The
Liebster Award is given to beginning bloggers to help acknowledge up and coming
blogs. Upon receiving the nomination, the blogger answers 11 questions to help
their followers get to know them better. Then, I will have a chance to nominate
11 other bloggers!
1.
Why and how long ago did you start
blogging?
I am in my
fourth year of teaching and felt like I gained so many insights and ideas from
year one by reading blogs and implementing some of these great ideas and
strategies into my classroom. My friend and I decided to enter the blogging
world together but decided our individual blogs would fit us better. It makes
it easier to connect with others and share about our individual qualities that
contribute to our teaching lives. So, I started my blog, Once Upon a Classroom:
A Teacher’s Tales in February 2015 (3 months ago). I pour my heart and soul
into my students and my classroom, so I wanted to start blogging to connect
with other teachers near and far and collaborate in our mighty mission
together!
2.
What one word sums up the heart of
your blog and why?
Learning! I
get so excited about my students’ learning and my own learning. One thing I
love about our profession is that we all share our best ideas to impact
students beyond our classrooms. Likewise,
I have learned so much from other bloggers that I have connected with through
linky parties, bloggy book studies, and supporting each other. I try to make
sure that in almost every post, readers will leave my blog with a new idea,
tip, or resource they could bring to their teaching!
3.
Is there something you learned late
in your blogging journey you wished you knew before?
I used to
be hesitant to post about ideas that I thought might be too small of an idea or
something others might not have a need for. However, I have found that
sometimes the smallest ideas can make a big influence on a lesson or classroom
environment. I feel much more comfortable sharing all different types of ideas
and tips that have influenced my teaching and my students.
4.
What is your favorite pastime other
than blogging?
I
love spending time with my husband – We enjoy serving together at church,
making a fire outside, going for walks and bike rides, and exploring new
places. I am blessed to live near my family and spend time with them. I also
love listening to country music and decorating!
5.
How many hours a week do you
dedicate to your blog/TPT?
To
be very honest, I spent a ton of time on my students and my classroom, so this
is a balancing act that has taken me some time to figure out. It has helped me
to have a schedule and stick to it as best I can. I spent a lot time blogging
on Monday nights, Thursday nights, and one day over the weekend. The other
nights I spend either reading, researching, creating, and sharing on social
media. My goal is to be able to find more of schedule for creating because I
would like to create more to share with others and use with my students going
forward.
6.
What category of blog posts do you
enjoy most?
I
really believe that a classroom teacher is a master of many trades! We teach
many different subjects, develop character and community, use a wide-range of
instructional strategies to maximize learning, and so much more! Therefore, I
feel enriched by so many different types of posts… It is hard to narrow it down
to one category… Some of my top favorites are classroom community, classroom
management, technology, and tips/resources for challenging skills for students
in reading/math.
7.
Where does your blog inspiration
come from?
My
inspiration comes from my students and happenings in my classroom. I enjoy
sharing what has inspired learning in my students and been impactful in their
second grade experience. I also share about what I have learned from other
teachers and bloggers.
8.
Which post that you’ve written are
you most proud of?
I
would say my first Tech Tuesday post! I started my first linky party 2.5 months
ago, and it has been such fun! I have been able to get to know bloggers that
have linked up each week more closely. Other bloggers have linked up once or
twice, and it led me to their blogs. Additionally, I have learned about so many
more tech resources to integrate into the classroom. I have also learned how to
use technology differently when it comes to blogging and creating. I am so
excited to continue to connect with other bloggers in this way whether it be
technology or another topic.
9.
Is there a post you have been
planning to do but have been postponing it for a while now?
I
have been hoping to post about classroom community and classroom management.
Developing a strong relationships and community is what I believe truly helps
my students love to be at school. I think I will do more posts about this topic
at the beginning of the school year rather than the end of the school year. It
is something I build on all year long in my classroom.
10.
What is your favorite aspect of
blogging?
My
favorite aspect about blogging is connecting with other teachers. I am so
excited to meet so many of the bloggers that inspire me at the TPT Conference
this summer. I learn so much from these wonderful teachers and feel like
blogging only increases my passion for teaching.
11.
Which idea from a blog would you
like to try yourself?
A
month ago, Diana at mydayink posted about an app Chatterpix. We haven’t be able
to get this app on our iPads yet, but I think it could be a quick/easy app to
use for students to bring their projects to life and share what they know. I
would love to offer it as a project choice for our inquiry projects, especially
when students share about animals or leading people (George Washington), etc.
It would take them less time than making a whole movie but get the information
across in an engaging way! To learn about Chatterpix from Diana, click on her blog name above!
Now
I nominate these wonderful teacher bloggers:
10.
Mrs.3rd Grade
The
Rules to Receiving this Award are:
-Link
back to the blog that nominated you
-Answer
the 11 questions posted by the nominator
-Nominate
5-11 people (blogs with followers less than 200 followers) and link to them in
your post
-Contact
the nominees and let them know they have been nominated
Thanks
for reading!
Oh Marie! I am honored! Thank you so much! Love reading your sweet blog! Eek! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Marie! I loved reading your post and learning a little more about you. I think your blogging schedule is fantastic and I'm hoping it will inspire me to do the same. I really need to adapt a schedule and get my blog posts/ideas more organized! Your Tech Tuesday posts are great, I love learning about what's happening in your classroom. Slowly, I'm going to get more comfortable using new technology in my room...it's a goal of mine! Thanks for another great post, I'm looking forward to reading more in the future. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteJayme
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