"Andy Apple is an acrobat. Andy can jump way over his mat. Ant can catch him, just like that! Andy Apple is an acrobat." "Benny Bear, Benny Bear. Please beware! Please beware! I see a bee near the basket of beets. The bee is buzzing by buttery treats. Please don't run. Eat your bun! Benny Bear.""Callie Cat can bake a cake...."
I love teaching Kindergarten. Two years ago, if you asked me what grades I wanted to teach, I would have said grades 1-5. You notice no mention of Kindergarten or 6th grade? Well, I was horribly afraid of both ages of kids. Sixth graders are hormonal & know more about worldly stuff than I do, and Kindergarteners "need help blowing their noses & tying their shoes."
Funny how a mindset can change. :)
I love helping five-year-olds LEARN to blow their own noses & tie their own shoes, and identify letters & sounds, count to 100 and beyond, begin addition & subtraction, and READ!
This year will be different. Not bad different..... good different IF I am a consistent teacher. I was not very consistent last year. Some days, I would teach phonics after calendar math, some days it would come before carpet time, and some days, it would fall in the afternoons. No one could ever guess when I'd teach math. That was even more unpredictable. The students would show a lot of success with routines for a few weeks, I would get bored, and the routines would change. This year, I am preparing my mind to NOT fall into those bad habits. Not only do I have a different group of students, but this group of six-year-olds has had a year of Kindergarten. They spent last year learning one letter per week through Saxon Phonics, lessons from Saxon Math, and center activities. This year, in order for them to learn & be prepared for 1st grade, I have to teach differently from day 1.
I also have to teach the rules & enforce them throughout the first weeks of school & beyond. This year, I have four rules.
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak or leave your seat.
3. Make smart choices.
4. Keep your dear teacher happy.
(These rules come from Whole Brain Teaching which I am implementing this year to keep classroom management under control.)
This group coming to me this year is a group filled with highly-tactile, highly-kinesthetic, highly-visual learners. That's why Saxon was not successful with this group. Saxon is designed for auditory learners, & less than 30% of students retain information from lessons designed for auditory learners. This year, I'm teaching hands-on math lessons, hands-on, move-around phonics lessons, daily 5 independent literacy & guided reading lessons with focus on student-selected goals, and science/social studies integrated into thematic units (not based on letters we're learning!)
Please pray for my excited sixteen students and their enthusiastic, filled with new research-based ideas, yet longing for a few extra weeks of summer break teacher in the coming days. :) August 4 is our first day of school!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
thank you for second chances
I am so glad I have a chance to start over....
Being the teacher that I am, I have to make a list.
1. Christ: I plateaued this year. I made my job more than a job; it became my idol. Everything about me revolved around teaching, preparing lessons, & working in my room until all hours of the day & night. I was going through the motions at church & instead of enjoying sweet time with Jesus, I was dreading the chore. Awful isn't it? Preparing for Super Summer & Super Summer itself brought me back to my knees. I realized what an IDIOT I've been this past year & how MAGNIFICENT my Creator & Savior is. Amazing He never left my side. Could have, should have, but chose not to because He knew His plan was going on.... He knew I'd see my struggles & would turn away from them & back to Him. He knew I'd learn how to relate to people again at Super Summer... how to worship Him again.... and how to be a reflection of His love. Sure wasn't a pretty reflection this past year.
2. School: My first year was not bad. My students will always have a special place in my heart. I am obsessed with knowing who they have for first grade, and I know they will be successful. I am so glad all of the first grade teachers are experienced so they will have a balanced first years of school after having a crazy first year teacher for Kindergarten. :) I learned a lot about a lot. I've described all that before, but I am itching to get back into room 109 and start fresh with a new group of students. I have tricks up my sleeve.... research-based tricks, I might add, and it's going to be a great year! However, I am going to learn to balance job-life-Jesus MUCH better than I did last year. So far, I've done an impressive job at not living at the school decorating & cleaning like I did last summer... so that is a good start! I'm planning to do Zumba/Boot Camp during the school year to keep my physically healthy... I'm working within the youth group at church, which as you may know, I LOVE & truly GROW in Him when I'm doing this. .. and I'm helping with a children's musical this year -- another thing I love doing but do NOT want to be in charge of. :)
Research-based tricks I'm doing this year in Pre-1st Grade include Whole Brain/Power Teaching for classroom management. This gets the students involved with following rules & procedures of the classroom. The Daily 5/Cafe/Guided Reading is how I'm structuring my reading instruction. This will be students working with & in books & spelling/sight words while I'm teaching reading lessons to small groups/individuals. Centers are going to be developmentally appropriate for 6-year-olds, & I will be working with students in their centers...not teaching reading during this time. We're doing a poem/interactive chart each week to help the students learn to read whole-language style. Math is going to be part-Kindergarten/part-1st grade to prepare them for the BIG things they'll learn next year. My lessons are going to be in UbD format and will not follow a program (like Saxon or Houghton Mifflin). It's a lot of hands-on experiences, journaling/problem-solving, and games. There will be sheets at times, but it's got to get BEYOND sheets for it to be truly learned & engrained into their sweet brains.
I am so thankful for second chances. :)
Being the teacher that I am, I have to make a list.
1. Christ: I plateaued this year. I made my job more than a job; it became my idol. Everything about me revolved around teaching, preparing lessons, & working in my room until all hours of the day & night. I was going through the motions at church & instead of enjoying sweet time with Jesus, I was dreading the chore. Awful isn't it? Preparing for Super Summer & Super Summer itself brought me back to my knees. I realized what an IDIOT I've been this past year & how MAGNIFICENT my Creator & Savior is. Amazing He never left my side. Could have, should have, but chose not to because He knew His plan was going on.... He knew I'd see my struggles & would turn away from them & back to Him. He knew I'd learn how to relate to people again at Super Summer... how to worship Him again.... and how to be a reflection of His love. Sure wasn't a pretty reflection this past year.
2. School: My first year was not bad. My students will always have a special place in my heart. I am obsessed with knowing who they have for first grade, and I know they will be successful. I am so glad all of the first grade teachers are experienced so they will have a balanced first years of school after having a crazy first year teacher for Kindergarten. :) I learned a lot about a lot. I've described all that before, but I am itching to get back into room 109 and start fresh with a new group of students. I have tricks up my sleeve.... research-based tricks, I might add, and it's going to be a great year! However, I am going to learn to balance job-life-Jesus MUCH better than I did last year. So far, I've done an impressive job at not living at the school decorating & cleaning like I did last summer... so that is a good start! I'm planning to do Zumba/Boot Camp during the school year to keep my physically healthy... I'm working within the youth group at church, which as you may know, I LOVE & truly GROW in Him when I'm doing this. .. and I'm helping with a children's musical this year -- another thing I love doing but do NOT want to be in charge of. :)
Research-based tricks I'm doing this year in Pre-1st Grade include Whole Brain/Power Teaching for classroom management. This gets the students involved with following rules & procedures of the classroom. The Daily 5/Cafe/Guided Reading is how I'm structuring my reading instruction. This will be students working with & in books & spelling/sight words while I'm teaching reading lessons to small groups/individuals. Centers are going to be developmentally appropriate for 6-year-olds, & I will be working with students in their centers...not teaching reading during this time. We're doing a poem/interactive chart each week to help the students learn to read whole-language style. Math is going to be part-Kindergarten/part-1st grade to prepare them for the BIG things they'll learn next year. My lessons are going to be in UbD format and will not follow a program (like Saxon or Houghton Mifflin). It's a lot of hands-on experiences, journaling/problem-solving, and games. There will be sheets at times, but it's got to get BEYOND sheets for it to be truly learned & engrained into their sweet brains.
I am so thankful for second chances. :)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
loneliness, $101.72, and legit packing
This was my second summer without my family around me. Don, JoHanna, toddler nephew Joseph, & baby girl niece-to-be are in Hawaii; Andrew is stationed in North Carolina; Mom & Dad are in Anniston; and niece Anna Kaitlyn is in Gulf Port with her mom & family. Last summer, I was too busy to notice. I had so much to do before my first day of teaching... and there was a lot I didn't do that needed to be done. This summer, time slowed down. I noticed my brothers not hanging around, my niece not being around to babysit & entertain, & my parents being 3.5 hours away.
It's not that it's bad. It's just different.
My ninth grade year, there were 10 people living in my house. 10! Now, we're in 100 different directions, doing our own things, & it's different. We also didn't vacation this summer which was hard. I think when we're apart like this, we need to at least vacation for a few days.
When I get back from Super Summer next week (in 9 days), it will be "get my classroom ready" time. August 3= Welcome back to school Kindergarteners! I cannot believe the time has come. I saw Wal-Mart employees putting out school supplies tonight, & I thought, "OH NO! I haven't sent my school supply list to my students yet!" I'm doing it tomorrow before I leave town. :)
I spent $101.72 on food for Super Summer, a turquoise comforter for the twin x-L bed (which was unnecessary but made me feel better), toiletries, & CANDY for my family group. CANDY is the way to open up a group of 16-17 year old strangers to talk about God. Not just any candy, mind you. Forget the dum-dums & Blowpops that work so well for 5-year-olds. I got the good stuff: Snickers, Reese's, & Starbursts.... not to mention a cute HUGE candy bowl that matches my comforter. So unnecessary...
I did not get cute notecards this year for the family group's encouragement notes. I am writing it on plain paper. That's the resourceful Kindergarten teacher in me talking.... I did get pretty stickers to liven up the notebook paper though. :)
If I could find my camera... it's probably chilling in room 109 at my school with the "before" pictures of my classroom stored so nicely in it... I would show you a picture of my amazing packing job. I packed 16 outfits into a red suitcase. 8 pairs of shoes into a Vera Bradley medium tote. $40 worth of snacks (awful food at Super Summer) in Wal-Mart sacks (that will later be used to store dirty clothes... again so resourceful). My new turquoise comforter rolled in its package. My jersey twin x-L sheets from freshman year that I have missed. They feel like a t-shirt; they are so soft! and my North Face backpack with the aluminum water bottles attached to the zippers, a bottle brush to clean the bottles while at camp (OCD much?), family group's candy, notebook paper for encouragement notes, my camp Bible, & my prayer journal. It would be an amazing picture. You'd be proud of my packing skills. They're legit.
It's not that it's bad. It's just different.
My ninth grade year, there were 10 people living in my house. 10! Now, we're in 100 different directions, doing our own things, & it's different. We also didn't vacation this summer which was hard. I think when we're apart like this, we need to at least vacation for a few days.
When I get back from Super Summer next week (in 9 days), it will be "get my classroom ready" time. August 3= Welcome back to school Kindergarteners! I cannot believe the time has come. I saw Wal-Mart employees putting out school supplies tonight, & I thought, "OH NO! I haven't sent my school supply list to my students yet!" I'm doing it tomorrow before I leave town. :)
I spent $101.72 on food for Super Summer, a turquoise comforter for the twin x-L bed (which was unnecessary but made me feel better), toiletries, & CANDY for my family group. CANDY is the way to open up a group of 16-17 year old strangers to talk about God. Not just any candy, mind you. Forget the dum-dums & Blowpops that work so well for 5-year-olds. I got the good stuff: Snickers, Reese's, & Starbursts.... not to mention a cute HUGE candy bowl that matches my comforter. So unnecessary...
I did not get cute notecards this year for the family group's encouragement notes. I am writing it on plain paper. That's the resourceful Kindergarten teacher in me talking.... I did get pretty stickers to liven up the notebook paper though. :)
If I could find my camera... it's probably chilling in room 109 at my school with the "before" pictures of my classroom stored so nicely in it... I would show you a picture of my amazing packing job. I packed 16 outfits into a red suitcase. 8 pairs of shoes into a Vera Bradley medium tote. $40 worth of snacks (awful food at Super Summer) in Wal-Mart sacks (that will later be used to store dirty clothes... again so resourceful). My new turquoise comforter rolled in its package. My jersey twin x-L sheets from freshman year that I have missed. They feel like a t-shirt; they are so soft! and my North Face backpack with the aluminum water bottles attached to the zippers, a bottle brush to clean the bottles while at camp (OCD much?), family group's candy, notebook paper for encouragement notes, my camp Bible, & my prayer journal. It would be an amazing picture. You'd be proud of my packing skills. They're legit.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
mentors
I have several amazing mentors who helped me successfully complete my first year of teaching.
(Side note-- Some of these adults I don't call by their first names in real life, but I'm choosing to in this post so my blog won't pop up when their names are Googled. Yes, it would happen. So, don't think I'm being disrespectful to my 2nd mama, my supervising teacher, or my professor. It's just for privacy purposes.) :)
1. Kym-- She's my principal-chosen mentor, and I know for a fact God was totally in on that decision. Kym & I are complete opposites at times, but we work perfectly together. She tries my ideas with me. I observed her lessons the first week of school and was able to see a good Kindergarten class and try her strategies on my students. Kym is so patient with me. I would call her mad, upset, crying, happy, excited, or scared, and she would listen and fill me with good advice & encouragement. During the school year, we talked multiple times each day.
I think the purpose of principal-chosen mentors is to keep new teachers from feeling isolated & alone. I never, ever felt that way this year. Whenever something would happen, like... Open House night, 12 hours before the students arrived on the first day of school, when I was about to have a nervous break down over what on earth I was going to do with all of those school supplies, she was in my room boxing things up and shelving crayons and scissors. In no time at all, she was finished & making plans for us to eat at El Torro so I could get my mind off of being nervous about the next day. She was like this all year! If I had a bad day, she would not let me leave without talking to her about it first. So many times, I would just come in & sit for an hour after school and listen to her wisdom, and you can't leave her classroom without feeling better. Seriously, she can make you laugh and laugh until your sides hurt. She knows me better than I know myself, I think. She gives me advice beyond just teaching... advice on dealing with the family, relationships, and learning to prioritize my life. She encourages me to think outside of school, and I am prepared to put this into practice my second year of teaching. :) I don't think I would have survived my first year without Kym.
2. Rebecca-- She is another co-teacher of mine who teaches across the hall from Kym. She has amazing control over centers. Like, you haven't seen centers until you see Rebecca's class during centers. It's intense. She & I are known for being at the school late into the evenings together... mostly because we talk so much after school. She shared every single thing she owns with me this year. I was constantly coming in and snagging big books, word games, flash cards, cold Cokes, and Lakeshore games. I was able to be somewhat calm in the evenings after school because of Rebecca's funny stories and ability to listen to my rants so well. She is also my prayer warrior. I can tell her what's going on with my family, & she's talking to God before we're off the phone. I don't think I would have survived my first year without Rebecca.
3. Chryl-- She is my Amory mama. She wrote me a beautiful letter the night before school started last year telling me to give it to God. He would be in control of my first day of school. That letter is still hanging on my fridge, and I'll be rereading it in a few weeks when school starts back once again. She drives me to school when my car won't start, she has been known to clean my classroom for me when I have paperwork coming out of my ears, and she knows how to make me laugh at school and at choir practice on Wednesday nights when I'm absolutely exhausted. She knows when I'm weak and will "mama" me when she knows I'm not taking care of myself. I truly believe she held me accountable from sliding back into old habits that come when I get stressed, and for that, I am so grateful! I don't think I would have survived my first year without Chryl.
4. Paulette-- She was my fifth grade supervising teacher when I was student teaching. She laughs at my Kindergarten stories when we talk on the phone. She tells me her fifth grade stories in a way that almost makes me wish I were teaching upper grades again. (almost is the key word). She taught me everything I needed to know about classroom management & guided reading. She was the first teacher who let me teach whatever and whenever I wanted to under her guidance, and who has heard of a fifth grade teacher teaching Guided Reading? She did this ahead of the trend... I know this is the way TPSD is going now, but she was on top of it before it was required of 5th grade teachers!! She modeled good teaching, good planning, & good management of a wild group of ten year olds! They weren't wild in her classroom though. If I had not student taught under Paulette, I don't think I would have survived my first year as a teacher.
5. And finally.... the mentor who has been there for me since Fall 2008: Alice -- I'm getting teary just thinking about how I've grown in the time she's mentored me. She was my math strategies professor. I absolutely loved her class... she taught in a way that I had never seen modeled before. We (students) were in charge of our own learning, and she facilitated. I have used so many of the ideas from her class in my own classroom this year. It took me the first four months to get into the groove of school before I realized, "I'm not teaching math!!!" I was teaching some skills during Calendar Math, but I was missing a lot. Thank goodness, Alice and I talked it through & got it straightened out before the start of second semester. :) The January I started student teaching, we began e-mailing back and forth. She was willing to hear my stories about "teaching" and in turn, would e-mail me back advice & encouragement. Sometimes, she would send me lesson plan ideas, and she loaned me materials for some of my math lessons. We would get together to talk in person in the summers and during Christmas breaks, and she was the 2nd person I called when I was hired at EAES. Of course, I was hired a few days later for Kindergarten, and again, she was the 2nd person I called. (Mama came first.) :) I couldn't have asked for a better second person. She was as excited as I was about the jobs!
This year, I put our e-mails in a notebook, & that became my reflection notebook for my first year. Seriously, my stories from the year were intense.... everything from "my students don't know how to use a public restroom" to "HOW DO I GET IT ALL DONE????" to "I think I'm getting the hang of teaching.... " and the next day, "I was lying yesterday. I don't know what I'm doing!!!" I don't think I would have survived my first year without Alice.
Thank goodness for good role models and mentors. I'd love to be a happy combination of all of these women when "I grow up!" They are reflections of Christ in the way they live their lives, and you can hear Him in their stories & words of encouragement. At times this year, when I made teaching #1 & put God aside, I was encouraged by each of these mentors to make changes.... and I thank God for placing them in my life this year. He knew what I needed, and He provided.
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:19
(Side note-- Some of these adults I don't call by their first names in real life, but I'm choosing to in this post so my blog won't pop up when their names are Googled. Yes, it would happen. So, don't think I'm being disrespectful to my 2nd mama, my supervising teacher, or my professor. It's just for privacy purposes.) :)
1. Kym-- She's my principal-chosen mentor, and I know for a fact God was totally in on that decision. Kym & I are complete opposites at times, but we work perfectly together. She tries my ideas with me. I observed her lessons the first week of school and was able to see a good Kindergarten class and try her strategies on my students. Kym is so patient with me. I would call her mad, upset, crying, happy, excited, or scared, and she would listen and fill me with good advice & encouragement. During the school year, we talked multiple times each day.
I think the purpose of principal-chosen mentors is to keep new teachers from feeling isolated & alone. I never, ever felt that way this year. Whenever something would happen, like... Open House night, 12 hours before the students arrived on the first day of school, when I was about to have a nervous break down over what on earth I was going to do with all of those school supplies, she was in my room boxing things up and shelving crayons and scissors. In no time at all, she was finished & making plans for us to eat at El Torro so I could get my mind off of being nervous about the next day. She was like this all year! If I had a bad day, she would not let me leave without talking to her about it first. So many times, I would just come in & sit for an hour after school and listen to her wisdom, and you can't leave her classroom without feeling better. Seriously, she can make you laugh and laugh until your sides hurt. She knows me better than I know myself, I think. She gives me advice beyond just teaching... advice on dealing with the family, relationships, and learning to prioritize my life. She encourages me to think outside of school, and I am prepared to put this into practice my second year of teaching. :) I don't think I would have survived my first year without Kym.
2. Rebecca-- She is another co-teacher of mine who teaches across the hall from Kym. She has amazing control over centers. Like, you haven't seen centers until you see Rebecca's class during centers. It's intense. She & I are known for being at the school late into the evenings together... mostly because we talk so much after school. She shared every single thing she owns with me this year. I was constantly coming in and snagging big books, word games, flash cards, cold Cokes, and Lakeshore games. I was able to be somewhat calm in the evenings after school because of Rebecca's funny stories and ability to listen to my rants so well. She is also my prayer warrior. I can tell her what's going on with my family, & she's talking to God before we're off the phone. I don't think I would have survived my first year without Rebecca.
3. Chryl-- She is my Amory mama. She wrote me a beautiful letter the night before school started last year telling me to give it to God. He would be in control of my first day of school. That letter is still hanging on my fridge, and I'll be rereading it in a few weeks when school starts back once again. She drives me to school when my car won't start, she has been known to clean my classroom for me when I have paperwork coming out of my ears, and she knows how to make me laugh at school and at choir practice on Wednesday nights when I'm absolutely exhausted. She knows when I'm weak and will "mama" me when she knows I'm not taking care of myself. I truly believe she held me accountable from sliding back into old habits that come when I get stressed, and for that, I am so grateful! I don't think I would have survived my first year without Chryl.
4. Paulette-- She was my fifth grade supervising teacher when I was student teaching. She laughs at my Kindergarten stories when we talk on the phone. She tells me her fifth grade stories in a way that almost makes me wish I were teaching upper grades again. (almost is the key word). She taught me everything I needed to know about classroom management & guided reading. She was the first teacher who let me teach whatever and whenever I wanted to under her guidance, and who has heard of a fifth grade teacher teaching Guided Reading? She did this ahead of the trend... I know this is the way TPSD is going now, but she was on top of it before it was required of 5th grade teachers!! She modeled good teaching, good planning, & good management of a wild group of ten year olds! They weren't wild in her classroom though. If I had not student taught under Paulette, I don't think I would have survived my first year as a teacher.
5. And finally.... the mentor who has been there for me since Fall 2008: Alice -- I'm getting teary just thinking about how I've grown in the time she's mentored me. She was my math strategies professor. I absolutely loved her class... she taught in a way that I had never seen modeled before. We (students) were in charge of our own learning, and she facilitated. I have used so many of the ideas from her class in my own classroom this year. It took me the first four months to get into the groove of school before I realized, "I'm not teaching math!!!" I was teaching some skills during Calendar Math, but I was missing a lot. Thank goodness, Alice and I talked it through & got it straightened out before the start of second semester. :) The January I started student teaching, we began e-mailing back and forth. She was willing to hear my stories about "teaching" and in turn, would e-mail me back advice & encouragement. Sometimes, she would send me lesson plan ideas, and she loaned me materials for some of my math lessons. We would get together to talk in person in the summers and during Christmas breaks, and she was the 2nd person I called when I was hired at EAES. Of course, I was hired a few days later for Kindergarten, and again, she was the 2nd person I called. (Mama came first.) :) I couldn't have asked for a better second person. She was as excited as I was about the jobs!
This year, I put our e-mails in a notebook, & that became my reflection notebook for my first year. Seriously, my stories from the year were intense.... everything from "my students don't know how to use a public restroom" to "HOW DO I GET IT ALL DONE????" to "I think I'm getting the hang of teaching.... " and the next day, "I was lying yesterday. I don't know what I'm doing!!!" I don't think I would have survived my first year without Alice.
Thank goodness for good role models and mentors. I'd love to be a happy combination of all of these women when "I grow up!" They are reflections of Christ in the way they live their lives, and you can hear Him in their stories & words of encouragement. At times this year, when I made teaching #1 & put God aside, I was encouraged by each of these mentors to make changes.... and I thank God for placing them in my life this year. He knew what I needed, and He provided.
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:19
Friday, July 2, 2010
grateful for the summer
I think summer has been so good for me. Actually, it's a fact. Summer has been so good for me.
1. My house has been clean for longer than 2 hours. I've been maintaining it rather than mistreating it & then spending an entire day cleaning it back up.
2. I've gotten to house-sit & babysit some... which rarely happened during the school year.
3. I've been able to reflect (BIG TIME) on the good of last year & the not so good. I have read so many different books that have changed my thinking on teaching reading, & I have a plan for 2010-2011.
4. I have been able to take my time organizing my classroom. 30 minutes here, an hour there.... last year, I spent my entire summer decorating alone. This summer, no decorating was needed. I'm in the same classroom. Rather, I've been able to organize in a way that will be useful during the school year. It's wonderful to have some experience under my belt.
5. I have been able to stop & rest. Yes, I used the word "bored" a few weeks ago, and that felt so good! I love being at home & deciding, "Hey, I think I should take my dogs on a walk!" and being able to just go. I have not had a freed-up schedule to do that in many months. Whether I was going, going, going, or flat on my back after teaching my little learners all day, I did not have the will to do anything.
6. Christ is showing me new things as I'm growing in Him. I hate to admit it, but I'm going to be real. My relationship with God plateaued this year. I made teaching my god, & that absolutely breaks my heart looking back. I went to church on Sundays, taught preschool choir on Wednesdays, & I felt like I was just going through the motions. That is no way to love my Savior who gave his life for my sins so that I can spend eternity with him. This summer, when that god was put aside for summer vacation, I saw what I was doing to the real God. He didn't wash his hands clean of me. He could have. He should have. I don't deserve his gift of salvation; however, he waited on me. He knew I'd turn back to Him, & His grace covers me. Next week, I'm leading Super Summer camp, & I'll be working with incoming 12th graders & college freshmen who have never been to this camp before. I'm thrilled. This is my 5th year... spent two years as a student, now three as a leader. I pray the Holy Spirit speaks through me to these teenagers as they begin these new seasons in their lives. I also pray that I will learn more about living my faith on a daily basis. I see my ministry at my school, yes. I see my opportunities within my church, yes, but I feel God tugging on my heart for something more beyond school & teaching preschoolers to sing out to God.
7. My grandmother has had several strokes in the past few weeks & is in the hospital 30 minutes away. My grandfather, who is a wonderful reflection of selflessness & patience, has also gotten sick & will have to be in surgery next week. I have been able to go & be with them, sit with them, & learn through their stories this week. I have always been close to these grandparents, but these struggles that are going on have really put a new perspective on our relationship & how I need to be treasuring these moments I have with them. They are precious, & I am going to try to spend more time visiting with them this year.
8. Boot Camp. Yes, I did it, & I have two more weeks to go until I can say "I survived Boot Camp!!" I have to miss the last week b/c of Super Summer, but I'll be doing my thing in my MC dorm room. :) Boot Camp has gotten me off the couch & into a healthier frame of mind. I thought it would kill me after those first three classes, but it really has gotten better. I have grown stronger (I can start my lawn mower now!) & I am so much more motivated to walk & eat healthier foods. It is also nice to be around the women who are in my class. They are precious & have fantastic stories. :)
1. My house has been clean for longer than 2 hours. I've been maintaining it rather than mistreating it & then spending an entire day cleaning it back up.
2. I've gotten to house-sit & babysit some... which rarely happened during the school year.
3. I've been able to reflect (BIG TIME) on the good of last year & the not so good. I have read so many different books that have changed my thinking on teaching reading, & I have a plan for 2010-2011.
4. I have been able to take my time organizing my classroom. 30 minutes here, an hour there.... last year, I spent my entire summer decorating alone. This summer, no decorating was needed. I'm in the same classroom. Rather, I've been able to organize in a way that will be useful during the school year. It's wonderful to have some experience under my belt.
5. I have been able to stop & rest. Yes, I used the word "bored" a few weeks ago, and that felt so good! I love being at home & deciding, "Hey, I think I should take my dogs on a walk!" and being able to just go. I have not had a freed-up schedule to do that in many months. Whether I was going, going, going, or flat on my back after teaching my little learners all day, I did not have the will to do anything.
6. Christ is showing me new things as I'm growing in Him. I hate to admit it, but I'm going to be real. My relationship with God plateaued this year. I made teaching my god, & that absolutely breaks my heart looking back. I went to church on Sundays, taught preschool choir on Wednesdays, & I felt like I was just going through the motions. That is no way to love my Savior who gave his life for my sins so that I can spend eternity with him. This summer, when that god was put aside for summer vacation, I saw what I was doing to the real God. He didn't wash his hands clean of me. He could have. He should have. I don't deserve his gift of salvation; however, he waited on me. He knew I'd turn back to Him, & His grace covers me. Next week, I'm leading Super Summer camp, & I'll be working with incoming 12th graders & college freshmen who have never been to this camp before. I'm thrilled. This is my 5th year... spent two years as a student, now three as a leader. I pray the Holy Spirit speaks through me to these teenagers as they begin these new seasons in their lives. I also pray that I will learn more about living my faith on a daily basis. I see my ministry at my school, yes. I see my opportunities within my church, yes, but I feel God tugging on my heart for something more beyond school & teaching preschoolers to sing out to God.
7. My grandmother has had several strokes in the past few weeks & is in the hospital 30 minutes away. My grandfather, who is a wonderful reflection of selflessness & patience, has also gotten sick & will have to be in surgery next week. I have been able to go & be with them, sit with them, & learn through their stories this week. I have always been close to these grandparents, but these struggles that are going on have really put a new perspective on our relationship & how I need to be treasuring these moments I have with them. They are precious, & I am going to try to spend more time visiting with them this year.
8. Boot Camp. Yes, I did it, & I have two more weeks to go until I can say "I survived Boot Camp!!" I have to miss the last week b/c of Super Summer, but I'll be doing my thing in my MC dorm room. :) Boot Camp has gotten me off the couch & into a healthier frame of mind. I thought it would kill me after those first three classes, but it really has gotten better. I have grown stronger (I can start my lawn mower now!) & I am so much more motivated to walk & eat healthier foods. It is also nice to be around the women who are in my class. They are precious & have fantastic stories. :)
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