Liebster Award

I am highly delighted to announce I have been nominated for a Liebster Award by my good friend Fil over at <a href=http://fil-campbell.blogspot.co.uk/>Fil's Place Old Songs & Memories</a>

By accepting this award, I will follow the rules of Liebsterdom! 

1) Thank the person nominating.

2) Answer the 11 questions given to you and give 11 random facts about yourself.

3) Nominate at least 5 blogs

4) Post 11 questions for your nominees to answer

5) Post comments on nominees’ blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

6) Post my Liebster Award (I hope no-one minds but as I have been blog hopping I noticed quite a few badges so thought it might be beneficial to put a year on it and so if people want to nominate someone again next year they could do – it all builds the blogging community doesn’t it?)

First and foremost I must thank Fil for my nomination and obviously would encourage you to visit her wonderful blog <a href=http://fil-campbell.blogspot.co.uk/>Fil’s Place – Old Songs & Memories which is filled with the music not only of her native Ireland but from all around the world too.  She is one very busy lady and her blog encompasses many aspects of her life so is filled with something for everyone – a blog of beauty and crammed with creativity is how I would describe it.

Just a little bit about The Liebster Award (from the German word meaning lovely or valued).  It is an award to blogs with a small-ish following typically below 200 followers and is a recognition of that blogger’s work to create more interaction in the community.  It is given to say I like your work – and although compared sometimes to a chain letter nothing bad happens if you don’t want to accept or pass it on.

Fil has provided a number of questions to be answered in addition to having to give 11 random facts about myself.

My random facts would be: that I wanted from my parents for my 4th birthday present to be able to read the newspaper; I’m positive I’ll die by drowning, I throw up when I eat tomato soup but love tomatoes generally, I really want two donkeys, I am going to learn how to upholster properly, I am very superstitious, I hate sand between the toes, I am a hoarder, I am an early morning type of person, I love going for walks especially with a dog and I prefer baths to showers.

Now on to the questions Fil wanted answered:

1.                  Do you have a ritual that you love?

No – I so rarely do the same thing twice I don’t seem to be able to even think of any rituals that I have ever done except those of a superstitious nature!!

2.                  How does music influence you?

Songs and music get my creative ideas buzzing.  Due to the nature of my job in school, I do so many different things that hearing a particular song or listening to a short burst of music gives me an idea for an assembly, a whole school development need or most importantly how to hook children into their learning.

3.                  Why did you start blogging?

When I became a Special Needs Co-ordinator I realised I knew so little and I wanted to try to share info with other SENCOs and learn some useful tips.  I also used my first blog as a kind of diary to document what I was doing (or trying to do) but I soon became too swamped with work to really continue so had a bit of a rest and came back with my new blog.

4.                  How do you get your ideas for it?

Obviously, I owe a huge debt to the A to Z Challenge because before this I was just posting about everyday life in special needs but then the challenge made me focus on more of the topics and resources available in special needs and I think this broader brush helps connect to more people.

5.                  What do you love about blogging?

I like making connections to others and learning from them.  The world becomes a much smaller and more connected place when you blog.

6.                  And what do you not love about it?

I expect the same as all bloggers when you really want to connect over an issue and no-one comments back – it can be a bit of a lonely feeling.

7.                  Where did you get the name for your blog?

I wanted to link my blog to my TpT store.  I am just about to change the name again though to Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace to make it easier for other people in special education to come across when searching the internet.

8.                  Where is your favourite place when you need quiet time?

In my bedroom at 4:30 in the morning during the week.

9.                  Do you connect with Nature and how?

I have a very large garden with a little copse with a little stream running through it and I have an old chair I go and sit on underneath the green boughs and I listen and watch the birds and the insects go about their daily lives and I thank God I am on this planet and able to enjoy what has been created.

10.              Do you like social media and which is your favourite?

No – apart from blogging I do not connect to anyone over the airwaves – too little time plus I try to be very private due to being linked in to a school environment – teachers have to be very e-safety conscious.

11.              What are you reading at the minute?

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? By Mindy Kaling (I love The Mindy Project)

Inspector Singh Investigates: A Curious Indian Cadaver by Shamini Flint

And every week I probably read at least three children’s books if not more!

The next step is to nominate some other great blogs for the award and ask them if they would like to accept it – so here goes:

http://specialedandme.wordpress.com/

2smartwenches.blogspot.com

http://evolvingenglishteacher.blogspot.com

http://drewllew.com/

http://muskokariver.blogspot.com – Cold Lake Cathy

1) Who was one of your favourite teachers and why?

2) What was your favourite subject at school?

3) What was your least favourite subject and why?

4) Do you prefer to read books on a Kindle or the old fashioned way?

5) What type of person inspires you?

6) What was (or is!!) your favourite toy to play with? 

7) When did you begin blogging and why?

8) What blogging tip/tips have you learnt that you would like to pass on to others?

9) What would you like to learn to do next involving your blog?

10)  Is there anyone you would love to stop by your blog and leave a comment?

11) Name one thing that you do in your life that you think makes the world a better place.

If you need the full rules and regulations please feel free to visit Wording Well who explains it in more detail.