The title says it all.
Today I began pre-planning for the school year. Though I am sad that the lazy and fun-filled days of summer are over, I was overflowing with joy reuniting with my MCMS family. I had nothing but smiles on my face as I greeted my colleagues this morning, talking about summer activities and dramas.
I have so many ideas bubbling in my head; I am eager to get the year going.
On days like these, I have no doubt that God created me to be a teacher.
I can rest assured that He is with me... even on those rough days. Remembering that is the trick, though.
The sooner we get this year going, the sooner we can get to some time off! :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Guest appearance from the husband
I used to detest forwarded questionnaires, but upon reading Kathi and Beth's answers, I just had a strange urge to answer this myriad of questions. Maybe it will be the start of me contributing to this chronicle of our lives more often.
So anyway, here we go...
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name comes from my mom's Dad.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When my nearly 18-year-old dog died two summers ago.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It looks as good as it did in the third grade...so, no.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Whatever's in a Firehouse New York Steamer
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I would, but I'd probably get annoyed with me for monopolizing the conversation and for generally being insufferable.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? See answer to question #6.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yea.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Of course. If the chance of accident is better than getting injured in an automobile accident, I'll do it.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Blah...I've never liked it. Ever since Aunt Diane made me drink the leftover milk when we visited their house in Jesup...I developed some mental block about cereal. I'm not mad at her though. I was just a strange child.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Too loaded of a question...I'm skipping it (though it is an evidence of weakness to not take on the question, isn't it?)
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Maybe eye contact. I have to catch myself. Staring into people's eyes doesn't freak me out at all, and that generally freaks people out.
15. RED OR PINK? Blue
16.. What do you like the least about yourself? Sinful nature...seriously. Doesn't everybody feel that way?
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dog Baby. I'm lucky that I haven't had any immediate family pass away yet.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Uh, I don't care. I'll just creep around everyone's blog to see who does it and doesn't.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? No pants, no shoes. Hey, I'm just being honest.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Turkey and Provolone on Sourdough bread with nine grain Miss Vickie's chips.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The Braves game on TV. Chipper just pulled his hamstring. The rest of my answers could be pretty dismal. My material happiness is easily swayed by the ups and downs of the Braves season.
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? There is zero insight that can be gleaned from answering this question. None for you. None for me.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Kathi, Christmas, Fall harvest smells, Apples...I cannot express in words the optimism and peace that I feel at the first whiff of any of these things.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mom
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, she's my wife.
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Atlanta Braves
27. HAIR COLOR? Brown
28. EYE COLOR? Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, I have creepy, eagle vision.
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Jagerschnitzel, Chicken and Dumplings, Kinder products, many other things...I really cannot limit this...I am generally obsessed with well-composed dishes and fresh ingredients.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? When I was younger, I liked scary movies, but they're all just depraved these days. So, happy endings.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Dark Knight
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Fall and Christmas
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate mousse from this cafe in Geneva. The South also has a number of fat-filled, sugar shock delights. Never order a slice of cake in Bavaria Germany. It's like they forgot to put the sugar in.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? KJV Holy Bible. Starting August 2nd...Breaking Dawn.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? Nothing, I have a MacBook Pro.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Braves game
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Waterfalls. No contest.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? I'm deprived of a sound musical education. I cannot pick.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Austria.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? No :-(
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Bremerhaven, Germany.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Didn't this question get asked earlier?
If you want to share answers with me, copy and paste this into your blog and add your answers.
So anyway, here we go...
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name comes from my mom's Dad.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When my nearly 18-year-old dog died two summers ago.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It looks as good as it did in the third grade...so, no.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Whatever's in a Firehouse New York Steamer
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I would, but I'd probably get annoyed with me for monopolizing the conversation and for generally being insufferable.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? See answer to question #6.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yea.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Of course. If the chance of accident is better than getting injured in an automobile accident, I'll do it.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Blah...I've never liked it. Ever since Aunt Diane made me drink the leftover milk when we visited their house in Jesup...I developed some mental block about cereal. I'm not mad at her though. I was just a strange child.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Too loaded of a question...I'm skipping it (though it is an evidence of weakness to not take on the question, isn't it?)
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Maybe eye contact. I have to catch myself. Staring into people's eyes doesn't freak me out at all, and that generally freaks people out.
15. RED OR PINK? Blue
16.. What do you like the least about yourself? Sinful nature...seriously. Doesn't everybody feel that way?
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dog Baby. I'm lucky that I haven't had any immediate family pass away yet.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Uh, I don't care. I'll just creep around everyone's blog to see who does it and doesn't.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? No pants, no shoes. Hey, I'm just being honest.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Turkey and Provolone on Sourdough bread with nine grain Miss Vickie's chips.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The Braves game on TV. Chipper just pulled his hamstring. The rest of my answers could be pretty dismal. My material happiness is easily swayed by the ups and downs of the Braves season.
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? There is zero insight that can be gleaned from answering this question. None for you. None for me.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Kathi, Christmas, Fall harvest smells, Apples...I cannot express in words the optimism and peace that I feel at the first whiff of any of these things.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mom
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, she's my wife.
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Atlanta Braves
27. HAIR COLOR? Brown
28. EYE COLOR? Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, I have creepy, eagle vision.
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Jagerschnitzel, Chicken and Dumplings, Kinder products, many other things...I really cannot limit this...I am generally obsessed with well-composed dishes and fresh ingredients.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? When I was younger, I liked scary movies, but they're all just depraved these days. So, happy endings.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Dark Knight
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Fall and Christmas
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate mousse from this cafe in Geneva. The South also has a number of fat-filled, sugar shock delights. Never order a slice of cake in Bavaria Germany. It's like they forgot to put the sugar in.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? KJV Holy Bible. Starting August 2nd...Breaking Dawn.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? Nothing, I have a MacBook Pro.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Braves game
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Waterfalls. No contest.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? I'm deprived of a sound musical education. I cannot pick.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Austria.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? No :-(
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Bremerhaven, Germany.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Didn't this question get asked earlier?
If you want to share answers with me, copy and paste this into your blog and add your answers.
I'm so silly!
Back in January of 2007, I had to have an emergency root canal done on one of my front incisors. Apparently, back in my rough and tumble days of being a tomboy, something smacked me in the mouth and killed that poor wittle toothie! I am still thankful for the persistent hygienist who stubbornly believed that the discoloration on that tooth wasn't left over from braces. She saved me from a lot of pain! :)
Anyways... I had an emergency root canal completed by a dental endodontist. I went back to my regular ol' dentist to finish the work with a crown on my dead tooth. Well, they told me that I needed a temporary crown while the real one was being made in a lab, and here is where the silliness starts! I thought the temporary crown was an obvious fake tooth, so I went in panic mode (since job interviews were about to begin) and asked if the crown could wait.
My dentist laughed and agreed with me. He filled in what he needed to to keep my tooth from chipping or cracking, and told me that I didn't need to rush. Well, today, I got my temporary crown in... and I don't know what was wrong with me! It blends on in with my normal teeth... except for the temporary cement, but you can't see that!
I feel so silly, and this mistake is not cheap... Back in January of 2007, my parents and their insurance would have paid for it. Now I am paying for it with stinky state insurance...
So, if you are ever needing a crown, don't make the mistake I made! The "fake" tooth they put in for 2-3 weeks is matched and looks just like the real thing!
*sigh* Sometimes I really don't like learning things the hard way... but isn't that what being a grown up is all about sometimes??
Anyways... I had an emergency root canal completed by a dental endodontist. I went back to my regular ol' dentist to finish the work with a crown on my dead tooth. Well, they told me that I needed a temporary crown while the real one was being made in a lab, and here is where the silliness starts! I thought the temporary crown was an obvious fake tooth, so I went in panic mode (since job interviews were about to begin) and asked if the crown could wait.
My dentist laughed and agreed with me. He filled in what he needed to to keep my tooth from chipping or cracking, and told me that I didn't need to rush. Well, today, I got my temporary crown in... and I don't know what was wrong with me! It blends on in with my normal teeth... except for the temporary cement, but you can't see that!
I feel so silly, and this mistake is not cheap... Back in January of 2007, my parents and their insurance would have paid for it. Now I am paying for it with stinky state insurance...
So, if you are ever needing a crown, don't make the mistake I made! The "fake" tooth they put in for 2-3 weeks is matched and looks just like the real thing!
*sigh* Sometimes I really don't like learning things the hard way... but isn't that what being a grown up is all about sometimes??
Monday, July 21, 2008
I love these things! :)
Below you will find a survey that tells you about me... maybe you will learn something new. :)
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope!
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday, a few tears slide down my face when I was thinking about some stressful situations in my life.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I do! :) I even had a teacher who loved my handwriting and signed my yearbook saying so!
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey roasted turkey breast!
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Nope...
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I hope so!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Indeed. I teach middle school, c'mon!
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Indeed! Never had that surgery! :)
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Since falling from heights is a HUGE fear of mine, I'd have to go with NO!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cocoa Puffs! :)
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only if I have to... even then I try to avoid it! :)
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, no. Emotionally, no. :)
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Anything that involves dough-- cookie dough, brownie batter... yum!
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I notice expressions, facial features, hair, cute jewelery.
15. RED OR PINK? Red-- goooo DAWGS!
16.. What do you like the least about yourself? My body. I am severely overweight, unhealthy, and just blaaaah.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My family-- they are all spread out-- VA, FL, MO, SC...
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I will tag the lucky ones to complete this on your blog... :)
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans and bare feet! :)
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Herb Chicken and Rice with mixed organic veggies! yummy!
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Reba's awesome advice on her TV show! :)
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? hmmm... white.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? My husband's aftershave, my shampoo and conditioner, chocolate chip cookies fresh in the oven, febreeze, pumpkin spice, crisp mountain air...
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Chris, running late...
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Indeed! She is quite the awesome sister in law! :)
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? UGA College football, hands-down.
27. HAIR COLOR? Blonde (all natural, never colored in my whole life!)
28. EYE COLOR? Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yesh.
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate chip cookies, any kind of chicken, pizza, and fries.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings... never scary movies!
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Home-- Pride and Prejudice (the new one); Theater-- Wall-e.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Navy blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer because I have it off! :)
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Fresh chocolate chip cookies...
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? We'll see... I highly doubt anyone will!
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I don't know... I am just doing this for fun! :)
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Rejoice by Karen Kingsbury.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? How about I don't have one!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Blue Collar Comedy Rides Again
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Good music and harmony, rapids and waterfalls.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles!
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? California!
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Does singing count? :)
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Dunwoody, Georgia.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Well... I am just doing it for fun! :)
If you want to share answers with me, copy and paste this into your blog and add your answers! :)
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope!
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday, a few tears slide down my face when I was thinking about some stressful situations in my life.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I do! :) I even had a teacher who loved my handwriting and signed my yearbook saying so!
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey roasted turkey breast!
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Nope...
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I hope so!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Indeed. I teach middle school, c'mon!
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Indeed! Never had that surgery! :)
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Since falling from heights is a HUGE fear of mine, I'd have to go with NO!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cocoa Puffs! :)
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only if I have to... even then I try to avoid it! :)
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, no. Emotionally, no. :)
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Anything that involves dough-- cookie dough, brownie batter... yum!
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I notice expressions, facial features, hair, cute jewelery.
15. RED OR PINK? Red-- goooo DAWGS!
16.. What do you like the least about yourself? My body. I am severely overweight, unhealthy, and just blaaaah.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My family-- they are all spread out-- VA, FL, MO, SC...
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I will tag the lucky ones to complete this on your blog... :)
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans and bare feet! :)
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Herb Chicken and Rice with mixed organic veggies! yummy!
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Reba's awesome advice on her TV show! :)
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? hmmm... white.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? My husband's aftershave, my shampoo and conditioner, chocolate chip cookies fresh in the oven, febreeze, pumpkin spice, crisp mountain air...
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Chris, running late...
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Indeed! She is quite the awesome sister in law! :)
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? UGA College football, hands-down.
27. HAIR COLOR? Blonde (all natural, never colored in my whole life!)
28. EYE COLOR? Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yesh.
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate chip cookies, any kind of chicken, pizza, and fries.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings... never scary movies!
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Home-- Pride and Prejudice (the new one); Theater-- Wall-e.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Navy blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer because I have it off! :)
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Fresh chocolate chip cookies...
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? We'll see... I highly doubt anyone will!
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I don't know... I am just doing this for fun! :)
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Rejoice by Karen Kingsbury.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? How about I don't have one!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Blue Collar Comedy Rides Again
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Good music and harmony, rapids and waterfalls.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles!
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? California!
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Does singing count? :)
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Dunwoody, Georgia.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Well... I am just doing it for fun! :)
If you want to share answers with me, copy and paste this into your blog and add your answers! :)
Last Week of Freedom...
And the end of July arrives. Summer went by way too fast, and now I only have a week left. Where did all that time go? The time that I was so eagerly looking forward to on Memorial Day Weekend?
I guess time flies when you are having fun?
Next week will mark the beginning of my second year of teaching. After a teaching conference last week, part of me is really excited to get it going. Bring it on! :)
Of course, I can't help but feel anxious about this school year. Last year was my first year of teaching ever. It was supposed to be a hard year. Indeed, it did have some truly difficult moments, like when a parent questioned my ability to teach her son due to my lack of seasoning with adolescents, or maybe when a student was hard to control at the end of the year, but those moments were few and far between. I had many excellent moments, like the Assistant Superintendent remembering my lesson plan, or my student developing a compound-complex sentence out of manipulatives when we were still learning compound, or when my students got really involved in our climate change research unit... just to name a few. All the happy moments, the triumphs, outweigh the bad ones. In short, I had a wonderful first year of teaching.
It makes me worry about this year. Is this the year when reality will bite? Is this the year where I will struggle under the expectations I set for myself last year? Is this the year I disappoint others? Is this the year I struggle with difficult, hard to manage students? Is this the year where I have kids who really just don't care and are openly defiant about it? Is this the year where I have kids who simply cannot and will not learn the content-- no matter what hoops I may jump through to get them to?
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7
I've been praying about this coming school year and my anxiety towards it, and I feel that on Saturday I got an answer to my prayer. I cannot remember the verse exactly (and I think it was paraphrased), but it was on a teacher gift at a Christian bookstore. It's general meaning is that God gives you gifts and talents that you use well in this world. My friend also has a quote she uses that simply says that teaching is a ministry. Sooo... if I smash those two ideas together... God has given me a gift that I need to use to glorify Him. If I stay focused on Him, then He will guide me through the year... no matter what.
So, as characters on a show I watched growing up say,
Here goes!
I guess time flies when you are having fun?
Next week will mark the beginning of my second year of teaching. After a teaching conference last week, part of me is really excited to get it going. Bring it on! :)
Of course, I can't help but feel anxious about this school year. Last year was my first year of teaching ever. It was supposed to be a hard year. Indeed, it did have some truly difficult moments, like when a parent questioned my ability to teach her son due to my lack of seasoning with adolescents, or maybe when a student was hard to control at the end of the year, but those moments were few and far between. I had many excellent moments, like the Assistant Superintendent remembering my lesson plan, or my student developing a compound-complex sentence out of manipulatives when we were still learning compound, or when my students got really involved in our climate change research unit... just to name a few. All the happy moments, the triumphs, outweigh the bad ones. In short, I had a wonderful first year of teaching.
It makes me worry about this year. Is this the year when reality will bite? Is this the year where I will struggle under the expectations I set for myself last year? Is this the year I disappoint others? Is this the year I struggle with difficult, hard to manage students? Is this the year where I have kids who really just don't care and are openly defiant about it? Is this the year where I have kids who simply cannot and will not learn the content-- no matter what hoops I may jump through to get them to?
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7
I've been praying about this coming school year and my anxiety towards it, and I feel that on Saturday I got an answer to my prayer. I cannot remember the verse exactly (and I think it was paraphrased), but it was on a teacher gift at a Christian bookstore. It's general meaning is that God gives you gifts and talents that you use well in this world. My friend also has a quote she uses that simply says that teaching is a ministry. Sooo... if I smash those two ideas together... God has given me a gift that I need to use to glorify Him. If I stay focused on Him, then He will guide me through the year... no matter what.
So, as characters on a show I watched growing up say,
Here goes!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Dreams Come True?
Having just recently returned from Missouri, certain thoughts always cross my mind, and a deep ache lodges itself in my heart for a brief period of time... specifically, the time it takes for me to travel through Nashville.
Every time we travel to Missouri (with the exception of the one time we moved my Grandma T.), we travel right through the heart of country music. When I was a little girl, my sister (who then shared the same love of country music and singing) and I would amuse ourselves by spotting the tour buses of the famous musicians we knew. As I got older, I would wonder what it would be like to be a singer, and I would often get lost in a daydream about moving to Nashville and struggling to make it big.
Recently, as in a few weeks ago, I drove through Nashville and felt an ache in my heart... a desire, a dream that has always been there that has been shoved aside with excuses coming back to the surface. Ever since I sang along wit Ariel when I was 5, I knew singing was something special and meaningful to me. My best friend and I would make up little bands and songs growing up. I joined chorus and loved it. I sang at church. I sang while I worked (to the annoyance of some I worked with). It was like breathing to me. It still is.
A few years ago, inspired by a friend, I made a list of things I wanted to do before I died. At the top of that list was to record a CD. That's all I want. I don't want fame. I don't really want to perform (I know I am not a performer!). I want to sing. I want the experience of singing songs in a studio and recording them.
If I still have an ache, a desire, then I can hope and pray that maybe sometime in my life, God will point me in a direction that allows me to pursue this life-long dream.
Every time we travel to Missouri (with the exception of the one time we moved my Grandma T.), we travel right through the heart of country music. When I was a little girl, my sister (who then shared the same love of country music and singing) and I would amuse ourselves by spotting the tour buses of the famous musicians we knew. As I got older, I would wonder what it would be like to be a singer, and I would often get lost in a daydream about moving to Nashville and struggling to make it big.
Recently, as in a few weeks ago, I drove through Nashville and felt an ache in my heart... a desire, a dream that has always been there that has been shoved aside with excuses coming back to the surface. Ever since I sang along wit Ariel when I was 5, I knew singing was something special and meaningful to me. My best friend and I would make up little bands and songs growing up. I joined chorus and loved it. I sang at church. I sang while I worked (to the annoyance of some I worked with). It was like breathing to me. It still is.
A few years ago, inspired by a friend, I made a list of things I wanted to do before I died. At the top of that list was to record a CD. That's all I want. I don't want fame. I don't really want to perform (I know I am not a performer!). I want to sing. I want the experience of singing songs in a studio and recording them.
If I still have an ache, a desire, then I can hope and pray that maybe sometime in my life, God will point me in a direction that allows me to pursue this life-long dream.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Making My Home a Haven
Every now and then, I find myself glancing over entries at the Biblical Womanhood blog. As a new wife, I am searching for guidance on how to be the Godly wife my husband needs. Though I cannot relate to everything posted on this blog, I find a lot of the entries very helpful and encouraging.
Today I read the Monday's Making Your Home a Haven series and was immediately motivated to make my home a haven, having just returned from vacation. In two hours I started laundry, cleaned the kitchen, unpacked our suitcases, put items where they belonged, cleaned the bathrooms, and cleaned the major walkways of our little home.
As I cleaned, I reflected on why making the home a haven is so important. At Biblical Womanhood, they want to spruce it up so the husband comes home to a haven, a place of rest and comfort. I remember one day during my spring break, I had spruced up the house, opened the windows downstairs, lit some candles, and began preparing dinner. Chris came in the door, and I will always remember his reaction. He was so thankful! He said it was so relaxing to come home to that environment, to smell the sweet fragrance of the candles mixed in with a spring breeze, to have a couch to sit down on, to have a place to put his shoes, and so on.
As a working wife, I feel I can appreciate it as well (along with my husband). From a lot of experience this past school year, I realized that after a long day, coming home to a kitchen piled high with dirty dishes, a living room with dirty clothes and books scattered everywhere, and a bedroom you can barely walk through just adds to the stress you feel at work. I come home, see the house in that condition, and then I just want to turn right around and walk back out... find somewhere else to go.
With all this reflection in mind, I would like to make it a goal of mine (with the summer of organization behind me) to keep my home a haven. I would like to have my Sunday evenings to clean up the house to get it ready for the week. I would like to beat my husband home so I can straighten up the house, light a candle or two, open up a window (weather permitting), and begin cooking our dinner. In general, I would like to see myself step up this year and be a housewife and a teacher... I kinda neglected my domestic duties in the craziness of last year.
I shall travel to Virginia next week, then I will come home and get back into the routine of getting up early, and hopefully get into an afternoon/evening routine that will help me succeed in this goal.
So, here goes! :)
Today I read the Monday's Making Your Home a Haven series and was immediately motivated to make my home a haven, having just returned from vacation. In two hours I started laundry, cleaned the kitchen, unpacked our suitcases, put items where they belonged, cleaned the bathrooms, and cleaned the major walkways of our little home.
As I cleaned, I reflected on why making the home a haven is so important. At Biblical Womanhood, they want to spruce it up so the husband comes home to a haven, a place of rest and comfort. I remember one day during my spring break, I had spruced up the house, opened the windows downstairs, lit some candles, and began preparing dinner. Chris came in the door, and I will always remember his reaction. He was so thankful! He said it was so relaxing to come home to that environment, to smell the sweet fragrance of the candles mixed in with a spring breeze, to have a couch to sit down on, to have a place to put his shoes, and so on.
As a working wife, I feel I can appreciate it as well (along with my husband). From a lot of experience this past school year, I realized that after a long day, coming home to a kitchen piled high with dirty dishes, a living room with dirty clothes and books scattered everywhere, and a bedroom you can barely walk through just adds to the stress you feel at work. I come home, see the house in that condition, and then I just want to turn right around and walk back out... find somewhere else to go.
With all this reflection in mind, I would like to make it a goal of mine (with the summer of organization behind me) to keep my home a haven. I would like to have my Sunday evenings to clean up the house to get it ready for the week. I would like to beat my husband home so I can straighten up the house, light a candle or two, open up a window (weather permitting), and begin cooking our dinner. In general, I would like to see myself step up this year and be a housewife and a teacher... I kinda neglected my domestic duties in the craziness of last year.
I shall travel to Virginia next week, then I will come home and get back into the routine of getting up early, and hopefully get into an afternoon/evening routine that will help me succeed in this goal.
So, here goes! :)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
My Grandparents
It has been two years since my grandma was placed in a nursing home. My grandpa took care of her the best he could, but she loved to get up in the middle of the night and roam around on her bad knees. It got to where the best thing for her was to place her in a care facility that could monitor her all the time and keep her from really hurting herself.
I don't know if I shared it on here, but at the end of May, my grandma escaped from then nursing home in the evening and broke her hip. She was found at two in the morning in a ditch, unable to move. Many people feared the worst because most 80 year olds do not ever recover from such a surgery and ordeal.
This was a case where my grandma's stubbornness worked to her benefit. She absolutely hates sitting around and doing nothing, so she was determined to get back up and walk around again. The doctor didn't believe it, but he said, best case scenario, she would be up and walking in six months.
Well, here we are, one month later, and she is up and walking the way she did before the hip surgery. How cool is that?
God pretty much rocks. He took care of her because it is not her time yet. I am so thankful for her recovery, though she still tries to get out of the facility. She doesn't remember anything that happened, so there is no lesson to learn for her.
He will keep taking care of her until it is time, and that is all we can rest assured in until then.
I don't know if I shared it on here, but at the end of May, my grandma escaped from then nursing home in the evening and broke her hip. She was found at two in the morning in a ditch, unable to move. Many people feared the worst because most 80 year olds do not ever recover from such a surgery and ordeal.
This was a case where my grandma's stubbornness worked to her benefit. She absolutely hates sitting around and doing nothing, so she was determined to get back up and walk around again. The doctor didn't believe it, but he said, best case scenario, she would be up and walking in six months.
Well, here we are, one month later, and she is up and walking the way she did before the hip surgery. How cool is that?
God pretty much rocks. He took care of her because it is not her time yet. I am so thankful for her recovery, though she still tries to get out of the facility. She doesn't remember anything that happened, so there is no lesson to learn for her.
He will keep taking care of her until it is time, and that is all we can rest assured in until then.
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