Liebster Award!

I feel very honored and am giddy that I have been nominated for the Liebster award by Elyse over at Proud to be Primary. This is an award given to new and up-coming blogs. Liebster, in German, means sweetheart, beloved person, darling, lovely, cute... isn't that the so kind?! I think Elyse's blog is absolutely adorable & I also love her TpT products! I am looking forward to getting to know her more and gain more friends through the blogging community!

The rules to accepting the nomination of the Liebster Award are to:
1. Link back to the blog(s) that nominated you
 2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers (I did this through Bloglovin')
 3. Answer the questions posted for you by the nominator(s)  
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself 
5. Create 11 questions for your 5-11 nominees 
6. Contact your nominees and let them know that you nominated them

My Nominees

 

Bonnie over at Bonnie Kathryn Kinders & Beyond has an adorable blog, which is not only appealing to the eye but she also has wonderful ideas and products! I also teach at a private Christian school, so we share something in common. She has great ideas and I am her newest follow! I am looking forward to reading her future posts!

 

Karry over at Yay for PreK! has a cute blog name and also great products and ideas! In her About Me sections, she stated, "I have found SOOOO many great PreK blogs, but sometimes the ideas and materials are too simple for my PreKers. So, I decided to start my own blog to keep track of my lessons and connect with other PreK teachers!" I agree with this statement and find that although there are tons of wonderful kindergarten blogs, I would like to see more Pre-K4 blogs! 

Jamie over at Play to Learn Preschool has such a cute blog! I love her posts about her five favorite books, according to the theme the children are working on! I love visiting her blog to see what's happening in her classroom. Each post is well written and inspiring! You would never guess that the adorable classroom was in her house! 

 Mrs. O'Donnell over at The Crazy Pre-K Classroom has a variety of posts to inspire Pre-K teachers. She also is a Christian Pre-K teacher, which I already feel an immediate connection with! I am her newest follower!

Paula over at Learn + Play = PreK has a wonderful hands-on approach to teaching! Her classroom looks like a lot of fun! She also has wonderful products geared toward Pre-K students and young learners. 

11 Random Facts About Myself

1. I am engaged & getting married on 12/12/14.

2. My favorite color is green.

3. My favorite season is summer because I love to be at the beach and boating on lakes!

4. I have 2 younger sisters.

5. I was a premature baby- weighing 2lbs. 3oz.

6. I am a dog lover. I want a chocolate lab someday soon!

7. I babysit part-time 3 days a week, in addition to being a full-time teacher. 

8. My favorite stores are: Marshalls, The Loft, & The Limited.

9. I love dark chocolate covered almonds!

10. I was in Girl Scouts during my elementary years, with my mom being the Girl Scout Leader.

11. I play softball in elementary school, middle school, and high school. 

11 Questions From Elyse

1: When did you know you wanted to become a teacher? I knew I wanted to be a teacher in elementary school. My favorite after school and summer activity was to play school with the day care children my mom watched. In my 6th grade yearbook, under each students name it listed what we wanted to be when we grew up, and it says "teacher". It's a neat keepsake to see that after all these years, I never changed my mind. 

2: How long have you been teaching and in what grades? This is my eight years teacher and I have taught Pre-K4 all eight years. 

3: What is your favorite grade level and subject to teach? Right now, Pre-K is my favorite, although I would love to teacher Kindergarten or 1st.  I also loved 4th grade when I was student teaching. My favorite subject is math- it was when I was in school and is my favorite to teach! 

4: Do you make products for TpT or TN? If so, which is your favorite product you have made and why? Yes, I made products for TpT. Picking my favorite product it tough, but I think my favorite product is: February Simply Print Pre-K & Kindergarten Math & Literacy Printables

5: How long have you been blogging and what got you started/motivated? I started to build my blog and started blogging on December 10, 2013. Being a teacher, is not only my profession but it is my passion and career, so naturally it is a joy and hobby of mine to create educational resources for my students, share my lesson ideas with others, connect with others and get inspiration from their ideas and experiences in the classroom. With this being said, I wanted to create a bigger outlet where I can share, inspire, and connect with others and that's how my blog "I is for Inspire" came about. 

6: What is your favorite blog post that either you've written or someone else wrote that inspired you? One of my favorite posts were by Rachel from The Tattooed Teacher, about how to fix being a no-reply blogger. Amanda from Collaboration Cuties, informed me that I was a no-reply blogger and when someone comments on your blog, and you reply, they don't know it. So, unless someone remembers to go back to your blog, they won't see it.  If you're a no-reply blogger they can't reply to your comment through e-mail and strike up a conversation. This was HUGE to me, because I of course wanted to be able to communicate back and forth with other bloggers! I also wrote a post on fixing this problem too, since what I viewed on blogger was a tad different than what I saw in Rachel's tutorial. 

7: What is your favorite part of the day? Noon- When I feel most productive and if it is the weekend, I love to be outside or out & about at this time. 

8: What are your favorite get-me-through-the-day items (food, drinks, supplies, etc.)? Coffee, dark chocolate, my laptop, my iPhone, and my papermonster laminator. 

9: How do you and your students have fun each day? I try to make my students laugh, especially during a greats story! I also love to play great educational songs from youtube & other website, where I encourage my students dance, move, and sing!

10: What do you do for fun outside of school (hobbies, entertainment, etc.)? I love to shop, go out to eat, blog, be with my fiancé, friends and family. In the summer I love to be by water everyday, whether it is the ocean, a pool, or a lake! I also snowboard and play softball here and there. 

11: Tell us about one of your all-time favorite teaching stories! A favorite story is tough because I feel that I have wonderful stories each week in ways that my students touch my heart, but I do have a story about a student who touched my heart in so many ways. I had {insert student's name} for two years and I saw him grow so much within those two years. He had motor difficulties and attention difficulties, and while I closely worked with his parents, I watched him make progress each and every week. He also had such a wealth of knowledge about a variety of topics, and my aide and I would love listening to him share his experiences and stories. Although he didn't like to do activities that required 'work' with fine-motor skills (i.e. cutting, tracing, writing), he absolutely loved to learn! I can still hear his adorable laugh in my head! He also had a smile that lights up the room, and when I get a chance to see him in the hallway, he still does!  He is now in 1st grade and doing wonderful. Without a doubt, I walk away with a piece of each of my students when they move onto kindergarten, but this boy helped me grow as a teacher and currently stands out in my mind. 

11 Questions for My Nominees

1. Who inspired you to be a teacher and/or when did you know you wanted to be a teacher? 

2. Why did you decide to start blogging?

3. What are your 3 favorite online shopping websites?

4. How did you learn how to blog/ set-up your own page?

5.  What is your favorite post you’ve ever written? (Please provide a link!)

6. What is one thing you want to accomplish by this time next year?

7. If you had an unlimited budget, what would you purchase for your classroom?

8. How did you get your first teaching position and in what grade/subject? (i.e. applying by paper, online, knowing someone...)

9. What is your favorite place to buy school clothes? 

10. What are your hobbies other than blogging? 

11. What is your favorite book(s) to read to your students in the beginning of the school year?