Diving In and Making a Splash!: Tag... You're It!!!!

Whew… last week was one grueling week! I won’t go into too much detail other than parent-teacher conferences, formal observation (plus pre and post conferences), data inundation, misbehaving students (full moon?), meetings galore, sickness, and complete, total, utter exhaustion. To sum it up in one word: Stress.FULL! I’m looking forward to a much more laid-back week this week (and a long weekend)! J

Miss Russell over at Thoughts of a Student Teacher has asked me to be part of a little bloggy-tag game… and now I’m it! Here are the questions that I was asked to answer:

1. If you could move anywhere and teach, where would it be?

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

3. What is one of your most memorable teaching moments?

4. What is your favorite restaurant to eat out at?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. What is your biggest fear?

7. What is the hardest thing about teaching?

8. What is your biggest pet peeve?

9. How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a teacher?

10. Do you prefer salty or sweet things?

11. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you bought?

12. What is your biggest piece of advice to future teachers?

And, here are my answers...

1. I think it would be absolutely wonderful to have the experience of teaching in another country (or continent)! Since I was in 2^nd grade, it has been my dream to travel to Australia. I would love to experience what it’s like “down under” and be completely immersed in another culture. But, on the flip side of things, I do love it here in Colorado! It’s nice to be so close to my family and friends, as they’ve been my support system through everything. As long as I have kiddos to teach and am surrounded by loving people, I honestly think I’d be happy teaching anywhere! J

2. I used to be a stickler for wanting to teach

just 2^nd grade since that was such a magical year for me, but with such a wide variety of experiences in each of the grade levels, I’ve realized that there is something to love about teaching each grade! Each year, from beginning to end, it’s amazing to me how much kids learn and grow! They grow academically, physically, and emotionally and it is such a wonderful experience to be part of their journeys. If you create a positive, supportive classroom environment, there’s no limit as to what incredible things kids can do!

3. Each and every one of my favorite memories have been moments of realization… moments when I’ve laughed until I cried… and moments when I’ve cried until I laughed. These are the moments that changed the way I look at life and serve as inspiration when times get tough. These moments are ones where I can truly say, “I am a teacher and I am proud to be making a difference!” My hope is that you can experience these moments too (even though I’m sure you already have)! Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions and I know that there is nothing that I’d rather be doing than that!

4. I'd have to say it's a tie between Chili's and Outback Steakhouse! At Chili's, I love the chips and queso and their Guiltless Chicken Platter (I think they call it Magarita Chicken now)! At Outback, there's nothing better than a well-done filet mignon steak and a Wallaby Darned (a yummy peach drink). Simply MmmmAzing!

5. It’s a tie between 3 people… Paul Walker, Owen Wilson, and Hugh Grant. Find me a guy with the perfect mix of those 3 and I’d marry him! ;-)

6. Hmmm… that’s a tough one. I guess I’d have to say fear of failure. I always put forth 100% effort into everything I do, but sometimes I fear that it may not be enough.

7. Everything! Haha. Only kidding. Teaching is a very demanding job though. It’s extremely hard to find a balance and not let the petty things get to you. Every day presents a new challenge, but you must embrace it with a positive attitude and an open mind!

8. Negativity. When things change, it’s easy to react to them in a negative way. However, it’s important to remember that change is something that cannot be controlled – it is a constant. As my swim coach used to say, “You can only change two things in life… your attitude and your underwear!” Why not control the way in which you react to change? Since change is a constant, wouldn’t it be better to be open-minded and positive about it? I believe that it’s important to lift up, rather than tear down the people who surround you. Why not spread the sunshine everywhere you go? J

9. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I was really young, but my dream first began as a marine biologist. I absolutely loved dolphins and wanted to know everything about all the creatures that lived in the ocean. Whatever career I chose, I knew that it had to be something where I could help other people or animals. It wasn’t until high school when I started spending lots of my time volunteering in local elementary schools. This is when I realized that I loved working with kids! It was amazing to see the excitement these children experienced from learning and working together. I knew that this was something I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to make a difference, just like all the teachers I had met were doing, and just as my teachers had done for me. This is when I knew that teaching was 100% the right choice for me!

10. If you know me personally, you would definitely know the answer to this one… SWEETS, of course! J I get made fun of all the time at lunch because of my “little kid palette.” I’ve even created a daily feature called “What’s in Chelsea’s Lunchbox Today?” where I showcase all the items in my lunchbox and see if anyone can guess what I brought for lunch that day. It usually consists of: fruit snacks, Dunkaroos (yes, they still exist!), cosmic brownies, goldfish, some sort of candy/chocolate for dessert… you get the point (Although, I have to admit, I am trying to be a bit healthier). And, my favorite food, you may ask? Ice cream, of course! J

11. Good question… I can’t say that I really know the answer to this… Assuming that what I won would be millions upon millions of dollars, and I would be swimming in cash (wishful thinking – I knowJ), I would probably buy some “basic” things like new clothes (a new pair of jeans, some work clothes, some workout clothes, etc.), a new laptop, and a document camera and projector for my classroom. I would love to buy a plane ticket and travel to various destinations across the globe – Australia, Europe (Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Italy…), the Caribbean… the possibilities are endless! All selfishness aside, I would give a good portion of my winnings to my parents. They have been so supportive of everything I’ve done, so I would make sure that they’d receive a substantial amount to spend on whatever they see fit (eg. a new house, a relaxing vacation, etc.). I’d set some money aside for my future children and then I’d donate the rest to non-profit charities that make a huge difference in our communities and schools.

12. I am a new teacher, but I still have a lot of advice… hehe. First of all, find a balance. Take time for yourself, friends, family, and work. Enjoy every single moment and find something to smile about every single day! I keep a notebook of all the funny things kids say to me and notes that they give me. It keeps me going on tough days and always makes me smile and appreciate that I am making a difference! J Most importantly, don’t lose sight of the big picture! It’s easy to get caught up in petty things, but remember what you are there for…. to inspire and encourage children to be the best that they can be every single day! Always remember to keep moving forward and never give up. Believe that you can succeed and you will!

Now it’s my turn to ask some questions to learn more about my awesome bloggy friends! Here are 12 questions that I would love for you to answer:

1. What is one of your favorite books from your professional library? And from your personal library? Why are they amongst your favorites?

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

3. What’s your secret to motivating kids to learn?

4. What is your dream vacation?

5. What do you like to do in your spare time (all teaching aside)?

6. If you have a pet, what kind of pet do you have and why did you choose it? If you don’t have a pet, what kind of pet would you get and why?

7. What is your most prized possession and why?

8. What is your favorite song? Does it have any significance in your life?

9. What has been your biggest challenge so far in your teaching career?

10. What is your favorite grade level to teach and why?

11. What is your most memorable teaching moment?