"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." Luke 6:32
This verse was sent to me along with a reflection from our executive director today. As I read it this evening, it really got me to thinking. The reflection interpreted the verse in the way that it's easy to love people that we love. It's easy for me to love my family, friends, and those who are dear to me. Even if I do not agree or get into a fight with someone I love, my love for them is still there just as it always will be. But then the reflections brings up the point, what about the people that you do not get along with? Not so easy is it? In order to be closer to God, we must love those whom we find it hard to love. Throughout this year, I've been struggling to get along with my third graders. Math is always a struggle in the morning. Some of them are very rude and it's very hard to love them in those moments. It was very hard for me to forgive the student that wrote the note about me a few weeks ago, especially when he did not have a consequence for his actions. I struggled for awhile with it and I realize he is only in 3rd grade and I shouldn't hold it against him but I'm still human. I did forgive him a few days later but it took a lot of prayer for that to happen. This week when I start to struggle with my students, I say a small prayer for patience. It's not that I don't love them but in my stressful moments, I struggle with loving them for that second or minute.
After getting past school while reflecting on this verse, I started thinking about people in my life that I have struggled with for various reasons. Not all of them are in my life directly still but I think of what I could have done and should do in the future to show them more love and compassion just like God does for us. His love for us is so immense and perfect even though we hurt him constantly and yet we still cut people out of our lives for various reasons. Now I'm not saying I haven't done this or that we do not have valid reasons but it just really put a few things into perspective for me tonight.
Being in the season of Advent now, we have been talking about how to open our hearts up and prepare ourselves for Christ at school. I think I need to open my heart to those that have left my life but still need my prayers and help. It's a daily struggle for me to love those who have hurt me in some way but that's what we are called to do.
Hope you have had a great start to the week! My countdown is getting smaller! Have loving day tomorrow!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
A Florida Thanksgiving with My Family
I can't believe my family has come and gone already! The days definitely went by fast but we enjoyed our time together or at least I did. They had their own adventure driving down here to see me but once they got here Tuesday, it was nonstop. Words cannot describe how excited I was to hear, "Ms. Halstead, you have visitors here. Would you like to see them?" on Tuesday. Once my parents and Madelyn walked in the room, I gave them all big hugs and became so grateful that I could finally give them a hug and not just listen to their voice. We passed out pen pal letters to my class and then Mom wanted a few pictures of them, of course. And by a few, I mean enough to supply a yearbook for them if they wanted one. After getting all of our pictures and introducing my family to various people at school, we headed to my apartment so I could pack for the hotel. The rest of our evening was very laid back and we walked along in the beach as we hunted for dinner.
On Wednesday, Mom had planned for us to go on a tour of Miami. She had a list of different destinations in the Miami area that we drove and walked to throughout the day. We saw some beautiful beaches, pretty foliage (Mom's personal favorite), and my family was able to experience the warm Miami weather as we walked around. My parents learned quickly that not many things, including parking, are free in Miami. Mom was able to get lots of pretty shots taken that day in hopes of making a book out of them as well as framing them for the house. I'm going to hold her to it! That evening, Mom wanted to use a coupon for Bath and Body Works so we ventured to the Aventura Mall. Aventura is a little south of where I live and also a very high-end/fancy area and the shops in there reflected that. The inside was beautifully decorated for Christmas already so naturally Mom wanted a few pictures. After getting our exercise in for the day, we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing evening.
Thanksgiving day was a bit different as many would expect this year. We decided to sleep in a bit and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on t.v. like we normally do but after that, we headed out to go eat our Thanksgiving meal of the day. I had made reservations at a restaurant in a resort nearby for 1:30 which is the normal time we eat Thanksgiving lunch back home. The resort was very nice and right on the ocean. Our meal was delicious and just filling enough. No leftovers for this family though. We were able to eat some pumpkin pie and have a little wine with it so it felt a little like home. We all agreed as a family though, that while some do this for Thanksgiving, it wasn't for us. After we finished our meal and attempted to take some pictures in the windy weather, we drove around and walked along the beach for a bit. The rest of our day was pretty easy going. Since not many places are open on Thanksgiving, we were able to talk more and also go to bed early since we planned on going to the airboat tour the next day.
We had been putting off the airboat tour all week because none of us wanted to wake up early (by that I mean Mom, Mad, and I) but we finally pulled ourselves up early enough to go on Friday. The drive was around an hour but we finally made it out to Gator Park. We looked around the park for a bit before getting on the airboat with our Skipper, Dan, and people from all over the world! Living down here, I am pretty aware that we have lots of people from South and Central America as well as Haiti but there were visitors from different parts of Europe so I was reminded of how popular Miami really is. While on the airboat, we saw several gators and birds as well as the actual Everglades. I have driven past them but it was neat to actually be in them and hearing more about them. While they are not the most scenic, they do house lots of animals and wildlife. The Everglades are getting smaller though and as I read more about them, I wish they weren't. I guess I'm starting to really take ownership of where I live or at least the nature aspect of it. After a wet airboat ride, we got to see some different reptiles and a skunk! I even got to hold Larry the alligator! Mind you, it's mouth was taped shut but it was still something I could cross off my list! We went back to the hotel to change into our color-coordinated clothing for our beach shot and then headed to the beach again. After taking the ever-popular white and khaki beach picture, we wandered around for a little while once again. Mom wanted to do some shopping so we dropped Dad off at the hotel and headed to Kohl's for a little girl time. After looking at lots of things I wanted and Mom purchasing a few items including a new school shirt for me, we headed back to the hotel around 9. Since Mom, Dad, and Mad were headed back to Kansas the next morning, we had to get our packing done the night before.
After a good night's sleep, Saturday morning came fast. We grabbed some breakfast from the hotel before my family dropped me back off at my apartment. I remembered that I actually live here and not in the hotel. We all exchanged hugs and reminded one another that Christmas was less than 3 weeks away before they headed on their way home to Kansas and me up to my apartment. I continued to sleep a bit before doing absolutely nothing with the rest of my day. I will admit I was a bit down after watching my family leave so finding motivation to do anything was very difficult. I did all my lessons the next day though so don't worry!
Monday has come and gone already! The day went faster than I anticipated. I have a feeling that's how the next 3 weeks will go which means I better start planning for my trip home! Okay I'm jumping ahead of myself because I do have a lot to get done at school before I head back home but it will come fast. Until then, watch and wait for Jesus to come and enjoy your first week of Advent!
On Wednesday, Mom had planned for us to go on a tour of Miami. She had a list of different destinations in the Miami area that we drove and walked to throughout the day. We saw some beautiful beaches, pretty foliage (Mom's personal favorite), and my family was able to experience the warm Miami weather as we walked around. My parents learned quickly that not many things, including parking, are free in Miami. Mom was able to get lots of pretty shots taken that day in hopes of making a book out of them as well as framing them for the house. I'm going to hold her to it! That evening, Mom wanted to use a coupon for Bath and Body Works so we ventured to the Aventura Mall. Aventura is a little south of where I live and also a very high-end/fancy area and the shops in there reflected that. The inside was beautifully decorated for Christmas already so naturally Mom wanted a few pictures. After getting our exercise in for the day, we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing evening.
Thanksgiving day was a bit different as many would expect this year. We decided to sleep in a bit and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on t.v. like we normally do but after that, we headed out to go eat our Thanksgiving meal of the day. I had made reservations at a restaurant in a resort nearby for 1:30 which is the normal time we eat Thanksgiving lunch back home. The resort was very nice and right on the ocean. Our meal was delicious and just filling enough. No leftovers for this family though. We were able to eat some pumpkin pie and have a little wine with it so it felt a little like home. We all agreed as a family though, that while some do this for Thanksgiving, it wasn't for us. After we finished our meal and attempted to take some pictures in the windy weather, we drove around and walked along the beach for a bit. The rest of our day was pretty easy going. Since not many places are open on Thanksgiving, we were able to talk more and also go to bed early since we planned on going to the airboat tour the next day.
We had been putting off the airboat tour all week because none of us wanted to wake up early (by that I mean Mom, Mad, and I) but we finally pulled ourselves up early enough to go on Friday. The drive was around an hour but we finally made it out to Gator Park. We looked around the park for a bit before getting on the airboat with our Skipper, Dan, and people from all over the world! Living down here, I am pretty aware that we have lots of people from South and Central America as well as Haiti but there were visitors from different parts of Europe so I was reminded of how popular Miami really is. While on the airboat, we saw several gators and birds as well as the actual Everglades. I have driven past them but it was neat to actually be in them and hearing more about them. While they are not the most scenic, they do house lots of animals and wildlife. The Everglades are getting smaller though and as I read more about them, I wish they weren't. I guess I'm starting to really take ownership of where I live or at least the nature aspect of it. After a wet airboat ride, we got to see some different reptiles and a skunk! I even got to hold Larry the alligator! Mind you, it's mouth was taped shut but it was still something I could cross off my list! We went back to the hotel to change into our color-coordinated clothing for our beach shot and then headed to the beach again. After taking the ever-popular white and khaki beach picture, we wandered around for a little while once again. Mom wanted to do some shopping so we dropped Dad off at the hotel and headed to Kohl's for a little girl time. After looking at lots of things I wanted and Mom purchasing a few items including a new school shirt for me, we headed back to the hotel around 9. Since Mom, Dad, and Mad were headed back to Kansas the next morning, we had to get our packing done the night before.
After a good night's sleep, Saturday morning came fast. We grabbed some breakfast from the hotel before my family dropped me back off at my apartment. I remembered that I actually live here and not in the hotel. We all exchanged hugs and reminded one another that Christmas was less than 3 weeks away before they headed on their way home to Kansas and me up to my apartment. I continued to sleep a bit before doing absolutely nothing with the rest of my day. I will admit I was a bit down after watching my family leave so finding motivation to do anything was very difficult. I did all my lessons the next day though so don't worry!
Monday has come and gone already! The day went faster than I anticipated. I have a feeling that's how the next 3 weeks will go which means I better start planning for my trip home! Okay I'm jumping ahead of myself because I do have a lot to get done at school before I head back home but it will come fast. Until then, watch and wait for Jesus to come and enjoy your first week of Advent!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Firsts
So my past week has not been very exciting. Or at least not exciting enough to post about it. I have spent a good portion of the time getting grades ready for report cards. They have trimesters down here and the first report card comes out right after Thanksgiving so they want grades done before the break. Amidst all this last week, my third graders and I were starting to butt heads again. As much as I enjoy their silly questions and responses like, "Ms. Halstead, when are you going to get a boyfriend?" and then the response of another student, "I'm psychic so...27.", we still were having a few problems with their behavior and attitude. It apparently escalated to more than what I thought or anticipated on Friday when one of my 3rd grade boys at the end of the day handed me a note that read, "F*** you Ms. Halstead." (My name was misspelled but you clearly get the point.) I read it and then it was time to go home for the weekend. I showed no emotion towards what I had read until I finally had a chance to show Julissa. Her face was as shocked as I was feeling. I kept telling myself not to take it personally and that lasted about 5-10 minutes until I was alone and lost it for a little bit. My heart was sad on so many levels. First, it upset me that whoever (I had my suspicions.) wrote this knew the meaning of the word or at least enough that they were able to put it in the correct context. Then I was sad that they chose to use the word on me. I couldn't help but think about what I had done wrong to bring so much anger and frustration out of a student and onto myself nonetheless. Finally, it was a third grader! 3rd grade! I just could not wrap my mind around it. Julissa and I talked about it for a bit after school but our principals were gone so I had to wait until today to talk with Sr. Stephanie. Needless to say, I came back from school upset about it and then tried to work off my frustration extra hard during my workout that evening. I was able to put it out of my head for a little bit over the weekend until Mass on Sunday morning when I was praying about the whole situation.
Luckily, Amanda's boss was having a barbeque that we were invited to that afternoon to distract me. Patricia and I were able to meet all her co-workers and then play with her boss's dog and children. I held their 5 month old for quite some time! After the barbeque was over though, it was back to school mode. I stayed up late last night thinking about what the next day would bring. I'm a master at over-analyzing situations even like this. After some sleep, I woke up ready for whatever today would bring. I was almost positive I knew who wrote the note which happened to be the student that handed it to me. I met with Sister Stephanie about it and she said not to worry and relax. We talked about the student and I was able to relax more after she said she would talk to him. I had expected to encounter something like this if I was teaching middle school but not with my elementary students! I was finally able to feel better after talking with her. Sadly, that student got in huge trouble for something else today so he spent a good portion of time in the office today.
The rest of my school days have been pretty normal. My parents come tomorrow!! I have been getting more and more anxious--wishing the hours would go faster. I will probably blend right in with my students tomorrow and get super stir-crazy by 1:30. My parents plan on arriving around 2 PM to meet my class and hand them their pen pal letters. I can't wait to see them! I hope you are all enjoying the fall weather wherever you are. I am now understanding why people come down here for the winter but I do miss the cooler fall weather. Anyway, I have to finish some last minute cleaning and getting ready for my parents! Happy week of Thanksgiving!
Luckily, Amanda's boss was having a barbeque that we were invited to that afternoon to distract me. Patricia and I were able to meet all her co-workers and then play with her boss's dog and children. I held their 5 month old for quite some time! After the barbeque was over though, it was back to school mode. I stayed up late last night thinking about what the next day would bring. I'm a master at over-analyzing situations even like this. After some sleep, I woke up ready for whatever today would bring. I was almost positive I knew who wrote the note which happened to be the student that handed it to me. I met with Sister Stephanie about it and she said not to worry and relax. We talked about the student and I was able to relax more after she said she would talk to him. I had expected to encounter something like this if I was teaching middle school but not with my elementary students! I was finally able to feel better after talking with her. Sadly, that student got in huge trouble for something else today so he spent a good portion of time in the office today.
The rest of my school days have been pretty normal. My parents come tomorrow!! I have been getting more and more anxious--wishing the hours would go faster. I will probably blend right in with my students tomorrow and get super stir-crazy by 1:30. My parents plan on arriving around 2 PM to meet my class and hand them their pen pal letters. I can't wait to see them! I hope you are all enjoying the fall weather wherever you are. I am now understanding why people come down here for the winter but I do miss the cooler fall weather. Anyway, I have to finish some last minute cleaning and getting ready for my parents! Happy week of Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Concert Fun and Countdowns
Last night as our big country concert with Martina McBride, Gary Allan, David Nail, Ashton Shepard, and Bradley Gaskin! It was so much fun and very relaxing. It was completely acoustic and they all just sat around, rotating singing their songs. The girls really enjoyed it and I was able to hear some of my favorite hits from them. After listening to their songs and the conversations they had, I was quickly reminded why I enjoy country music so much.
The past few days at school, schedule-wise, have been going much smoother. It seems like we are finally making progress and I was actually able to get through all 4 lessons with 2nd grade! Woo hoo! Some of their behaviors have been a bit rough but hopefully that comes to a stop soon. Tonight I have to catch up on grading and putting in grades. Their first report cards come out right after Thanksgiving but grades close on Friday so I have to get everything done so I can spend maximum time with the family!
It is exactly one week until I get to see my mom, dad, and Madelyn! It has definitely been on my mind lately and I can't wait to give them all huge hugs. It is also 5 days away from Jenae's birthday. Tomorrow is one month til I fly home for Christmas! Time is going so quickly. Before I know it, I will have to start applying to schools and thinking about where God will be leading me next. I would like to go back home without a doubt but some prayers for that next step would be greatly appreciated.
"I don't know no town, like the old town.
Even when the miles are many, I feel like I'm still around.
Deep inside me like rings through an oak tree
Yeah there's somethin' bout a Sunday when I'm gone
That keeps me turning home."
~David Nail
The past few days at school, schedule-wise, have been going much smoother. It seems like we are finally making progress and I was actually able to get through all 4 lessons with 2nd grade! Woo hoo! Some of their behaviors have been a bit rough but hopefully that comes to a stop soon. Tonight I have to catch up on grading and putting in grades. Their first report cards come out right after Thanksgiving but grades close on Friday so I have to get everything done so I can spend maximum time with the family!
It is exactly one week until I get to see my mom, dad, and Madelyn! It has definitely been on my mind lately and I can't wait to give them all huge hugs. It is also 5 days away from Jenae's birthday. Tomorrow is one month til I fly home for Christmas! Time is going so quickly. Before I know it, I will have to start applying to schools and thinking about where God will be leading me next. I would like to go back home without a doubt but some prayers for that next step would be greatly appreciated.
"I don't know no town, like the old town.
Even when the miles are many, I feel like I'm still around.
Deep inside me like rings through an oak tree
Yeah there's somethin' bout a Sunday when I'm gone
That keeps me turning home."
~David Nail
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Hostess Weekend
This weekend was just a whirlwind of craziness but fun! On Friday, Patricia and I did lots of preparing and cleaning for our guests to come. This included a 3 hour long trip to get groceries. We went to CostCo and after leaving, I now understand what my dad probably felt like after he left Sam's at home. Goodness did it take a hit to my bank account. We went and stopped at two more stores to get produce and little things. I put it all on my card because I'm the only one in my apartment that has extra money but I am sure ready to be reimbursed! We split everything so I know they will pay me back but the amount was still a surprise nonetheless. After we got back that afternoon, I cleaned like a mad person and reorganized several places around the apartment. Our friends (Cristina, Candace, Nich, and Yolanda) ended up not coming til 8 that evening so I was able to get in a lot of cleaning, hanging of pictures, etc. I was so grateful for that day off because so much would not have gotten done otherwise. Once our friends finally arrived, we headed out for a late dinner at a local sports bar because Nich (one of the birthdays we were celebrating) is a huge Michigan fan (that's where he's from) so he wanted to watch the basketball game. The eight of us were able to relax and enjoy a good meal while catching up.
After dinner and the game were over, we changed and headed to Ft. Lauderdale for the night. We went to a few very squished establishments. Being shoulder to shoulder with so many people is not my favorite thing but it is fun to people watch. We saw some interesting people that night. I was definitely ready for bed by the time we got back. Saturday at noon, we were going to help out at a country fair that is being hosted by the church I have been going to. I woke up early so I could get a few lesson plans in before we left. Since there were only 8 of us this weekend instead of the anticipated 10-12, sharing the bathrooms were not as big of a challenge as we had thought. Once everyone was finally up and ready to go, we put on our matching t-shirts and headed to the church. We pulled in and realized this was full-on fair with rides, delicious food, and the whole nine yards! I was really hoping that this was going to work out because I had only faxed them our information and wasn't able to talk to them after that. After talking with a few random people about where to report to, we finally found the lady in charge. Cristina had already found a face-painting booth that needed help so she was able to exercise her art skills in there. The director in charge of the volunteers was very kind and gracious for our help and spread us out amongst various booths. Candace helped with snow cones, Nich and Yolanda helped in a generic food stand, Patricia helped at a sweets booth, and I cut peppers and cooked chili for the next four hours.
I met lots of different members of the church including the pastor. I told my story several times and received the same surprised but joyful reaction almost every time. The pastor's family is originally from Hays so I found that neat and the lady I was helping, Mary, had recently been to Kansas City and the Plaza so we were able to talk about that. The four hours we were at the fair went by quickly with all the different types of service we were doing. I now feel like a professional pepper chopper and occasionally had some company from another helper's grandson. He was telling me all about his Zu-Zu pets and it reminded me of my own Godson and how much he enjoys his. One four o'clock rolled around, we were ready to go back to the apartment and relax a little. Laura was near me with her daughter Makenize and her sister Kathy for Makenzie's birthday so I was trying to figure out when I could meet up with them. We were staying in and cooking for dinner and hoping to grill but someone put charcoal in the gas grill by the pool so that foiled that plan. We ended up having to cook everything in our little kitchen but it worked out fine! Amanda made some delicious pumpkin curry since Candace is vegetarian and we had drumsticks for everyone else. I had to eat ahead of everyone so I could go meet Laura and the other two at their hotel. They were staying at the Trump Resort in Sunny Isles about 15 minutes from me. That area is very fancy so we do not venture down there much but I was quickly reminded of it as I was driving. After a few wrong turns, I finally made it to the hotel. I walked in feeling a little intimidated but the feeling went away quickly once I made it to the hot tub where the ladies were. The scenery was beautiful and it was right on the ocean. It was a full moon so the light from it on the ocean was amazing. The ladies and I sat in the hot tub and were able to talk and catch up on everything. I hadn't seen Kathy in a long time but she was very kind just like Laura. She lives up in Ohio but had come down for Makenzie's birthday. After having lots of girl conversation, we decided to head up to their room on the 25th floor! Their room had a gorgeous balcony that I bet had a great view during the day. We ate a rich strawberry filled white cake and Makenzie was able to open her presents. Laura, Kathy, and I sat around and talked for awhile before I had to head back to the apartment.
I am not really sure how I was able to stay up so late in college, especially more than one night in a row, but our guests wanted to go down to Little Havana to a salsa club so once I quickly changed again (outfit 3 for me for the day in case you were counting), we headed down to Miami. Salsa dancing is not my cup of tea but I enjoy watching everyone. I danced a little bit but around 2 A.M., I was starting to get a bit sleepy and was driving back so Cristina and I headed back to my apartment while the others stayed out much later apparently. We got back and were ready for bed soon after.
This morning Nich and I woke up and went to Mass where the high schoolers had been in charge of all the ministries. The first reading from Proverbs was about the role of women and the Gospel was the parable of the talents. I really enjoyed parts of the priest's homily. He talked about what society emphasizes as important for a woman and what we should view as important in a woman. It's always a nice reminder for me so that I am able to maybe refocus on what I should be working on and paying attention such as my personality and relationship with God and others instead of physical appearance. It just reminded me that I need a steady balance of both instead of one extreme or the other. He also brought up the point of focusing on what our true talents are that God has given us and making sure we share them and not bury them in the sand as the man in the parable did. I was very grateful for those points in his homily because I think that's what God wanted me to hear and focus on in my life.
After Mass, we headed back to the apartment and everyone started changing so we could head to the beach for a little bit before the group had to head back to Orlando and Tampa. The 4 of them packed their bags so we could pack their car as soon as we got back. It was a beautiful day to go to the beach but the water was so cold! The tide and waves were also very high so I did not go in at all. Amanda, Nich, Candace, and Cristina were the brave ones and went in for a little bit. Candace actually ended up getting stung by a stink ray not too long after she got in! She got it taken care of and without having anyone pee on it. We stayed down there for about an hour and a half and then headed to this hoagie diner that Nich had heard about on Food Network. It was on the show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" so he was pretty set on going. We all got some variety of a Philly cheese steak and they weren't too bad. I haven't really had many cheese steak sandwiches so I can't really compare it to anything but it was good enough for me!
Once we all finished eating, the group packed up their car and sent the four of them on their way. They had to drive 3.5 hours up to Orlando to drop Nich and Yolanda off and then possibly drive another 1.5 hours back to Tampa. I know they were all worn down and it was 4 by that time but they were ready to get on the road and go. After they left, I have been trying to motivate myself to write my lesson plans. I have math done for the week but still have Social Studies and Grammar to do. After a weekend like this, I struggle to get motivated and then I kind of get down because I go back into my sometimes stressful school week after having fun. I also get mildly homesick because my stress level goes up realizing all the work I have to do and then I feel a little lonely again. My family will be here in 8 short days so I am working to keep my head up. I also have a concert tomorrow night that I'm really excited for! I have a lot to do before then though such as getting through a school day.
Goodness that was long weekend that went way too fast! I hope this week goes by fast so that I can see my family faster! It's comforting to hear "see you soon" out of their mouths or see it in an email and know it's really coming true. I still cannot believe that it is mid-November already! Where have these past several months gone?
I hope all of you had a relaxing and calm weekend. If you could say some prayers for my family this week. My Grandpa's cousin, Joan, died over the weekend and she was very involved at our church back home. I'm glad she is no longer in pain but it is still sad.
Wishing you a calm Monday because knowing my students, it definitely won't be!
After dinner and the game were over, we changed and headed to Ft. Lauderdale for the night. We went to a few very squished establishments. Being shoulder to shoulder with so many people is not my favorite thing but it is fun to people watch. We saw some interesting people that night. I was definitely ready for bed by the time we got back. Saturday at noon, we were going to help out at a country fair that is being hosted by the church I have been going to. I woke up early so I could get a few lesson plans in before we left. Since there were only 8 of us this weekend instead of the anticipated 10-12, sharing the bathrooms were not as big of a challenge as we had thought. Once everyone was finally up and ready to go, we put on our matching t-shirts and headed to the church. We pulled in and realized this was full-on fair with rides, delicious food, and the whole nine yards! I was really hoping that this was going to work out because I had only faxed them our information and wasn't able to talk to them after that. After talking with a few random people about where to report to, we finally found the lady in charge. Cristina had already found a face-painting booth that needed help so she was able to exercise her art skills in there. The director in charge of the volunteers was very kind and gracious for our help and spread us out amongst various booths. Candace helped with snow cones, Nich and Yolanda helped in a generic food stand, Patricia helped at a sweets booth, and I cut peppers and cooked chili for the next four hours.
I met lots of different members of the church including the pastor. I told my story several times and received the same surprised but joyful reaction almost every time. The pastor's family is originally from Hays so I found that neat and the lady I was helping, Mary, had recently been to Kansas City and the Plaza so we were able to talk about that. The four hours we were at the fair went by quickly with all the different types of service we were doing. I now feel like a professional pepper chopper and occasionally had some company from another helper's grandson. He was telling me all about his Zu-Zu pets and it reminded me of my own Godson and how much he enjoys his. One four o'clock rolled around, we were ready to go back to the apartment and relax a little. Laura was near me with her daughter Makenize and her sister Kathy for Makenzie's birthday so I was trying to figure out when I could meet up with them. We were staying in and cooking for dinner and hoping to grill but someone put charcoal in the gas grill by the pool so that foiled that plan. We ended up having to cook everything in our little kitchen but it worked out fine! Amanda made some delicious pumpkin curry since Candace is vegetarian and we had drumsticks for everyone else. I had to eat ahead of everyone so I could go meet Laura and the other two at their hotel. They were staying at the Trump Resort in Sunny Isles about 15 minutes from me. That area is very fancy so we do not venture down there much but I was quickly reminded of it as I was driving. After a few wrong turns, I finally made it to the hotel. I walked in feeling a little intimidated but the feeling went away quickly once I made it to the hot tub where the ladies were. The scenery was beautiful and it was right on the ocean. It was a full moon so the light from it on the ocean was amazing. The ladies and I sat in the hot tub and were able to talk and catch up on everything. I hadn't seen Kathy in a long time but she was very kind just like Laura. She lives up in Ohio but had come down for Makenzie's birthday. After having lots of girl conversation, we decided to head up to their room on the 25th floor! Their room had a gorgeous balcony that I bet had a great view during the day. We ate a rich strawberry filled white cake and Makenzie was able to open her presents. Laura, Kathy, and I sat around and talked for awhile before I had to head back to the apartment.
I am not really sure how I was able to stay up so late in college, especially more than one night in a row, but our guests wanted to go down to Little Havana to a salsa club so once I quickly changed again (outfit 3 for me for the day in case you were counting), we headed down to Miami. Salsa dancing is not my cup of tea but I enjoy watching everyone. I danced a little bit but around 2 A.M., I was starting to get a bit sleepy and was driving back so Cristina and I headed back to my apartment while the others stayed out much later apparently. We got back and were ready for bed soon after.
This morning Nich and I woke up and went to Mass where the high schoolers had been in charge of all the ministries. The first reading from Proverbs was about the role of women and the Gospel was the parable of the talents. I really enjoyed parts of the priest's homily. He talked about what society emphasizes as important for a woman and what we should view as important in a woman. It's always a nice reminder for me so that I am able to maybe refocus on what I should be working on and paying attention such as my personality and relationship with God and others instead of physical appearance. It just reminded me that I need a steady balance of both instead of one extreme or the other. He also brought up the point of focusing on what our true talents are that God has given us and making sure we share them and not bury them in the sand as the man in the parable did. I was very grateful for those points in his homily because I think that's what God wanted me to hear and focus on in my life.
After Mass, we headed back to the apartment and everyone started changing so we could head to the beach for a little bit before the group had to head back to Orlando and Tampa. The 4 of them packed their bags so we could pack their car as soon as we got back. It was a beautiful day to go to the beach but the water was so cold! The tide and waves were also very high so I did not go in at all. Amanda, Nich, Candace, and Cristina were the brave ones and went in for a little bit. Candace actually ended up getting stung by a stink ray not too long after she got in! She got it taken care of and without having anyone pee on it. We stayed down there for about an hour and a half and then headed to this hoagie diner that Nich had heard about on Food Network. It was on the show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" so he was pretty set on going. We all got some variety of a Philly cheese steak and they weren't too bad. I haven't really had many cheese steak sandwiches so I can't really compare it to anything but it was good enough for me!
Once we all finished eating, the group packed up their car and sent the four of them on their way. They had to drive 3.5 hours up to Orlando to drop Nich and Yolanda off and then possibly drive another 1.5 hours back to Tampa. I know they were all worn down and it was 4 by that time but they were ready to get on the road and go. After they left, I have been trying to motivate myself to write my lesson plans. I have math done for the week but still have Social Studies and Grammar to do. After a weekend like this, I struggle to get motivated and then I kind of get down because I go back into my sometimes stressful school week after having fun. I also get mildly homesick because my stress level goes up realizing all the work I have to do and then I feel a little lonely again. My family will be here in 8 short days so I am working to keep my head up. I also have a concert tomorrow night that I'm really excited for! I have a lot to do before then though such as getting through a school day.
Goodness that was long weekend that went way too fast! I hope this week goes by fast so that I can see my family faster! It's comforting to hear "see you soon" out of their mouths or see it in an email and know it's really coming true. I still cannot believe that it is mid-November already! Where have these past several months gone?
I hope all of you had a relaxing and calm weekend. If you could say some prayers for my family this week. My Grandpa's cousin, Joan, died over the weekend and she was very involved at our church back home. I'm glad she is no longer in pain but it is still sad.
Wishing you a calm Monday because knowing my students, it definitely won't be!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Manipulatives and Dancing
This morning when my students arrived at school, they still seemed to be on a sugar rush from the day before. Several of them still had candy with them and were preparing to eat some of it. I quickly put a stop to that and said they could eat it anytime after lunch or during the dance that afternoon. One of my boys had a large bag of Swedish Fish that he looked ready to demolish. It made me sick seeing their desire to eat candy at eight in the morning. After our morning settled down, it was time to teach the 3rd graders regrouping. I had all the Base 10 blocks out and was ready to conquer this sometimes difficult concept. I had been preparing how to go about it in the car that morning and felt like as long as they listened, we'd be okay. They all had their manipulatives on their desks and we were ready to go. The manipulatives only seemed to confuse them more though. I was so sad. I had really wanted to use them but it made them more lost than they already were. Mrs. Lopez told me that they know how to do it on the board without manipulatives so I have a feeling they were taught without them originally so trying to use them now is probably pointless which stinks. I do not think they really understand why they have to borrow. They just know they have to do it. I guess that is just a concept I will have to keep reinforcing throughout this chapter to make sure they really do understand. I worry some days that if I do not teach these lessons completely perfect, that I will mess them up for the rest of their lives since much of what I teach is a foundation for the rest of their education. Pressure!
After math, my students had French which they really do not like and are often times very rude during it. It really upsets their teacher who is a sister (I'm not sure which order.) but does not have the greatest classroom management. My class has no respect for her so we talked after she left about how you have to respect someone even if you do not like them or their class in this case. They were so lost as to why they should do that. I took that chance to remind them that many people were rude to Jesus during his life and yet He still died for them and us. I hope it clicked with a few of them but since they do not have her again til Tuesday, they probably won't remember. I tried though. We had one of my favorite lunches today (chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, broccoli, and mandarin oranges) and after that, it was time to start getting ready for the dance. They were supposed to be packed before the dance so everyone got ready and then I ready them a few poems about school. Many of them were sucked in and really enjoyed listening. I have a blast reading to them and being silly and they enjoy listening and laughing. The closer it got to dance time, the more stir crazy they became. We finally lined them up and headed outside to the courtyard where the DJ had everything set up.
The dance party finally started and my students had a blast! It was hot outside with all the dancing we were doing but they enjoyed it so much. All the preschoolers were out dancing and then there were the middle schoolers that were dancing (kind of) on the side of the courtyard to themselves. They were too cool to come join everyone else. Trains of preschoolers were formed and my students were jumping and dancing up a storm. The hour and a half flew by quickly thank goodness because I was feeling a bit sweaty out there. It was time for my students to go home and enjoy their long weekend! I was ready to go as well though. After some cleaning in the classroom, Patricia and I headed back to start our 3-day weekend.
Tonight I have relaxed and am mentally preparing myself for the full apartment we will have here all weekend! Amidst my relaxing, Patricia handed me a letter I had received in the mail from one of the 8th graders I student taught last year. I have a few of them as friends on Facebook and she had told me that she was going to write me a letter but when Patricia handed it to me, I wasn't sure who it was from. When I opened it and saw who it was from, I could not help but smile and feel so good inside. She is a very sweet girl as it is but receiving that letter just made me realize how much I really did enjoy teaching my 8th graders. Her letter also made me miss them though, especially since they are now high schoolers! Moments like this really get my mind rolling again about what age I would like to teach after this year is over. I miss middle school because of how I am able to relate to them as well as how many activities and different types of lessons I can do with them. It just makes my decision really hard but easy at the same time as well I suppose. I cannot be picky about what I want to teach when I am done down here so being open to any grade really helps.
Well enough about that topic. I am going to hit the hay so I can clean and do some grocery shopping before our "hurricane of people" as Cristina called them comes tomorrow! I can't wait to see everyone and have some mayhem happen down here. Say prayers for safe travels for them tomorrow but also a prayer of thanksgiving for everyone that has or is in the military in honor of Veterans' Day.
Happy Friday!
After math, my students had French which they really do not like and are often times very rude during it. It really upsets their teacher who is a sister (I'm not sure which order.) but does not have the greatest classroom management. My class has no respect for her so we talked after she left about how you have to respect someone even if you do not like them or their class in this case. They were so lost as to why they should do that. I took that chance to remind them that many people were rude to Jesus during his life and yet He still died for them and us. I hope it clicked with a few of them but since they do not have her again til Tuesday, they probably won't remember. I tried though. We had one of my favorite lunches today (chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, broccoli, and mandarin oranges) and after that, it was time to start getting ready for the dance. They were supposed to be packed before the dance so everyone got ready and then I ready them a few poems about school. Many of them were sucked in and really enjoyed listening. I have a blast reading to them and being silly and they enjoy listening and laughing. The closer it got to dance time, the more stir crazy they became. We finally lined them up and headed outside to the courtyard where the DJ had everything set up.
The dance party finally started and my students had a blast! It was hot outside with all the dancing we were doing but they enjoyed it so much. All the preschoolers were out dancing and then there were the middle schoolers that were dancing (kind of) on the side of the courtyard to themselves. They were too cool to come join everyone else. Trains of preschoolers were formed and my students were jumping and dancing up a storm. The hour and a half flew by quickly thank goodness because I was feeling a bit sweaty out there. It was time for my students to go home and enjoy their long weekend! I was ready to go as well though. After some cleaning in the classroom, Patricia and I headed back to start our 3-day weekend.
Tonight I have relaxed and am mentally preparing myself for the full apartment we will have here all weekend! Amidst my relaxing, Patricia handed me a letter I had received in the mail from one of the 8th graders I student taught last year. I have a few of them as friends on Facebook and she had told me that she was going to write me a letter but when Patricia handed it to me, I wasn't sure who it was from. When I opened it and saw who it was from, I could not help but smile and feel so good inside. She is a very sweet girl as it is but receiving that letter just made me realize how much I really did enjoy teaching my 8th graders. Her letter also made me miss them though, especially since they are now high schoolers! Moments like this really get my mind rolling again about what age I would like to teach after this year is over. I miss middle school because of how I am able to relate to them as well as how many activities and different types of lessons I can do with them. It just makes my decision really hard but easy at the same time as well I suppose. I cannot be picky about what I want to teach when I am done down here so being open to any grade really helps.
Well enough about that topic. I am going to hit the hay so I can clean and do some grocery shopping before our "hurricane of people" as Cristina called them comes tomorrow! I can't wait to see everyone and have some mayhem happen down here. Say prayers for safe travels for them tomorrow but also a prayer of thanksgiving for everyone that has or is in the military in honor of Veterans' Day.
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Field Trip!
First field trip of the year and no one got injured! All students came back in one piece with candy and treasures in hand. We started the morning off pretty typical by having the students go to their desks and getting their homework out but they were not going to be in the room long so we did not want them to get too settled. After the ground rules were said, it was time to get ready to load the buses! My class was divided up so we could all fit on 3 buses. First through fifth grade was going on the field trip and just like we did at camp over the summer, everyone sat 3 to a seat.
This bus ride was much louder than any bus ride over the summer though. My bus had 24 of my students along with an entire first grade class. Their energy was so high and not long after we got on the bus, they started singing and shouting. Before I knew it, my girls started singing the "Party Rock Anthem". Seeing as that is not an appropriate song for an eight year old, I asked them to either sing a different song or don't sing. The bus decided to sing praise and worship songs for the rest of the ride. The closer we got, the louder they got. The bus finally arrived at St. Brendan's which holds a high school, parish, and seminary. On the other side of their grounds is a Catholic K-8 elementary school and an all-boys Catholic school. We were greeted by all the high schoolers once the buses pulled in. As each student came off the bus, they were matched with a high schooler or "Guardian Angel" for the day. The high schooler stayed with them all day and was in charge of anything they needed. In the morning, they went straight to the bounce houses that were patiently awaiting our eager children. My students were already in line and ready to go, including my student with a cast! They were having a blast. There were three of them set up for all the students to go in and there was a the "sugar station" as I will call it. The students and their angels could go get snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn anytime they wanted that morning. Nothing like little first graders walking around with cotton candy all over their faces at 10 in the morning but they were having so much fun that I could not help but smile and laugh. I walked around for most of the morning watching all of them having so much fun. While I was watching some of my students, a teacher from St. Brendan's came up and started talking to me. She asked how long I had been at St. James so my volunteer story came out. She was in such shock about what I was doing but very kind as well. She was very intrigued and we exchanged emails. She is actually the guidance counselor among other positions for the high school. She introduced me to a few other staff that walked by but had to get on with her day. It was neat to make a connection outside of St. James with someone that seemed genuinely interested in what we are doing down here.
The morning went by quickly and before I knew it, the teachers were telling me it was time to go eat lunch. The students received box lunches but the teacher were able to walk to the school cafeteria and eat their lunch. It was chicken tenders and mashed potatoes which brought me back to Bishop Carroll. Walking past all the high schoolers and sitting in their cafeteria definitely brought me back to high school and I'm sure if I hadn't been wearing a St. James shirt, many of the students might have thought I was a high schooler. On my way back to the students, I stopped in at their church because several of the teachers told me it was beautiful. They were exactly right. It was filled with stained glass, mosaics, and beautiful architecture. I sat in there for a little bit just to take it all in. There was a teacher about to have class in there so I stayed a little bit longer and listened to him play the piano before walking back. It was very peaceful in there and I hope those students realize how lucky they are to have that opportunity.
Once I got back to my students, they were all sitting eating with their angels and friends. The rest of their afternoon was spent inside the gym that had all sorts of booths with games and crafts. Students were walking around with crowns, masks, cupcakes, and candy galore! They had a Wii set up, face painting, football games, throwing games, a toilet paper toss, bowling, and even a mock newscast setting for them! There were times when I felt a little bad for the high schoolers because the younger ones were running around from booth to booth in order to get the optimal candy amount. I saw a few teachers inside and several of them asked where I had been all day. Most of them had stayed at a picnic table outside but there was no way I was going to be able to sit while all my students were having so much fun. I wanted to watch them even though I didn't have to. I am my mother's daughter so I took as many pictures as I could. Before I knew it, the afternoon was over and it was time to load the bus! Trying to round all the students up was a little chaotic because they did not want to leave but we eventually retrieved all of them. They hugged their angels and we counted to make sure they were all here. We loaded the buses and it was time to go! My students had tons of candy and goodies in their hands. Many of their bags were overflowing! I was hoping that they would fall asleep on the ride back but they were calmer so that was good enough for me. Many of them wanted to dig into their candy but like all mean teachers, I made them wait til they got home. We arrived right as school was supposed to be out. We rushed up to the classroom, handed out their folders to go home, and sent them on their way!
I was able to get some grading done since it was early release and there was no meeting which was helpful. We left not too long after 3:30 and I was ready to crash once we got back. I took a small nap and have been trying to prepare myself for teaching tomorrow. Hopefully my students are not crazy tomorrow because we also have a dance tomorrow afternoon. It's time to show off my sweet dance moves!
I am so grateful that my students were able to go on this field trip today because I know how much they were looking forward to it and enjoyed it. Sadly I do not think they have any other field trips this year but one is better than none. If I end up back in Wichita, I think it would be neat to see something like that happen in the school that I am at. I just have half a day of teaching tomorrow so I'm almost done for the week!
For all of you not as lucky as me, have a great second half of your week! You only have 2 days left so keep your head up and make it through! 2 weeks until Thanksgiving!
This bus ride was much louder than any bus ride over the summer though. My bus had 24 of my students along with an entire first grade class. Their energy was so high and not long after we got on the bus, they started singing and shouting. Before I knew it, my girls started singing the "Party Rock Anthem". Seeing as that is not an appropriate song for an eight year old, I asked them to either sing a different song or don't sing. The bus decided to sing praise and worship songs for the rest of the ride. The closer we got, the louder they got. The bus finally arrived at St. Brendan's which holds a high school, parish, and seminary. On the other side of their grounds is a Catholic K-8 elementary school and an all-boys Catholic school. We were greeted by all the high schoolers once the buses pulled in. As each student came off the bus, they were matched with a high schooler or "Guardian Angel" for the day. The high schooler stayed with them all day and was in charge of anything they needed. In the morning, they went straight to the bounce houses that were patiently awaiting our eager children. My students were already in line and ready to go, including my student with a cast! They were having a blast. There were three of them set up for all the students to go in and there was a the "sugar station" as I will call it. The students and their angels could go get snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn anytime they wanted that morning. Nothing like little first graders walking around with cotton candy all over their faces at 10 in the morning but they were having so much fun that I could not help but smile and laugh. I walked around for most of the morning watching all of them having so much fun. While I was watching some of my students, a teacher from St. Brendan's came up and started talking to me. She asked how long I had been at St. James so my volunteer story came out. She was in such shock about what I was doing but very kind as well. She was very intrigued and we exchanged emails. She is actually the guidance counselor among other positions for the high school. She introduced me to a few other staff that walked by but had to get on with her day. It was neat to make a connection outside of St. James with someone that seemed genuinely interested in what we are doing down here.
The morning went by quickly and before I knew it, the teachers were telling me it was time to go eat lunch. The students received box lunches but the teacher were able to walk to the school cafeteria and eat their lunch. It was chicken tenders and mashed potatoes which brought me back to Bishop Carroll. Walking past all the high schoolers and sitting in their cafeteria definitely brought me back to high school and I'm sure if I hadn't been wearing a St. James shirt, many of the students might have thought I was a high schooler. On my way back to the students, I stopped in at their church because several of the teachers told me it was beautiful. They were exactly right. It was filled with stained glass, mosaics, and beautiful architecture. I sat in there for a little bit just to take it all in. There was a teacher about to have class in there so I stayed a little bit longer and listened to him play the piano before walking back. It was very peaceful in there and I hope those students realize how lucky they are to have that opportunity.
Once I got back to my students, they were all sitting eating with their angels and friends. The rest of their afternoon was spent inside the gym that had all sorts of booths with games and crafts. Students were walking around with crowns, masks, cupcakes, and candy galore! They had a Wii set up, face painting, football games, throwing games, a toilet paper toss, bowling, and even a mock newscast setting for them! There were times when I felt a little bad for the high schoolers because the younger ones were running around from booth to booth in order to get the optimal candy amount. I saw a few teachers inside and several of them asked where I had been all day. Most of them had stayed at a picnic table outside but there was no way I was going to be able to sit while all my students were having so much fun. I wanted to watch them even though I didn't have to. I am my mother's daughter so I took as many pictures as I could. Before I knew it, the afternoon was over and it was time to load the bus! Trying to round all the students up was a little chaotic because they did not want to leave but we eventually retrieved all of them. They hugged their angels and we counted to make sure they were all here. We loaded the buses and it was time to go! My students had tons of candy and goodies in their hands. Many of their bags were overflowing! I was hoping that they would fall asleep on the ride back but they were calmer so that was good enough for me. Many of them wanted to dig into their candy but like all mean teachers, I made them wait til they got home. We arrived right as school was supposed to be out. We rushed up to the classroom, handed out their folders to go home, and sent them on their way!
I was able to get some grading done since it was early release and there was no meeting which was helpful. We left not too long after 3:30 and I was ready to crash once we got back. I took a small nap and have been trying to prepare myself for teaching tomorrow. Hopefully my students are not crazy tomorrow because we also have a dance tomorrow afternoon. It's time to show off my sweet dance moves!
I am so grateful that my students were able to go on this field trip today because I know how much they were looking forward to it and enjoyed it. Sadly I do not think they have any other field trips this year but one is better than none. If I end up back in Wichita, I think it would be neat to see something like that happen in the school that I am at. I just have half a day of teaching tomorrow so I'm almost done for the week!
For all of you not as lucky as me, have a great second half of your week! You only have 2 days left so keep your head up and make it through! 2 weeks until Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Not Just Me
I hate to be downer about school but my third grade students and I have just not been seeing eye to eye. After talking with Mrs. Lopez today, I realized it wasn't just me though. They have been acting poorly for her as well. I tried to get them more involved than normal but they tend to take things too far. It's very exhausting by the end of the day and I am feeling weakened by it all. I do not like this feeling. I have been working out more as my stress relief but it still does not fix my school situation. I have been brainstorming new ways to help and approach them and I hope they work.
Tomorrow is a field trip so I hope that everyone is happy and enjoys the day! I'm not sure what exactly we do at the field trip so I plan on just going with the flow. Fingers crossed and prayers are being said that tomorrow is better than today. I am still grateful to be doing this and I know that there are supposed to be difficult times so I just have to keep my head up.
I'm off to get some sleep so that I can be well rested for the fun day tomorrow and all the surprises in store.
Tomorrow is a field trip so I hope that everyone is happy and enjoys the day! I'm not sure what exactly we do at the field trip so I plan on just going with the flow. Fingers crossed and prayers are being said that tomorrow is better than today. I am still grateful to be doing this and I know that there are supposed to be difficult times so I just have to keep my head up.
I'm off to get some sleep so that I can be well rested for the fun day tomorrow and all the surprises in store.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Questions
I hoped that today would be different than our typical Mondays but it didn't happen. My class was unruly as ever today and also decided they wanted to delve into my personal life. Not minutes after 8:00 AM, several of my third graders decided to start playing 21 Questions with me. I cannot remember them all but these are the ones that stuck with me:
- "Ms. Halstead, have you ever had a pig in your house?"
- "Ms. Halstead, are there twisters in Kansas?"
- "Ms. Halstead, has a pig ever landed in your house after twister?"
- "Have you ever eaten a pig alive?"
- "Have you ever had to scoop up pig poop?"
- "Have you ever had to scoop up horse poop?"
- "Have you ever eaten a chicken alive?"
- "Have you ever seen a chicken lay eggs?"
- "Have you ever sat on a chicken's eggs?"
Once we were able to get off the animal and farm questions, they asked me the question that I'm almost positive every non-married teacher gets, "Ms. Halstead, do you have a boyfriend?" I replied with a simple "no" but that was not enough for them. They persisted and asked, "Well, have you ever had a boyfriend?" I probably should have made the questions stop there but I told them "yes" because I do not like to lie. Immediately their energy sparked and started asking more questions. "What happened to him? Did you dump him or did he dump you? Where is he? What was his name?" All sorts of questions flew out of their mouths! If only I could get them to be that interested in Math! I tried to fend of the questions but their curiosity was not satisfied. I finally told them to write down their questions for me and I would try to answer them later. They told me that was my homework. Cool. My third graders are now giving me homework. I scanned over it and thank goodness it's mostly questions about where I went to school and such. Only one question about relationships!
After the chaotic day was over, I was ready to leave and since Patricia stayed back from school today (she does not have strep by the way!), I was able to leave so I could bring my stress level down. I thought that my day would calm down or at least become less teacher-like when I left but I was sadly mistaken. I went to Target after school to pick up a few things and went to scan the clearance racks for any new school shirts or pants. I found a pair of pants and shirt I wanted to try on so I took them to the dressing room. I was trying the pants on when I glanced down at my pants that I had worn to school. The back side was facing me when I noticed a bright yellow stain right where my bottom would be! It looked like smashed yellow rice that the students had for lunch today. It was caked on and just looked great on my butt I'm sure! I started laughing because this would happen to me. I tried to scratch some of it off so I didn't walk around the rest of Target with it on but after a little while, just decided to give up. Oh the life of a teacher...never a dull moment!
The excitement died down after that for the most part. Patricia showed me all the bugs she found in our apartment so apparently we have a bug problem. I hope they figure it out before we have over 10 guests staying here this weekend! The rest of my evening has been spent getting ready for school, working out, and relaxing. Although I do enjoy exciting days at school, I am definitely praying for a calm day tomorrow and gentle students. My third graders and I are not seeing eye to eye so I'm hoping and praying it gets better. We had a rough day together.
That workout wore me out more than I thought! I'm ready for bed already! Well I need to get a few more things done before it is my actual bedtime but I will leave you with this:
"Oh Lord you search me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I stand." Psalm 139: 1-2
~How lucky are we to have someone that knows our every move and thought! Say thank you to anyone besides God that you have in your life like that. Thanks to all of you for reading and caring for me while I'm down here!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Just Another Day...in Florida
So I've noticed this pattern in my posting. I start really strong at the start of the week and then drop off on Thursday. I'm not too sure why. Maybe I just get so ready for Friday that I don't want to talk about Thursday. Anyway, last Thursday I was busy baking cookies and talking on the phone so I am pretty sure that was the main reason I did not post. Time to play catch-up now:
On Friday, we got out of school early so the day went faster than usual. I was bound and determined to get my students' pen pal letters completed so after they were done with their typical Friday tests, we spent the remainder of the time writing letters. We finished them though! After lots of prying and urging them to write and focus on the task at hand, all 30 letters are written and on their way to Kansas. They were all very excited to finish and have been asking if their pen pal is going to be on our field trip this week. My class does not quite grasp how far away Kansas is I guess. After the students were dismissed, we had a staff meeting for about an hour and a half over teacher-bullying and what we can do to best serve our students' needs. There were many comments said that made me think about my plans for next year and also solidified what I think I am supposed to do for next year. After the meeting was over, Patricia and I did a few more school-related tasks and headed back to the apartment for the weekend. Friday night we watched 27 Dresses and grilled burgers. From my experience this weekend, grilling is virtually impossible to do in the dark but not completely. I managed to cook 3 delicious burgers on the grill outside in the dark while the other two prepped the rest inside. We ate fairly well that night and were able to relax as a whole. Amanda was finally getting over being sick (she stayed back from service two days this week) but sadly, Patricia is starting to get sick. We think she might have strep and is going to the doctor tomorrow.
Saturday I woke up early to go to Mass at St. Maurice's in memory of Mark and Ryan Sagesar. Mark and Ryan died in a plane crash five years ago on Saturday. (If you want to know the rest of the story, feel free to ask.) Ryan was a classmate of mine at Carroll. Both of them lived great lives though and so I decided I wanted to remember them on this anniversary by celebrating their lives and accomplishments instead of being sad. Mass was very fulfilling that morning and then when it was over, I had two people that had attended Mass approach me and tell me they were glad I was there. It made me feel really good inside to know that these two strangers had gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. I had discussed with the girls the night before that I don't feel very welcomed at my school. No one is rude to me but they also do not talk to me at all or make us feel like we are apart of their community. Anyway, this man and woman just made me feel really welcome. That was a good start to my Saturday I felt. After, I worked out and relaxed for the morning. I started on my lessons and organizing everything for the week. My afternoon was pretty non-eventful. Come to think of it, I don't really remember what else I did. I went to Mass at 4:30 and was able to get some information about helping at their country fair this coming weekend. All of the other volunteers are coming down this weekend to celebrate birthdays and they can get reimbursed for gas if we do some form of volunteer work so that's our plan. Hopefully they have space for 12 young adults to help! Saturday evening, I watched K-State play and was able to catch up on the phone with my friend Hannah that got married over the summer. Sadly, K-State lost but it was a good game to watch. Slowly but surely, I have been getting my roommates to watch more sports. They might not like it but they watch anyway! Right before I was about to go to bed, I received a text from my little sister saying there was an earthquake back in Kansas! I was shocked but grateful it did not cause any damage. Along with everyone else, I still cannot believe there was an earthquake back home! My roommates commented that maybe the world really is coming to an end. Silly roommates.
Today was another relaxing and productive day. I woke up after having a dream about Kansas and starting a church out in the country. It didn't really make sense to me either. Neither did the dream I had last week about meeting Will Smith in the ESU cafeteria with Jenae. Maybe that means my celebrity sighting item on my bucket list will come true! Anyway, I did my grading this morning and then did some more lessons planning in the afternoon. I watched the Chiefs get dominated by the Dolphins and am preparing myself for a few comments from some of my boys. They asked me about the Chiefs last week and we talked about the game so we will see what they say tomorrow. Eventually, I decided I needed to take advantage of the nice weather so I went to go read by the pool for awhile. I'm not sure why I do not do that more often. It's been in the upper 70's and low 80's here recently which is nothing compared to back home. It's things like the weather that make me feel like I am in a completely different world from everyone back in Kansas. Then I realize that I am almost in a completely different world because of how different my experiences are from Kansas. I was feeling very Kansas oriented today after hanging up some photos and drawings so I colored a picture of a sunflower and hung it on my wall. My roommates thought it looked very pretty! The rest of my evening has been spent cleaning and organizing for my week.
My week ahead has the following activities planned: a field trip on Wednesday, dance on Thursday at school, no school on Friday, and company coming for the weekend on Friday. So many exciting events this week! I hope I'm ready for it all! Well, I hope you set your clocks correctly today. It seems a lot later than 8:15 here. That means I still have time to squeeze in a workout. I am going to start setting goals for different aspects of my life this week. For example, I am going to work out 4-5 times a week and start portioning my food when I bring it back from the store. Since I really enjoyed Mass on Saturday, I want to start making it a habit to go to Mass on Saturdays when I can. I've also recently started reading the daily Mass readings online and reflecting on them. As for school, I want to work on my time during lessons and really focus on making sure I am helping all of my students, not just a few. I think I am overlooking some that probably need more attention than what I'm giving them.
Fingers crossed I can achieve a few of these goals this week! You will have to wait til the end of the week to find out! Have a marvelous Monday and I hope you accomplish some goals this week as well!
On Friday, we got out of school early so the day went faster than usual. I was bound and determined to get my students' pen pal letters completed so after they were done with their typical Friday tests, we spent the remainder of the time writing letters. We finished them though! After lots of prying and urging them to write and focus on the task at hand, all 30 letters are written and on their way to Kansas. They were all very excited to finish and have been asking if their pen pal is going to be on our field trip this week. My class does not quite grasp how far away Kansas is I guess. After the students were dismissed, we had a staff meeting for about an hour and a half over teacher-bullying and what we can do to best serve our students' needs. There were many comments said that made me think about my plans for next year and also solidified what I think I am supposed to do for next year. After the meeting was over, Patricia and I did a few more school-related tasks and headed back to the apartment for the weekend. Friday night we watched 27 Dresses and grilled burgers. From my experience this weekend, grilling is virtually impossible to do in the dark but not completely. I managed to cook 3 delicious burgers on the grill outside in the dark while the other two prepped the rest inside. We ate fairly well that night and were able to relax as a whole. Amanda was finally getting over being sick (she stayed back from service two days this week) but sadly, Patricia is starting to get sick. We think she might have strep and is going to the doctor tomorrow.
Saturday I woke up early to go to Mass at St. Maurice's in memory of Mark and Ryan Sagesar. Mark and Ryan died in a plane crash five years ago on Saturday. (If you want to know the rest of the story, feel free to ask.) Ryan was a classmate of mine at Carroll. Both of them lived great lives though and so I decided I wanted to remember them on this anniversary by celebrating their lives and accomplishments instead of being sad. Mass was very fulfilling that morning and then when it was over, I had two people that had attended Mass approach me and tell me they were glad I was there. It made me feel really good inside to know that these two strangers had gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. I had discussed with the girls the night before that I don't feel very welcomed at my school. No one is rude to me but they also do not talk to me at all or make us feel like we are apart of their community. Anyway, this man and woman just made me feel really welcome. That was a good start to my Saturday I felt. After, I worked out and relaxed for the morning. I started on my lessons and organizing everything for the week. My afternoon was pretty non-eventful. Come to think of it, I don't really remember what else I did. I went to Mass at 4:30 and was able to get some information about helping at their country fair this coming weekend. All of the other volunteers are coming down this weekend to celebrate birthdays and they can get reimbursed for gas if we do some form of volunteer work so that's our plan. Hopefully they have space for 12 young adults to help! Saturday evening, I watched K-State play and was able to catch up on the phone with my friend Hannah that got married over the summer. Sadly, K-State lost but it was a good game to watch. Slowly but surely, I have been getting my roommates to watch more sports. They might not like it but they watch anyway! Right before I was about to go to bed, I received a text from my little sister saying there was an earthquake back in Kansas! I was shocked but grateful it did not cause any damage. Along with everyone else, I still cannot believe there was an earthquake back home! My roommates commented that maybe the world really is coming to an end. Silly roommates.
Today was another relaxing and productive day. I woke up after having a dream about Kansas and starting a church out in the country. It didn't really make sense to me either. Neither did the dream I had last week about meeting Will Smith in the ESU cafeteria with Jenae. Maybe that means my celebrity sighting item on my bucket list will come true! Anyway, I did my grading this morning and then did some more lessons planning in the afternoon. I watched the Chiefs get dominated by the Dolphins and am preparing myself for a few comments from some of my boys. They asked me about the Chiefs last week and we talked about the game so we will see what they say tomorrow. Eventually, I decided I needed to take advantage of the nice weather so I went to go read by the pool for awhile. I'm not sure why I do not do that more often. It's been in the upper 70's and low 80's here recently which is nothing compared to back home. It's things like the weather that make me feel like I am in a completely different world from everyone back in Kansas. Then I realize that I am almost in a completely different world because of how different my experiences are from Kansas. I was feeling very Kansas oriented today after hanging up some photos and drawings so I colored a picture of a sunflower and hung it on my wall. My roommates thought it looked very pretty! The rest of my evening has been spent cleaning and organizing for my week.
My week ahead has the following activities planned: a field trip on Wednesday, dance on Thursday at school, no school on Friday, and company coming for the weekend on Friday. So many exciting events this week! I hope I'm ready for it all! Well, I hope you set your clocks correctly today. It seems a lot later than 8:15 here. That means I still have time to squeeze in a workout. I am going to start setting goals for different aspects of my life this week. For example, I am going to work out 4-5 times a week and start portioning my food when I bring it back from the store. Since I really enjoyed Mass on Saturday, I want to start making it a habit to go to Mass on Saturdays when I can. I've also recently started reading the daily Mass readings online and reflecting on them. As for school, I want to work on my time during lessons and really focus on making sure I am helping all of my students, not just a few. I think I am overlooking some that probably need more attention than what I'm giving them.
Fingers crossed I can achieve a few of these goals this week! You will have to wait til the end of the week to find out! Have a marvelous Monday and I hope you accomplish some goals this week as well!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Morning Car Ride Adventures
So this week I totally forgot about the fact that I have had some very entertaining morning car rides. Patricia's uncle got in a car accident over the weekend and his car got totaled. His family lives in Miami Gardens about 15 minutes away from us and on our way to school so this week, we have been taking her two cousins to school in the morning. On Monday, they were responsible for giving us directions to get to school from their apartment. Now keep in mind one is in second grade and the other is in fifth grade. The two of them together are very funny and their attempt to get us to school on Monday was a little nerve-wrecking. Larry, the fifth grader, was telling us to go one way and his sister, Larryana (not sure if I spelled that correctly), was telling us the other way. We listened to Larry over his sister, of course, but he was still a bit shaky on his directions. Luckily, I-95 was still within sight if we decided not to take their directions. Larry did get us to school safely and correctly though and we had some humor as they went back and forth about the correct way to get there.
On Tuesday, the two of them started talking about popcorn. Larryana wants to do everything exactly like Larry and plays the little sibling part quite well. She makes fun of him, bugs him, and tries to copy everything he does. The conversation that morning ended with talking about poop. I will not give you the full details of it but Patricia and I left that morning laughing.
This morning, Larryana let us know that she had a magic wand and was going to turn Patricia and I into princesses. Then she changed her mind and turned us into frogs. I acted like a frog for a bit until she changed us back to princesses. She was very animated about it all, giving us princes that were at first from New York and then instead from Kansas. Meanwhile, Patricia and I are in the front seat laughing. As the car ride is about over, she decides that her brother is a prince and should marry one of us. If I had looked back at Larry, I'm sure his face would have been a little red but Patricia and I tried to squash that idea as fast as we could. She continued deciding by using the "Eeny Meanie Minny Moe" rhyme and I was the lucky princess. Needless to say, I took her wand after that and turned her into all sorts of animals as we walked into school.
Patricia and I both agree these have been the most exciting morning car rides we have had yet. School today was pretty normal. The teachers are planning the Christmas program already so tonight, Patricia and I spent the evening listening to Christmas music. I know, it's a little early but it was stuck in my head from the staff meeting!
"Hope does not disappoint us." Romans 5:5
20 Days until I get to see my family!!
On Tuesday, the two of them started talking about popcorn. Larryana wants to do everything exactly like Larry and plays the little sibling part quite well. She makes fun of him, bugs him, and tries to copy everything he does. The conversation that morning ended with talking about poop. I will not give you the full details of it but Patricia and I left that morning laughing.
This morning, Larryana let us know that she had a magic wand and was going to turn Patricia and I into princesses. Then she changed her mind and turned us into frogs. I acted like a frog for a bit until she changed us back to princesses. She was very animated about it all, giving us princes that were at first from New York and then instead from Kansas. Meanwhile, Patricia and I are in the front seat laughing. As the car ride is about over, she decides that her brother is a prince and should marry one of us. If I had looked back at Larry, I'm sure his face would have been a little red but Patricia and I tried to squash that idea as fast as we could. She continued deciding by using the "Eeny Meanie Minny Moe" rhyme and I was the lucky princess. Needless to say, I took her wand after that and turned her into all sorts of animals as we walked into school.
Patricia and I both agree these have been the most exciting morning car rides we have had yet. School today was pretty normal. The teachers are planning the Christmas program already so tonight, Patricia and I spent the evening listening to Christmas music. I know, it's a little early but it was stuck in my head from the staff meeting!
"Hope does not disappoint us." Romans 5:5
20 Days until I get to see my family!!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Baby Steps
Happy All Saints Day again! Hope you said a prayer in thanksgiving to your favorite saint today! Anyway, today we had All School Mass for All Saints Day and for the first time, the preschoolers and kindergartners joined us. During the homily, Father Pierre asked all the students, "How do you get to heaven?" Some of the older students replied with answers about being good on Earth and following the 10 Commandments. As the younger students started answering, we heard more answers along the lines of, "Respect your friends and your mom and dad." The elementary students were all about respect today. Father went over to the kindergartners, though, and let them answer. We were all waiting in anticipation to see what these little ones would say. This little boy walks up and Father asks him, "How do you get to heaven?" He replies so innocently, "You die." Short, sweet, and completely the truth! Everyone couldn't help but laugh and a few more of them came up and said cute responses but you just can't beat that.
Mass ended up last from 8:00-9:45! I don't know how those preschoolers lasted but they did great! After Mass, my class had French right away! Most of them hadn't even unpacked yet so that was a little crazy. Once we were finally able to calm down and relax, it was almost lunch time! I was able to fit in my math lesson using their brand new clocks with hands now and they all came out unharmed! Woo hoo! They are catching on quickly and really enjoying their clocks I think. Lunch time was here and the students were having meatloaf that doesn't really look like meatloaf. Several of them called it chicken. Needless to say, I packed my lunch today. It reminds me of those "mystery meats" that you always heard about and I had never experienced until now. The afternoon went by quickly as well because they had music today instead of Friday and then Mrs. Lopez still had to teach. I was able to pull students to fix a few of their tests or homework. Before I knew it, it was time to go!
I mentioned in my post from the weekend that I spent my weekend relaxing and planning. I spent a good amount of time on my lessons and was pretty proud of myself for coming up with some creative lessons. These days have been so short and quick though that I haven't been able to really utilize what I have planned. It makes me sad but I know that I cannot always control the time we have in the classroom. Things come up. After this weekend, I finally felt like I had a handle on what and how I want to teach. I know that eventually it will all come together but for now, I have to remember one step at a time and one day at a time. A friend told me that she didn't really feel like she was in her routine until January on her first year of teaching so I should not feel bad. I just need to keep that in mind when I am in the room and wishing I was able to teach on my own time. I guess that's the selfish part of me. It's times when I have all my lessons ready to go and am proud of them that I had my own classroom so I could control my own schedule and teach on my own time. One day...
Until then, baby steps. Not just for me but for all of us. Things in life don't normally change overnight. It's a test of patience and we should be grateful for that. It makes us stronger and wiser.
Have a peaceful day!
Mass ended up last from 8:00-9:45! I don't know how those preschoolers lasted but they did great! After Mass, my class had French right away! Most of them hadn't even unpacked yet so that was a little crazy. Once we were finally able to calm down and relax, it was almost lunch time! I was able to fit in my math lesson using their brand new clocks with hands now and they all came out unharmed! Woo hoo! They are catching on quickly and really enjoying their clocks I think. Lunch time was here and the students were having meatloaf that doesn't really look like meatloaf. Several of them called it chicken. Needless to say, I packed my lunch today. It reminds me of those "mystery meats" that you always heard about and I had never experienced until now. The afternoon went by quickly as well because they had music today instead of Friday and then Mrs. Lopez still had to teach. I was able to pull students to fix a few of their tests or homework. Before I knew it, it was time to go!
I mentioned in my post from the weekend that I spent my weekend relaxing and planning. I spent a good amount of time on my lessons and was pretty proud of myself for coming up with some creative lessons. These days have been so short and quick though that I haven't been able to really utilize what I have planned. It makes me sad but I know that I cannot always control the time we have in the classroom. Things come up. After this weekend, I finally felt like I had a handle on what and how I want to teach. I know that eventually it will all come together but for now, I have to remember one step at a time and one day at a time. A friend told me that she didn't really feel like she was in her routine until January on her first year of teaching so I should not feel bad. I just need to keep that in mind when I am in the room and wishing I was able to teach on my own time. I guess that's the selfish part of me. It's times when I have all my lessons ready to go and am proud of them that I had my own classroom so I could control my own schedule and teach on my own time. One day...
Until then, baby steps. Not just for me but for all of us. Things in life don't normally change overnight. It's a test of patience and we should be grateful for that. It makes us stronger and wiser.
Have a peaceful day!
Halloween!
My Halloween was not too terribly exciting last night. Actually, it didn't really feel like Halloween at all. At school, they do not celebrate or recognize Halloween at all. They mention it as the day before celebrating the saints but they do not talk about dressing up. The day was mildly chaotic. We had our first injured student come. It wasn't our fault! He got hurt last week at basketball and broke his knee. I've never heard of breaking your knee but now his leg is in a cast and his leg is completely straight. He was trooper about it though. We also started working on telling time so both grades made the faces of their own clocks. That in itself was a mess and I kept telling myself in my head, "Just keep going Lauren. They need this." The school didn't have brass fasteners so I had to put the arms on myself but more about that later. They acted pretty much like I expected when having to fold and cut paper as well as numbering a clock. Lots of talking and several mess-ups but that's okay. I really am glad we did it.
After lunch, I had two students get in a "fight" or however intense a second grade fight can be. Two students pushing and hitting each other. I made them write sentences while we were watching saint movies after lunch and they were not happy. They were supposed to take their sentences home at the end of the day and their parents were supposed to sign them but I found out that one of the two had thrown their sentences in the trash after I put it in their homework folder. Rebel!!! It didn't surprise me because they were very angry and gave me lots of attitude about it all but I was still a bit shocked that at 7 years old, they are already acting like that.
After school, Patricia drove me on a small hunt for brass fasteners or brads. I thought they were more popular than what I discovered. After we finally got back to the apartment, I checked the mail and had received 3 different letters or cards from my friends! It made my day without a doubt. My day went on a bit of downslope as I started working on my loans...nothing like looking at how much you owe to drop your spirits. It's a fact of life but it's definitely not fun to look at. I finally tore myself away from looking at it and started working on all 30 clocks for my students. Patricia helped me cut out the two hands for each clock for the rest of the evening. So time consuming but definitely better than having them attempt it in class. By the time we finished, it was time for bed! Then I remembered that it was Halloween. We had been watching Casper and Hocus Pocus on tv but it didn't really register until I went to bed. It's funny how being in a completely different state changes what I thought used to be such a big holiday back home. I'm not sure if I put it on here yet but in Haiti, Halloween is seen as a huge Devil's holiday so they do not dress up or go out which is why most of my students did not go out trick-or-treating.
Oh and on a sad note, my program lost another member last night. He emailed all of us and told us that he had to leave due to personal reasons. He is in his 60's, has a wife, and two kids at home still but we are not completely sure why he left although we have some ideas. He was very sweet and sent a really kind email to all of us. We are sad to see him go but wish him the very best. And now there are 10 of us that remain...
I will post again this evening about my day at school but Happy All Saints Day!!
After lunch, I had two students get in a "fight" or however intense a second grade fight can be. Two students pushing and hitting each other. I made them write sentences while we were watching saint movies after lunch and they were not happy. They were supposed to take their sentences home at the end of the day and their parents were supposed to sign them but I found out that one of the two had thrown their sentences in the trash after I put it in their homework folder. Rebel!!! It didn't surprise me because they were very angry and gave me lots of attitude about it all but I was still a bit shocked that at 7 years old, they are already acting like that.
After school, Patricia drove me on a small hunt for brass fasteners or brads. I thought they were more popular than what I discovered. After we finally got back to the apartment, I checked the mail and had received 3 different letters or cards from my friends! It made my day without a doubt. My day went on a bit of downslope as I started working on my loans...nothing like looking at how much you owe to drop your spirits. It's a fact of life but it's definitely not fun to look at. I finally tore myself away from looking at it and started working on all 30 clocks for my students. Patricia helped me cut out the two hands for each clock for the rest of the evening. So time consuming but definitely better than having them attempt it in class. By the time we finished, it was time for bed! Then I remembered that it was Halloween. We had been watching Casper and Hocus Pocus on tv but it didn't really register until I went to bed. It's funny how being in a completely different state changes what I thought used to be such a big holiday back home. I'm not sure if I put it on here yet but in Haiti, Halloween is seen as a huge Devil's holiday so they do not dress up or go out which is why most of my students did not go out trick-or-treating.
Oh and on a sad note, my program lost another member last night. He emailed all of us and told us that he had to leave due to personal reasons. He is in his 60's, has a wife, and two kids at home still but we are not completely sure why he left although we have some ideas. He was very sweet and sent a really kind email to all of us. We are sad to see him go but wish him the very best. And now there are 10 of us that remain...
I will post again this evening about my day at school but Happy All Saints Day!!
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