Catching Up On My Homework / Sunshine Blog Post
Over the past few weeks by Feedly & Twitter have exploded with “Do Your Homework” or “Sunshine Blog” posts. This chain post makes me all nostalgic for the 90’s Hotmail chain emails that circulated so frequently… (you know those ones where the teenage version of yourself sat answering random questions and carefully selecting the perfect emoticon or font colour to accent your response). Fast forward to 2013/2014 and it seems like I’ve found the adult/”professional” version of that.
I’ve really enjoyed the posts that I’ve read from people in my PLN. Our conversations so often focus only on education and I’ve loved getting to know more about everyone! In case you haven’t seen these posts circulating about, here is how it all works:
1 ) Acknowledge the nominating blogger(s)
2 ) Share 11 random facts about yourself
3 ) Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has
created for you
4 ) Nominate 11 bloggers to continue the post. They should
be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition & a little
blogging love!
5 ) Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate
Nominating Bloggers
I was actually nominated by both Peter Jory (I Have an Opinion About Learning) and Mary Bertram (To Teach Is To Learn). I’ve found both Peter and Mary through the Twitter world over the past two years, although I can’t exactly remember when. One of Peter’s first blog posts that I read was, What Do Principals Look For When They Hire, which immediately enthralled me as an education student; I appreciated his transparency and re-read that post several times before I began interviewing for jobs. I connected with Mary when she was finishing up her education degree and I was starting mine so we connected easily and have even been able to meet up at the BYTE Conference together! She’s been a great mentor through this journey and I look forward to learning even more! Both of these bloggers are excellent additions to you PLN and I recommend you explore their blogs and follow them on Twitter!
Share 11 Random Facts
1 ) I have three pets: a German-Shepherd cross named Kevin & two cats, Howie and Mr. Cuddles.
2 ) I absolutely love pizza, popcorn, and chocolate milk. I could eat these three things everyday without getting sick of them.
3 ) Clutter really bothers me. Putting away laundry, doing the dishes, or organizing groceries makes me really happy.
4 ) I play the piano, the tenor saxophone, and the clarinet and almost went to school to become a music teacher.
5 ) I have never played on any competitive sports team (even in school) and am very un-athletic in general.
6 ) I re-read books regularly and have a repertoire of approximately 8 books that I re-read EVERY year.
7 ) If absolutely love learning and the structure of school. If we lived in a community that had a university I would probably continue to take random classes my whole life. (I am hoping to get accepted into a Master’s Program for the upcoming year).
8 ) I can’t “tune in” to watch a show each week, I hate the suspense. I always wait until the season is done and then watch the whole season in an embarrassingly short amount of time.
9 ) My picture was featured on a Jones Soda bottle when I was a teenager. We even managed to find 6 of the bottles at random stores across our province.
10 ) I grew up hunting and trapping with my father, grandpa, & uncle. I still hunt every year and enjoy wild game more than beef (despite having married a beef farmer).
11 ) I love the idea of travelling the World but have only ever been to 4 provinces, Las Vegas, & Punta Cana.
Answer 11 Questions
– Since I was nominated by two different bloggers, and thus have two sets of questions, I have decided to pick and chose from both sets in order to create my 11 answers
1) If you could teach any grade/age what would it be and why?
– My dream position would be teaching upper years Social Studies classes… Grade 10 Geography, Grade 11 Canadian History, Grade 11/12 Global Issues, Grade 11/12 Topics in First Nations/Metis/Inuit Studies, Grade 11/12 Agriculture. Social Studies is my passion & these classes are so much more specialized than the lower years classes. Furthermore, I love the detailed conversations you can have with students at this age. Don’t get me wrong, every grade/age has its perks, but I will always prefer upper years.
2 ) When did you decide to do what you do?
– I decided that I wanted to be a teacher in junior high. I naturally loved learning and would seek out new learning opportunities independently and then share the new information with those around me. In high school, I began tutoring students in grades below me and volunteered at my old elementary school during my spares. I honestly can’t picture myself doing anything else besides teaching!
3 ) What is the 1 thing you hope your students gain from your teaching?
– As a teacher I want to do everything in my power to not only have my students learn the curriculum, but to also learn to value the learning process. Education opens up an infinite amount of opportunities and all students are capable of taking their learning to amazing heights. It is my hope that, through my position as a teacher, my students are able to enjoy the learning process and recognize the incredible things that they are all capable of achieving.
4 ) What makes you the proudest when you think of your work?
– This is a tough one for me… I think that when I look at my work I am most proud about knowing that I’ve given it my best effort, not “slacked” through any details, and am willing to learn more in order to improve in the future.
5 ) Whiteboard & projector or SMART Board?
– I personally have whiteboards along one length of my classroom as well as a SMART Board as a focal point in the room. I jump back & forth a lot between both as I like to have our schedule displayed daily on the white board while the SMART Board is used during the lesson itself. Honestly, my SMART Board has a lot of technically glitches that need to be addressed before I can use it more often (thank goodness for our tech department!)
6 ) Name your all-time favourite fictional character, and describe how that “person” has influenced you.
– My all time favourite fictional character would have to be Ayla from the Earth’s Children series by Jean Auel. I first read this series in Grade 6 and have probably read through the series in its entirety 7 or 8 times since. I would have to say that this character reaffirmed by love of all things social studies related and taught me that it is ok to be different and independent.
7 ) What is the first thing you’d purchase if you won the lottery?
– I know it doesn’t count as a “purchase” but I would first pay of my student loans. I don’t owe very much but I am still uncomfortable about the idea of debt and would like to get rid of it ASAP. After that, I’d love to go on a trip with my friends and family.
8 ) Describe a very public moment that didn’t work out for you.
– I can’t really think of anything specific off the top of my head… I’m sure there has been plenty of times where I’ve stumbled over my words or been completely off about something that I’ve been discussing but nothing is sticking out right now.
9 ) What is one thing that we can all do tomorrow to be better teachers?
– Never stop being a student.
10 ) Describe an event where you had a surprisingly brilliant time.
– I actually really enjoy staff meetings. I know that a lot of times teachers think that they can be a waste of time but I enjoy sitting down with our staff and discussing issues/topics that are mutually relevant to everyone in the room.
11 ) Quiet classroom or noisy classroom? Why?
– It depends on the situation and the class. I would say that my classroom usually has a 60-40 split with being more noisy 60% of the time and quiet 40% of the time. I encourage a lot of group work and inquiry so I have students up and about and collaborating a lot, which can be noisy.
11 Questions for Others
1 ) Weirdest or most obscure food you’ve ate.
2 ) What is the hardest thing about teaching?
3 ) Coffee or tea? Why?
4 ) What subject did you struggle with most when you were a student? What would you do if you had to teach it tomorrow?
5 ) Do you eat your lunch in your classroom with students or in the staffroom with colleagues?
6 ) Mac or PC?
7 ) What would make you get up and quit your job tomorrow?
8 ) If TVs, phones, and computers were wiped out tomorrow, what would you miss most? Why?
9 )What is one thing you would never go to work without?
10 ) Cat or dog person? Why?
11 ) What would your students/colleagues say is “your thing”?
11 Blogs I’ve Nominated (in no particular order)
– Tyler at ICTyler – @Tyler_JL
– Jennifer at 4mula Fun – @4mulaFun
– Dr. Will at Peoplegogy – @peoplegogy
– Ms. Julie at Southern Teacher WBT
– Emily at The Absolutely True Blog of an Almost Teacher
– Mr. Nantais at Mike’s Musing about Ed Tech – @miken_bu
– Zoe at Ms. Bettess – @ZBettess
– Nancy at Mrs. Stoltenberg’s Second Grade Class – @NancyStoltenber
– Dawn at Apples, Owls & Peppermint Mochas
– Mrs. D at Reading with Mrs. D
– Anna at Anna Educates – @anna_teach