Grace for the Moment

Tired again tonight.

I think the late nights of this week are catching up to me. Think I might be getting sick too.

But rejoicing in the thought that my good God will never give me more than He will help me to handle! (1 Cor 10:13)

P.S. Don't forget to say a prayer for the persecuted church. Brothers and sisters in Christ every day that have such courage in the face of opposition. They are not on my mind near as much as they should be!

Not Much Longer

How can I be so tired, and yet so encouraged in one night?

Oh yeah, because I live in the dorm..... :-)

Great Expectations

Listening to the rain on a crisp fall night has to be one of my favorite things. And once in a while if I turn from my desk, I can see the lights of the cars in the parking lot outside my window :-)

Here's something that hit me again today....

I should never be thinking that this time in my life is "just for now." Sometimes I catch myself thinking, "This is okay for now, but eventually I'll get to the really great, really big things that I can do in teaching and to serve God." The "for now" mindset tends to get me thinking that these things are of lesser importance, or that they don't need to be done with His glory at the forefront.

Make the most of every opportunity....

With my kiddos at the afterschool daycare.

With my student teaching that's coming up just around the corner.

With the classes I am finishing up as this semester winds to a close.

I talked with a school principal who came to visit today about the possibility of applying for a job. Talks like this leave an excitement in my heart for things to come.

But I have to be careful of the "for now" attitude, or else I'll be living my whole life stuck in that mindset, always looking ahead to the next thing and never making the most of what God has given to me today.

And what if all of these "great expectations" do not end up being all they've chalked up to be? Well, that's okay, because my hope and joy and anticipation is not in a certain country, a certain person, a certain position, or a certain vocation. My hope is in Jesus Christ, and He is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Therefore I do not have to live stuck in the "for now." Instead, I can find abundant life in Him.

I hope this post isn't sounding too generic.... It's kinda just one of those nights where I want to ramble :-)

Ramble on and appreciate exactly the stage of life where God has me

Right now.

*Falling in Love* with the Second Grade!

God DELIGHTS in me.

He truly does!

As much as I delight in each one of these adorable second graders I've been with in the classroom. I don't know how to explain it. I just know that even with all the ups and downs of the week, and all the stretching times in the teaching experience of the last four days, I have totally loved getting to know these kids.

The more I think about it, the more I think being a teacher will end up teaching me alot about who my God is (because there is an ever-abundance of parallels to the student/teacher relationship).

But anyways, more to come about today's happenings. Right now, the night is young and there is still much to be done!.... :-)

Today's Highlights

Lessons learned in Practicum (cont.):

Spelling words are always cooler when you're writing them in shaving cream! - That was my first time EVER to see this done in the classroom. I think I was more excited then the kids were about this.... :-) And I saw it modeled wonderfully by Mrs. Zonn how to conduct it with not an ounce of chaos involved!

In a parent teacher conference - focus on the facts. Let the parents come to their conclusion based on the data, rather than on me outright saying the negative thing. It's oh-so-much better received that way!

For example, if it's math they struggle with, show the parent on a simple graph or chart, where their student's math fact mastery falls into the percentile with other kids their age. This way the parent can conclude for themselves, "My child could use some help in math."

Or if it's a problem with lying, share with the parent, "This particular incident happened on this particular day...." This makes it much easier for the parent to swallow, "little Johnny tends to have a problem with lying."

(makes sense. I think I would bristle too if the teacher said, "I'm sorry to tell you, but your child is a liar." :-P)

Favorite teacher moment: After the kids had inside recess, I received a beautiful marker-colored picture of a rainbow with my name specifically written on it! "I hope I spelled it right," she said.

And in truth, she did sort of butcher the spelling of my last name.... But the thought behind the picture was so precious that I didn't care one little bit. I assured her I would put it in my "take-home folder."

Random fact: I painted my nails hot pink tonight. Just because it's quirky and I can. :-)

Keepin' ya updated!

Invaluable Practicum Lessons

Monday: Be a "challenging" teacher. (This advice was spoken to me by one of the second graders in my class this week. She said that's what she likes MOST about her teacher.) Although it might not seem like it outwardly, kids will truly love that they can't just get away with things. They want to know your expectations, and they truly do love a teacher who will push them to learn.

Tuesday: I cannot do this on my own strength. Teaching is just one of those professions (but aren't they all?...) where you really have to lean on God alone for patience, energy, and wisdom. There were countless times in the day when I saw His hand at work, helping me to do what otherwise would have been impossible for lil' old me!

Fight for recess. No matter how many beneficial curriculum lessons you try to squeeze into the day, there is no substitute for running and screaming and playing your heart out - this is when a kid can just be a kid.

Also, every good teacher should always use a tic tac after lunch. :-) (not kidding, I really did learn that today. Thankfully, it wasn't told to me directly, lest you get any funny ideas in your mind.)

Favorite Teacher Moment: I was introducing the memory verse for today (John 1:7) and asking the kids, "What does it look like to walk in the light?" One boy raised his hand. "I think it's like when you carve a pumpkin and you pull out all the gross stuff, that's like you're getting rid of the darkness. And then you made room for the light and you carve it and the light shines through."

Wow! Wish I'd have thought of that one ;-) I just love kids' fresh take on life!

Well, I really should go to bed, so that tomorrow is survivable and not too tiring.... But in case you couldn't tell, I am seriously loving this whole "student teaching" thing. Tomorrow, spelling words in the shaving cream (I think I'm more excited than the kids are! Never before have I seen this done in a classroom. It's gonna be a blast learning how to direct this activity without total pandemonium.) Then at the end of the day I'll be teaching a history lesson on the Mayflower. Good stuff.

The longer time I spend in the classroom, the more I learn that this is something I could totally see myself doing and loving for a very long time to come.

Mini Student Teaching Week

So, here I am, diving headfirst into what we as teachers like to call "Practicum." (I didn't know what it meant until I hit senior year and I'm actually doing it) lol But basically, it's like a mini-student-teaching week. For all five days of the school week I'll be spending time observing AND teaching lessons in a second grade classroom.Last night I laid out my "school clothes" and made a pb & j for my lunch and was so excited, I couldn't get to sleep! I felt like it was my first day of school all over again.

Tonight I am somewhat in the same boat, but it's more because of the jitters of wondering how my two lessons will go tomorrow. I'm teaching a Bible lesson about Samuel, and an English lesson on how to use a thesaurus - which is like, the best, because it can at least help the kids next time they're caught in a tough spot in Scrabble! ;-)

While on the internet tonight, I stumbled upon this picture that I absolutely love! (Maybe because it makes me think of the Christians in Africa. They are unbelievably grateful for what they've been given.) Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the pic, and if you are my dad and you happen to be reading this, please know that I miss your chiropractic skills lots and lots (and would drive the 3 hours in order to get myself a good solid adjustment if it wasn't after curfew here in the dorm.)

That's all for tonight!