Uncontainable!

Great day! I seriously can't stop smiling! God has just filled my heart with such joy! This morning I woke up early, got into the classroom early and made a point to pray for the students, that the students could make the adjustment to me teaching. And what do you know, they did! It made my day to see the kids excited, to see them fighting over who could answer the questions, and to see their faces light up! It just took me acting weird, not a big stretch, in front of them! I left school more encouraged than what I have felt for a long time!

Then as I ran through the park I was just thinking of how great I'm blessed for the strength and ability that God has given me! I was thinking of next fall and thinking of how God has really blessed me with the athletic ability I have! Sure I'm no superstar, but boy am I blessed to be able to do the things I can. I got more weird looks from the Asians today then I have the whole rest of my time here! As I was running I was just laughing and smiling so big with my music on, and I'm sure people were thinking I was high! "He sure is running well for being so high on that pot!" I'm just imagining those old ladies who walk say that. But when we think of the little things, of everything we have been blessed with, how do we contain that joy! When I look back at my experiences, the things God has led me through, and the daily blessings I receive, I'm so overwhelmed with His love and mercy, that I can't contain it within myself, but it bubbles over!

And then tonight, hearing how God is working in other peoples lives, sharing in the joy of those around me, just makes me all the happier! I think of the friends God has surrounded me with. No matter what Satan tries to attack my friendships with, when they are rooted in the Love of Christ, they can't be destroyed, and that brings me such joy! Oh how Satan has tried to destroy certain friendships, and at times almost succeeded. But praise God for the persistence of friends, for them not quitting on me, for God was not finished with those friendships!

No matter what distance we travel, God will be there! And I must always remember, I do not fight for victory, but from victory! We have the victory and can't be defeated, as long as we stay rooted in who God is! Sometimes we fail to seek God, because we know if we seek HIm and try to know Him better, He will want us to rid ourselves of ALL our selfish habits, and some we can't let go of! But there is JOY and FREEDOM in letting them go! For it is then that we become fully alive!

First Day's of Teaching

It is so different, so, so different. It's not better or worse, just different. The classroom instruction is so different, the management is different, and the needs are different. It will take some time to get in the groove. It is so different using the textbook and I just have to get use to planning out of the textbook. I'm not familiar with it yet. Once I get familiar it will be easier to plan out the basic lesson and then I just have to find ways to make the learning more meaningful. Having 7 students makes behavior management so much easier, but now I have to plan in a different way. I have to try and do more interactive activities, more grouping since I have the chance. I'm sure this is a rare opportunity for me to get a class of this size, so I need to take advantage of this opportunity. It is going to be a lot fun, but I just have to learn what these students like. I understood my students at Allen by the time I left, but now I'm learning all over again. It will take a bit of time to understand how to tap into what they enjoy and to use that to enhance their learning. This is such a great experience and I believe it is opening up so many doors and giving me so many new connections. It is so great to follow God wherever He calls, making the most of every opportunity, and just falling more in Love with Him! I'm so thankful for the opportunities He has given me!

First Day!

Today was just observation for me, and what a difference! Wow, it was so quite in class today, almost too quite! I already know I'm going to have students collaborate and talk about things a lot, because it was silent all day! There was zero behavior issues and there is a behavior management system in place, though I doubt it will be used much. The students stay on task, they love to read, and they stay engaged. I get breaks as a teacher now!! Like an hour every day!! That feel foreign for sure. The school follows tightly to the curriculum, mostly because parents want the structure and the parents want their children to have homework for every subject. There are many more grades entered because parents want to see lots of grades so they can check on their children. It is such a shift going from 21 second grade students who are mostly below grade level, to 7 fourth grade students who are on or above grade level. My teaching is going to have to completely shift, since I will be able to group students, and I will be able to give each student much more individual focus.