most states west of the Mississippi!

9. What is your best classroom organization tip?
Find a place for everything, label it, and work to keep it that way!

10. What is your favorite lesson plan?
We do a water filtration lab where students have to choose from various substances to create a water filtration system. Super fun, and the kids love it.

11. If you could take your students on a field trip anywhere, where would you take them?
Cabo san Lucas. I'm sure there's something science related we could find to do there. :)


11 Random Facts about me:
1. I am the youngest of six.
2. I used to sing in a band.
3. My middle name is Nichole.
4. I lived a few blocks from Wrigleyville, where the Cubs play, for a few years.
5. I have three beautiful children.
6. I had a condition when I delivered my second child that caused me to require surgery afterwards. I developed sepsis during surgery, requiring an enormous blood transfusion, and nearly died.
7. My third child wore 18 months clothes when he was only 8 months.
8. My mom is a teacher, and dad an accountant. I am a teacher, and my older brother is an accountant.
9. I am addicted to True Blood, The Newsroom, and Boardwalk Empire.
10. I stood in line at midnight to buy the last Twilight book.
11. I am a Catholic.

Here are the blogs that I have nominated:
1. Cruzin' Through WBT
2. Pawsitively Wild for WBT


Here are my questions:
1. What is your favorite teaching blog?
2. What quality to you think is most important in a teacher?
3. Would you rather teach for 20 years, or teach one year 20 times?
4. What Whole Brain Teaching strategies do you use in your classroom?
5. What is one organizational tip that helps you keep your class organized?
6. If you could redo one thing from last year, what would you do differently?
7. What is your favorite place to eat?
8. What are your must-do's for the summer?
9. What is your best advice for new teachers?
10. Who is your favorite musical artist?
11.Why are you a teacher?