Mrs. Hester's Classroom : Thanks!!

Well, I have been out of town for a while and then catching up on some things so I'm a little behind.

I was nominated for the Liebster Award - twice!

Thanks so much to Amy at middleschoolminions.blogspot.com and Robin at fliplearnshare.blogspot.com.

The Liebster Award is for blogs with less than 200 followers in order to promote that blog, show appreciation, and hopefully draw more followers. So fun!!

To accept the award you have to do a few things:

(1) Link Back to the Person that Nominated You

Thanks Amy at middleschoolminions.blogspot.com

and Robin fliplearnshare.blogspot.com!

(2) Answer the Questions from your Nominator

Since I have two nominators, I will answer a random conglomeration of their questions.

From Amy:

1. What made you interested in blogging?

I kept reading all these great ideas online and felt like I needed to contribute if I kept stealing :) Also, it helps me reflect on my teaching, while gaining great connections and feedback.

2. Share your favorite easy recipe after a work day.

Burgers and onion rings. YUMMMMM!!! It's probably so "easy" because the hubby grills the burgers. Is that cheating? haha :)

4. Where did you graduate from college and why did you pick that school?

The University of Arkansas - WOO PIG SOOIE! I originally said I didn't want to go there because it was fairly close to home, but when they offered to give me a full ride I couldn't say no. I'm so glad I ended up there (met my best friends and hubby!) and cannot image going anywhere else.

5. How do you deal with difficult students and parents?

Patiently. Often times, they just want to feel heard and that their opinions are valued. Don't we all? I try to respectfully listen and then respond with something that makes us seem "on the same team." Once we are working together, everything gets easier. Also, if it's a more drawn-out parent issue, I never deal with it alone. I also try to schedule a face to face conference and include an administrator.

7. What is your favorite television show?

I have a few... Bones, Castle, Biggest Loser, and So You Think You Can Dance. I love them all for different reasons, but I love them all!

11. How do you feel about grading? Do you grade everything the kids do or do you do participation grades for some of it? How do you grade their notebooks and homework?

Since I follow a type of SBG (at least in my opinion) I emphasize that all work and activities are for learning purposes. The students' whole goal is to demonstrate that they have learned it, either on the test or retest. Homework, notebooks, activities, investigations, etc. is all just to get them there. With that in mind, I sometimes grade for accuracy, sometimes for completion and effort, and sometimes not at all. You can see my post about retesting here and grading notebooks here.

From Robin:

1. What was your favorite subject in high school/college?
In high school, definitely math. It was a fun puzzle and I had a fantastic teachers!

In college, math was still great but Anthropology was awesome!!!! Of the four branches, I loved cultural , biological , and paleontology; linguistics not so much.

2. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Anywhere hot and sunny with a beach/pool. I love lounging by the water with not a care in the world!

I do also love skiing...hmmmmm.... okay, tough call.

4. Why did you become a teacher?

I really respected my great high school teachers and also really enjoyed math. Math has such a negative stereotype that I wanted to help change that. I've also been told I explain things well, so that helps. :)

5. Do you follow your textbook from start to finish?

We don't have course textbooks, so nope! haha. Our district has been using Mastery Math documents for years that we create. We have some of the top test scores in the state (and nation) so it must be working :) (yes, I'm very proud of my district)

10. How did you choose the title of your blog?

I didn't think about it a whole lot, probably why it's not very creative. Mrs. Hester's Classroom. Yep, that's exactly what I'm here to talk about.

(3) Share 11 Random Facts About Yourself

1. I also have a degree in Anthropology, love that stuff! If I could have my dream job, I'd probably be an ethnographer or Egyptologist. Neither of those jobs work too well with a "normal life" though.

2. I live in the same town I graduated high school from and will be teaching next year at the junior high I attended.

3. My sweet hubby avoided me the first night we were both hanging out with our friends. He says I was so cute he was scared. Awwwwww. He did a good job too, I don't remember him being there!

4. I was my high school's dance team captain. 5-6-7-8.

5. The hubs and I have a pet bunny and a corgi. I love my fur-babies!

6. I'm super short.

7. I love to color and crochet. The hubby teases me that I'm 8 and 80 all at the same time!

8. I look very young. I tell my students that I have two bachelor degrees, one masters degree, and have been married for 4 years, it helps them figure out I'm older than 18.

9. While I say I love the outdoors, I actually don't. I hate bugs. ha!

10. I have two best friends that I met freshman year of college who also became teachers. We still talk all the time, live in the same area, and hang out frequently. I truly have no idea what I'd do without those girls!

11. I desperately wish my hair would grow out super long, but it just doesn't. :( Never.

(4) Nominate Five More Blogs with Less Than 200 Followers

1. Math Equals Love

2. A Sea of Math

3. Lesson with Coffee

4. I is a Number

5. Mrs. Howard Math

(5) Pose Questions to Your Nominees

1. What is your favorite thing about your job?

2. What is your morning routine once you arrive at school?

3. How do you decide what to assess?

4. If you weren't a teacher, what would you do?