Well, I missed last week’s posting. Don’t know why. Perhaps because I’m a second, first-year teacher, and I was stressed out trying to grade projects and nine-week exams?
Yeah. I think that was it.
Anyhoo, I’m back and happy to be joining in. Play along by visiting Joyce and linking up.
1. Who taught you how to cook?
Ha! Some in my family would say that I don’t know the definition of the word “cook.” I watched my mom cook, occasionally, when I was younger. I’m not sure if it was her or my stepdad who taught me how to make fried spam sandwiches and Hamburger Helper.
Yeah. I wouldn’t do very good on a cooking show.
2. Have you been told you think too much? Are too much of a perfectionist? Are too sensitive? Were they right?
My mom always told me two things: 1) I do things the hard way, and 2) I wear my feelings on my sleeve.
If my two cry sessions after classes last week are any indication, then I’d say that the above questions are true.
I think I’ve always been a bit on the serious side. I spent a good portion of my youth alone, and I went through an ugly phase from about age five to, say, 37. 😀
Going through times like that will make you more introspective and self-conscious.
Oh, and yes, I’m also a bit of a perfectionist, although I’m trying my best to not be so hard on myself. I’m an overachiever, though, so this is a difficult thing to change.
3. As a child did you have a favorite blanket or toy? Tell about it.
Hmmm…I remember having a favorite stuffed bear. I took it to Show & Tell one day, and it disappeared. I was heartbroken.
Perhaps that’s why I’m so sensitive these days.
4. What ‘institution‘ do you have the most faith in?
Hmmm…I’m not really sure what we mean by institution. Honestly, the only thing I really have faith in is God and His redeeming love for me. I don’t believe in “religion.” I believe in Jesus.
Knowing Jesus as my Savior ensures that I will spend eternity in heaven. That’s the only thing I know for sure about life, and it’s the one thing I have the most faith in.
5. Chrysanthemums–pansies–burning bush–ornamental cabbage…your favorite in an autumn garden?
Wait. People have autumn gardens? Seriously?
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
I care not one iota for any of the above.
I do, however, care for grass that stays green in the winter and wish that this type of grass (or any type, for that matter) existed in my front and back yards.
6. What superpower do the kids in your neighborhood seem to posses?
Hmmm…the superpower that the children in my neighborhood seem to possess is the ability to magically deposit white balls over my fence…even when I stare at the fence without blinking. My dogs don’t seem to mind though.
7. Are you a fan of the cranberry?
Cranberries are fine, but I don’t go out of my way to eat them.
8. My Random Thought
I’m reading The Hunger Games aloud with my students. Yesterday, when I read with 3rd period, I stopped, as I frequently do, to help my students make connections with the story. One of the things we read about was how Katniss (the main character) has to take care of her sister after her mother goes into a deep depression after the death of Katniss’s father. Katniss fears the Capitol taking her and her sister to the state-run institution for children.
I paused here and shared a personal story from my youth. When I finished, I explained that I had not shared it to get sympathy from my students. I had shared the story to demonstrate how I had connected with the book. That’s what good readers do, you know.
Well, I had no idea how deeply my story struck my students…how closely they had listened and connected both with me and the book…until a couple of them approached me after class and shared personal stories of their own.
Oh my gosh. It was hearbreaking stuff. It was also good for them to see that though I may look like I have my act together, I haven’t always been okay. It also helped them to see that despite hardships in our lives, things can turn out alright.
I’ve always believed that to be an effective teacher, you have to make connections with your students.
Yesterday, by spontaneously opening up about myself, I made a few more.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge | 7 Comments »
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