Wisdom for Wednesday - Forgiving

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

Here's a great quote I found about forgiveness. Take a peek:

I don't know about you, but there are times when forgiveness is not my first response when I feel I have been wronged.

 

Not only that, I will often try to "forget" about it rather than get to the heart of the matter and actually forgive the person. It seems when I use the "forget" about it method, the wrong is all too easily brought back to mind when something else happens. It stirs up all those same feelings because I haven't dealt with them.

 

Forgiveness.

 

That is the way to handle wrongs against us.

 

Now I know this is not news to you (or me), but I also know sometimes it is more difficult than it should be. Let's remember this quote and how forgiving others allow us to be happier. :-)

 

And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 5:32

 

Why I Became a Teacher

I am 35 years old. This is only my fourth year teaching.

 

I graduated high school with plans of becoming an accountant. My mother was (and still is) a tax accountant. Two of my brothers were accountants.

I liked numbers. I liked puzzles. I thought it would be the perfect career for me.

I got married. Three years later, we had our son. I decided to stay home with him. Seventeen months later, our daughter was born. I loved being a stay-at-home mom, but I knew I would be going back to work when they headed off to school.

I did not want another accounting job. I wanted my schedule to be a little more flexible, and I thought a school secretary position would be perfect (and would not require me to go back to school). As it turned out, the intermediate (grades 3-6) secretary position in my children’s district opened up the year our daughter went to kindergarten. It was perfect!

I wore many hats as a school secretary in a small district – secretary, nurse, lunchroom attendant, in school suspension monitor, etc. I enjoyed my job, but it certainly didn’t take long for me to realize that not all children were treasured and cared for as my own children were. You could say I was a bit naïve to the things facing many children.

I began making connections with those troubled kids…whether it was the ones causing problems because they had rough home lives or the child who came to school with throw up down her shirt (because she had thrown up in the yard as she was getting on the bus, her parents had to be somewhere, so they sent her to school anyway). Those kids started pulling at my heart strings.

A couple years into my job, I felt the Lord leading me to go back to school to get my teaching degree. I wanted to have a positive influence in these children’s lives. I wanted to be the person they could count on to be there every day waiting for them with a smile. I wanted them to feel safe, cared for, and even loved in my classroom.

After four years of teaching, I can tell you I still feel that same way. My students quickly become “my kids” and at the end of every year I have shed tears watching them (even the most challenging ones) walk out the door.

Are there times when I get frustrated with a student? Of course! Just as there are times I get frustrated with my own kids. It doesn’t change the fact that I love them and want the best for them.

My focus as a teacher hasn’t changed. It's all about the kids!

I do my best to make my students’ day fun and engaging. I also have high expectations for their behavior, academic success, and effort in class. I don’t ask anything of them that I wouldn’t ask my own children to do.

And I absolutely love my job!

This post was inspired by recent “attacks” or “jabs” against teachers, schools, standards, and testing that I have seen posted on the Internet. Rather than respond to these “attacks” and “jabs” (believe me, I’d like to), I think this post better reflects my heart about teaching. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone…

Fun with Readers Theatre Scripts

I have come across a fantastic Readers Theatre Script site online at Dr. Young's Reading Room.  It has tons of readers theatre scripts that tell you how many parts are in each one.  So it makes it very easy to go in and look for one that has as many parts as you need for it. 

My kiddos have loved doing Readers Theatre this year and have done very well with it.  We have been able to incorporate them into our MTSS groups.  The kids in the class were able to perform for all the first graders at least one time this year.  All the kids get so excited to do it.  It is so fun to watch them and to see those ones that are more quiet, stand up in front of everyone and proudly say his/her lines.  The other exciting part about it is that one of the groups did one that was an Arthur book and realized that there were several Arthur books in the library that they could check out.  So, they have now checked out and have read all the Arthur books. 

Here is a picture of one that was performed today:

  

If you are needing some good Readers Theatre Scripts, make sure you check these out at Dr. Young's Reading Room.

Have a great weekend!

Wisdom for Wednesday-Don't know what to say

Welcome to this week's:

I have times where I get overwhelmed and when I go to pray, I just can't find the words to say.  In the past, there were many times I'd go to pray and I just couldn't get my words together to pray and I would end up sitting there and not finishing a prayer.  But I have learned through the years that the most awesome thing about Jesus is that is ok.  We don't have to say anything but his name during these times because he knows our hearts and what we need.  So, next time you are at a loss for words and don't know what to say, instead of not praying just say his name and he will take it from there.  

 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. John 10:14

Hope you have a great week!

Math Review Eggs

Can I make a confession?

I like structure.

And I like routine.

That is why I’m always waiting until the last minute to throw in “fun” activities.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We do have fun in my class, but you could call it “structured fun.”

Can I get an amen?

So this may be a little late for you to use this year, but maybe it will spur your creativity for similar activities or you could pin this idea for next year.

Thursday morning, I woke up and decided I should probably do something with those plastic eggs in my closet so that my kids felt like they weren’t really working on a “party day.”

You know what I mean, right?

It seems that the kiddos think because we are having a party in the afternoon, we should be partying all day. This of course, goes against my desire for structure and routine.

Anyway, back to my brainstorm.

I decided to make a mixed math review with the eggs. Using a sharpie I wrote a problem on one side of the egg, and then wrote the answer on the other side. I included all kinds of things such as:

726 = 700 + 20 + 6

516 + 293 = 809

724 – 381 = 343

quarter till 7 – 6:45

quarter after 6 – 6:15

QQDDDP – $0.81

I even did fractions…you get the idea.

Here’s what they looked like:

 

My kids are seated in color groups (red, blue, green, and yellow) so I was able to quickly send a group to the gym with my wonderful para to match up the eggs. She timed them, checked their answers, and then sent them back to my room. I kept the other three groups and we had my kind of fun (Mountain Math and Mountain Language). And yes, I gave my para a choice of which she wanted to do! When one group came back, I’d send another group.

The team that did it the fastest got a piece of bubble gum as a reward, and I was the most fun teacher ever! Ha!

I’m sorry that I don’t have pictures of the actual sorting activity. I forgot to send the camera. But I’m told the kids did great, practiced math, AND had to work together to quickly match up the eggs.

Have a great week! :-) 

 

Happy Easter!!

Graphics by:  Auntie Lolo Crafts

What a wonderful day today is and I believe this verse taken from the song "He is Risen" says it all!  I hope all of you have a wonderful Easter!

Wisdom for Wednesday - Needing God

This last weekend, I was able to attend a ladies retreat nearby. I often struggle with the decision to go...hesitating to give up my Friday evening and Saturday at home. I'm kind of a homebody...and my friends would be laughing hysterically at that. There is no kind of about it! I am definitely a homebody!

 

I'm never disappointed in how the Lord works in my heart, so I was glad that I went. The main speaker was a woman who has been battling depression for the last ten years and breast cancer for the last two years. She quoted Nancy Leigh DeMoss...take a look:

 

 

I know that I am often too self-sufficient, thinking I have everything under control.

 

The speaker said a bit more about needing God. I'll try to capture a bit of it here though I'm sure I won't do it justice.

 

We bounce out of bed every day and do what we need to do, often never consulting God...until we can't (sickness).

 

We pay the bills and take care of the finances, often never consulting God...until we can't (financial stress).

 

We love on our families and friends, taking them for granted...until we can't (death).

 

I could go on and on...but the point is that God just wants us to wake up and say, "I need you!" He wants that even in our good times - not just the bad times.

 

This is the same thought I recently found in my study through Isaiah (chapter 26). In fact, here's my notes from verse 16:

 

The children of Israel would turn to God in times of trouble. Over and over...just like I do. I should be walking with God and seeking Him in the good times and the bad. Drawing near to Him in the good times, prepares me for the bad!

 

And in case you're in the midst of the bad, here's one of my favorite verses:

 

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a blessed week!