2nd Annual Teacher Blogger Interview {with Angie from Lucky Little Learners}

Hey Friends! Hannah from The Friendly Teacher here today! I got the chance to interview a teacher this year and I knew exactly who I wanted to interview. Angie from Lucky Little Learners has also been a huge role model of mine. She is overly sweet, always helpful, and her lessons are AMAZING! If you have not caught her Saturday chat sessions on periscope, you NEED to! Angie is a great second grade teacher, mom, and TPT author. I have no idea how she does it all! But, she does it all with a smile and such a sweet and positive attitude! I just love Angie! I loved her replies to these questions! I hope you enjoy all the loveliness that she has to offer!

Angie: I first started blogging when my family and I moved to a different town and I wasn't thrilled about having to leave my previous "home".  The name of my blog was A Peek into the Life of the Olson's.  The goal of my blog was to share one photo a day that showcased a positive/beautiful experience I was having in my new area.  Through this experience, I found a lot of good in where I was now living my life but at the time, wasn't seeing it because all I could think about was how much I missed where I had previously lived.  The ironic thing is that this blog wasn't a teaching blog at all.  I wanted to combine my love for photography, writing, family, and experiences into one spot.  After blogging on this personal blog for about a year, I decided to branch out into a teaching blog.  I loved reading others' blog posts about teaching and classroom ideas and knew that I had my own ideas to offer.  That was when Lucky Little Learners was born.

Angie: Oh gosh, where do I start?!  Blogging has been a huge influence on my teaching.  Blogging brings personal reflection to a much deeper level for me.  I like to blog about ways teachers can bring practical lessons, projects, and ideas into their own classroom all while keeping learning interactive, engaging, and fun.  I try to blog about most of the things I do in my classroom.  That being said, this makes me spend a lot of time creating and perfecting each and every lesson so it is worth blogging about.  In return, my students are receiving the best lessons and environment that I can provide them.  It's a win, win situation.

Angie: If I am being honest, this is a really tough question for me.  Balance is not something I manage very well.  I do believe balance is very important but it's hard.  I am a person that wants to give 100% to whatever it is that I am doing.  Whether it's teaching, being a mom, being a wife, or being a blogger, I give it 100% in those moments.  So, when I am being mom and wife, I am 100% present and invested.  When I step foot into my classroom, it's go time!  I strive to give my students the best teacher I can give them.  Same goes for blogging.  If I can find an hour or two to sit down at my computer to blog, I am doing this without any distractions because those two hours are precious time.  

Angie: If I were to offer any tips or tricks it would be to blog about topics you are passionate about and don't forget to have your own style.  Don't worry about looking or sounding like anyone else out there.  Have confidence in the fact that what you have to say is important and other teachers will benefit from it.  Remember, there is a reason you are passionate about what you are choosing to blog about.  Others will benefit from it too!  I also think photos and other visual images are huge.  I spend just as much time on my visual images as I do on my text.  Take pride in your work.

Angie: My brag tags and interactive math notebooks are definitely my favorite products I've made.  I use both of these on a daily basis in my 2nd grade classroom all year long.  I love them because my students love them.  

My brag tags are the motivation that my students need to be giving 100% in all that they do.  From Writing Rockstar to Math Wizard to Super Speller to Great Manners and more, my kids work their tails off to go above and beyond my expectations so that they can earn a brag tag for their necklace collection.  

As for my interactive math notebooks, they are engaging, yet rigorous.  Because of this, my students' math scores have vastly improved since I have started using them.  I also love that they serve as a nice portfolio of my students' learning.  They often go back to reference a previous math skill throughout the year.  I also enjoy using them during parent teacher conferences.

Thank you Angie!!! You are the sweetest!  Follow her blog and her tpt store to keep up with all the amazing things that Angie is doing in her classroom!