Budding Blog Link Up

http://iheartrecess.blogspot.com/2013/05/may-budding-blog-linky.html

Since I've got way less than 200 followers I decided to participate in another linky party.  Thanks
I {Heart} Recess for coming up with a way to help out little blogs like myself.  :)  I will totally be checking out other bloggers through this.


1. Why did you start blogging?
I actually started blogging for the purpose of keeping people updated on my experience teaching in rural Alaska.  When I graduated from University of Indianapolis, my amazing alma mater, I was looking for adventure and applied to a school district in southwest Alaska.  I was contacted all of June and the day before I took a mission trip to Mexico I got the call offering me my dream grades 3/4.  Because all of my friends and family wanted to keep in touch during my adventure here I started this little blog.  Now it's also blossomed into a way to network with other teachers and become inspired to be more creative in the classroom.

2. What is your favorite subject to teach and why?

My favorite subject to teach hands down is reading.  I LOVE to teach reading for all sorts of reasons.  Seeing the light bulb go off for emerging readers.  Gauging student growth.  Tying all sorts of other subjects with reading. Introducing students to new worlds such as Narnia, Wonderland, and District Twelve.  That you can escape everything going on and escape with a book.

“At one magical instant in your early childhood, the page of a book—that string of confused, alien ciphers—shivered into meaning. Words spoke to you, gave up their secrets; at that moment, whole universes opened. You became, irrevocably, a reader.”  -Alberto Manguel

3. Describe your teaching style.
That's absolutely the hardest question to ask me, because daily I think it changes.  As an indvidual, I'm a person that is not very structured, silly, and spontaneous... but in the classroom I'm the opposite.  I have specific times and routines that my kids have come to love and implement when I'm gone.  I love when my kids look at the clock and tell me it's time for AR reading time.  Or that it's time for us to do our science experiment.  How I usually instruct in my current position is using the "I Do, You Do, We Do" method, but I'm flexible with my kids needs. I personally enjoy being a facilitator rather than an instructor.  Finally, I make it a goal to have my class thrive on group work because I was blessed to have teachers and college professors that exposed me to classrooms that had a great sense of community.

4. Give three interesting facts about you.

• I know 3 different languages pretty well.  Yup'ik, sign language, and Spanish pretty conversationally fluently.  My ASL and Spanish are a little rusty after 3 years.
• I read magazines from the back to the front.  I started doing that when I was in high school because I got tired of flipping through a million ads.
• If I hadn't been a teacher I would have been a wedding/event planner.  I love finding ideas for baby showers, birthday parties, and weddings.  ESPECIALLY on Pinterest.  It's kinda my favorite thing to do other than teaching.

5. Do you have a TpT store?
I do have a TPT store, but I have yet to utlize it.  That's a goal I have for this summer and next year.  I will actually be creating my first freebie this weekend!  I'm super excited.  Stay tuned!