Must Read Mentor Text, Liebster Award, and 100 Follower Giveaway!

Happy Sunday!!

Sundays are extra special when you don’t have to spend them working on plans, grading papers, and preparing for the work week!

First up I am linking up with Collaboration Cuties for their awesome Must Read Mentor Texts Linky.

Here is a review by Publisher's Weekly:

In this crafty story of a cross-country race called "The Great Divide," numerical division accounts for the narrowing of the field. Eighty costumed competitors (in 10 groups of eight) begin the event on bicycles, but only half of them ford a rocky red canyon to continue: "On with the race./ Head for a boat!/ Forty racers now have to float!" These 40 (now 10 groups of four) climb aboard two big rowboats, and a whirlpool diminishes their number by half again. Dodds (Sing, Sophie!) continues reducing the group to 10 and to five, at which point "one runner stops with a rock in her shoe," enabling the final four to grab tandem bikes. The author demonstrates rather than describes the math, and her terse rhymes reinforce the racers' sense of urgency. Meanwhile Mitchell's individualized portraits of the athletes raise the book's quotient of pleasure. The illustrator, making a notable picture-book debut, carefully includes the dwindling number of eight clowns, eight cowhands, eight flappers, eight pirates and so on in her well-organized acrylic paintings; aspiring number crunchers can count the participants with ease. Among the top contenders, likable characters emerge: a jailbird wears a determined grin, a grandmotherly lady rides a galloping horse and a firefighter sticks out her tongue in exhaustion. All lessons should be this gratifying.

Last year was the first time I used this book in my classroom, and it was a hit.  Even though it has a simple plot, it does the job at getting the concept across to students.  My students and I loved the surprised ending.  It is definitely a book that I will be using next year

I am pleased to say that I was nominated not once, not twice, not three times, but four times for the Liebster Award!  I would love to think that my blog has become so loved, but I am going to be realistic and say there aren't enough new blogs out for all to nominate 5 new ones.  Nevertheless, I am proud that four of them thought about my little blog!

 

 

I am shocked that anyone has found my blog and some are actually reading it!

I didn’t know what to do.  Was I supposed to just answer the first nomination I received, or do I respond to all four.  Well, three came on the same day and the last on the following day.  I just decided to respond to everyone’s questions.  So for those of you who decide to read this post, you will learn more about me in this one post then you probably care to know.

There’s no quiz at the end, but please help me celebrate my 100+ follower giveaway here.  I am giving away three prizes to three winners!

In order to accept the nomination, we must:

Link back the blogs that nominated us

Nominate 3-5 blogs with fewer than 200 followers

Answer the questions posted by the nominators

Share 11 random facts about myself

Create 11 questions for my nominees

Contact my nominees and let them know I have nominated them

Questions from Courtney at Polka Dot Lesson Plans

1.   If you could choose any 2 consecutive months of the year to have your "summer" break which months would you choose?

I would like to have May and June.

2.  If you could take your class on a field trip to anywhere in the world where would you go?

I would take them to

3.   If you weren't a teacher what would you be?

I would want to be a librarian.

4. If you have a day all to yourself what is your favorite way to spend it? I would spend it relaxing at home with a great book.

5. What is your favorite food?

Anything pasta related sounds good to me!

6. If you were stuck on an island and could only have 3 items with you what would they be?

I would need my phone, laptop, and a massaging, heated chair.

7. What is your favorite vacation spot?

I really don’t have one.

8. Do you have any pets?

No pets.

9. Do you prefer the mountains or the beach?

I would prefer the mountains.

10. What is your favorite TV show?

Major Crimes

11. What book have you read recently that you would recommend?

Work Related - Building Mathematical Comprehension: Using Literacy Strategies to Making Meaning by Laney Sammons

Questions from Emily and Kerry at Third & Goal

1.     How long have you been blogging?

I began blogging in April 2013.

2.    How did you come up with the title of your blog?

Well, Foreman is my last name and my profession is teaching.  I thought Foreman Teaches had a cute ring to it.

3.     What is your favorite part of teaching?

My favorite part is when a struggling student meets some success and I had a hand in helping him/her reach that point.

4.     What is your Starbucks order?

I don’t visit Starbucks.

5.     Favorite movie and why?

I don’t really have a favorite movie, but I love older movies.

6.     If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

I would love to visit Australia.

7.     Funniest classroom moment?

It would have to be while student teaching when a student told me one frog plus one frog equaled friends during a math lesson.

8.     What advice would you give a new teacher?

My advice would be to remember to start with where the student is and work from there.  There are no shortcuts to them mastering a skill.

9.     If you weren't blogging right now, what would you be doing?

I would be reading a book.

10. What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading The Power of Our Words.

11. If you had to be on a reality show, which one would it be?

I don’t watch reality TV.

Questions from Gary at Scrappy Guy

Where would you like to be in five years?

I would love to be out of the general classroom and in a reading specialist position.

What's your favorite guilty pleasure?

I would have to say a milkshake.

How many years have you been blogging?

I have been blogging for almost 4 months.

Which color goes best with brown?

Brown is my favorite color and I would have to say I like shades of red with brown.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I don’t play a musical instrument.

What grade do you like to teach the most?

I prefer the grade I am currently teaching 4^th.  Third grade is a close runner up.

If you could win a million dollars what would you buy for your classroom first?

I would buy new furniture.

Which book do you think teaches your students the most?

None, I think my students learn best through oral instruction and LOTS of hands on work.

Which person is your inspiration?

My twins are my inspiration!

Questions from Andrea at Bouncing Through 3^rd Grade

1.     What is your favorite subject to teach?

Reading is my favorite subject to teach.

2.    Who is your role model?

My mom and my grandmother are my role models.

3.     What is your favorite TV Show?

My favorite TV Show is Major Crimes.

4.     If you could have dinner with any 3 people of your choice, who would you choose?

My sons, mother, and grandmother.

5.     What's your favorite grade to teach and why?

My favorite grade is 4^th.  I like the subject matter and I love their personality at this age.

6.     What advice would you give to a new teacher?

My advice would be to be flexible.  Very seldom the lesson goes just as planned.

7.     Who was your best teacher?  Why?

I don’t have one.

8.     What's your favorite dessert?

Key Lime Pie

9.     What's your favorite song right now?

No favorites, but it would be something gospel related.

10. What are your hobbies?

I love reading, organizing, and going to book and yard sales.

11. What are your hopes and dreams for this upcoming school year?

I hope that I am able to meet the academic needs of my students.  I want to create a classroom environment where they are willing to take chances in order to be successful.

11 Random Facts about Myself

1.   I LOVE wicker and have wicker baskets all over my house.

2.  I don’t like cold drinks, no ice for me.  I even wait awhile for the chill to leave my milkshakes.

3.   I regularly get my nails and toes done, but no color polish.

4.   My living room is decorated in brown and red.

5.   I love purple pens.

6.   I attended nine schools from Kindergarten to 12^th grade – military brat!

7.   Last year I celebrated my birthday on the first day of school with the students.  This year it will be the second day of school.

8.   My four grandparents are still alive and still together.  God is good!

9.   I love anything and everything denim.

10.  I don’t like chocolate or coffee.

11.  I don’t like to cook or wash dishes.

I would like to nominate:

Cynthia at My Kind of Teaching

Mandy at The4th Grade Journey

Sarah at Miss K in BK: A Fifth Grade Blog

My 11 Questions

1.  What is your favorite school supply?

2.  What color dominates in your house?

3.  If you had one day to do anything, money is no limit, how would you spend it?

4.  What are three things you can’t live without?

5. When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?

6.  Would you prefer to teach year round with shorter days or summers off with longer days?

7.  Do you have a classroom pet?

8.  What is the largest class size you have taught? The smallest?

9.  If you could no longer teach, what would you like to do?

10.  What is your favorite space in your home?

11.  What is your favorite children’s picture book?

If you read you made it through this entire post... THANK YOU and you deserve an award!  

Don't forget to stop by Collaboration Cuties to read about other great mentor texts.