First Day of School

Well, I survived the first day of school. :-) The last few days have been busy, especially today. My Cooperating Teacher assessed the English skills of several new kindergarten students while I sat in and observed. I had the chance to talk with a two of these--a Somali girl who was pretty quiet but started chatting with me and a very active boy from Burundi. He seemed to like to sit on the floor, so I directed him to the carpeted area where there were more toys and books (since he had trouble sitting in the chair at the table). I also met several families--Bosnians, two Somali families, a few Vietnamese grandmothers, and the mother of the boy from Burundi. I started taking down her information for the emergency contact form.

I also spent a while this morning watching/playing with several African preschoolers (younger siblings of the Somali kindergarteners). They were all really cute. One boy especially charmed me. He started out quite shy, hanging back and watching the baby crawl around and explore. Eventually he started playing with a toy and clearly enjoyed himself. He would play a little and then look at me with the most winning smile possible. Later he sat at a small table and "helped" his older sister do a puzzle. I think I taught him the word, "Yay" when he correctly put the pieces in. So then he started lifting up his hands and saying, "Yay, yay!" A lot, smiling happily. Maybe you had to be there, but it was really adorable.

I haven't met the older children yet--the ones I'll actually teach--but if they're anything like the ones I met today, I'm going to love them.

Wedding Pictures, Part 2

This is my sister, Brooke, with her new husband, Mark.

Brooke and I at her wedding reception in June.

Wedding Pictures

This is my sister, Kara, and my new brother-in-law, David, at their wedding reception in April.
I had the privilege of being Kara's maid-of-honor, so I'm wearing the bridesmaid gown and holding flowers in this picture with my lovely cousin, Laura.

Student Teaching

Wow! I just spent about two hours at the elementary school where I'll be student teaching. It's an inservice day for the teachers, but it was pretty informal. Therefore, I had a good chance to sit down with my Cooperating Teacher and learn some things about the students, the schedule so far, and some units she usually teaches. I'm a little tired; there's a lot to think about. I also met two teachers (Angela--the first grade teacher across the hall, and Andrea--the new middle school ESL teacher) and was reintroduced to Dalib and Aftaba, two of the three tutor/translators in the school.

As for the students, they're a diverse bunch. Grades 1-5, with the possibility of sitting in with the kindergarteners. They speak more than 20 different languages at home. They're Congolese, Russian, Chinese, Rwandan, Somali Bantu, Vietnamese, Bosnian, Sudanese, Burundian, Albanian, and Puerto Rican. Whew! I need to start thinking about a unit to do (with one age group, either a science or social studies topic). I also may have the opportunity to work on writing with a small group of students in grades 3-5. There's at least one student who is a behavioral challenge, 3 or 4 who are brand-new in Winooski, and one who will have an IEP. It's going to be a busy and interesting semester. I definitely have a lot to learn.

Good News

This morning I spent some time reading and pondering Luke 9. After observing that Jesus came to suffer, die, and be raised again on the third day (verse 22), the study guide I was using asked this very good question: "Why does it matter to you that Jesus came to suffer and die?" Here's how I answered that question in my journal:

"Because He did it for me. He suffered the punishment for my sin and died my death. His resurrection proved that His mission was successful and gives me confidence that God will also raise me from death and has already raised me from spiritual death.

Also, because he suffered, He sympathizes with me when I suffer (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). He understands how it feels because He experienced it too.

Finally, it gives my own suffering meaning. It shouldn't surprise me that I'll suffer; even Jesus, the perfectly obedient Son, suffered. I'm not above Him; I'm not above suffering. But His resurrection gives me hope in my suffering. There is always a resurrection with God; death is not the end. There's always a morning after a dark night. God always wins."

I needed that reminder. I've been struggling with some anxiety about student teaching. I'll start soon--possibly as soon as tomorrow if the inservice day sounds helpful. Definitely next Monday (my official start date). I've also felt a bit discouraged recently. So the reminder of the Lord's great love for me, His great kindness and mercy, His sympathy with me in my weaknesses, and the hope I have in Him was very sweet this morning. I love you, Lord. Forgive me for my lack of faith and for my pride in thinking somehow I shouldn't have to suffer. Thank you for loving me so and for Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. Thank you that I'm alive in Him, that He always lives to intercede for me, and for the hope of resurrection and glory in Him. I pray that like Jesus, I'll learn obedience through what I suffer, and that it will accomplish your good purpose for it in my life. Please make me a woman of noble character, for your glory and your name's sake.

Never a dull moment. . .

Well, as the title of this post suggests, several notable things have happened, are happening, or will happen. Come to think of it, they're all notable events in the lives of people I care about rather than in my life. Still, since I care about the people involved, they do affect me. So here they are:

1. Yesterday I went to visit a friend. While I was there, her older son requested a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. Since I was there (i.e.--since she wasn't alone in the house with the boys), Mary-Margaret decided to give her younger son peanut butter for the first time. Turns out that he is allergic to peanut. He developed a nasty rash, and we had a few minutes of concern that it would get worse and she'd have to call 911. Fortunately, the Lord was very gracious and he never had trouble breathing at all. In addition, Benadryl helped. :-) For more details, including pictures, you can click on the "Mary-Margaret's Mutterings" link in my sidebar. Hey, I also gained valuable diaper-changing experience and if I ever need to know what said peanut allergy rash looks like. . . now I know. ;-)

2. My mom and stepdad are moving. They're moving from one town in Ohio to another. I recently learned from my mom that they're moving to a college town, and that Paul Newman graduated from the college (I think my mom is hoping to see him sometime!). I don't really know where it is--I need to look on a map. Anyway, I hear from her more often as she sorts through stuff and wants to know if I want a particular item.

You know, it's a little weird to think that when I go home for Christmas, I will have to find their home. I'm beginning to think that (here on earth) home is where your parents are and/or wherever you happen to live at the time. Probably the main way it will affect me is that I'll now have to drive about 40-45 minutes longer to get there from here. *sigh* It was already a very long drive. . . all the more reason to stop at my cousin Holly's place to visit on the way and spend the night and break up the trip. :-)

3. Recently my sister Kara married David, who is in the Air Force. Then they moved to Alaska because he was transferred there from Dayton. Tonight when my mom called, she said that David is going to be deployed. Apparently it won't be 'til February or later in the spring. I hope it's a bit delayed; it'd be nice for them to be married for a year at least, I think, before he has to leave. Anyway, the news made me rather sad, even though it wasn't terribly surprising. Here's hoping he get deployed somewhere relatively safe like Germany or safe and exotic like Japan. Perhaps it's too much to ask that he won't end up in Iraq or Afghanistan. . . it's good to be able to trust in the Lord at times like that. I know that wherever he goes, the Lord is in control and will be glorified and can use it for good in both David and Kara's lives. Or perhaps it's just a good reminder to pray for them. . .

A Little Glimpse of Heaven

This afternoon was wonderful. Not only was it a gloriously beautiful summer day--blue skies, few clouds, warm but not too hot sun--but we had a church picnic and first ever outdoor baptismal service at North Beach. Wow! It was a blast. It was a great day for a picnic, a wonderful beach day (I did go swimming after getting nice and toasty warm sitting in the sun--the water was refreshing), and the baptismal candidates' testimonies were all really encouraging. Even more encouraging, one of my college friends and her husband were in town. I'd been praying for him, and it turns out that he became a Christian and got baptized recently. He shared his testimony, too. That was really fun to hear.

I love it when the Lord is kind and says "yes" to my prayer requests. :-) It's always a nice reminder that He really is listening, and that my prayers really are "powerful and effective" in Christ (partial quote from James 1, I think). Plus it's always fun to hang out with my church family.

I also had a nice time connecting with my roommate on the drive there, back, and during dinner (we went out for Chinese). We've been busy and going in different directions this week--or tired and a bit anti-social--so it was nice to connect and catch up. What a great day--a nice foretaste of the joy of heaven--just enjoying the Lord and what He's done and enjoying my brothers and sisters in Christ. God is so good.

Reading

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. When I was a kid, I always had a book in hand. I was definitely a bookworm. :-) Just so you know, I'm open to suggestions. If you have a book you love and you think I'd enjoy it too, feel free to mention it in the "Comments" section.

So what am I reading now? Several things, actually (it's normal for me to have several books going at once).

1. The Bible--various parts, based on a book called "The Quiet Time Companion". Most recently, I've read several chapters of Acts. Next week I plan on reading Ruth.

2. "Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students" by Kathleen Cushman.
This one is for my Student Teaching Seminar in the fall. I'll be student teaching in the Winooski Public Schools. Official start date: August 28. I'm working toward a K-12 ESL Teaching License, so I'll teach K-5 from then until mid-October, and then high school from October 23rd until mid-December.

3. "Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? Trusting God with a Hope Deferred" by Carolyn McCulley. This was recommended by a friend, so I looked it up on Amazon.com. I've been thinking a lot about the general topic of this book, which is what it means to be a godly woman who is single. It's written by an "older" single woman especially for those who have been waiting a while for Prince Charming (as opposed to college students or recent grads). So far, it's pretty encouraging.

4. "Merlin" by Stephen R. Lawhead. See, I also read fiction. Fantasy, even. :-)

5. "Morning and Evening" by Charles Spurgeon. It's a devotional, and I usually read it daily (once, sometimes twice a day). Good stuff. I REALLY like Spurgeon.

I told you I read a number of books simultaneously. ;-)

Why a Blog?

Hey, look! I created a blog today. I thought I'd write a quick post about why. First, I've recently discovered that a number of my friends have them. Second, it's seemed like a fun way to process what's happening in my life and what goes on in my brain while simultaneously keeping in touch with friends and updating them. That, of course, assumes that someone than me reads this. ;-) If you do and you find something interesting, please comment. That way, I'll know that someone has actually read it and is interested. And I'll keep rambling, rather than stopping as I glumly conclude that this was a silly idea and a waste of time.

One final reason for blogging: simply to explore a new technological and literary medium. It might come in handy in teaching at some point; I might want to create one for or with my students. Actually, I like the idea of creating a class blog with my students. We'll see if I continue to like that idea as I do this, but I am an English teacher after all. If it allows kids another opportunity to read and write, particularly in authentic communication, hooray!

The Best Thing About Working in a Toy Store

So, if you're wondering what the best thing about working at Toys R Us is, that's easy: cute children. I see lots of them. Babies, too. It's always really fun, but I have two short stories to illustrate the way that the Lord recently used two little girls to bless and encourage me--which of course, made them especially endearing. :-)

First, I was walking around the store with a co-worker. I saw a girl browsing in the preschool section, and I said "hello" and smiled. She said, "Oooh, you're pretty." Now, I can honestly say that was a new comment from a child. Who knows--maybe she appreciated my smile. ;-) Since I have been pondering issues of beauty lately (and can occasionally struggle with that issue, as many women do), that was a particularly sweet comment to me. My co-worker and I chuckled a bit. It was just such a kid comment, if you know what I mean. Spontaneous, excited, and uncensored. It was also kind.

Another kindness really warmed my heart yesterday. I was serving as a cashier and an Asian woman and her daughter came to me to be checked out. The woman bought her daughter some orange Tic Tacs. Once I'd finished checking her mom out, she opened the Tic Tacs and then offered me one. I thought it was such a nice gesture of budding generosity that I accepted, and she handed me one. I enjoyed it, partly because it tasted good, and mostly because it was yet another spontaneous act of kindness from a child.

I love kids. They're cool. Hopefully, I'll still feel that way once I start student teaching in a few weeks. ;-)