Liebster

Wow! I need to thank Jessica at Joy in the Journey for nominating our blog for the Liebster Award. This whole blogging thing is so new to me, but I sure do love it. It is nice to know that others enjoy our blog and all of my craziness sometimes, too. Thank you!

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is to show new bloggers that they are appreciated and to help spread the word about new blogs.

The Rules:

• You must post 11 random things about yourself.
• Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
• Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
• Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers and link them in your post.)
• No tag back, but please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you!

Random things about me...

1. Random thing number 1...I typed this entire post and when I went to publish, well... one error code and one too many back keys later, and I lost the whole post. So I really must warn you; my first post was so much wittier and original and just down right hilarious. I am so sorry that it was lost out in the blog-osphere...
2. I have four wonderful children that I am so proud of! But secretly, when I look at them, I think to myself that there is just no darn way that I am old enough to have four almost grown children. Holy Cow!
3. I was in the Air Force an whole separate life time ago. In basic training when you get to list your "preferences" for duty, I listed Florida or California or anywhere that had a nice warm beach. They sent me to ALASKA!
4. In February, I will have been married to the crazy and unpredictable Mr. Dunn for 20, yes...TWENTY, years! Guess where we met!? Alaska!
5. If you had told me when I was a kid, that I would grow up to become a teacher, I would have told you that you were crazy. I was about as mediocre as they come, a true wall flower, please don't notice me sort of kid, and the thought of making a life out of school - well... it never crossed my mind. But I can promise you that, now, I could NOT imagine doing anything else!
6. Hi...my name is Tina, and I am a book hoarder. My friend, Linda, just helped me come up with that one. LOL
7. How about...my name is Tina, and I am a book sniffer! Yes, I said book sniffer, and do not sit there and pretend for one moment that the smell of a brand new book is not the most amazing smell ever! I mean the smell of new, crisp paper and glue and ink and the promise of new things to come! Can't get any better, but I must warn you. NEVER stick your nose between the pages of an old or used book; you do NOT know where it has been! (And if you are a true book sniffer, you have accidentally stuck your nose between said pages of a wrong book or two and lived to regret it.)
8. My favorite punctuation mark is the ellipsis...I tend to overuse it. My second favorite punctuation mark; however, is the completely underrated and underused semicolon. Does that make me a nerd?
9. I am a self-proclaimed nerd. Look at that...one random thought led to another random thought!
10. I love everything about flower gardens except the work it takes to maintain them. And my favorite vine is the wisteria vine, even though as I type this, it is out there right now diabolically consuming the grass garden that used to be my beautiful flower bed.
11. Oh. my. gosh...(read that really slow and drawn out for full effect please) I have had about all I can take of randomness for one night...let's see if I can spit out one more. People at work often tell me I am very organized, but if they saw me at home, they would never say that. I guess once I leave the building any organization I have (if I really have any) stays behind. 

Questions from Jessica at Joy in the Journey...

1. What grade do you teach and how long have you taught this particular grade? Fourth grade...whoop whoop! This is my 8th year.
2. Do you prefer warm weather or cold weather? The hotter the better. I am a southern girl, through and through.
3. What is your favorite subject to teach? Why? Anything reading or writing. I flip flop between the two all the time, but they are both my true passion.
4. How do you incorporate technology in the classroom? This blog is one way, but we could not live without our SmartBoard or Ipod
5. What's your favorite activity on a rainy afternoon? Hmmmm...reading!
6. What's the best book you've read recently? An Echo in the Bone
7. What's your most successful classroom management strategy? I cannot think of one strategy in particular, but the Responsive Classroom approach, as a whole, has been the best thing I have ever done.
8. What time do you wake up on a typical weekday morning? 5:15ish but it takes two alarms and about 4 or 5 snoozes to get me up.
9. What, if anything, do you give your students for Christmas? Can't say yet. Sneaky kids are probably reading this now ;p
10. Do you decorate your classroom for the holidays? Not much. I am a bit of a Scrooge, but I did put lights on the silk tree we have in our room all year.
11. What's your favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with the Flamingos, but a hot, sandy beach is best!

Questions for my nominees...

1. What grade do you teach, and how long have you been teaching?
2. Where are you currently teaching?
3. If you were not a teacher, what would be your dream job?
4. What is your favorite adult book?
5. What is your favorite kid book?
6. If you could meet any author, who would it be and why?
7. Why did you start blogging?
8. How did you come up with the name for your blog?
9. If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
10. Are you an early bird or night owl?
11. As you sit here blog hopping and answering questions from a random stranger, (just kidding) what are you thinking in the back of your mind you should really be doing right now?

Blogs I'm nominating...

The Third Grade Jamboree
Room 4 Imagination
First in Fifth
My Teacher Friend
Encouraging Patience
Everything's Peachy in 4th Grade
My Life as Little Miss...
Teaching Reading Between the Lines
Teach-On
Adventures in Teaching
Second Grade Spots and Dots

Don't forget to leave me a link to your blog when you've answered! I can't wait to read more about you, and I hope you enjoyed learning a little something about me.

Happy Reading!