Some Sunshine for a Monday!

The lovely Paula at Paula's Place has very kindly nominated me for a Sunshine Blogger Award!  This cute idea is about recognising blogs that bring a little bit of sunshine into your day, so I'm very flattered that she thought of me. :)

I need to share 11 random facts about myself, answer Paula's 11 questions for me and then nominate some blogs myself.  So, here goes!

Random Facts!

1. I am a super procrastinator.  Seriously.  If there was an Olympic event in procrastinating, I'd win it!  But not now, maybe tomorrow.

2. I {heart} reality TV. Any Real Housewives franchise, anything to do with weddings, any model competition, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Teen Mom... the trashier the better!

3. I live by the beach.

4. I have the world's cutest nephew. His name is Mack and he's 4.

5. I took a year off from teaching in 2012 and lived in Canada selling jewellery.

6. I love cheese... my fave is Triple Cream Brie.  Serve it with some nice olives and I'm in heaven!

7. I love to travel!  So far I've been to Europe, the UK, Canada, the USA and Vanuatu.  Someday soon I'd love to head back to Europe.

8. I don't understand why people scrapbook, sew, knit, make cards etc. I think it's because I don't have the patience for it!

9. My favourite Saturday night activity is a nice dinner, a glass of wine and a DVD. The thought of a big night out makes me feel exhausted. :)

10. I don't like high heels.  I own 1 pair and never wear them.

11. My Canadian lovebird, Chris, is younger than me!  That makes me his Sugar Mama!

OK, now for the 11 questions.

1. What is the best part of your day?

Coffee on the couch when the house is still quiet and I've had a sleep in!  During school days it would be when I crawl into bed! :)

2. Is their a child who you remember most? Why?

There are a few, of course!  One in particular I taught just last year.  She really stole my heart with her affectionate, loving nature and they way she made everyone around her happy.

3. Have you taught at the same school or moved around?

When I first started teaching in 2004 I worked at a School of Distance Education with a class of homeschoolers, travellers, children who had been excluded from mainstream schools etc.  It was essentially a big office building and all us teachers taught by phone and internet.  I was there for a few years, and then moved to my current school, a private P-12 school, where I've been since 2007.

4. Your fav thing to teach is......?

Umm... I don't think I have a favourite thing to teach!  I love those moments in the day where the kidlets get choice, get to interact with each other and get to explore their creative side.  So whichever subject/s that happens to be in each day.

5. A teacher you had that stuck in your head and why?

My Year 1 and 2 teacher always stuck with me.  I went back and did my 3rd year uni prac with her - at my old school, in my old classroom! 

6. What has been the most important PD you have ever gone to?

I went to one last year on Differentiation with Kathleen Kryza.  If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, do it! Changed my teaching.

7. What is challenging about what we do?

Balancing curriculum pressures with little people who sometimes just need you to spend time with them, listen to them and make them feel important.  

8. Do you have a blog plan?

Nope. :)

9. What started you blogging?

When I was in Canada I stumbled across teaching blogs and read them for hours on end, collecting ideas for when I came back to the classroom.  Towards the end of that year I thought, hey... I could do that!  So I did.

10. What is your fav time of the year? Why?

Christmas!  I love our Summer Christmases because of all of the memories I have attached to them with my family, but I love white Christmases overseas because I can pretend I'm in a Christmas card as I sit by the fire!

11. Do you cart things home only to cart them back without looking at them?

Every. Single. Day

My turn to nominate!

1. I is for Inspire
2. A Differentiated Kindergarten
3. Mrs. Stowe's Kinder Cottage
4. Growing Kinders
5. Teachable Moments

And my questions for them are:

1. Why did you decide to become a teacher?
2. What's the moment in your career that stands out above the other?
3. Are you friends outside of school with the teachers you work with?
4. What's your go-to teacher outfit?
5. If you could dedicate as much time as you wanted in the school day to a particular subject/activity, what would you choose?  Why?
6. If you could take your kidlets anywhere on a field trip, where would you go?
7. What's been the best thing about blogging for you?
8. Aside from TpT'ing, blogging etc. what do you do in your spare time?
9. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
10. What's your favourite quote?
11. What's your favourite thing to pin?

There we have it folks!!  Happy Monday to you all. :)

Lauren