Teacher Week: Meet the Teacher

I'm excited to participate in Teacher Week '13 and Monday's top is "Meet the Teacher."  Below are 10 facts about me.

1.  This is my 10th year of teaching.  I taught my first 2 years in third grade and the rest have been in kindergarten.  I have been at the same building all 10 years, but did move classrooms when I moved from third to kindergarten.

2.  My building is all preschool and kindergarten students.  We have 11 kindergarten classrooms (full day) and 7 preschool classrooms (half day), so our building has an enrollment of over 400 three, four, five and six year olds!  The beginning of the year can be a little crazy, but the holidays and special events are a blast!

3.  I love to cook and bake, as I'm sure you've noticed if you follow my little blog.  I moved into a new condo this summer and have a kitchen that makes me even more excited to cook and bake.

One of my more recent baking projects: zucchini blueberry bread.

4.  I also enjoy reading in my free time.  My favorite reads are light, funny novels; think Sophie Kinsella or Mary Kay Andrews.  Most of my pleasure reading takes place over the summer.

5.  Traveling would be at the top of my list of things to do, however, funds for those trips are limited.  Each year, my family goes on vacation together.  This year we visited Savannah, GA and Tybee Island: beautiful!!  I went to Germany in college to visit a friend who was studying abroad and would love to visit more of Europe.

The pier at Tybee Island, GA at sunrise.

6.  Thanks to Pinterest and Monday Made It linky party, I am becoming more crafty.  I enjoy creating things, and thanks to step-by-step tutorials and such, I am getting there.

This artwork for my bedroom is one of my favorite recent creations.

7. I am a bargain hunter.  I love a sale and it is a game to me to see how low I can get a bill.  I do use coupons, but am by no means an extreme couponer.  I went shopping with my mom yesterday to help her pick up school supplies to donate to the church for a supply giveaway.  I had a list of all the places we needed to go, what we needed to get and who would price match another add.  It is the thrill of planning and seeing the savings for me!

8. I use DonorsChoose.org to provide materials and experiences for my students.  I have had 60 projects funded; everything from basic supplies to trips to the science center and the zoo.  I love my students' expressions when they see a new box arrive.

9.  Last year I taught Sunday School to 1st-3rd graders.  I loved finding ways to relate Bible stories and lesson to them through stories, crafts and food.  They of course loved the crafts and food!

10.  I teach in the same town as my college alma mater.  I had the opportunity to take my students on a field trip to the college last year.  Even though our school is only a mile and a half away from the small campus of about 2,500 students, the majority of my students had never been on campus.  I loved seeing their excitement and am thrilled to report that they think college is cool and can't wait to go so they can eat in the cafeteria.  Whatever makes them want to go... :)

Thanks for sticking with me this far! I'd love for you to come back and visit again.  I'm looking forward to learning more about other bloggers as well through Teacher Week '13.