Okay, so it's been a while....quite a long while.
As you can imagine, life has most definitely been busy. I am finally starting to get into a groove with my new job. It has been quite a challenge. I don't know if the bigger challenge is transitioning from teaching Junior High to teaching 1st and 2nd grade, or if it is going from teaching hearing students to deaf students.
It has been a good opportunity, though. There still are days where I question whether or not I want to pursue this type of career, but then there are days where I feel I am at the right place at the right time. One encouraging thing is that I have heard from a few colleagues that they have definitely seen a big change in the attitudes of my students (in a good way). Their old teacher was very negative and very demeaning. I had the unfortunate experience of observing her for a day.
Aside from my starting a new job, Jason and I finally had the opportunity to get approved for a mortgage loan! Yippee! I am so excited. I am very grateful for Jason's family opening up their house for us to live in, but I am READY to get my own place.
Jason and I spent about 3 hours with our realtor (my brother's father-in-law) and we got to take a look at quite a few places. We have a couple houses in mind, but we're just in the beginning stages of looking around. Our realtor seems to think he can find us a really good deal for the money. Hopefully he can find us that diamond in the rough that we can live in for decades to come! It is our dream to stay in the same house for the entire time the girls are in school. That is something I never had, and I desperately want that for my children.
Hopefully we can find our house soon! I am ready to get started with this new phase in our life!
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
What A Crazy Week
I finally got a job.
Last Wednesday didn't exactly go as I had expected it to go. I got a call in the morning on Wednesday letting me know that I didn't get the job I interviewed for the week before. It didn't really bother me all that much. I was okay with it. I was just starting to get into a groove and really enjoying my time at home with my girls. I know, you'd say that after THREE months of being unemployed, why was I just now starting to get used to being a stay-at-home mom? Well, I was so consumed with trying to find a job that it took me a while to be satisfied with where God had me. I was obsessed. I was checking district websites multiple times a day just to see that just maybe they'd post something through the course of the day, and I wanted to be the first person to apply.
It took me quite some time to finally admit the fact that I just might not get that job after all, and that I would just end up getting a job for the Fall. I was okay with that. Really. I was. Wednesday afternoon I was sharing with Aunt Kim (whom we live with right now) that I didn't get the job and that it didn't really bother me all that much. Right in the middle of our conversation, I got the call. I was told that the person they offered the job to was unable to commit to the position, so they called me instead. What a shock that was! I was totally and completely caught off-guard. Especially considering the fact that I had just finished saying that I was okay with not working until this Fall.
I was completely speechless. I couldn't believe it. The one thing I wanted so badly for what seemed like an eternity was finally within my reach. The real kicker was that this job was EXACTLY what God had promised to me all those months ago. He told me (in a dream) that I would be teaching at a new school and that I would start in the middle of the school year. The thing that gets me every time was that in my dream I was signing to my students in Sign Language. It seemed foolish to turn something like this down, so here I am a week later and that is exactly what I am doing. I am now the new 1st and 2nd grade teacher at the Deaf school here in town. How amazing.
I did have the opportunity to observe the previous teacher for only one day, but it was better than going in without prior exposure to an environment that is so incredibly different than anything I have ever experienced before in my life. This week has most definitely been very difficult learning new rules, procedures, and all the ins and outs of a new school, but it has also been extremely difficult getting used to teaching a group of students whose needs are much more intense and extreme than any I have worked with before. One thing that I do know is that I am exactly where God wants me to be right now. There is no doubt in my mind about that. These kids need me just as much as I need the exposure to something like this.
Right now I am considered as the long-term substitute teacher and it is very likely that I will not be hired for the following school year, but at least this is something to get my foot in the door. I have wrestled for many, many years about whether or not I want to get my Master's degree in Deaf Education and this is the opportunity I need to help me decide if this is something God wants for me. There are a lot of variables as to whether or not I decide to pursue the degree starting this Fall, or if I decide to wait a few years first.
Right now, I am happy for the job, for the students that have already impacted my life so much, and for God's unfailing faithfulness and provision for me. I sit here in awe of how God continues to provide at just the right time and not a moment sooner. I don't deserve it, but I am most definitely grateful. Yay, God!
Last Wednesday didn't exactly go as I had expected it to go. I got a call in the morning on Wednesday letting me know that I didn't get the job I interviewed for the week before. It didn't really bother me all that much. I was okay with it. I was just starting to get into a groove and really enjoying my time at home with my girls. I know, you'd say that after THREE months of being unemployed, why was I just now starting to get used to being a stay-at-home mom? Well, I was so consumed with trying to find a job that it took me a while to be satisfied with where God had me. I was obsessed. I was checking district websites multiple times a day just to see that just maybe they'd post something through the course of the day, and I wanted to be the first person to apply.
It took me quite some time to finally admit the fact that I just might not get that job after all, and that I would just end up getting a job for the Fall. I was okay with that. Really. I was. Wednesday afternoon I was sharing with Aunt Kim (whom we live with right now) that I didn't get the job and that it didn't really bother me all that much. Right in the middle of our conversation, I got the call. I was told that the person they offered the job to was unable to commit to the position, so they called me instead. What a shock that was! I was totally and completely caught off-guard. Especially considering the fact that I had just finished saying that I was okay with not working until this Fall.
I was completely speechless. I couldn't believe it. The one thing I wanted so badly for what seemed like an eternity was finally within my reach. The real kicker was that this job was EXACTLY what God had promised to me all those months ago. He told me (in a dream) that I would be teaching at a new school and that I would start in the middle of the school year. The thing that gets me every time was that in my dream I was signing to my students in Sign Language. It seemed foolish to turn something like this down, so here I am a week later and that is exactly what I am doing. I am now the new 1st and 2nd grade teacher at the Deaf school here in town. How amazing.
I did have the opportunity to observe the previous teacher for only one day, but it was better than going in without prior exposure to an environment that is so incredibly different than anything I have ever experienced before in my life. This week has most definitely been very difficult learning new rules, procedures, and all the ins and outs of a new school, but it has also been extremely difficult getting used to teaching a group of students whose needs are much more intense and extreme than any I have worked with before. One thing that I do know is that I am exactly where God wants me to be right now. There is no doubt in my mind about that. These kids need me just as much as I need the exposure to something like this.
Right now I am considered as the long-term substitute teacher and it is very likely that I will not be hired for the following school year, but at least this is something to get my foot in the door. I have wrestled for many, many years about whether or not I want to get my Master's degree in Deaf Education and this is the opportunity I need to help me decide if this is something God wants for me. There are a lot of variables as to whether or not I decide to pursue the degree starting this Fall, or if I decide to wait a few years first.
Right now, I am happy for the job, for the students that have already impacted my life so much, and for God's unfailing faithfulness and provision for me. I sit here in awe of how God continues to provide at just the right time and not a moment sooner. I don't deserve it, but I am most definitely grateful. Yay, God!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Doing The Best I Can
There really isn't much else to report regarding the job hunt.
It's the middle of the school year. I recently filed for unemployment, so at least that will help some. It's not like we have many bills these days. That's what happens when you live for free with family. I guess it's not all that bad when you put it that way.
I did send out a couple applications this week. We'll see how that goes. One of the places I applied was for a 1st grade position. Yikes! After working in Junior High for the past three years, that would be quite an adjustment. I remember sitting at my computer and cringing as I clicked the "submit application" button. Beggars can't be choosers at this point. It's just that those little kids just understand me and my humor. When I was at my old school, I would say some sort of silly, off-hand, sarcastic remark to a little kid and they would just look at me completely puzzled as to what I said and then come to the realization that I was just plain weird. Oh well. We'll see what happens there.
Sometimes I hate submitting online applications. I truly do appreciate the convenience of sending everything electronically and making sure everything uploaded. The part I feel somewhat uncertain about is just that I sent all my information into this application abyss where hundreds of others have done the same. How do I know that my information is being passed onto the right people? I know there are people who do this for a job and make sure the applications get sent to the right people, but I can't help worrying. I guess the only consolation I have is that how many teachers are looking for a job in the middle of the school year? Seriously. Not many that I can think of. We'll see how this works out.
Until then, I'll just keep collecting unemployment which will go into our little (and I emphasize little because we don't have much at all) savings account for our future house (whenever that will be) and try to enjoy this unexpected phase of stay-at-home-mommy hood. I'm doing my best just trying to persevere through all this and to trust God that He has the timing worked out all perfectly and that we will all be okay in the end.
It's the middle of the school year. I recently filed for unemployment, so at least that will help some. It's not like we have many bills these days. That's what happens when you live for free with family. I guess it's not all that bad when you put it that way.
I did send out a couple applications this week. We'll see how that goes. One of the places I applied was for a 1st grade position. Yikes! After working in Junior High for the past three years, that would be quite an adjustment. I remember sitting at my computer and cringing as I clicked the "submit application" button. Beggars can't be choosers at this point. It's just that those little kids just understand me and my humor. When I was at my old school, I would say some sort of silly, off-hand, sarcastic remark to a little kid and they would just look at me completely puzzled as to what I said and then come to the realization that I was just plain weird. Oh well. We'll see what happens there.
Sometimes I hate submitting online applications. I truly do appreciate the convenience of sending everything electronically and making sure everything uploaded. The part I feel somewhat uncertain about is just that I sent all my information into this application abyss where hundreds of others have done the same. How do I know that my information is being passed onto the right people? I know there are people who do this for a job and make sure the applications get sent to the right people, but I can't help worrying. I guess the only consolation I have is that how many teachers are looking for a job in the middle of the school year? Seriously. Not many that I can think of. We'll see how this works out.
Until then, I'll just keep collecting unemployment which will go into our little (and I emphasize little because we don't have much at all) savings account for our future house (whenever that will be) and try to enjoy this unexpected phase of stay-at-home-mommy hood. I'm doing my best just trying to persevere through all this and to trust God that He has the timing worked out all perfectly and that we will all be okay in the end.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Feeling A Bit Anxious
Okay, here I go. I have my first interview today since quiting my job and moving to the Springs. I am very excited, but definitely a bit anxious. I feel somewhat lacking in the skills department, but I guess it stands to reason that aren't we all lacking in skills with most jobs we start at? Then through learning on the job, we all get better and more versatile with what we can contribute to the job? I guess so. I'm satisfied with that reasoning.
The thing about this job I am interviewing for is that I believe it is THE job God moved us down here for. So what am I worried about??? This being yet another example of God revealing to me the plans He has in store for me, but yet again having to wait for the right timing. This is most definitely THE hardest life lesson that I don't seem to learn well the first time.
I also feel a little pressure (from nobody but myself) to get this job because doing so would open us up financially so that Jason and I can finally buy our house. I am grateful for family that has allowed us to live with them temporarily, but I am just excited to have my own space again.
The thing about this job I am interviewing for is that I believe it is THE job God moved us down here for. So what am I worried about??? This being yet another example of God revealing to me the plans He has in store for me, but yet again having to wait for the right timing. This is most definitely THE hardest life lesson that I don't seem to learn well the first time.
I also feel a little pressure (from nobody but myself) to get this job because doing so would open us up financially so that Jason and I can finally buy our house. I am grateful for family that has allowed us to live with them temporarily, but I am just excited to have my own space again.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Where Has The Time Gone?
I can't believe it's already December.
I am sitting here reflecting on how drastically my life has changed since September, and I can't believe all this has happened and that I survived it all. Jason quit and started a new job, the girls started at a new daycare, and I quit my job. Most importantly, we have sold our house and we have moved past that obstacle so quickly it sometimes doesn't even seem real. I didn't get much time to process that part. That's what happens when you sell your house in only 4 days.
I would have to say that the most stressful thing about selling our house was having to deal with the petty demands from our buyers. I don't know if those people had ever purchased a home before, but I was getting really sick of them demanding silly little things and making it sound like such a big deal that it would cost us the sale of our house.
Seriously, there are thousands of houses in the world that are in worse condition than ours was in. The things that needed to be fixed were so minor, they had nothing to do with the integrity of the structure itself which would be a greater concern than making sure there was a carbon monoxide detector by the bedrooms. After we had the inspection, I was very pleased to find out that the things that needed to be taken care of were extremely minor and fairly inexpensive. Especially considering the state of the house when we purchased it as a foreclosure over 5 years ago.
I would have to say that the most frustrating thing we had to fix was putting a cover on our window well that lead to the basement. This was something we looked at purchasing a few years ago, but we soon discovered that there is no standard size for window wells, nor did we have a normal size that would fit just about any cover that could be found at your local home improvement store. We ended up purchasing a cover that was more than we wanted to spend, but it was the ONLY one that would fit our obscure size as the cover was adjustable.
When the buyers did their final walk through, they were very upset with the cover we purchased as they didn't feel it was secure enough. It was strong enough to support the weight of two adult males, but they were concerned their toddler would fall through. Give me a break! They also said that it was too loose. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, first of all, the cover was installed per the installation directions, and you also need to consider that if there is a fire and you are stuck in the basement, you need those little gaps to grab hold of and push the cover out of the way and escape safely. They first asked us to return it, but we refused as all packaging had been disposed of. They then had the nerve to ask us to fork over another additional $500 to have a cover custom made. I don't think so! There were a few other petty demands, but thankfully we were able to get past them and close on our house on the 24th of November.
Here we are living in our new city, but still homeless. We are grateful for wonderful family who have opened up their home and graciously allowed us to invade their home and temporarily call it our own. I have been unemployed for about a month now, and I am definitely feeling the strain of needing to get a job. I adore my girls, but I am not made to be a stay at home mom. I enjoy our summers together, but just about when I am feeling the need to be back at work, the summer is winding down anyways. The girls are also feeling the strain of fewer opportunities for social interaction. The job market isn't really very promising right now. Especially for teachers. Not many teachers leave in the middle of the school year. Except for me.
I do have a job interview set up, but I am feeling somewhat anxious about it. I know in my heart that this is something God had showed to me over a year ago, but I am still struggling with where he is leading me. The job I am interviewing for is basically THE ONLY position available right now, but I am not fully qualified for this position. I had a dream last night that I was basically laughed at during the interview due to my inexperience in this particular field. I know my dream was due to my anxieties and feelings that I am not qualified for the job. I really want this job. I know that if I do get this job, it is yet another confirmation of God's promise for my life and that all we have put our family through in the past few months would all have been for this job and where God is leading me. The other good thing about getting this job is that we would be that much closer to getting our new house. I can't wait to get back into our own place again. Life has been everything but normal for the past few months. I almost forgot what normal looked like.
I am sitting here reflecting on how drastically my life has changed since September, and I can't believe all this has happened and that I survived it all. Jason quit and started a new job, the girls started at a new daycare, and I quit my job. Most importantly, we have sold our house and we have moved past that obstacle so quickly it sometimes doesn't even seem real. I didn't get much time to process that part. That's what happens when you sell your house in only 4 days.
I would have to say that the most stressful thing about selling our house was having to deal with the petty demands from our buyers. I don't know if those people had ever purchased a home before, but I was getting really sick of them demanding silly little things and making it sound like such a big deal that it would cost us the sale of our house.
Seriously, there are thousands of houses in the world that are in worse condition than ours was in. The things that needed to be fixed were so minor, they had nothing to do with the integrity of the structure itself which would be a greater concern than making sure there was a carbon monoxide detector by the bedrooms. After we had the inspection, I was very pleased to find out that the things that needed to be taken care of were extremely minor and fairly inexpensive. Especially considering the state of the house when we purchased it as a foreclosure over 5 years ago.
I would have to say that the most frustrating thing we had to fix was putting a cover on our window well that lead to the basement. This was something we looked at purchasing a few years ago, but we soon discovered that there is no standard size for window wells, nor did we have a normal size that would fit just about any cover that could be found at your local home improvement store. We ended up purchasing a cover that was more than we wanted to spend, but it was the ONLY one that would fit our obscure size as the cover was adjustable.
When the buyers did their final walk through, they were very upset with the cover we purchased as they didn't feel it was secure enough. It was strong enough to support the weight of two adult males, but they were concerned their toddler would fall through. Give me a break! They also said that it was too loose. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, first of all, the cover was installed per the installation directions, and you also need to consider that if there is a fire and you are stuck in the basement, you need those little gaps to grab hold of and push the cover out of the way and escape safely. They first asked us to return it, but we refused as all packaging had been disposed of. They then had the nerve to ask us to fork over another additional $500 to have a cover custom made. I don't think so! There were a few other petty demands, but thankfully we were able to get past them and close on our house on the 24th of November.
Here we are living in our new city, but still homeless. We are grateful for wonderful family who have opened up their home and graciously allowed us to invade their home and temporarily call it our own. I have been unemployed for about a month now, and I am definitely feeling the strain of needing to get a job. I adore my girls, but I am not made to be a stay at home mom. I enjoy our summers together, but just about when I am feeling the need to be back at work, the summer is winding down anyways. The girls are also feeling the strain of fewer opportunities for social interaction. The job market isn't really very promising right now. Especially for teachers. Not many teachers leave in the middle of the school year. Except for me.
I do have a job interview set up, but I am feeling somewhat anxious about it. I know in my heart that this is something God had showed to me over a year ago, but I am still struggling with where he is leading me. The job I am interviewing for is basically THE ONLY position available right now, but I am not fully qualified for this position. I had a dream last night that I was basically laughed at during the interview due to my inexperience in this particular field. I know my dream was due to my anxieties and feelings that I am not qualified for the job. I really want this job. I know that if I do get this job, it is yet another confirmation of God's promise for my life and that all we have put our family through in the past few months would all have been for this job and where God is leading me. The other good thing about getting this job is that we would be that much closer to getting our new house. I can't wait to get back into our own place again. Life has been everything but normal for the past few months. I almost forgot what normal looked like.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Caught In A Whirlwind
This past month has been a whirlwind of chaos, survival, tears, loneliness, and anticipation.
We put our house up on the market on Friday, October 9th and got an offer on our house on the 12th. Yes, it took us only one weekend to sell our house. There's no doubting God's plan here. I still have to pinch myself to see if we actually sold our house that fast. Especially in this market. We aren't making any money on our house, but God has definitely made it easy for us to walk away from our house with no extra expenses.
For the past few weeks Jason has been in Colorado Springs with the girls and I have been home alone. It has been quite the adjustment for us all, but we have managed to get by with weekend visits. I hate being the weekend parent. I know Jason hasn't exactly enjoyed being the single parent either. The girls have had their moments of acting out, but that can be expected due to not having mom and dad together and not living in your own house. Living with Jason's aunt and uncle has helped out a lot with the transition. They are such wonderful people and I am grateful to call them family.
Due to getting a contract on our house so quickly, I felt it was necessary for me to make preparations towards quitting my job. Telling my students I was leaving ended up being one of the hardest things I have had to do. There were quite a few students who were pretty upset about my leaving. I guess that can be a good thing. I wouldn't want anyone to be pleased with my departure. Part of me was glad and relieved to be leaving because this year has been so stressful for me. The other part of me was being dragged out kicking and screaming because I felt so bad for leaving my dear friends I had made at my work, and ultimately I was leaving my class. What a great group of kids I was blessed with over the years.
I put in my two week notice on the 20th, and yes, I am now unemployed. Yesterday ended up being my last day due to two snow days last week. I did not have to put in an extra day, but I did. I needed to say goodbye to my kids and my co-workers. I needed that closure, and I'm sure everyone else needed it too. Being there yesterday probably helped the kids with the transition between me and their new teacher, too.
Yesterday was a hard day for me. Although I have had moments where I have been so frustrated and upset with situations and specific people, overall my school had been good to me. There are amazing kids with amazing families in a community that truly did care about what I did as a teacher. This was my first teaching job. I guess every teacher holds a special place in their heart for their first class as well as the first school they taught at. If you haven't guessed it already, I am a very sentimental person.
My dear friend, Erin, had purchased a beautiful scrapbook and put together pictures of each of my students along with wonderful notes from every kid. I nearly cried right then, but I knew that if I were to begin reading the messages, I would most definitely cry. I did eventually cry when I read all the wonderful messages from my students. It amazed me (I don't know why) to see how many students wrote about how I had impacted them and their attitude towards school. I know I am in a position to influence my students in a positive manner, but I never really think about it. Being a teacher is often a thankless job which can be hard for someone like me who needs words of affirmation every once in a while.
Now that this chapter of my life is officially over, I am ready to move on to this new phase in my life. The moving truck arrives on Friday and we are packing up this weekend. That should be interesting. Leaving our first house. I had just found out I was pregnant with Meghan when we bought this house. This is the only home my girls know. Again, I am a very sentimental person and there are TONS of happy memories in this house. This house has suited us very well, but we always knew that it wouldn't last too long. There will most definitely be tears of sadness, but they will also be accompanied with tears of joy and anticipation for when we eventually buy our next new home. Whenever that will be. Hopefully our new house will be better suited to fit us long-term. I don't want to move around often.
Now all I need is a job.
We put our house up on the market on Friday, October 9th and got an offer on our house on the 12th. Yes, it took us only one weekend to sell our house. There's no doubting God's plan here. I still have to pinch myself to see if we actually sold our house that fast. Especially in this market. We aren't making any money on our house, but God has definitely made it easy for us to walk away from our house with no extra expenses.
For the past few weeks Jason has been in Colorado Springs with the girls and I have been home alone. It has been quite the adjustment for us all, but we have managed to get by with weekend visits. I hate being the weekend parent. I know Jason hasn't exactly enjoyed being the single parent either. The girls have had their moments of acting out, but that can be expected due to not having mom and dad together and not living in your own house. Living with Jason's aunt and uncle has helped out a lot with the transition. They are such wonderful people and I am grateful to call them family.
Due to getting a contract on our house so quickly, I felt it was necessary for me to make preparations towards quitting my job. Telling my students I was leaving ended up being one of the hardest things I have had to do. There were quite a few students who were pretty upset about my leaving. I guess that can be a good thing. I wouldn't want anyone to be pleased with my departure. Part of me was glad and relieved to be leaving because this year has been so stressful for me. The other part of me was being dragged out kicking and screaming because I felt so bad for leaving my dear friends I had made at my work, and ultimately I was leaving my class. What a great group of kids I was blessed with over the years.
I put in my two week notice on the 20th, and yes, I am now unemployed. Yesterday ended up being my last day due to two snow days last week. I did not have to put in an extra day, but I did. I needed to say goodbye to my kids and my co-workers. I needed that closure, and I'm sure everyone else needed it too. Being there yesterday probably helped the kids with the transition between me and their new teacher, too.
Yesterday was a hard day for me. Although I have had moments where I have been so frustrated and upset with situations and specific people, overall my school had been good to me. There are amazing kids with amazing families in a community that truly did care about what I did as a teacher. This was my first teaching job. I guess every teacher holds a special place in their heart for their first class as well as the first school they taught at. If you haven't guessed it already, I am a very sentimental person.
My dear friend, Erin, had purchased a beautiful scrapbook and put together pictures of each of my students along with wonderful notes from every kid. I nearly cried right then, but I knew that if I were to begin reading the messages, I would most definitely cry. I did eventually cry when I read all the wonderful messages from my students. It amazed me (I don't know why) to see how many students wrote about how I had impacted them and their attitude towards school. I know I am in a position to influence my students in a positive manner, but I never really think about it. Being a teacher is often a thankless job which can be hard for someone like me who needs words of affirmation every once in a while.
Now that this chapter of my life is officially over, I am ready to move on to this new phase in my life. The moving truck arrives on Friday and we are packing up this weekend. That should be interesting. Leaving our first house. I had just found out I was pregnant with Meghan when we bought this house. This is the only home my girls know. Again, I am a very sentimental person and there are TONS of happy memories in this house. This house has suited us very well, but we always knew that it wouldn't last too long. There will most definitely be tears of sadness, but they will also be accompanied with tears of joy and anticipation for when we eventually buy our next new home. Whenever that will be. Hopefully our new house will be better suited to fit us long-term. I don't want to move around often.
Now all I need is a job.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Trusting God
Okay, so I know it's been a while since I last blogged. There has been a TON of new developments in my life recently that have consumed me like no other.
Here's the big news: we are moving. Yes, we are moving. This whole situation seems quite insane, but Jason and I have resolved ourselves to the idea that the crazier it sounds, the more confident we are that we are doing the right thing.
This all started a month ago (yikes! Yes, only a month ago) when we went to Colorado Springs over Labor Day weekend. While there, both Jason and I had gotten a strong sense that we needed to leave Greeley and move back to Colorado Springs. We had kicked around this idea off and on over the years but never felt that it was our time. I remember while on our visit one day I was praying and asking God to give me some sort of sign to let me know that the feelings I was having about moving back to the Springs were real and true and from Him and not just some fabrication of my own.
A couple days later Jason had come to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt if he were to begin perusing the ads looking for a new job. He soon called my mom to get some advice on updating his resume as my mom is definitely the queen of writing good resumes. Not feeling that it was safe to share with her all the information yet, Jason just informed her that he was feeling bored at his job (which he was) and felt that he needed something a little more challenging for him. After offering some suggestions to his resume, my mom then asked Jason if he had ever considered looking in Colorado Springs. Yeah, it still gives me goosebumps just to think about it. This was the sign I was praying for.
My mom said that while she was visiting some friends over Labor Day weekend, she too felt that my little trip to the Springs was going to be pivotal and that we are needed back in Colorado Springs. God is so cool. When I had learned of this, I was overcome with tears and the realization that God had answered my prayer. I know He answers prayers all the time, but I can't recall a time where He had answered it so quickly.
Needless to say, Jason found a job posting and applied for the job just four days after our trip over Labor Day weekend. Within 10 minutes of sending his letter of interest and resume, Jason got a response. This company had been looking for someone for months and were ecstatic at the thought of Jason's qualifications and his willingness to relocate in such a short period of time.
After a lot of phone conversations back and forth with Jason, the company eventually called Jason in for an interview. What made this process so exciting was that once this company heard of Jason and his qualifications, they immediately took the job advertisement off the listing. They only wanted to speak with Jason. Very cool. I know he's a pretty cool guy to work with, but it's neat to hear that others are feeling the same way. Jason went in for his interview, and got offered the job that same evening. God was definitely working here. It sounds like a neat company that has great benefits and are willing to train Jason with the possibility of making him not just the Payroll Director, but eventually the Human Resources Director. Too cool. I am so proud of him. Jason starts his new job next Monday. I know. This has been very quick. He is starting his new job about a month after he applied for the job. The thing that makes this whole situation so amazing is that this position was THE ONLY one open at this time.
These next few weeks are going to be crazy. Jason is taking the girls with him when he starts his new job next week. We are grateful to Jason's aunt and uncle who have graciously opened up their house to us and are allowing us to use their basement temporarily until we find a place of our own.
Jason had taken it upon himself to help me out and find a daycare. I drove down to the Springs yesterday and took a look at the daycare which will work wonderfully. The nice thing is that it is only about 5 minutes away from Jason's new job. WAY better than the 45-minute drive we have been dealing with lately. The reason why Jason has to take the girls with him is because my daycare opens at 6 and I have to leave my house around 6 to get to work by 7. This was not going to work out for me.
Unfortunately, I have to stay in an empty house all by myself. I am going to be so lonely. Thankfully I have gotten offers from a great friend and co-worker as well as my parents to let me stay with them occasionally so I don't get too lonely. The other thing is that we are putting our house on the market soon (today) and the emptier the house, the better. I know that the market isn't looking all that great right now, but Jason and I are both confident that this is our time now and God will take care of it. One thing we have going for us is those last-minute first time home buyers who want to get in on that tax credit which expires December 1st. This house will sell. We have improved on it since the last time we tried to sell the house.
As for me, I am staying at my job until something opens up. Although there are days that I want to just get up and leave out of frustration with my boss, it isn't wise to do so. I have a feeling it won't be much longer for me though. I wouldn't be surprised if I get something that gets me started after Christmas break. That isn't too horrible. That's just 10 weeks of school left. I can handle it...hopefully. I know that there really isn't that much open for me as a teacher, but God is taking care of it. I am hopeful with the only prospect that is out there right now and that means I could possibly be working at the school for the Deaf there in the Springs. I don't know if this is where I will end up, but I am trusting God and doing my part in this crazy puzzle.
The thought of that terrifies me. Not that Deaf people are scary, but I feel so inadequate sometimes. I know I was an interpreter for about 5 years, but for some reason I don't feel good enough. I know I have a lot to offer as someone who grew up with a sibling who had a profound hearing loss. Jason reminds me that it is the times where we feel the most inadequate that God takes us and uses us for His glory. Okay God. I'm ready.
Here we go on this amazing new journey in our lives that has stretched us, grew us in faith, and trusting in God and His plan for our lives.
Here's the big news: we are moving. Yes, we are moving. This whole situation seems quite insane, but Jason and I have resolved ourselves to the idea that the crazier it sounds, the more confident we are that we are doing the right thing.
This all started a month ago (yikes! Yes, only a month ago) when we went to Colorado Springs over Labor Day weekend. While there, both Jason and I had gotten a strong sense that we needed to leave Greeley and move back to Colorado Springs. We had kicked around this idea off and on over the years but never felt that it was our time. I remember while on our visit one day I was praying and asking God to give me some sort of sign to let me know that the feelings I was having about moving back to the Springs were real and true and from Him and not just some fabrication of my own.
A couple days later Jason had come to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt if he were to begin perusing the ads looking for a new job. He soon called my mom to get some advice on updating his resume as my mom is definitely the queen of writing good resumes. Not feeling that it was safe to share with her all the information yet, Jason just informed her that he was feeling bored at his job (which he was) and felt that he needed something a little more challenging for him. After offering some suggestions to his resume, my mom then asked Jason if he had ever considered looking in Colorado Springs. Yeah, it still gives me goosebumps just to think about it. This was the sign I was praying for.
My mom said that while she was visiting some friends over Labor Day weekend, she too felt that my little trip to the Springs was going to be pivotal and that we are needed back in Colorado Springs. God is so cool. When I had learned of this, I was overcome with tears and the realization that God had answered my prayer. I know He answers prayers all the time, but I can't recall a time where He had answered it so quickly.
Needless to say, Jason found a job posting and applied for the job just four days after our trip over Labor Day weekend. Within 10 minutes of sending his letter of interest and resume, Jason got a response. This company had been looking for someone for months and were ecstatic at the thought of Jason's qualifications and his willingness to relocate in such a short period of time.
After a lot of phone conversations back and forth with Jason, the company eventually called Jason in for an interview. What made this process so exciting was that once this company heard of Jason and his qualifications, they immediately took the job advertisement off the listing. They only wanted to speak with Jason. Very cool. I know he's a pretty cool guy to work with, but it's neat to hear that others are feeling the same way. Jason went in for his interview, and got offered the job that same evening. God was definitely working here. It sounds like a neat company that has great benefits and are willing to train Jason with the possibility of making him not just the Payroll Director, but eventually the Human Resources Director. Too cool. I am so proud of him. Jason starts his new job next Monday. I know. This has been very quick. He is starting his new job about a month after he applied for the job. The thing that makes this whole situation so amazing is that this position was THE ONLY one open at this time.
These next few weeks are going to be crazy. Jason is taking the girls with him when he starts his new job next week. We are grateful to Jason's aunt and uncle who have graciously opened up their house to us and are allowing us to use their basement temporarily until we find a place of our own.
Jason had taken it upon himself to help me out and find a daycare. I drove down to the Springs yesterday and took a look at the daycare which will work wonderfully. The nice thing is that it is only about 5 minutes away from Jason's new job. WAY better than the 45-minute drive we have been dealing with lately. The reason why Jason has to take the girls with him is because my daycare opens at 6 and I have to leave my house around 6 to get to work by 7. This was not going to work out for me.
Unfortunately, I have to stay in an empty house all by myself. I am going to be so lonely. Thankfully I have gotten offers from a great friend and co-worker as well as my parents to let me stay with them occasionally so I don't get too lonely. The other thing is that we are putting our house on the market soon (today) and the emptier the house, the better. I know that the market isn't looking all that great right now, but Jason and I are both confident that this is our time now and God will take care of it. One thing we have going for us is those last-minute first time home buyers who want to get in on that tax credit which expires December 1st. This house will sell. We have improved on it since the last time we tried to sell the house.
As for me, I am staying at my job until something opens up. Although there are days that I want to just get up and leave out of frustration with my boss, it isn't wise to do so. I have a feeling it won't be much longer for me though. I wouldn't be surprised if I get something that gets me started after Christmas break. That isn't too horrible. That's just 10 weeks of school left. I can handle it...hopefully. I know that there really isn't that much open for me as a teacher, but God is taking care of it. I am hopeful with the only prospect that is out there right now and that means I could possibly be working at the school for the Deaf there in the Springs. I don't know if this is where I will end up, but I am trusting God and doing my part in this crazy puzzle.
The thought of that terrifies me. Not that Deaf people are scary, but I feel so inadequate sometimes. I know I was an interpreter for about 5 years, but for some reason I don't feel good enough. I know I have a lot to offer as someone who grew up with a sibling who had a profound hearing loss. Jason reminds me that it is the times where we feel the most inadequate that God takes us and uses us for His glory. Okay God. I'm ready.
Here we go on this amazing new journey in our lives that has stretched us, grew us in faith, and trusting in God and His plan for our lives.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Fastest Isn't Always The Best
One of my favorite activities to do with my students is to give them a particular sentence structure (Adjective, Adjective, Subject Noun, Verb, Adverb, Adverb) and ask them to come up with a certain number of sentences with this structure in the shortest amount of time. I know that to any normal person who doesn't care about grammatical structure in sentences, this might seem like a stupid exercise, but it isn't. I'm not going to go into it too much so as not to bore you non-grammatically minded people.
I tried to add the part at the bottom where it said that the student who wrote that sentence was trying to write "hungry" instead of what had actually occurred.
Needless to say, I was quite shocked and definitely hunched over laughing to tears. I couldn't contain it. I couldn't even get the words out to share with the kids that I was not laughing at the quality of their work as much as I was laughing at their unintended mistake. Once they discovered what they had said, they too were laughing pretty hard. We didn't discuss much further the remaining questions as that would have been pretty awkward as well as inappropriate.
I'm just wondering one thing: why does it matter how "hung" the hobos were while eating their hamburgers?
There's just some things you should leave alone.
Anyways, I split the class into small groups and gave the class the labels. I told the class that the group to finish the fastest with all their sentences in this particular structure would get a prize. Well, one group was trying so hard to go so quickly that the quality of their work was compromised...with quite a hilarious result. Take a look for yourself:
I tried to add the part at the bottom where it said that the student who wrote that sentence was trying to write "hungry" instead of what had actually occurred.Needless to say, I was quite shocked and definitely hunched over laughing to tears. I couldn't contain it. I couldn't even get the words out to share with the kids that I was not laughing at the quality of their work as much as I was laughing at their unintended mistake. Once they discovered what they had said, they too were laughing pretty hard. We didn't discuss much further the remaining questions as that would have been pretty awkward as well as inappropriate.
I'm just wondering one thing: why does it matter how "hung" the hobos were while eating their hamburgers?
There's just some things you should leave alone.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Job Update
I got a call back yesterday from Windsor Charter Academy regarding the job teaching sample. I didn't get the job.
It wasn't much of a surprise considering how things went last time. The principal called to tell me that "After viewing the lesson samples, we decided to go with someone who had actually taught 5th grade before." I was totally okay with it. It's amazing to think how far I had come. I did get an opportunity to share with her how I felt about things which was good for me.
I told her that I really appreciated the opportunity they gave me, but I also apologized because I felt like I didn't represent the best "me" there is. She said that they did have some concerns with my classroom management (not a surprise considering I already knew how they felt), but they did appreciate me coming out there. I then shared with her that I may have a more relaxed way I manage my classroom, but it doesn't mean I don't know what is going on. I just address certain things at different times. Some people may have a problem with that. I just do what works for me.
I then continued to explain to her that I didn't appreciate how the Dean was sitting in the back of the class and talking to the lady next to her. I said that it was very rude and quite distracting to both me and the students who were seated by her. The principal told me that the would address that issue, but who knows if it will be addressed. I am just proud that I had stood up for myself. It is something I struggle with from time to time.
So for the time being, I still haven't heard from my first choice school, but I still have a job to go back to in case nothing pans out for this summer. I'm just enjoying my time off with the girls. They are taking swimming lessons and having a blast. That is our big excitement of the day lately.
We are leaving for our big vacation on Friday. We are going to drive overnight to see Jason's sister, Kelly in Wisconsin for about four days, then we are driving to Minnesota to visit my brother, Ted for another four days or so. It should be a great time. We are excited. I will be sure to post bunches of pictures when we get back.
It wasn't much of a surprise considering how things went last time. The principal called to tell me that "After viewing the lesson samples, we decided to go with someone who had actually taught 5th grade before." I was totally okay with it. It's amazing to think how far I had come. I did get an opportunity to share with her how I felt about things which was good for me.
I told her that I really appreciated the opportunity they gave me, but I also apologized because I felt like I didn't represent the best "me" there is. She said that they did have some concerns with my classroom management (not a surprise considering I already knew how they felt), but they did appreciate me coming out there. I then shared with her that I may have a more relaxed way I manage my classroom, but it doesn't mean I don't know what is going on. I just address certain things at different times. Some people may have a problem with that. I just do what works for me.
I then continued to explain to her that I didn't appreciate how the Dean was sitting in the back of the class and talking to the lady next to her. I said that it was very rude and quite distracting to both me and the students who were seated by her. The principal told me that the would address that issue, but who knows if it will be addressed. I am just proud that I had stood up for myself. It is something I struggle with from time to time.
So for the time being, I still haven't heard from my first choice school, but I still have a job to go back to in case nothing pans out for this summer. I'm just enjoying my time off with the girls. They are taking swimming lessons and having a blast. That is our big excitement of the day lately.
We are leaving for our big vacation on Friday. We are going to drive overnight to see Jason's sister, Kelly in Wisconsin for about four days, then we are driving to Minnesota to visit my brother, Ted for another four days or so. It should be a great time. We are excited. I will be sure to post bunches of pictures when we get back.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Class Reunion
Here I am 10 years after graduating from High School. I can't believe it has been that long.
My class reunion was this weekend, and I was definitely looking forward to it. I never really kept in contact with my classmates, so I was looking forward to this new opportunity to do better this time around. I was excited to show everyone how different I am and how much of a better person I am (or at least that's how I feel). I truly think I have really grown a lot as a person. I am happy with who I have become.
I know that in High School I was just like every other teenager: feeling pretty awkward most of the time and just wanting so badly for others to accept me for who I was. I find that not much has changed in that area. I'm just 10 years older, and still feeling the strong need for people to accept and like me. I have always been that way. What can I say, I'm a people pleaser. I will be that way until the day I die.
I never had that one true best friend in High School. Yeah, I had friends, but not that one true friend that would be there for me no matter what. That is still something I long for even today. In school I would find myself wandering from one group of friends to another depending on who I felt most comfortable with from one day to another. I think that is why I still don't have that one true friend. It does make me sad to see all my other classmates still hanging out with each other, and here I am still trying to find who I feel the most comfortable around.
I went to the first event last night not knowing what to expect. I arrived to find many familiar faces of people whom I was surprised to remember their names. What surprised me more was that there were many who remembered me. I just thought I was just "some girl" in the midst of our nearly 400-student class. There were a lot of people who I expected to see there, but many who I had hoped to see were not there. Many of the people who I hung out with were not there, and again I found myself wandering around and making small talk to people I knew, but we never hung out in school. I felt just as socially awkward as I did in school. It's funny how I think I have changed in 10 years only to find that I am just the same.
It didn't surprise me to find that the people who were freakishly attractive are still the same, but the only thing different is that they have found an equally attractive spouse with amazingly beautiful children. The token screw-ups are still just as much of screw-ups and already drunk within an hour of the reunion starting. There are the same cliques, and the same group of people who still won't talk to you even after 10 years.
I was encouraged, though by many people who were genuinely interested in finding out what I had been up to and what is going on in my life. That was nice to find. I was also surprised to find those who never took the time to talk to me before, were eager to talk to me. It's funny how things have changed...and how they haven't.
It was good to see some familiar faces, but I left still feeling just as empty and friendless as before. I still hope to find that true friend someday.
My class reunion was this weekend, and I was definitely looking forward to it. I never really kept in contact with my classmates, so I was looking forward to this new opportunity to do better this time around. I was excited to show everyone how different I am and how much of a better person I am (or at least that's how I feel). I truly think I have really grown a lot as a person. I am happy with who I have become.
I know that in High School I was just like every other teenager: feeling pretty awkward most of the time and just wanting so badly for others to accept me for who I was. I find that not much has changed in that area. I'm just 10 years older, and still feeling the strong need for people to accept and like me. I have always been that way. What can I say, I'm a people pleaser. I will be that way until the day I die.
I never had that one true best friend in High School. Yeah, I had friends, but not that one true friend that would be there for me no matter what. That is still something I long for even today. In school I would find myself wandering from one group of friends to another depending on who I felt most comfortable with from one day to another. I think that is why I still don't have that one true friend. It does make me sad to see all my other classmates still hanging out with each other, and here I am still trying to find who I feel the most comfortable around.
I went to the first event last night not knowing what to expect. I arrived to find many familiar faces of people whom I was surprised to remember their names. What surprised me more was that there were many who remembered me. I just thought I was just "some girl" in the midst of our nearly 400-student class. There were a lot of people who I expected to see there, but many who I had hoped to see were not there. Many of the people who I hung out with were not there, and again I found myself wandering around and making small talk to people I knew, but we never hung out in school. I felt just as socially awkward as I did in school. It's funny how I think I have changed in 10 years only to find that I am just the same.
It didn't surprise me to find that the people who were freakishly attractive are still the same, but the only thing different is that they have found an equally attractive spouse with amazingly beautiful children. The token screw-ups are still just as much of screw-ups and already drunk within an hour of the reunion starting. There are the same cliques, and the same group of people who still won't talk to you even after 10 years.
I was encouraged, though by many people who were genuinely interested in finding out what I had been up to and what is going on in my life. That was nice to find. I was also surprised to find those who never took the time to talk to me before, were eager to talk to me. It's funny how things have changed...and how they haven't.
It was good to see some familiar faces, but I left still feeling just as empty and friendless as before. I still hope to find that true friend someday.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Living Life's Journey
Okay, so life lately has been pretty crazy.
School is officially out for summer and I couldn't be happier. I have needed this break. Over the course of this past school year, I have been feeling more and more prompted to leave my school. I love what I am doing and what I am teaching, but I have this strong sense that God is calling me to be elsewhere.
In April I interviewed at this school just about 15 minutes away from home. It was for a position where I would be teaching EXACTLY the same thing I am teaching now. Just a different school. The interview went very well; however, they decided to offer the position to another person. Darn. I was liking the idea of being there. Not so fast. They did say that I was one of the top contenders for that position and that they wanted to keep my information on file because another position may be opening up later. Well, nothing has happened yet, but it's only June.
Just last week I heard about a 5th grade teaching position at a school in Windsor. This is a school I had tried to get into in the past, but nothing had come of it. The thing that makes this story interesting is that this school is the same one I had dreamt about and blogged about here. I have had a few other dreams lately about this same school. I still don't know if God is calling me to this particular school, or if he is using this school as an example for the purpose of His message. My friend e-mailed me, and the next day I was at the school dropping off my application packet.
They called me in for an interview which I had today, and it seemed to go well. I think I was able to show a positive part of me that they seemed to like. It's just so hard when you have interviews. You never truly know what they think of you until you hear whether or not you got the job. The questions that really annoy me are the ones that say, "Describe your classroom management style." Ugh! That is such a vague question that requires such a specific response! I started bumbling over my words, but eventually came up with a reasonable response. I was feeling pretty good about things until they told me that they had already interviewed three other applicants and there will be three more on Thursday, and two more on Monday!!! Things aren't looking too great right now. I don't know. I hate dealing with this sense of uncertainty. I should be hearing something by next Tuesday. If I am one of the primary candidates, then I will go in and teach a mini-lesson to a random group of students. That I don't mind. It's just trying to shine enough and make myself stand out against so many others that are trying to do the same.
It doesn't stop there. I got a call about two hours after my interview from a principal from another school around here who wants to have me in for an interview at their school! Yipee! Yet another opportunity! This is also another Core Knowledge school which I had tried to get into about three years ago when I was pregnant with Audrey. That's another story. You say there isn't pregnancy discrimination, but it is alive and well! Three years later and another principal later, they give me a call. They are looking to fill both a 5th and a 6th grade position. I would love to do 6th grade again and teaching what I already am now, but I'll take what I can get! I have an interview with them on Friday morning. We'll see where that takes me.
I'm excited for the potential that there really is something out there for me and that those dreams I have been having aren't just sub-conscious makings of my own. I know the dreams are from God, but it's always nice when things come back around and I can see the confirmation of His promises. As for now, I'm just living life's journey. Wherever it takes me.
School is officially out for summer and I couldn't be happier. I have needed this break. Over the course of this past school year, I have been feeling more and more prompted to leave my school. I love what I am doing and what I am teaching, but I have this strong sense that God is calling me to be elsewhere.
In April I interviewed at this school just about 15 minutes away from home. It was for a position where I would be teaching EXACTLY the same thing I am teaching now. Just a different school. The interview went very well; however, they decided to offer the position to another person. Darn. I was liking the idea of being there. Not so fast. They did say that I was one of the top contenders for that position and that they wanted to keep my information on file because another position may be opening up later. Well, nothing has happened yet, but it's only June.
Just last week I heard about a 5th grade teaching position at a school in Windsor. This is a school I had tried to get into in the past, but nothing had come of it. The thing that makes this story interesting is that this school is the same one I had dreamt about and blogged about here. I have had a few other dreams lately about this same school. I still don't know if God is calling me to this particular school, or if he is using this school as an example for the purpose of His message. My friend e-mailed me, and the next day I was at the school dropping off my application packet.
They called me in for an interview which I had today, and it seemed to go well. I think I was able to show a positive part of me that they seemed to like. It's just so hard when you have interviews. You never truly know what they think of you until you hear whether or not you got the job. The questions that really annoy me are the ones that say, "Describe your classroom management style." Ugh! That is such a vague question that requires such a specific response! I started bumbling over my words, but eventually came up with a reasonable response. I was feeling pretty good about things until they told me that they had already interviewed three other applicants and there will be three more on Thursday, and two more on Monday!!! Things aren't looking too great right now. I don't know. I hate dealing with this sense of uncertainty. I should be hearing something by next Tuesday. If I am one of the primary candidates, then I will go in and teach a mini-lesson to a random group of students. That I don't mind. It's just trying to shine enough and make myself stand out against so many others that are trying to do the same.
It doesn't stop there. I got a call about two hours after my interview from a principal from another school around here who wants to have me in for an interview at their school! Yipee! Yet another opportunity! This is also another Core Knowledge school which I had tried to get into about three years ago when I was pregnant with Audrey. That's another story. You say there isn't pregnancy discrimination, but it is alive and well! Three years later and another principal later, they give me a call. They are looking to fill both a 5th and a 6th grade position. I would love to do 6th grade again and teaching what I already am now, but I'll take what I can get! I have an interview with them on Friday morning. We'll see where that takes me.
I'm excited for the potential that there really is something out there for me and that those dreams I have been having aren't just sub-conscious makings of my own. I know the dreams are from God, but it's always nice when things come back around and I can see the confirmation of His promises. As for now, I'm just living life's journey. Wherever it takes me.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Outdoor Ed
Last week I took my class of 12 students to Outdoor Ed in Winter Park, Colorado.
This is something we had been waiting for all year. At the beginning of the year it seems so far away that we forget that it is happening. Being at a school as small as mine, we have to do some fundraising to earn money for the trip. Typically the trip costs a total of $2,000 to take a whole group of students.
This year I left the fundraising ideas to the class for the first semester, and after no money being raised, I decided that I was going to have to take a more active role. I hate that. I have enough to worry about and to add fundraising on top of that, it gets very stressful. What made this worse was that I had even asked for help from parents with no reply. I guess this is a perfect example of the saying, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
After a brilliant suggestion, we decided to sell breakfast burritos every Tuesday morning starting in February. That was such a blessing! Not only did we raise enough money in three months, but we even had money left over!
We left for our trip last Wednesday, and we stayed until Friday after lunch. What a great time we had. The kids were great, the weather was beautiful, and we all had an awesome time. Thankfully I was able to take a school camera where I took TONS of pictures. Just yesterday I put all the pictures into a movie where I burned DVDs for all my students. Take a look at our trip here!
This is something we had been waiting for all year. At the beginning of the year it seems so far away that we forget that it is happening. Being at a school as small as mine, we have to do some fundraising to earn money for the trip. Typically the trip costs a total of $2,000 to take a whole group of students.
This year I left the fundraising ideas to the class for the first semester, and after no money being raised, I decided that I was going to have to take a more active role. I hate that. I have enough to worry about and to add fundraising on top of that, it gets very stressful. What made this worse was that I had even asked for help from parents with no reply. I guess this is a perfect example of the saying, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
After a brilliant suggestion, we decided to sell breakfast burritos every Tuesday morning starting in February. That was such a blessing! Not only did we raise enough money in three months, but we even had money left over!
We left for our trip last Wednesday, and we stayed until Friday after lunch. What a great time we had. The kids were great, the weather was beautiful, and we all had an awesome time. Thankfully I was able to take a school camera where I took TONS of pictures. Just yesterday I put all the pictures into a movie where I burned DVDs for all my students. Take a look at our trip here!
We took several classes about outdoor living skills, we hiked to an abandoned gold mine, visited a pioneer homestead, learned about beaver ecology, tackled the high ropes course 40-feet in the air, and so much more! I never had the opportunity to do a week-long trip like this when I was this age, but I have been privileged enough to be able to take a group of students every year.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Best Practical Joke Ever!
This week I played the best practical joke on my students.
It all started when I was bored last weekend and started playing around on this website called "Face in Hole". You can check it out here. The idea of this website is for people to be able to place their faces into the bodies of athletes, models, celebrities, and various advertisements. When done well, it can be very fun.
While playing around, I made this:
I posted this photo on my Facebook account and one of my co-workers saw this picture and strongly encouraged me to use this picture as a joke. I will do my best to re-play what transpired this week as what I refer to as being one of my favorite weeks at school.While having my 8th graders in class, we were sharing what things we had done over the weekend. I began to share with them that I had shared something very personal with one of the other teachers, and she encouraged me to share this information with the students. I continued to tell them that this is something I chose not to share with them because I didn't want it to come across as being arrogant or prideful. This was when I showed them this picture. (With the "Face in Hole" label cut off the bottom) "I am this year's Mrs. Colorado," I said.
The astonishment, amazement, and disbelief was almost more than I could handle. For those of you who know me well enough know that I am a HORRIBLE liar. It has always been very difficult for me to keep a straight face whenever playing a joke on someone. Thankfully, I was able to be very serious when speaking about this. Because all my students know that I am a horrible liar, I was quickly met with a lot of "Are you serious?" and "What was your talent?" I couldn't believe I actually pulled it off. We talked for a little longer about some of the questions they had (I was amazed at my ability to make stuff up and it still be believable).
I was so excited about my ability to pull this off, so I decided to share this with my 6th graders too. I used the same approach as before. I thought I did a good job with the humility approach. They were just as easy to fool. Most of their questions were regarding whether or not I have used my power for good. In my opinion, most of their suggestions were for blackmail and totally illogical reasons, but it was pretty entertaining to hear what sorts of things I should be granted just because I have a nice, shiny, crown. (With a sash too, of course).
My 7th graders were a lot less gullible. I think part of that has to do with the group of students in that class, or maybe because they couldn't imagine someone like me could win something like a Mrs. Colorado pageant. After leaving their classroom, I quickly went into the 8th grade class and said, "I am so upset at those 7th graders! I tried to share with them something so personal and they don't even want to believe me! This is exactly why I didn't want to share something like this with you guys!" I was soon met with many sympathetic, "We believe you, Mrs. Gordon!" Way to milk it, Leslie.
The next day I was met by one of my 7th grade students who had actually gone home and researched the current Mrs. Colorado and found me out to be a liar. I got really defensive and upset at him (all an act) and told him that he got the wrong person. He later approached me and apologized about being a jerk about things. That is when I shared with him my secret. He was now going to be one of the people who had to make sure students kept believing my lie.
Later that same day one of my 8th graders told me that he saw the picture that the other student printed off about the real Mrs. Colorado. He said that he didn't believe the other student because I told them with a straight face about me being Mrs. Colorado. "That's how I know you weren't joking," he said. It's funny how even my students know that I am a horrible liar. It was at this point that I knew that I had just successfully pulled off the best practical joke...ever.
The rest of the week continued with everyone believing my story. I was frequently met with comments such as, "Mrs. Gordon...I mean, Mrs. Colorado..." I soon discovered that I needed to tell the truth about the whole thing when one of my students came up to me and said, "Mrs. Gordon, I was at volleyball practice last night. I told my coach and teammates about you being Mrs. Colorado, and they all thought it was so cool!" Uh, oh. Now it's gone a little too far.
I decided that I needed to share the truth, but I was going to do it in a fun way. I put together a bunch of pictures together into a slide show and here's how it went.
"You guys rocked my world this week. You believed in me when I was in the band, "Evanescence." 
"When I was in The Bee Movie. "
"When I was Taylor Swift."
"When I was Shakira."
"And when you believed that I was Mrs. Colorado."
It was priceless. I did hear a lot of comments like, "I knew all along. I knew you couldn't be Mrs. Colorado!" Considering how well they had been duped, I think it was all just a cover to act like they weren't hurt that I had actually pulled a good one on them. It was awesome.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
One of my favorite projects I have come up with for my 7th grade reading class is making a quilt. After reading, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I give my students some squares of fabric I had previously cut out and have them draw a picture that illustrates a scene from the book. I enjoy seeing what sorts of things students are able to come up with that represent the story.
If any of you are familiar with the original story, it is rather violent as Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired to write this story because he was living in London during the time of the well-known serial killer, "Jack the Ripper". I think it's kinda funny that I have asked a bunch of middle school students to illustrate these violent scenes from the story, and then to put it into a nice and pretty quilt.
The nice thing is that we finish reading the book right before Christmas break, so that leaves me two whole weeks to get it done. I don't need all that time, but is sure is nice to have the time if I need it. Once the quilt is completed, I donate it to the school where we auction it off to raise money for these students when they go on their class trip in 8th grade. Thankfully for me, no one stepped forward and bought the quilt last year. Now I have that memento from my first year of teaching. I am pretty proud of the one we have made this year, so hopefully we should be able to make some money off of it. Here's what it looks like:
I really like the pictures that have "Bugs Bunny" in them because I was able to find the "Bugs Bunny" version which I showed to the class. Here's an up-close look at a couple of them:
I really like the pictures that have "Bugs Bunny" in them because I was able to find the "Bugs Bunny" version which I showed to the class. Here's an up-close look at a couple of them:
In the midst of all these cute pictures that represent the "Bugs Bunny" version, there is one of the most violent ones like this:
Apparently, this is supposed to be Mr. Hyde lying in a pool of his own blood with some nasty blue stuff seeping out of his mouth. When I get pictures like this, it makes me wonder what sorts of things these kids are being exposed to at home. I guess it's not my place to judge, but I can't help it sometimes.
As you can see, all three of these students chose to draw Mr. Hyde with a green face. I find that interesting. Maybe they see him as an early form of the Hulk or something, or maybe the "Bugs Bunny" version had some sort of influence on it as Mr. Hyde is depicted with long arms that drag on the floor with green skin.
What a fun project this has turned out to be. I hope to find a reason to do something like this with my classes each year. I have discovered that students enjoy doing these sorts of things, and they seem to remember the story and the experience better when it is creative and enjoyable.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
School Answering Machine
This got sent to me as a forward in an e-mail recently...
For those of you who are not teachers or do not work in schools, this is a little glimpse into what I have to deal with often in my career. The thing about this message is that it's sad but true. Being a teacher is not an easy job, but I know that I am doing what God has called me to do. Hopefully you find this as amusing as I did.
SCHOOL ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE TO PARENTS
No wonder so many people were offended!
This is the message that the Pacific Palisades High School staff, a mostly well to do and mostly white area in California, supposedly voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine.
This is supposedly the actual answering machine message for the school. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework.
The school and teachers are supposedly being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades - even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough school work to pass their classes.
The actual outgoing message:
Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:
To lie about why your child is absent -Press 1
To make excuses for why your child did not do his work -Press 2
To complain about what we do - Press 3
To swear at staff members - Press 4
To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several fliers mailed to you - Press 5
If you want us to raise your child - Press 6
If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7
To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8
To complain about bus transportation - Press 9
To complain about school lunches - Press 0
If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!
For those of you who are not teachers or do not work in schools, this is a little glimpse into what I have to deal with often in my career. The thing about this message is that it's sad but true. Being a teacher is not an easy job, but I know that I am doing what God has called me to do. Hopefully you find this as amusing as I did.
SCHOOL ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE TO PARENTS
No wonder so many people were offended!
This is the message that the Pacific Palisades High School staff, a mostly well to do and mostly white area in California, supposedly voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine.
This is supposedly the actual answering machine message for the school. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework.
The school and teachers are supposedly being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades - even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough school work to pass their classes.
The actual outgoing message:
Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:
To lie about why your child is absent -Press 1
To make excuses for why your child did not do his work -Press 2
To complain about what we do - Press 3
To swear at staff members - Press 4
To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several fliers mailed to you - Press 5
If you want us to raise your child - Press 6
If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7
To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8
To complain about bus transportation - Press 9
To complain about school lunches - Press 0
If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Funny Things I Hear Being a Teacher
The other day at school started like any other. It comes time for me to let my students into my class in the morning, and most of my boys come in singing the song for the free credit report commercials. "F to the R to the E-E-C-R-E-D-I-T dot com baby!" It never ceases to amaze me that kids are so willing to memorize stupid jingles like this, but when I ask them to study and memorize our vocabulary words for the week they don't remember a single thing!
This morning everyone was buzzing about the results of the election. In honor of our election yesterday, we had our own middle school polling where the kids voted on the next president with all the same candidates as the national one, but we decided to add a few of our own school amendments. We found a way to make the wording so complex and completely unable to understand so the kids would feel what it really is like to be voting for some of those amendments out there. Some of our amendments were (in understandable terms) whether or not i-Pods should be allowed at school, not ever having to do homework but only if all your trash is dumped into the oceans, trading class rewards for having to do an extra math assignment, and whether or not after school detention should be extended an extra 15 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the looks on students' faces when they tried to understand what they were voting for.
With me working in the middle of nowhere in an extremely conservative community, it was no wonder the voting outcome for our school was for Senator McCain. When my kids walked in this morning, there were some severely somber faces. I had a kid come up to me this morning and say, "Mrs. Gordon, if Obama is our new president, does that make us an 'Obama-nation?'" I couldn't believe what I heard. I cracked up laughing so hard. Only in hickville would I hear a remark like that. These kids crack me up.
It's not just these sorts of things that I find amusing, but also the kind of political remarks you can only imagine they hear a parent say at home. I especially like comments like, "I don't like Bush because he is the one who raised our gas prices." I don't have enough time in my day outside of my normal lessons to explain how our president doesn't directly dictate the price of oil. There are so many other variables related to that, I wouldn't know where to begin. I teach English and Reading.
Maybe I should start taking down some of the funny things I hear my students say. I could write a bestseller some day...
This morning everyone was buzzing about the results of the election. In honor of our election yesterday, we had our own middle school polling where the kids voted on the next president with all the same candidates as the national one, but we decided to add a few of our own school amendments. We found a way to make the wording so complex and completely unable to understand so the kids would feel what it really is like to be voting for some of those amendments out there. Some of our amendments were (in understandable terms) whether or not i-Pods should be allowed at school, not ever having to do homework but only if all your trash is dumped into the oceans, trading class rewards for having to do an extra math assignment, and whether or not after school detention should be extended an extra 15 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the looks on students' faces when they tried to understand what they were voting for.
With me working in the middle of nowhere in an extremely conservative community, it was no wonder the voting outcome for our school was for Senator McCain. When my kids walked in this morning, there were some severely somber faces. I had a kid come up to me this morning and say, "Mrs. Gordon, if Obama is our new president, does that make us an 'Obama-nation?'" I couldn't believe what I heard. I cracked up laughing so hard. Only in hickville would I hear a remark like that. These kids crack me up.
It's not just these sorts of things that I find amusing, but also the kind of political remarks you can only imagine they hear a parent say at home. I especially like comments like, "I don't like Bush because he is the one who raised our gas prices." I don't have enough time in my day outside of my normal lessons to explain how our president doesn't directly dictate the price of oil. There are so many other variables related to that, I wouldn't know where to begin. I teach English and Reading.
Maybe I should start taking down some of the funny things I hear my students say. I could write a bestseller some day...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I Love My Job
I love my job. There are many things I love about my job from the kids I come in contact with each day to the fact that I am always learning something new. I know deep down in my heart that I was created to do this. I was born to teach. Some teachers are made, but only some are born to teach, and I am one of them.
Teaching isn't as glamorous as many make it out to be. Yeah, I get every summer and school holiday off, but I am expected to cram in 12 months of work into only 9 months. It isn't exactly all that easy. There's frequently irate parents to worry about as well as kids who think they already know everything. (Not like any one of us were ever like this at one time or another in our lives.) I would have to say that the most difficult thing about my job is the parents I have to deal with each and every day throughout the year. Just when I think I am free of a parent or two, I either end up with a younger sibling, or I have to deal with the student the following year as I teach reading to the entire middle school grades at my school. (That's currently just under 50 students right now, but that's still enough).
Being a people pleaser, it can become very difficult for me to be able to do what I feel is right and still keep these pesky parents out of my hair. I learned very quickly last year that I just need to do a good job being consistent and keeping my expectations clear in all things. That way people always know what to expect with me. Last year was a very difficult year for me as it was my first year teaching all on my own, but I would have to say that I survived with not too many problems. I noticed early in the year last year that not many people are quick to praise you when you are doing something wonderful, but then when you do something wrong, people come in droves just to point out your follies and to rub it in your face. What is up with that? I guess it's just human nature to look for the negative things in our lives and to point out others' wrong doings just to keep the attention off of our own inadequacies.
Looking back to last year, I can probably count on one hand all the times where a parent had praised me for something positive I had done in my class. It's not that I'm looking for these opportunities to be praised, but sometimes I just need that confirmation to know that I actually am doing something right and that people appreciate what I do. What can I say? It's who I am. I need that occasional reality check to see how I am doing. I don't even mind hearing where I could improve...I just need some sort of feedback every once in a while just to keep me on track. I just hate it when I go off doing something completely wrong and I am totally blind to the fact that it is wrong in the first place. Somebody, please tell me before I continue to prove my shortcomings over and over again.
Much to my surprise, I received one of those few golden tokens of praise today that will carry me a long way. After sending my students off at the end of the day, one of my students came back to my class to give me a bouquet of flowers and a thank you card his mom had gotten for me. I was just blown away. I could not believe it. This was totally unsolicited and greatly appreciated. It's funny how things like this always come at a time when I least expect it, and from people who I least expect to receive praise from. I guess somehow I am doing right by that family. I had no idea. I guess I will just have to keep on doing what I am doing--whatever it is. I don't look for thank yous like that, nor do I expect to have them every now and then. (I already learned that lesson the hard way.) It's just when super nice things like this happen to me, it just amazes me. I'm still speechless.
Thank you God for giving me those little bits of affirmation when I need them. This was just a reminder that I am doing exactly what He has planned for me, and that I am right where I need to be....for now.
Teaching isn't as glamorous as many make it out to be. Yeah, I get every summer and school holiday off, but I am expected to cram in 12 months of work into only 9 months. It isn't exactly all that easy. There's frequently irate parents to worry about as well as kids who think they already know everything. (Not like any one of us were ever like this at one time or another in our lives.) I would have to say that the most difficult thing about my job is the parents I have to deal with each and every day throughout the year. Just when I think I am free of a parent or two, I either end up with a younger sibling, or I have to deal with the student the following year as I teach reading to the entire middle school grades at my school. (That's currently just under 50 students right now, but that's still enough).
Being a people pleaser, it can become very difficult for me to be able to do what I feel is right and still keep these pesky parents out of my hair. I learned very quickly last year that I just need to do a good job being consistent and keeping my expectations clear in all things. That way people always know what to expect with me. Last year was a very difficult year for me as it was my first year teaching all on my own, but I would have to say that I survived with not too many problems. I noticed early in the year last year that not many people are quick to praise you when you are doing something wonderful, but then when you do something wrong, people come in droves just to point out your follies and to rub it in your face. What is up with that? I guess it's just human nature to look for the negative things in our lives and to point out others' wrong doings just to keep the attention off of our own inadequacies.
Looking back to last year, I can probably count on one hand all the times where a parent had praised me for something positive I had done in my class. It's not that I'm looking for these opportunities to be praised, but sometimes I just need that confirmation to know that I actually am doing something right and that people appreciate what I do. What can I say? It's who I am. I need that occasional reality check to see how I am doing. I don't even mind hearing where I could improve...I just need some sort of feedback every once in a while just to keep me on track. I just hate it when I go off doing something completely wrong and I am totally blind to the fact that it is wrong in the first place. Somebody, please tell me before I continue to prove my shortcomings over and over again.
Much to my surprise, I received one of those few golden tokens of praise today that will carry me a long way. After sending my students off at the end of the day, one of my students came back to my class to give me a bouquet of flowers and a thank you card his mom had gotten for me. I was just blown away. I could not believe it. This was totally unsolicited and greatly appreciated. It's funny how things like this always come at a time when I least expect it, and from people who I least expect to receive praise from. I guess somehow I am doing right by that family. I had no idea. I guess I will just have to keep on doing what I am doing--whatever it is. I don't look for thank yous like that, nor do I expect to have them every now and then. (I already learned that lesson the hard way.) It's just when super nice things like this happen to me, it just amazes me. I'm still speechless.
Thank you God for giving me those little bits of affirmation when I need them. This was just a reminder that I am doing exactly what He has planned for me, and that I am right where I need to be....for now.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Prophetic Dreams?
I know that throughout the course of time, many have wondered about the meanings and purposes of dreams. There's always the scientific write-off of saying that dreams are the thought processes that are occurring in our brain when it is converting short-term memory into long-term memory. Sometimes I'm not satisfied with the simple scientific answer. I am looking for something a little more deeper. I know that there must be a logical explanation to some of the more unique and impressionable dreams.
I remember when I was in college living in the dorms, I could almost count on having peculiar dreams every Wednesday or Thursday night. It eventually turned into a running joke with my roommate. She would always ask me what I dreamed about the night before, and we would sometimes laugh hysterically at the sorts of things my mind would come up with.
Last week I had a very peculiar dream that has left me wondering what the real meaning could be for this. This is not the first time something like this has happened. This is why I am wondering if God is trying to tell me something. I'll get to more on that later.
Last week I had a dream that a friend of mine, who is also a teacher at a sister school of mine, called me to tell me that there was a new teaching position available at her school. The school she works at is one I had looked into working at a couple years ago because it is a highly notable school in our area that also teaches the Core Knowledge Curriculum which is what I teach too. I remember in my dream telling her that I couldn't possibly leave my class and school because this is a place I truly enjoy being at and a place where I feel like I have a respected role in my school's community. I don't see myself leaving this school for quite a few years. I am a committed person. When I work somewhere, I stay for a long time. I also remember feeling delighted at the thought that I could be teaching the exact same thing I am teaching now, but only working MUCH closer to home than I do now.
The story doesn't stop here. I talked to my friend before church started the other day and I told her about my dream. She said that she actually thought about calling me that week because there actually was a position available at her school. She knew that I had looked into working at her school and that I would be interested, but she thought I wouldn't want to leave in the middle of the school year. The other reason why she didn't call was because the position was practically filled by the time she heard about it, but it started to make me wonder what God was trying to tell me.
Is this why my house didn't sell this summer when we had it on the market? Maybe it could have been because the housing market is pretty lousy these days. It's so easy to explain things away. Hearing this news from my friend made me wonder, but I soon started to shrug it off.
While sitting in church just moments after talking to my friend, our pastor started his message which included a passage in Genesis about Joseph when he shared his prophetic dreams with his brothers. He soon got persecuted because he told his brothers that they would be bowing down to him, but that is beside the point. God sent Joseph dreams which were like promises of what was to come.
By this point, I was starting to wonder, "Okay, God. I get it. Is there something you are trying to tell me? You got my attention now, but what do you want me to do with this?" Just a couple months ago, I was so eager to sell my house and move to Brighton which would provide a better way of life for me and my family. I would be working a lot closer to my school and Jason would be closer to his work too. It just made sense to move...at the time.
Now I am left wondering if God wants me to leave my school sooner than I had imagined. I love my school and the people that are there, but sometimes I get really irritated with how small it is and how far it really is. The other reason why I imagined myself staying longer is partially because it has been said many times before that my school hires a lot of new teachers, or teachers who only stay for only a couple years and then they move on to other schools. I don't want to be another one of those teachers. I want to be the kind of teacher who stays awhile and really establishes something special. I guess I can still do that, but maybe it will just be in a shorter time period than I thought.
I still don't know what God wants me to do with this, but I know now that it's not just a coincidence. If anything, maybe God just wants me to pray about it and to start pulling myself away from where I am because I might not be there as long as I had planned. Maybe He has a greater purpose for me elsewhere, but I'm still left wondering, "what next?"
I guess if I already had an idea of what the big picture is and what His plan is for me, then I probably wouldn't feel the need to depend on God so much. I guess I'm just going to send this off out into the abyss of the unknown and just pray that God will guide and direct me through this. I guess what matters is that I am still part of His ultimate plan. Whatever and wherever that may be.
I remember when I was in college living in the dorms, I could almost count on having peculiar dreams every Wednesday or Thursday night. It eventually turned into a running joke with my roommate. She would always ask me what I dreamed about the night before, and we would sometimes laugh hysterically at the sorts of things my mind would come up with.
Last week I had a very peculiar dream that has left me wondering what the real meaning could be for this. This is not the first time something like this has happened. This is why I am wondering if God is trying to tell me something. I'll get to more on that later.
Last week I had a dream that a friend of mine, who is also a teacher at a sister school of mine, called me to tell me that there was a new teaching position available at her school. The school she works at is one I had looked into working at a couple years ago because it is a highly notable school in our area that also teaches the Core Knowledge Curriculum which is what I teach too. I remember in my dream telling her that I couldn't possibly leave my class and school because this is a place I truly enjoy being at and a place where I feel like I have a respected role in my school's community. I don't see myself leaving this school for quite a few years. I am a committed person. When I work somewhere, I stay for a long time. I also remember feeling delighted at the thought that I could be teaching the exact same thing I am teaching now, but only working MUCH closer to home than I do now.
The story doesn't stop here. I talked to my friend before church started the other day and I told her about my dream. She said that she actually thought about calling me that week because there actually was a position available at her school. She knew that I had looked into working at her school and that I would be interested, but she thought I wouldn't want to leave in the middle of the school year. The other reason why she didn't call was because the position was practically filled by the time she heard about it, but it started to make me wonder what God was trying to tell me.
Is this why my house didn't sell this summer when we had it on the market? Maybe it could have been because the housing market is pretty lousy these days. It's so easy to explain things away. Hearing this news from my friend made me wonder, but I soon started to shrug it off.
While sitting in church just moments after talking to my friend, our pastor started his message which included a passage in Genesis about Joseph when he shared his prophetic dreams with his brothers. He soon got persecuted because he told his brothers that they would be bowing down to him, but that is beside the point. God sent Joseph dreams which were like promises of what was to come.
By this point, I was starting to wonder, "Okay, God. I get it. Is there something you are trying to tell me? You got my attention now, but what do you want me to do with this?" Just a couple months ago, I was so eager to sell my house and move to Brighton which would provide a better way of life for me and my family. I would be working a lot closer to my school and Jason would be closer to his work too. It just made sense to move...at the time.
Now I am left wondering if God wants me to leave my school sooner than I had imagined. I love my school and the people that are there, but sometimes I get really irritated with how small it is and how far it really is. The other reason why I imagined myself staying longer is partially because it has been said many times before that my school hires a lot of new teachers, or teachers who only stay for only a couple years and then they move on to other schools. I don't want to be another one of those teachers. I want to be the kind of teacher who stays awhile and really establishes something special. I guess I can still do that, but maybe it will just be in a shorter time period than I thought.
I still don't know what God wants me to do with this, but I know now that it's not just a coincidence. If anything, maybe God just wants me to pray about it and to start pulling myself away from where I am because I might not be there as long as I had planned. Maybe He has a greater purpose for me elsewhere, but I'm still left wondering, "what next?"
I guess if I already had an idea of what the big picture is and what His plan is for me, then I probably wouldn't feel the need to depend on God so much. I guess I'm just going to send this off out into the abyss of the unknown and just pray that God will guide and direct me through this. I guess what matters is that I am still part of His ultimate plan. Whatever and wherever that may be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)