Brief school teacher bio:

By day, I teach third graders wacky stuff like multiplication, the love of reading, the art of being polite and how to write awesome blog posts. At night, I try to convince teachers to take care of themselves by blogging about my self-care journey and teaching them to lie down and rest awhile by taking a yoga nap.

I am a recovering Type-A political workaholic who used to smoke too much, drink too much and work way too many hours. The good news is I hated every minute of it and got out of it at the end of 2002 when I finally realized my teacher- husband’s schedule was way more fun than mine.

Becoming a teacher changed my life in every way. I’m happier, healthier and generally more fun to be around.

And now for the Q&A:

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a teacher?

A:   I’d be a financially independent yoga teacher/studio manager/world traveler/writer.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A:   Practicing and teaching yoga, meeting new friends via social media and the old-fashioned way, reading blogs and BOOKS, cooking, traveling, blogging and obsessing about old 97’s. And let’s not forget waiting. {In 2011, we became parents and our wait was over}.

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A: In 6th grade I gave a career day speech about wanting to be a lawyer to help people and a dancer because it would be fun. Even then, I couldn’t just pick one thing.

When I was 20, my college entrance essay talked about being a teacher after a life in politics. I guess, I was on to something.

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?

A: Pajama days, hot baths just because I’m cold, reading magazines at the library, pop music.

Q: What is your biggest fear?!

A: Parents yelling at me. I freaking hate that.

Q: When you’re on vacation, where do you like to go?

A: I like to vacation with friends, so wherever they are, I like to be. I am a huge fan of going bye-bye. Strange, because I am also a huge homebody.

Trips include (fake British) Spain, Munich, the South of France, Thailand, Laos. (See Teacher Travels for photos)

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: Don’t live above your means, being desperate for money makes smart people do dumb things. Like go to jail. (Definitely more applicable in my last career).

Best teaching advice: Don’t take it personally.

Q: What do you value most in others?

A: Integrity. And a seriously dry sense of humor.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass down to your kids, what would it be?

A: My seriously dry sense of humor.

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world….living or dead…who would it be?

A: Without a doubt, Rhett Miller.

Back in the olden days of me pretending to be someone cool or smart, I would have said J F Kennedy to try to earn some smartypants points. These days, I’m keeping my dorky, super fan girl cred by telling you the truth.

One random thing about me:

I read my very first blog in 2009 – AFTER I pressed the publish button on my first post. Until then, I was blissfully (ha!) unaware of all the genius out there just waiting to be discovered.

Want to play? Click on the First Grade Parade link button below.