Teacher Week '13 - Meet the Teacher

Hi y'all!

 

I'm excited for this awesome linky hosted by Blog Hoppin' because I wasn't a blogger last year when they had it! So this is my first year to participate!

 

So, today is all about Meeting the Teacher... well, whaddya know?!? That's ME! :)

 

I have mentioned things about myself here and there... so I'm just going to recap all in one place for ya!

 

Let's see...let's do 7 fun facts about me! I'm choosing 7 because it's my favorite number!

 

1. I grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas! I lived on 190 acres in the country at one point! And let me tell you, I'm definitely a city girl at heart! Now, I love horses and I love riding horses. I also love the occasional 4-wheeler ridin' but I belong in the city because I love being able to do all kinds of things and places being open past 8 o'clock at night!

 

While I was in high school, I was part of the colorguard team and really enjoyed it! My friends and I had a blast!!!

 

2. My family and I moved to Orlando, FL after my sophomore year of high school. While I was in high school, I worked part-time as a character performer at Walt Disney World! I'm a huge Disney fan so it was an AWESOME experience!!!

 Check me out in some of my costumes!

 

3. After graduating high school in May 2004, I started attending the University of Central Florida where I earned my degree in Elementary Education!

 

While I was in college, I had several jobs! I worked at the on-campus health center in the medical records dept. It wasn't very exciting but it helped pay my bills!

 

On the more exciting side, I worked for Universal Studios as a performer! I was a scare-actor for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights in 2006 and I was a performer in the Macy's parade at Universal in 2005 and 2007. I miss the days of performing at these events!!! I also worked for Sea World's education department one summer. I was the person who went around to all of the animal exhibits and gave "spiels" over the microphone all about animal facts!

 Here I am in some of my Universal costumes!

 

4. The Hubby and I

 

Speaking of Universal and performing, that's actually how I met my husband! We were both performers in the Macy's parade in December of 2007! We met and hit it off almost instantly! We were an official "couple" as of January 2008! :)

 

 

 We got married on April 10th, 2009!

 

5. In October of 2009, I found out that we were going to have a baby! And on July 22, 2010, our sweet, beautiful daughter Arielle joined us in this world! She is the most precious gift God could ever have blessed us with and we love her sooooo much! She just turned 3 and it has been so wonderful watching her grow up!!

 

6. Let's talk a little about my teaching experience...I did two student internships as part of my college program. Both were in Kindergarten classes! I then taught Pre-K in Georgia my first year out of college! It was an AMAZING experience and I loved everyone I worked with! And the kids were sooooo sweet!!! I then moved back to Florida. Upon coming back to Florida, I joined a wonderful school in Lake County where I started teaching 3rd grade. I came in during March of the '09-'10 school year and I worked with some students from all of the 3rd grade classrooms. It was fun, but I'm definitely a "have my own classroom" kinda gal! For the upcoming school year, I got a very last minute phone call to return to the same school and teach 3rd grade again, this time in my very own classroom! I was also returning from maternity leave! It was a stressful year, but it was also a fabulous one! For the next year, I was asked to move down to 1st grade which is where I have been the last 2 years. I love, love, love those sweet firsties!

 

However, I have just moved  home to my home state of TX and will be teaching 2nd grade reading in a team teaching scenario! I am sooooo excited to teach 2nd grade! It's always been that one grade I wanted to teach because I think I will really love it! We shall see! I'm excited and nervous for this upcoming year!

 

7. And for this last fact about me, I'm going to tell you that I'm addicted to cruises!!! I just LOVE them! Anytime I get a chance to take a vacay, it's always a cruise! I have been on 18 so far!

 

Well, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you have a better sense of who is behind the computer screen now!

 

Also, if you haven't had a chance to enter my pencil sharpener giveaway yet, click here to enter!