Whoop Whoop! Link up with Joyce to join in the Hodgepodge!
1. How do you typically react in a sudden, extreme, pressure-filled crisis? Would we want you nearby in an emergency?
Oh, tough question. I think it depends on if others are around. If someone else is around, I prefer to let that person take the lead as far as handling the emergency. Case in point: A week before Super Sis got married, Chicky, all of maybe five, went running down the stairs and turned the corner a little too sharply, banging her head on the wall, splitting open her forehead, and causing massive bleeding.
I panicked.
That’s because other people were around. The sight of blood makes me nauseous.
I did manage to get her to the ER, where the doctor butterflied her right up and sent us on our way.
Now, with that said, if there isn’t anyone around, I handle emergencies quite well. Case in point: When Rooster was little…early elementary…he came into the house one afternoon with his brand new Polo t-shirt (courtesy of a trip to the outlet mall the weekend before) covered in blood. He was screaming.
He’d split his chin wide open when he fell off his bike and landed on a rock.
Ouch.
I very calmly said, “Well, Rooster, I think we’re going to let a doctor take a look at this. Chicky, please run upstairs and get Mama a washcloth. Rooster, we’ll buy you another shirt. Don’t worry your sweet head.”
I then drove us to the emergency room, fought like a Mama Bear to get a plastic surgeon to sew up the cut even though our insurance company wasn’t going to pay for it (when an ER doctor says, “I think I can pull it together,” you run for another doctor), and almost passed out when he got several shots in the cut to numb him.
I handled myself brilliantly.
As far as whether or not you’d like to have me around in an emergency, you be the judge.
2. Caramel apple-caramel sundae-caramel corn-caramel macchiato–of the four, which caramel treat would you choose?
I’m going for an edited version…Salted Caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks…creme base (cannot stand coffee)…made with soy…hold the whip…add the toppings.
Tres yummy!
3. Is there such a thing as destiny? Explain.
Although I’m a reading teacher, I decided to look up the definition for destiny (there were no context clues in the sentence to assist me…LOL):
Destiny – The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate.
Then, I wondered how, exactly, to define fate:
Fate: The development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.
Do I believe in destiny?
No. Not really.
In Psalm 139:1316, the Bible tells us that…
13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
So, I guess, in essence, you could say there’s such a thing as destiny…maybe…since God is an unseen force. However, I do not believe in fate as it is loosely thrown around these days. God controls the weather and that kind of stuff. I believe that He set things up to work in a certain way and allows things to happen, but nothing happens without His knowledge or permission. I also don’t believe that God controls us.
I believe that He can see our lives from beginning to end, and He knows the choices we will make. Does He influence them? If we let Him. Does He force us into following His way? Absolutely not. Why would Jesus have had to die then?
Tough question, Joyce. No easy answer.
4. What’s your favorite piece of furniture? I’m referring to something currently in your possession as opposed to something on your wish list.
My bed is my favorite piece of furniture. Sad, eh? I’m just so darned exhausted at the end of each day that it feels so amazing to lay my head down each night. Getting up at the crack of dawn isn’t much fun either, so I live for the weekends when I can stay snuggled in, loving on my Mollly girl.
5. Wednesday night marks the start of the 2011 Baseball World Series. Did you know? Do you care? Will you be watching? Ever been to a professional baseball game? If you’re not an American, do you find the title “world Series” annoying or amusing?
I’ve been to a few games…the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Marlins. Attending games is way more fun than watching them…most times. Honestly, I’d rather watch NASCAR, which sounds crazy given that men drive around and around in circles, but isn’t baseball the same thing…men going around in circles?
6. Sounds that take me back to my childhood are…
Church bells.
I attended a small Baptist church in Alabama, and the church bells use to ring every day at a certain time. You could hear the bells around town. When I hear this sound today, I am reminded of a time when life was lived at a much slower pace.
7. On average, once you’ve linked your Hodgepodge post to mine, how many other participant blogs do you visit? Do you ever come back to the Hodgepodge later in the day or even the day after to read posts?
Ok…last year, I made it my mission to read most of the links posted. I had more time…I don’t know how with teaching five grades and going to school full-time.
Since starting my year as an intensive reading teacher, I’ve been swamped. I feel like I’ve got a bit more to prove, so I’m putting in even more time, leaving smaller amounts of time to visit a lot of blogs.
One rule of thumb for me is always visit those who visit me. It’s a courtesy. My goal is to visit nine or ten teach each week…combining my visits with “back at ‘ya’s” and “hola new friends.” I typically visit late on the day of the Hodgepodge, after I’ve gotten home from work and can settle down for a bit.
8. My Random Thought
I’ve been talking about teaching a lot lately. That’s because it’s taken me on such an emotional roller coaster ride! The last few days, I’ve really cracked down on my kids…not letting them get away with anything. It’s my attempt to restore full order. We’re almost finished with the first of four nine-week terms, and I honestly did not see the time go by. Of course, that’s probably because I’ve been at training for much of it, but that’s beside the point.
I see so much trust in my kids’ eyes. I simply cannot let them down by allowing the unwise choices that others make to go by.
Yesterday, one of my students told me, in a fit of frustration, “Mrs. AuburnChick, you’re the only teacher who follows all of the rules.”
In other words, I’m the most strict.
I had to remind her and myself that I’m not doing this because I’m on a power trip. I’m doing this because life has rules that we have to follow…for a purpose…to maintain order and lead productive lives. My classroom is a microcosm of the real world…a safe place yet one where students are expected to follow rules, accomplish things according to certain procedures, and be productive in the process.
Then, I sat down with my kids…the class that won the pizza party the other day…and told them that they might not count themselves lucky to have me as a teacher, but they should.
I love them. I genuinely care about them. I want them to succeed and believe that they will.
Guys…the trust that emanated from one of my student’s eyes was too much for words. This gal has a rough, rough exterior. I treat her with kid gloves because I know that it won’t take much to break her, and I won’t be the one to do it with a flippant attitude.
Trust is probably one of the hardest things to get from a student and one of the easiest to lose.
It’s also one of the main things that will help us, as people who are privileged to work with children, truly leave a lasting impact on their lives.
I think I’m feeling the weight of this responsibility, and the emotional ride is scary, to say the least.
I’m in it for the long-haul though and am so grateful to be doing what I’m doing.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: meme, Wednesday Hodgepodge | 8 Comments »
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