I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to advertise my posts a bit more. If more people read them regularly, I would at least have more accountability to keep writing. What to write about tonight? Tomorrow is my first day back on contract, and the end of my life as a private person for the year. Being a teacher really is a public job, especially in a small town. It is a job in which the majority of the town might know who you are, but very few of them really know you. Of course, my situation is worse because of the tiny number of blonds in Eagle Butte. What can I do but laugh about that? Yesterday I was in Pierre, and this guy I may have very vaguely recognized came up to me in the Lakota bookstore and said, “Hey, you’re from Eagle Butte.” Turns out I worked with his daughter last year, but he just recognized me from seeing me in town. I’m hard to miss.
What have I learned about the reservation in the two years I have lived here? It’s not nearly as different from the rest of the Midwest as some people tried to lead me to believe. Every reservation is different, which should be a surprise to no one, so I really just know about this one. I’ve mentioned a few differences in a few of my posts, but I haven’t gone too in depth. I don’t guess I will this time, either, but I’ll see where I get.
There are a few things that have had the potential to shock me or infuriate me. Let me just say I hate showing shock above everything, because it’s rude, naive, judgmental, and more, but if anything were going to shock me around here, these things would. 1) There is semi-serious talk of physically driving someone disliked off the reservation, usually in tribal council meetings. This actually happens somewhat regularly. Who does that?! 2) During a parent forum last year several grandparents in the community, some of whom who were very well known and respected, accused the school board and the teachers of bullying their students and not caring whether they succeed. One of these ladies compared the education we were offering to the abusive experiences she had in a boarding school over sixty years ago. All that I learned was that the fundamental value that modern Lakotas have is getting their own way, no matter what the issue. 3) If there is any place where it is acceptable that a baby’s first word is a cuss word, it might be here. So I have been very sheltered when it comes to swearing, but I’d say it’s pretty ridiculous here. If you’ve ever read Sherman Alexie and wondered if he exaggerated about the language used on the reservation, he’s pretty accurate by Eagle Butte standards, anyway. 4) This one breaks my heart. I do not know a single Christian family who has raised their kids here near town whose children reached adulthood without getting pregnant, going to JDC, running away from home, or getting addicted to drugs. How is that possible? It’s not a guarantee that I won’t raise my kids here, but good grief it’s a good thing to realize. With God all things are possible, and all things work according to His plan, but wow.
Well, in spite of these things and others (see previous post), I unaccountably love this place! I’m getting pretty antsy to have my kids back on Thursday, and I’m super excited for the fair Labor Day weekend. God has given me a love for this place that lifts me up just about any day and makes me thank Him for how amazing my life is! Pray, pray, pray, but know I am safe in God’s arms and at the center of His will! Praise Him!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Quick year-in-review
Well, first things first. This is how I can best sum up my second year as a teacher:
During my second year of teaching, my True Love gave to me
12 Slothful Seniors,
11 Great Co-workers,
10 Misplaced Novels,
9 Kids in Youth Group,
8 Last Day Essays,
7 Plagiarized Papers,
6 Good Girlfriends,
5 Nights with Frozen Plumbing!
4 Bad Blizzards,
3 Grouchy Grandmas,
2 Car Crashes,
And the Strength and Joy I needed for Life!
So, now you know why I haven’t blogged much! The seven or so credits that I was required to take didn’t fit anywhere there, or the five out of five seventh graders with Individualized Education Plans, but just this list tells you a lot. I also hit the 270,000 mark with my battered old Monte Carlo. It really has been a good year, but one of the toughest years of my life. I have no idea what I’m in for this year!
During my second year of teaching, my True Love gave to me
12 Slothful Seniors,
11 Great Co-workers,
10 Misplaced Novels,
9 Kids in Youth Group,
8 Last Day Essays,
7 Plagiarized Papers,
6 Good Girlfriends,
5 Nights with Frozen Plumbing!
4 Bad Blizzards,
3 Grouchy Grandmas,
2 Car Crashes,
And the Strength and Joy I needed for Life!
So, now you know why I haven’t blogged much! The seven or so credits that I was required to take didn’t fit anywhere there, or the five out of five seventh graders with Individualized Education Plans, but just this list tells you a lot. I also hit the 270,000 mark with my battered old Monte Carlo. It really has been a good year, but one of the toughest years of my life. I have no idea what I’m in for this year!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rejected
It’s almost midnight, and I desperately need sleep, but I need to write this down first. My heart is hurting a bit tonight, though I’ve already been assured by all my co-workers that it shouldn’t be. I just saw the results from our student survey of the E.A.G.L.E. Center, and they’re kind of crappy. Out of the approximately 75 kids we have, about 9 of them consistently answered negatively, saying they had no one at school with whom they could talk openly, that the staff don’t care about them or assist them when they need help, and that the principal doesn’t care. I could give a host of reasons for this group (including the fact that about fifteen of the students who answered admitted that they miss one to two days of school every week, meaning they might not even know our names, and the fact that some of our kids are poor enough readers or lazy enough that they might have just picked “D” and stayed on it, as the survey answers are consistent regarding positive and negative answers). However, I have been told to always look at myself first, which really isn’t bad advice in most cases. OK then!
In looking at myself, I confess that I deeply love all my students, even the ones who try to drive me crazy, and would bend over backward to help them. All of my co-workers think the same way, and I know that all of them from the Principal on down desire to see our students succeed. I don’t see how anyone who watches Dr. Birkeland make a presentation, sees a teacher crawling on her knees from student to student to help them with math, or observes the warm interaction our exceptional education teacher has with our students could imagine anything else. That’s us, according to Miss Osthus’ perceptions.
So, should I go with one of my earlier theories about unreliability, assume my perceptions are dead wrong and that we are not really demonstrating care for students, or assume my kids are crazy? I just can’t quite shrug it all off. I know that being a people-pleaser can be very harmful in certain cases, and that a teacher or a parent can do a great disservice to her kids by just wanting them to like her, but a student’s perception of adults in his or her life matters--a lot. Knowing an adult at school cares about you and wants you to succeed doesn’t fix everything (or anything), but it can give a kid reason to hope and keep going. That being said, I would have to be very concerned if I were convinced that nearly one seventh of all my students could ever say that neither I nor any of my co-workers cared about them and their success, no matter how bad the day had been.
Anyway, as I’ve been ranting tonight and asking God what in the world the deal is, He’s reminded me of two things: the nature of teenagers and the nature of man. First I realized, as I hunted in my cupboards for a snack, how many teenagers, no matter what kind of parents they have, honestly think at certain moments that they can’t talk with their parents about anything. Their parents might love them more than anything else in the world, but an individual perception can overlook that. If a kid has a chip on his shoulder or has deep wounds from the past, ignoring love sounds like a fine defense strategy.
The other realization was somewhat more staggering to me, though it was obvious: most people take forever to realize that they can speak openly with God, and that He cares about them and assists them when they need help! “God, if Jesus Himself could be rejected by the apple of His eye, mankind, then maybe You can hold and protect my heart when my precious students reject the love and help that I offer them. I pray they all stop rejecting the human hearts that reach out to them, but God, may the gifts You are holding out to them be absolutely irresistible!”
Pray for me, brothers and sisters.
In looking at myself, I confess that I deeply love all my students, even the ones who try to drive me crazy, and would bend over backward to help them. All of my co-workers think the same way, and I know that all of them from the Principal on down desire to see our students succeed. I don’t see how anyone who watches Dr. Birkeland make a presentation, sees a teacher crawling on her knees from student to student to help them with math, or observes the warm interaction our exceptional education teacher has with our students could imagine anything else. That’s us, according to Miss Osthus’ perceptions.
So, should I go with one of my earlier theories about unreliability, assume my perceptions are dead wrong and that we are not really demonstrating care for students, or assume my kids are crazy? I just can’t quite shrug it all off. I know that being a people-pleaser can be very harmful in certain cases, and that a teacher or a parent can do a great disservice to her kids by just wanting them to like her, but a student’s perception of adults in his or her life matters--a lot. Knowing an adult at school cares about you and wants you to succeed doesn’t fix everything (or anything), but it can give a kid reason to hope and keep going. That being said, I would have to be very concerned if I were convinced that nearly one seventh of all my students could ever say that neither I nor any of my co-workers cared about them and their success, no matter how bad the day had been.
Anyway, as I’ve been ranting tonight and asking God what in the world the deal is, He’s reminded me of two things: the nature of teenagers and the nature of man. First I realized, as I hunted in my cupboards for a snack, how many teenagers, no matter what kind of parents they have, honestly think at certain moments that they can’t talk with their parents about anything. Their parents might love them more than anything else in the world, but an individual perception can overlook that. If a kid has a chip on his shoulder or has deep wounds from the past, ignoring love sounds like a fine defense strategy.
The other realization was somewhat more staggering to me, though it was obvious: most people take forever to realize that they can speak openly with God, and that He cares about them and assists them when they need help! “God, if Jesus Himself could be rejected by the apple of His eye, mankind, then maybe You can hold and protect my heart when my precious students reject the love and help that I offer them. I pray they all stop rejecting the human hearts that reach out to them, but God, may the gifts You are holding out to them be absolutely irresistible!”
Pray for me, brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sacred Romance
I have been promising to tell you why my time last weekend in Pierre was so awesome, so I guess I’d better before I forget! I have to admit, that morning as I slowly got ready the sky was the limit. At the very least I was hoping to see some attractive men in Pierre. I may be a little more man-crazy than the average woman, but does it sound weird to you that being in Eagle Butte too long makes me go through a little withdrawal? I guess you can’t really understand unless you’ve lived in a semi-isolated place. It’s not like there are no good-looking men here... but there really aren’t many. Anyway, because of the increased likelihood of seeing attractive men in Pierre, I spent a little more time getting ready than usual, since I wanted to look cute. I sometimes forget that the most awesome guys don’t really care what I look like, and that the best One is both in Eagle Butte and Pierre. Oh, well.
I started out my day in Pierre in a lovely way doing something I’ve been longing to do: I finally got to visit the coffee shop, Pier 347, which is just as cool as I expected it to be. I got some cinnamon-sugar bagel bites and chai, and settled in to do some reading and grading. That was a fabulous way to spend a few hours, and it made me want a coffee shop in Eagle Butte so much!
After that I spent a space of time wandering up and down the little downtown strip, though by then only a few places were open, since it was around 4:30 PM or so. I went in to the Hobby shop, and after a brief walk-through, probably spent about half an hour talking to the guys surrounding the register. A few of them were kinda cute, but I think most of them were married. I didn’t really care, though--we just had a fun conversation about South Dakota, child-rearing, the women who frequent the leather shop across the street from them, and other things. The next store that was open was the Hollywood Shop, which has quite expensive (well, over $100) dresses. I visited with another guy there, who was probably in his seventies. I don't usually look too closely at dresses that expensive, so I needed conversation. We had a very fun chat--his wife grew up in Timber Lake, which is one of the smaller towns near to me. I asked around as I went to figure out where I should have supper, and got a tentative recommendation for the Chinese restaurant downtown, since I said I was in the mood for Chinese.
After that I washed my car and whipped through Walmart to pick up some other things, though my “whipping” got slower and slower as I figured out what I needed and wanted. About this time I smiled up at Jesus and asked Him if He wanted to go out to supper with me (facetiously, of course. I didn’t really have the option to leave Him behind!) I was still hankering for Chinese food, so I pulled up to the downtown Chinese restaurant at around 8:00 PM. I was totally overcome when I walked in the door, settled down into a booth, and immediately realized the restaurant was playing Christian music! God must have known I’d get distracted from our “date” otherwise! I know I would have. I can always distract myself, but it’s much easier to focus on your Jesus if you are surrounded by praise music. Plus, I loved pretty much every single song they played. The restaurant was almost empty, and by the time I finished my supper, I had been the only customer for about half an hour. Pretty sure I was singing along on at least a few of the songs. I just couldn’t help it! Who ever knew a Chinese restaurant to play a Christian radio station? I was in awe, as I always am when Jesus “shows up” in a way I don’t expect.
Despite the fact that the food itself was less than stellar, supper put me into a very romantic mood. Because of this, and because I was feeling very full of less-than-stellar Chinese, I decided I needed a walk, so I headed to the Capitol grounds at about 10:00 PM. There is a circular walk at the bottom of the hill that is very well lit, and I figured that would be the perfect place to wrap up my night before heading home. I would say it was. It was lovely, in fact. I read names on the monuments, found Dewey County on the list of county names, and tried mostly unsuccessfully to take some nighttime pictures. I kept singing to Jesus, because I wanted to hang onto the the wonder I had felt when I heard His gentle reminders. After that, I slid back into my car and started the relatively brief drive home, wishing that I had my computer to write on. When I retell this story it seems very inconsequential, but it was a big deal to me. God restored my soul.
I started out my day in Pierre in a lovely way doing something I’ve been longing to do: I finally got to visit the coffee shop, Pier 347, which is just as cool as I expected it to be. I got some cinnamon-sugar bagel bites and chai, and settled in to do some reading and grading. That was a fabulous way to spend a few hours, and it made me want a coffee shop in Eagle Butte so much!
After that I spent a space of time wandering up and down the little downtown strip, though by then only a few places were open, since it was around 4:30 PM or so. I went in to the Hobby shop, and after a brief walk-through, probably spent about half an hour talking to the guys surrounding the register. A few of them were kinda cute, but I think most of them were married. I didn’t really care, though--we just had a fun conversation about South Dakota, child-rearing, the women who frequent the leather shop across the street from them, and other things. The next store that was open was the Hollywood Shop, which has quite expensive (well, over $100) dresses. I visited with another guy there, who was probably in his seventies. I don't usually look too closely at dresses that expensive, so I needed conversation. We had a very fun chat--his wife grew up in Timber Lake, which is one of the smaller towns near to me. I asked around as I went to figure out where I should have supper, and got a tentative recommendation for the Chinese restaurant downtown, since I said I was in the mood for Chinese.
After that I washed my car and whipped through Walmart to pick up some other things, though my “whipping” got slower and slower as I figured out what I needed and wanted. About this time I smiled up at Jesus and asked Him if He wanted to go out to supper with me (facetiously, of course. I didn’t really have the option to leave Him behind!) I was still hankering for Chinese food, so I pulled up to the downtown Chinese restaurant at around 8:00 PM. I was totally overcome when I walked in the door, settled down into a booth, and immediately realized the restaurant was playing Christian music! God must have known I’d get distracted from our “date” otherwise! I know I would have. I can always distract myself, but it’s much easier to focus on your Jesus if you are surrounded by praise music. Plus, I loved pretty much every single song they played. The restaurant was almost empty, and by the time I finished my supper, I had been the only customer for about half an hour. Pretty sure I was singing along on at least a few of the songs. I just couldn’t help it! Who ever knew a Chinese restaurant to play a Christian radio station? I was in awe, as I always am when Jesus “shows up” in a way I don’t expect.
Despite the fact that the food itself was less than stellar, supper put me into a very romantic mood. Because of this, and because I was feeling very full of less-than-stellar Chinese, I decided I needed a walk, so I headed to the Capitol grounds at about 10:00 PM. There is a circular walk at the bottom of the hill that is very well lit, and I figured that would be the perfect place to wrap up my night before heading home. I would say it was. It was lovely, in fact. I read names on the monuments, found Dewey County on the list of county names, and tried mostly unsuccessfully to take some nighttime pictures. I kept singing to Jesus, because I wanted to hang onto the the wonder I had felt when I heard His gentle reminders. After that, I slid back into my car and started the relatively brief drive home, wishing that I had my computer to write on. When I retell this story it seems very inconsequential, but it was a big deal to me. God restored my soul.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Evangelism... tangled in my heartstrings
As a member of the FLY 2011 Committee, there are several convention areas that I am responsible for. The first three areas weren’t necessarily chosen because of my interests or aptitude, though some fit better than others. Then there is Evangelism... Uff da. This is the one area that I really, really want to fit me.
If there is one thing I am learning about evangelism right now, it is that evangelism is a visceral, often painful process that might often seem to be absolutely fruitless. However, that hasn’t always been my experience.
Though it was a bit of a culture shock transferring from a conservative Bible School to a liberal university for college, I’d say my faith thrived there. As editor of the conservative student publication, each month I wrote an article from a Christian perspective that both atheists and Christians found highly thought-provoking, and as a student leader, I often had random members of the campus community approach me to get the “definitive” Christian perspective. Mixed in with that oh-so-human pride and that oh-so-divine humility was just plain elation that I had finally “gotten it,” had finally learned how to live out my faith in my daily life and reach close friends and acquaintances alike!
That was until God took me to my current location. When I knew God was calling me to be a teacher I expected it to be a ministry, especially when I got a job offer to come to the Cheyenne River reservation in South Dakota. Because of my unique position at an alternative school, I actually have tons of opportunities to share my faith. When kids ask me what I do on the weekends, I tell them. When they ask me why in the world I’m smiling while my broken-down car is in the shop, I tell them.
Regardless, I am learning that evangelism in some situations is much more painful than in my earlier experiences. Evangelism means “the act of sharing good news.” However, the good news can only come after the bad: that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The meaning of law and gospel doctrine is that one message is empty without the other, but together, the two make a beautiful change inside someone’s life. Here’s the twist in my life on the reservation: my kids all know the bad news already. They all know that people are messed up and that they have no hope on their own. As the evangelist, I am the one being continually reminded of the bad news, and being continually overcome by the beauty of the good news. Now if only my kids would believe that second part, too!
Before you get pictures in your head of me (or any other Christian) being the conquering Christian warrior, I have one more thing to tell you: besides being gut-wrenchingly painful, I’ve also discovered that the rewards of evangelism are very rarely of this world. In all my seed-planting, I can’t tell you one story about someone coming personally to me and asking for help in giving his or her life to Christ. That’s OK, though. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:5 that those who pursue earthly goals receive their full rewards on earth. Think of the blessings we have waiting for us in Heaven, those treasures which we know will be utterly worthless to us there, compared to seeing His face!
If there is one thing I am learning about evangelism right now, it is that evangelism is a visceral, often painful process that might often seem to be absolutely fruitless. However, that hasn’t always been my experience.
Though it was a bit of a culture shock transferring from a conservative Bible School to a liberal university for college, I’d say my faith thrived there. As editor of the conservative student publication, each month I wrote an article from a Christian perspective that both atheists and Christians found highly thought-provoking, and as a student leader, I often had random members of the campus community approach me to get the “definitive” Christian perspective. Mixed in with that oh-so-human pride and that oh-so-divine humility was just plain elation that I had finally “gotten it,” had finally learned how to live out my faith in my daily life and reach close friends and acquaintances alike!
That was until God took me to my current location. When I knew God was calling me to be a teacher I expected it to be a ministry, especially when I got a job offer to come to the Cheyenne River reservation in South Dakota. Because of my unique position at an alternative school, I actually have tons of opportunities to share my faith. When kids ask me what I do on the weekends, I tell them. When they ask me why in the world I’m smiling while my broken-down car is in the shop, I tell them.
Regardless, I am learning that evangelism in some situations is much more painful than in my earlier experiences. Evangelism means “the act of sharing good news.” However, the good news can only come after the bad: that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The meaning of law and gospel doctrine is that one message is empty without the other, but together, the two make a beautiful change inside someone’s life. Here’s the twist in my life on the reservation: my kids all know the bad news already. They all know that people are messed up and that they have no hope on their own. As the evangelist, I am the one being continually reminded of the bad news, and being continually overcome by the beauty of the good news. Now if only my kids would believe that second part, too!
Before you get pictures in your head of me (or any other Christian) being the conquering Christian warrior, I have one more thing to tell you: besides being gut-wrenchingly painful, I’ve also discovered that the rewards of evangelism are very rarely of this world. In all my seed-planting, I can’t tell you one story about someone coming personally to me and asking for help in giving his or her life to Christ. That’s OK, though. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:5 that those who pursue earthly goals receive their full rewards on earth. Think of the blessings we have waiting for us in Heaven, those treasures which we know will be utterly worthless to us there, compared to seeing His face!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Summary of NCTE trip!
I know this is lame, but here is my blog post for November, which doubled as my trip report to the tribe. I will report on December next. Maybe this weekend... And pictures will be up here soon!
From November 18th to November 20th, I had the privilege of attending the Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English in Orlando, Florida at Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort. The theme of the convention was “Teachers and Students Together: Living Literate Lives.”
My travel day began at noon on November 17th, when I left the E.A.G.L.E. Center to drive to the Rapid City Regional Airport. Since my plane had been delayed I was put onto an earlier flight, and from then on my trip to Orlando, with stops in Denver and Dallas, was uneventful. I arrived in Orlando close to my 9:45 AM ETA, and had just enough time to check-in at the All-Star Sports Resort and receive my luggage before the shuttle departed for the first featured session at Coronado Springs. Disney provides shuttle service from the airport to all of their resorts, which was very convenient!
The program schedule was extremely full, with one general session per day and a long list of elective options throughout each day. Some sessions that I especially appreciated included “Using Books to Ban Racial Stereotypes,” “Taking Risks With ‘At Risk’ Learners,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Censorship But Were Too Chilled To Ask.” There were approximately fifty options for most elective slots, which made my decisions quite a challenge, but every session I attended applied directly to my personal and professional interests. I took note of several new strategies and activities that I hope to use in the future, and may have uncovered some new ways to challenge and motivate my students.
The remainder of the time I had at the convention was mainly spent in the Exhibit Hall, where I gathered information about programs, curriculum, and assessments. I kept my eyes open for enrichment activities and for some practical help with our EC yearbook, finding a great “reader’s theatre” collection and two affordable student publishing programs. Some other things of interest were a Bible literacy curriculum and a few fun children's book merchants. I also spent some time at the book merchants, finding an anthology to use in seventh and eighth grade and other great literature on sale.
As for the final purpose of professional conferences, while I did not take advantage of any extra recreational opportunities provided at Walt Disney World, I got what I wanted most: a nap in a hammock under swaying palm trees and a few opportunities to swim. I also had tasty, though very expensive, food, and had one particularly nice dinner out of my per diem allowance at Kouzzina by Cat Cora, a Mediterranean restaurant. The Convention was refreshing and reinvigorating in many ways, and I look forward to incorporating some of my new ideas and new materials into my instruction.
The biggest thing I learned is that next time I'm taking a buddy, so if you're an English teacher who wants to go to NCTE in a few years, let me know!
Love you all! Sorry I have gotten so far behind! Christina
From November 18th to November 20th, I had the privilege of attending the Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English in Orlando, Florida at Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort. The theme of the convention was “Teachers and Students Together: Living Literate Lives.”
My travel day began at noon on November 17th, when I left the E.A.G.L.E. Center to drive to the Rapid City Regional Airport. Since my plane had been delayed I was put onto an earlier flight, and from then on my trip to Orlando, with stops in Denver and Dallas, was uneventful. I arrived in Orlando close to my 9:45 AM ETA, and had just enough time to check-in at the All-Star Sports Resort and receive my luggage before the shuttle departed for the first featured session at Coronado Springs. Disney provides shuttle service from the airport to all of their resorts, which was very convenient!
The program schedule was extremely full, with one general session per day and a long list of elective options throughout each day. Some sessions that I especially appreciated included “Using Books to Ban Racial Stereotypes,” “Taking Risks With ‘At Risk’ Learners,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Censorship But Were Too Chilled To Ask.” There were approximately fifty options for most elective slots, which made my decisions quite a challenge, but every session I attended applied directly to my personal and professional interests. I took note of several new strategies and activities that I hope to use in the future, and may have uncovered some new ways to challenge and motivate my students.
The remainder of the time I had at the convention was mainly spent in the Exhibit Hall, where I gathered information about programs, curriculum, and assessments. I kept my eyes open for enrichment activities and for some practical help with our EC yearbook, finding a great “reader’s theatre” collection and two affordable student publishing programs. Some other things of interest were a Bible literacy curriculum and a few fun children's book merchants. I also spent some time at the book merchants, finding an anthology to use in seventh and eighth grade and other great literature on sale.
As for the final purpose of professional conferences, while I did not take advantage of any extra recreational opportunities provided at Walt Disney World, I got what I wanted most: a nap in a hammock under swaying palm trees and a few opportunities to swim. I also had tasty, though very expensive, food, and had one particularly nice dinner out of my per diem allowance at Kouzzina by Cat Cora, a Mediterranean restaurant. The Convention was refreshing and reinvigorating in many ways, and I look forward to incorporating some of my new ideas and new materials into my instruction.
The biggest thing I learned is that next time I'm taking a buddy, so if you're an English teacher who wants to go to NCTE in a few years, let me know!
Love you all! Sorry I have gotten so far behind! Christina
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
If I wanted to...
Dear readers,
Let’s see, what is most pressing on my mind at this moment, or what is currently the most exciting thing in my life, or what is most likely to keep your interest for ten minutes as you read this post? I wish I knew! I’ve had several ideas come up in the last month since my most recent post, but I can’t recall all of them. If I were to pick something to rant about I would write about whatever genius thought it was possible that every school child in America would ever be proficient in both reading and math, let alone by a set deadline. I might also mention the hammer of professional development which is currently beating my district’s teachers into the ground while their oblivious students continue to deliberately or accidentally perform poorly on tests and behave or misbehave in exactly the same way as usual. However, I really don’t feel like ranting, and am appreciative of my principal’s OK to ditch a few of my responsibilities, even though the things I want most to ditch are non-negotiable.
If I wanted to tell you about the fun parts of my life, I would tell you about fun pizza and movie nights with Angie, Amanda, and Teri, and submit brilliant reviews of the last three movies we rented from Netflix. I would also dedicate at least four paragraphs to the Homecoming weekend that I just spent in Morris, specifically praising my excellent former roommate Kristine for her great job as hostess (she makes a mean Sunday brunch), thanking Jill and Andrea for the lovely walks, appreciating my friends Shauna, Ketsa, Tabitha, and Belle for being such wonderful ladies to spend any amount of time with, telling Jake how much I like seeing him and how cute his dog is, and rolling my eyes while being slightly nostalgic for my football players, Counterweight boys, and tenors. However, as fun as that would be, I guess I can deliver all of my praise to my wonderful friends individually, and if I wanted to fill you in on how Homecoming weekend was, I guess I could just call you, like I called my dad to report on my tour of the UMM biomass plant.
If I wanted to tell you about the humdrum details of my daily life, I could tell you about funny things my kids do, like the 8th graders who all decided to write stories in which Miss Osthus married one of their relatives or the 7th grader who makes all of the teachers laugh and drives his classmates crazy with his “clever” comments. I could tell you that we’ve gotten close to twenty new high school students within the last month, and that I haven’t been able to enter grades or information for any of them online because with a new clerk and without our lab manager the EC is a bit behind on clerical things. I could tell you some great stories from youth group, like how much Katie and Jacob make me laugh with their arguing and how great it is that Nico and James brought a friend when Pastor Del Palmer made a missions presentation last Wednesday. However, I’ve found that not everyone appreciates exhaustive accounts of my life, and it would probably take more time than I have to give.
If I wanted to give my readers things to pray about, I could give a list of concerns for my family, particularly that Michael and Marretta would continue to settle into their new surroundings and that Julia wouldn’t, so that she will come home from Brazil! I could also tell you about all my missionary friends, some of whom are facing challenges in ministry, some of whom are working to raise funds either to go to the field or to stay there (like Sigi, Richard, and John), and some of whom are in places that are lately unsafe, like the Pacchas and the Schierkolks. I could even tell you about a long list of friends back in Morris who need some heavy duty prayer, like Sarah, Ted, and Rachel. I guess I just gave you that list, didn’t I?
If I wanted to tell you what God is teaching me lately… I’m never very good at encapsulating that, but I might take you on a walk through Ephesians or Malachi, where I’ve been reading lately. I might tell you that He’s teaching me a whole lot about love, and that I’m trying to find different ways of showing my love toward Him. I might say that I’m finding different ways both to value and to evaluate love, and that I’m trying to remember the One who chose me must always be first in my heart. The book of Malachi is all a conversation between God and His very confused people, who really are hurting God and don’t have a clue what they are doing. He tells them all of their offenses one by one, and they ask Him, “How have we done these things?” I am examining myself to look for any areas of my life in which I forget that God is touched. Have I robbed God by holding back too much of the wealth He has given me? Have I been unfaithful by investing in an earthly relationship more than I have invested in Him? Have I rejected God by ignoring a beggar on the street? I know I have all done all of these things before. Anyway, like I said, I’m not very good at giving a little tidbit of what God is teaching me at the moment.
Those are all options that I suppose I have when I blog. I usually do a little mixture of all of these things, and I guess this post was no exception. I continue to keep my goal in mind to write more often and more pithily! According to spell check, that adverb works, so I guess I’ll keep using it. I love you all, and I am signing off to go to sleep! Pray for Ecuador, my students, and the other requests that I gave you earlier! Showers of blessings be upon you! Christina
Let’s see, what is most pressing on my mind at this moment, or what is currently the most exciting thing in my life, or what is most likely to keep your interest for ten minutes as you read this post? I wish I knew! I’ve had several ideas come up in the last month since my most recent post, but I can’t recall all of them. If I were to pick something to rant about I would write about whatever genius thought it was possible that every school child in America would ever be proficient in both reading and math, let alone by a set deadline. I might also mention the hammer of professional development which is currently beating my district’s teachers into the ground while their oblivious students continue to deliberately or accidentally perform poorly on tests and behave or misbehave in exactly the same way as usual. However, I really don’t feel like ranting, and am appreciative of my principal’s OK to ditch a few of my responsibilities, even though the things I want most to ditch are non-negotiable.
If I wanted to tell you about the fun parts of my life, I would tell you about fun pizza and movie nights with Angie, Amanda, and Teri, and submit brilliant reviews of the last three movies we rented from Netflix. I would also dedicate at least four paragraphs to the Homecoming weekend that I just spent in Morris, specifically praising my excellent former roommate Kristine for her great job as hostess (she makes a mean Sunday brunch), thanking Jill and Andrea for the lovely walks, appreciating my friends Shauna, Ketsa, Tabitha, and Belle for being such wonderful ladies to spend any amount of time with, telling Jake how much I like seeing him and how cute his dog is, and rolling my eyes while being slightly nostalgic for my football players, Counterweight boys, and tenors. However, as fun as that would be, I guess I can deliver all of my praise to my wonderful friends individually, and if I wanted to fill you in on how Homecoming weekend was, I guess I could just call you, like I called my dad to report on my tour of the UMM biomass plant.
If I wanted to tell you about the humdrum details of my daily life, I could tell you about funny things my kids do, like the 8th graders who all decided to write stories in which Miss Osthus married one of their relatives or the 7th grader who makes all of the teachers laugh and drives his classmates crazy with his “clever” comments. I could tell you that we’ve gotten close to twenty new high school students within the last month, and that I haven’t been able to enter grades or information for any of them online because with a new clerk and without our lab manager the EC is a bit behind on clerical things. I could tell you some great stories from youth group, like how much Katie and Jacob make me laugh with their arguing and how great it is that Nico and James brought a friend when Pastor Del Palmer made a missions presentation last Wednesday. However, I’ve found that not everyone appreciates exhaustive accounts of my life, and it would probably take more time than I have to give.
If I wanted to give my readers things to pray about, I could give a list of concerns for my family, particularly that Michael and Marretta would continue to settle into their new surroundings and that Julia wouldn’t, so that she will come home from Brazil! I could also tell you about all my missionary friends, some of whom are facing challenges in ministry, some of whom are working to raise funds either to go to the field or to stay there (like Sigi, Richard, and John), and some of whom are in places that are lately unsafe, like the Pacchas and the Schierkolks. I could even tell you about a long list of friends back in Morris who need some heavy duty prayer, like Sarah, Ted, and Rachel. I guess I just gave you that list, didn’t I?
If I wanted to tell you what God is teaching me lately… I’m never very good at encapsulating that, but I might take you on a walk through Ephesians or Malachi, where I’ve been reading lately. I might tell you that He’s teaching me a whole lot about love, and that I’m trying to find different ways of showing my love toward Him. I might say that I’m finding different ways both to value and to evaluate love, and that I’m trying to remember the One who chose me must always be first in my heart. The book of Malachi is all a conversation between God and His very confused people, who really are hurting God and don’t have a clue what they are doing. He tells them all of their offenses one by one, and they ask Him, “How have we done these things?” I am examining myself to look for any areas of my life in which I forget that God is touched. Have I robbed God by holding back too much of the wealth He has given me? Have I been unfaithful by investing in an earthly relationship more than I have invested in Him? Have I rejected God by ignoring a beggar on the street? I know I have all done all of these things before. Anyway, like I said, I’m not very good at giving a little tidbit of what God is teaching me at the moment.
Those are all options that I suppose I have when I blog. I usually do a little mixture of all of these things, and I guess this post was no exception. I continue to keep my goal in mind to write more often and more pithily! According to spell check, that adverb works, so I guess I’ll keep using it. I love you all, and I am signing off to go to sleep! Pray for Ecuador, my students, and the other requests that I gave you earlier! Showers of blessings be upon you! Christina
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