Wow! I was actually nominated by two different people for the Liebster Award! A huge thanks goes out to Marine at Tales From A Very Busy Teacher and The Babbling Box! Make sure you click on their blog names to be taken directly to their site. This award is given to up and coming bloggers with 200 or less followers. I began this blog because I saw a great need for middle school teachers to share their ideas and classroom tips. Sadly, there isn't much out there for middle school teachers (at least in the blogging world and Teachers Pay Teachers could also use a bigger middle school presence.) I would love to see the blogging world "blow up" with talented, generous middle school teachers who are passionate about what they do, who they teach, and continuing their careers as life-long learners. Let's start the chain reaction! Here are the rules for the Liebster Award… 1. You must post 11 random things about yourself. 2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you. 3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate. 4. Choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them in your post. 5. You cannot “tag back” the other blog, but leave a comment on this post with the URL of your Liebster post so I can learn more about you & see whom you nominate. 11 random things about me: 1. My middle name is Rose, but it should be "Sarcastic". 2. I twirl my hair ALL THE TIME! 3. I played the flute and piccolo in high school and college. 4. I am borderline obsessed with making burlap wreaths right now. 5. I enjoy organizing everything. I would consider it a hobby (sad, I know...) 6. I have a weakness for Baskin-Robbins and it was also my first job. 7. I just recently earned my Masters in Multidisciplinary Science from Texas Tech University. 8. I have many teachers, or people who were involved in education in some way, in my family. 9. I coached girls athletics for 6 years. 10. I love teaching middle school. 11. I hate to sweat, hence the avoidance of working out. Questions for Me from Tales From a Very Busy Teacher 1. What is your favorite thing to teach? Chemistry 2. Do you have any pets? If so, describe them! I have a cat named Bailey that I got 11 years ago from Katie over at Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher 3. How long have you been teaching? 12 years 4. Coke or Pepsi? Coke (but can I add a splash of Crown?) 5. What was the last vacation you were able to enjoy? Jamaica, mon! 6. What changes would you like to see in education? The needless paperwork is getting out of hand. 7. If you had an endless amount of time and money, what would you do in your classroom? Tear out all of the old lab tables and install new ones, add some sort of built in storage and get rid of the rats. 8. What other grades/subjects would you like to teach in your career? I've thought about high school science... :) 9. What is your favorite genre of reading? I love reading stories about the Holocaust and pretty much any fiction. 10. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Everything...from K-LOVE to Rap/R&B. Right now, I really like Mumford and Sons 11. Biggest pet peeve: people who drive/walk slow Questions for me from The Babbling Box: 1. How long have you been blogging? A little over a year 2. Why did you start blogging? I originally wanted a way to communicate with my students and their parents, so I created a classroom blog, but then I added this one later. 3. If you weren't teaching, what would you be doing? hmmmm...I have no idea. 4. How long have you been teaching? 12 years 5. Pepsi or Coke? Can I have a Dr. Pepper instead? 6. What is your favorite recipe or thing to cook? Land-O-Lakes Best Ever Butter Cookies 7. What is your dream vacation? Fiji, but I've always wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands 8. What are your favorite TV shows? All reality shows (all of the Real Housewives, Top Chef, Duck Dynasty) 9. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Driving around looking at Christmas lights in my jammies with the Christmas music cranked up in the car 10. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? to be invisible 11. What is your most embarrassing moment teaching? I embarrass myself on a daily basis, so it's hard to say. I have to keep the kids attention somehow, right?!?!? My nominated blogs: 1. Everybody is a Genius 2. Teaching Tweens 3. Science, Etc. 4. 4mula Fun 5. Teaching in a Small Town 6. Middle School Matters 7. The Simply Scientific Classroom 8. Little Miss Middle School 9. Oh Miss Teacher 10. Kate's Classroom Cafe 11. Cindy's Curriculum Corner Questions for my nominated blogs: 1. How long have you been teaching? 2. What is your most disgusting habit? 3. How much time do you spend in one week blogging or looking at other people's blogs? 4. What is your proudest accomplishment? 5. Favorite beverage? 6. Teaching tool you couldn't live without? 7. What is your favorite snack? 8. If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be? 9. What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? 10. Why do you blog? 11. Do your students or friends have a nickname for you? What is it? Thank you again for the nominations! :) I love to have new followers! :)