Liebster Award: Learn more about the captain!!

So what did you think about the guest blog posts this past week? They were great weren't they!?!


While I was gone, I was nominated for the Liebster award.  I have been nominated fa few times before, but I don’t think I have ever participated.  (Yes, I know…… teamwork, sharing, etc)  This time I was nominated by the wonderful  Mrs. Mathis who I got to know during the Autism AwarenessBlog hop.  I figured this would be a great opportunity to for my readers(especially all the new ones, Welcome!!) to know more about me. 
 
So, what exactly is the Liebster Award all about?  "Liebster" is a German word that means dearest, lovely, beloved and welcome.  To accept the nomination, 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 you by your nominator.
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them.

So here are the questions that Mrs. Mathis asked of me.

1. How long have you been teaching? 
• I have am going into my 9th year of teaching.
2. Why do you teach?
• I have wanted to be a teacher since kindergarten.  I was exposed at an early age (Thanks mom!) to children and adults with disabilities which fueled my desire to teach special education. I believe every person has the ability to learn and we need to figure out how to help them learn. 
3. If you weren't a teacher, what would you be?
• Athletic trainer or physical therapist
4. What are your favorite hobbies?
• Creating things on the computer, learning new things, reading, going to garage sales & thrift stores
5. What's the last book you read?
• I am currently reading Paradise Falls.  Not a favorite, but I am into it.  I think it creeps me out a bit because it hits close to home with child abductions (something I worry about) and on of the girls abducted is named Caitlin.
6. What was your favorite book as a child?
• A book that was written just for me by one of my Dad’s friends called  The Wolf Tree.  I have recently started reading it to my kids.
7. Who is your favorite band, singer and why?
• My favorite is my Dad.  He belongs to a duo called Turngren & Young.  My dad has always sang and inspired my love of music (More about that later!). They have no recordings though so when I can’t hear them live then I like to listen to the Jack Johnston station on Pandora.  I find all of that music relaxing.
8. Do you believe in soul mates?
• Yes.
9. Do you believe in love at first sight? 
• Yes.
10. Who (or what) inspires you?
• My students and children.  Over the past 9 years (7 of them I have been a mom), I have learned so much about laughter, mistakes, and life. 
11. Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school and why?
• Wow, that is hard one.  I had a few inspiring teachers.  Mrs. Sherman, my kindergarten teachers inspired me to be a teacher and continues to inspire me to this day.   Mr. Z, my band director in middle and high school always encouraged me even though I was FAR from the best marcher or flute players. 

So now for 11 random facts about me:

1. I am a band geek.  I play 5 instruments (or I did).  Flute, piccolo, melophone, French horn, and cello.  I also attempted the trombone.  
2. On that same note I am a brother in the honors band Fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi.  I was in the marching band from 8th grade through college.  I was also in concert band, honors band, sprit band, and whatever other band i could be in.
3. I balanced all of that band with sports.  I played soccer, softball, and basketball.
4. Not all of you know this, some might, but I am a Jersey Girl.  I may live in VA, but I will always be Jersey Strong.
5. I wear a size 12 shoe and have since 6th grade.  When I was in 6th grade, a shoe salesman told my mom to take me to a store that sells women's shoes for men (yes, men) in NYC.
6. I don’t get football.  I have been watching it for over 15 years due to marching band and my husbands love for it.   (Go Redskins!) It doesn’t make sense to me.
7. Cooking and I do not work, yet, I teach cooking to my students.  That is why we stick to the basics.  Making Jell-O, mixing lemonade, nothing with real cooking involved.
8. My husband and I met on Match.com almost 7 years ago.  I thought he was too good looking to ever want to go out with me. (Shh, don’t tell him that!)
9. I grew up on a Christmas tree and pumpkin farm.  I can cut down and bail trees with the best of them.
10. As a kid I had a huge crush on Doogie Howser, M.D. aka Neil Patrick Harris.
11. Gosh, this is hard thinking of 11 things…. hmmmm… I LOVE coffee.  I never write about it, but I have coffee every morning, to the point where the office staff at school teases me.

Here are the fantastic blogs I am nominating.  You should check them out!!
Empowering Great Minds
Teaching Through Turbulence
The Autism Classroom Project
The Autism Tank
Mrs. Shelton’s Kindergarten
Fifth is Fabulous

Now for the 11 questions:

1. What do you teach?
2. Where did you go to college?
3. What is your favorite book?
4. What is you favorite place to get clipart from?
5. What do you like to do outside of school stuff?
6. Where would your dream vacation spot be?
7. If you won a million dollars what would you do with it?
8. If you were not a teacher what would you do?
9. What is your favorite blog to read (besides your own of course!)?
10. What is your favorite food?
11. What is your least favorite drink?

Whew, that was a long post.  I hope you learned some new things about me and found some new blogs to check out!