Gooooooooood Morning 2013!

I am so excited for 2013. I know it is going to be a great year! Make sure you head over to The Teachers Cauldron to link up for this awesome linky party!

Personal

• Make sure I have mapped out my objectives and lessons for the week on Saturdays.
• Get more active in the school activities!
• My desk needs some serious organization...

Blog

• Post more!! I have been MIA (for good reason, see my previous post) but I plan on posting AT LEAST once a week, if not more. 
• Get more teacher blog friends!

Fitness

• I am going to leave this one blank for right now. I have had some blood work done today to find out what is going on with me (i.e: Celiac's Disease) before I list some goals! 

 

Now go link up! Happy 2013 Everyone :)

12 in 12 Linky Party!

A Teeny Tiny Teacher has launched their second annual Linky Party. This year you answer 12 questions about what you did in 2012! You can hook up here:

12. Favorite Movie You Watched: 

This movie was delicious. Seriously. Best Daniel Craig Bond film and very close to being the best Bond film ever. Plus the theme song is so sexy. Adele's voice is so amazing. The film's main villain (I won't spoil! Promise!) was utterly creepy and oozing with evilness. Loved it! I recommend you watch the film when you get the chance. You won't regret it (like *Ahhem* Quantum of Solace).

11. Favorite TV Series: 
I love all of the Real Housewives shows but I decided to go with a non-reality show. I feel as though we are getting inundated with realityesque shows. Time to get back to well written sitcoms. Now, I love me some Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, and Modern Family; but the show that both my boyfriend and I can enjoy TOGETHER is Subguratory.

This girl is exactly like me. It is kind of weird actually. Her father is played by the actor who played Elton in Clueless (hottie!).

10. Favorite Restaurant:

I love burritos. I love burritos so much that if burritos were a man, I would marry him and slowly eat him until I died and he was eaten.

Seriously.

9. Favorite New Thing You Have Tried: 

I got a groupon for hot yoga near my workplace and I thought, what the hell why not? Oh boy oh boy! I loved it. The classes are 75 minutes long and I feel all the crap and bad vibes just sweat out of my body and into the universe. The room is not insanely hot but warm enough to feel good when it is about 30 degrees out with a wind chill making it even colder. Try it! You can usually find a great groupon or livingsocial.

8. Favorite Gift You Have Received: 

 
 
The boyfriend gave this to me for Christmas this year. This is a great little tablet! Makes packing much easier now that I don't have to bring my laptop with me everywhere. Plus, I can bring it to work and use the Office Suite program on it to take notes during meetings.

7. Favorite Thing You Pinned: 
I am going to keep this one secret because it is on my secret board :-p I don't want people knowing about it until I am ready to share it with you!

6. Favorite Blog Post: 
Honestly, this one. I have not been able to updated as much due to family problems (see my earlier post).

5. Favorite Accomplishment:
Making it through my first year of teaching and actually wanting to come back for a second year!

4. Favorite Picture:
n/a

3. Favorite Memory:
All of my memories with my grandmother, who passed away in October. I think about her many times of day and I keep those memories close to me.

2. Goal for 2013:
To update more, finally get my butt into gear health-wise and focus on more student-centered learning in the classroom! I know that it says one goal but I can't just choose one.

1. One Little Word:
Humble.

Link up so I can see your 12 in 12 as well!   

 

Liebster Award!

I know that double posting is a no-no here in the blogsphere but seriously, I got the Liebster Award! Shout out to Christy at Crayons and Whimsy for giving me this award on December 5th. I am obviously way behind on checking out my comments. Thank you again Christy!

The Rules:

• You must post 11 random things about yourself
• Answer the questions the nominator set for you
• Create 11 questions for the people you nominate
• Choose 11 blogs you love with less then 200 followers and link them
• No tag back

11 Random Things about me:

1. I love to cook! It is one thing that my Grandmother and I bonded over.
2. I have a cockroach phobia. Legit.
3. I love the freezing cold weather (below 30F) even though I complain about it.
4. Burritos are my favorite foods.
5. I "adopted" three freshman football players this year as part of our mentor program at our school.
6. I am a master gift wrapper. I am fantastic with the bows.
7. I am addicted to Pepsi Max.
8. I have fallen in love with hot yoga even though I hate sweating. Hot Yoga is so relaxing!
9. I am terrified to take my Principles of Teaching and Learning Praxis exam...
10. I want to get my PhD in History from George Washington.
11. I am a die-hard Chicago Bears and Florida State Seminoles fan!

Now the questions from Christy:

1. How long have you been teaching? 2 years and going strong! 
2. What is your favorite thing about being a teacher? Witnessing that moment when it finally "clicks" in my students' heads. I love that moment! 
3. What is your favorite grade to teach? Well I have only taught 9th grade, but I would really love to teach 12th next year. I am an expert in British Literature!
4. What type of lesson planner do you use? I use the plain old paper and pencil. I got a great planner from Barnes and Noble this year. I love it!
5. Do you have any hobbies? Cooking. I have started taking fancy pictures of my culinary creations and I would like to start scrapbooking to pass it down. 
6. What is your favorite place to travel? Europe!
7. If you were stranded on a desert island tell me 3 things you would take with you. My boyfriend Christopher, global cell phone to call for a ride off the island and 100spf sunscreen. I don't like the sun and it doesn't like me lol. 
8. What was the last book you read and did you like it? I read, for the 2493574987 time, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire over the weekend because I wanted a break from the school stuff. I loved it!
9. What is your favorite food? BURRITOS!
10. Do you watch TV? If so, what is your favorite show? I have soooo many. Let's see: Modern Family, Subguratory, PLL, Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl (RIP), Sopranos (RIP), and Real Housewives.
11. What is your favorite app? Pinterest...it is dangerous.

It has been awhile...

My apologies for not updating in a very long time. These last few months have been, for lack of a better word, hell on Earth. I received two phone calls within 48 hours of each other that no one wants to receive: I lost a beloved Grandmother and Great Uncle to cancer at the end of October. My world was shattered. My Grandmother was instrumental in my upbringing and was a very large part of my life. We talked nearly every week, if not multiple times a week. I have not been the same since I lost her. I have started going once a week to the grief center here in Washington, DC and it has been getting better, ie: I am not crying every 2 hours and I am actually bathing again. I have finally gotten some of my motivation back in the past few weeks so that means more blog updates! I would really like to share my ideas for the Hero unit I have coming up based around the story The Odyssey. Look forward to another update next week as I start planning my introductory lessons! As always, I love comments :)