It's been a long time...

Wow so much has happened since I last posted.

I substituted for my CT twice. Once for a 1/2 day where I had my students in class with me for 3 hours straight. The second time was for the whole day, but I only had my students in class with me for a total of 3 hours during the full day (we had specials, an assembly, and I taught science to the other second grade class).

Let me tell you....
I don't know how my CT does it on Fridays when I'm not there. True, she's been doing it for a lot longer, but so many days we both are doing so much at the same time (one controlling behavior, one teaching the lesson). It's much more difficult when you're the only adult in the room. What's even more frustrating is when the "good" kids act up. Especially the ones that don't act out for my CT, but just for me. Aren't I lucky. My CT thinks it's because he has a crush on me. Weird.

I'm tired of arguing with students that they they can be right and tell me I am wrong. They can't do that! I've started telling them that I'm tired of it...that makes them a little angry. Maybe not the best way to handle it....

I've got to try something new.

Thanksgiving was great. I went to my dad's with the fam and spent 4 days without thinking about school. :-D I didn't go to my mom's, which means I didn't get to see any of "my boys" (aka my friends from high school). That was sad. It's been too long.

I think I'm actually going to send out Christmas cards this year. I must be getting old. I feel like the only way I can keep in touch with some people is a once- or twice-per-year letter. Is that bad? Am I too young to be feeling this way? I'll try it this year and see how it goes. I miss my friends.

I'm in East Lansing right now because I'm headed to Real Life where one of my girls is sharing her testimony of how God has been working in her life. I'm really excited. She's got a great story.

Only 2 weeks of MSU classes left!
Only 3 weeks left at my general education internship site!

Man! This semester has flown by!

Two things...

I am a city girl. :-)

How do I know this? Yesterday when I was so sick that I didn't want to do anything, but I went to my brother's graduation anyway, I was downtown Chicago. As soon as we stepped outside to walk from the hotel hosting the graduation to the restaurant, I learned how much of a city girl I am. Even when I'm sick, I was energized by the brisk fall air and I just started walking (kinda fast). I knew where I was going, too! :-) As soon as the light changes, I'm walking. One thing I need to learn in the middle of that bustle is to find peace and patience, and to take time to rest. I have a hard time slowing down sometimes, too...


Here's the second thing....kinda kicked my butt today. From the iGoogle application: "Reminders from God" or something like that....
You must not expect to live in a world where all is harmony. It is your task to maintain your own heart-peace in adverse circumstances by relying on Me.

talk about peace...

Crazy

A few things that are crazy right now:

... teaching
Science (weather)

• My own unit plan
• Culmination (hopefully) to happen next week
• Videotaping my lesson for viewing by my MSU classmates
  

Math

• Pretty structured
• Not as many fun activities as I would like
  

Phonics/reading vocabulary groups

• I get very little preparation for this
• Kids don't like to work well together

Behavior management

• My students are very challenging, and oppositional
• I am going to substitute on my own for the first time on Thursday morning...I'm nervous because the kids are so different every day, and have already chased at least 1 substitute away by being so awful.
• I started "making deals" with students, encouraging positive behaviors by providing an incentive if they succeed in the behavior for a slotted amount of time. (i.e. If one student calls out a lot in class, his deal is to get something if he can go a whole day without shouting out.

Personal goals (as assessed by my msu teacher...)

• Behavior management - finding creative ways to include all students and have them focused
• Deliberately using assessments (formal and informal) to modify my teaching
• Incorporating and including diverse learners (especially when the extremes are present in the class)
  

... MSU coursework
Inclusion project re: a child with visual impairments in a mainstream classroom.

• Interviews
• Observations
• HUGE paper at the end exposing my findings

Project re: child with a language problem (writing expression)

• Observations
• Interviews
• Research (for my problem and those of 2 of my classmates)

IEP observation

• 6 page report re: what happened

Group Inservice (Professional Development) presentation

• 1-2 hour presentation to "general education teachers" re: having a deaf/hard of hearing student in their classroom
• 5 members need to collaborate in order to present this

Paper re: my learning breakdowns and development of my learning during the course of the semester

and I think I'm getting sick again....



Positive craziness:
At MSU last week they had an outreach called The Price of Life where they talked about the international slave trade and attempted to raise money for the International Justice Mission. As far as I have heard (this was as of Wednesday night) there have been 55 people who accepted Christ as their personal savior this week! This is very exciting! The angels are rejoicing. :-)

Truth

"Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

...

I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You're holding on to me"
-Casting Crowns "East to West"

I was driving into work today with the radio on, but not really listening because I was too busy praying. You see, yesterday was probably the worst day we have had all year as far as student behavior is concerned. Seven, yes, seven of the boys in our class got in so much trouble during music and gym class that they were standing along the gym wall and had to talk to the principal before they came back to class. I was driving to school, praying for those seven boys, but also for the other students in my class. There are so many that don't have peace in their lives. So many that have little to no self-confidence or self-esteem, and so many that have no stability or structure. I was sitting and praying (and driving) when this song came on and I couldn't continue because I was so engrossed in the song. It fit so well with what I was praying about, also confessing some of my sin...and praying about how I can be more just and fair but loving about all in the classroom discipline. Here comes this song and I tear up.

Jesus, will you show me just how far the east is from the west? That's where your word (psalms, I believe) tells me you separated me from my sin.

From one scarred hand to the other... I got a mental image when I listened to this and thinking about it now conjures the same image. Now I don't know much about the actual geography/topography of the Bible, but I want to learn. I don't know if anyone knows this. The picture in my head, though, is Jesus hanging on the cross, facing North (or south). Therefore, his hands are pointing east and west, respectively. Those wounds are the payment for my sin. That is where it is placed, on Him. Not on me. Jesus knows how far apart those wounds are, but he also knows that they are finished, and they are on Him.

I also really liked the line about His peace getting me through this night....I feel so often that this year is a very long night. I'm having some dark spiritual times because I'm struggling with finding a "home" community here. I'm also in the middle of so many other transitions that it is simply nuts. I need the peace. Fill me.


p.s. Today (even though it was Halloween) was the best day we have ever had, especially with behaviors. :-D Praise God for answered prayers!

It was bound to happen...

I'm sick.

My whole family has been sick for the past 2 1/2 weeks with an awful cough and sinus problems. Christian was sick last week with a terrible stomach bug. Friday I woke up feeling kinda snuffly with a scratchy throat. It was okay for most of the day until I went to a sign social (where I didn't talk hardly at all)...after the social I tried to say (speak) goodbye to my friend and I had no voice! Since then it's been really scratchy and barely there. I hope it comes back before tomorrow because (luckily) I'm not going to teach, but I am going to a Learning Disabilities Association Conference where I am expected to be a "hostess" for one of the sessions, meaning I introduce the speaker and answer procedural questions. If this were a Deaf Educators Conference, I would be okay because I could sign, but most of these teachers don't know sign. :-(

I called my mom back last night because she left me a message. She answered the phone and I said, "Hi, how are you?" Her reply? "Better than you, apparently." My mom is so funny. :-) If it's not better by tomorrow, hopefully it is before Wednesday, otherwise my students are going to learn a lot of sign language.

The World Today

What is happening?

• My school has been broken into 3 times since September 4th.
• Windows have been broken (inside and out)
• computers have been stolen
• Today, while everyone was still in the building, a computer was stolen from the assistant principal's office
• Out of my twenty 2nd graders, 5 have anger management problems.

My eyes are really being opened to the sin in this world. There are so many things that these students have been exposed to at such a young age. Things that never even crossed my mind until I was much older. They are being forced to care for their younger siblings because their parents need to work long hours in order to put food on the table. These kids are forced to grow up early. I hope to be able to give them a little of their childhood back at least while they're in my class. My philosophy is developing...my eyes are opening...my heart aches for these kids.

Students Today (College focus)

Found this on Noel's blog...college students today. Very interesting. Made me think about what the world will be like in the future, by the time my 2nd graders get into college age...

glumbert - A Vision of Students Today