Repeat after me…
It is the first week of June, it is the first week of June.
I cannot believe that I have one full day and two half days of school before I bid my students farewell. I won’t go on and on about it in this post. Just take a peek at the posts I’ve written before and the few I’ll write after today’s. They are full of observations and reflections. For now, let’s get going with Joyce’s questions!
1. I’ve read several posts and status updates recently describing end of year school field trips. Do you remember taking school field trips as a kid? Where did you go and do you recall a favorite? For any parents responding today, have you ever chaperoned a school field trip, and if so where?
I remember a few field trips when I was in school. My favorite was the planetarium. It was then that I fell in love with astronomy and seriously considered becoming a scientist. God’s universe is awe-inspiring, and I never tire of imagining Him creating it! My least favorite trip was to a potato chip factory. I got so sick on that trip. The smell of grease sent me running to the bus, where I had to wait for the rest of the students to finish the tour. Blech.
One fun trip was to the Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery. This was when I was either in 9th or 10th grade. We went to the zoo afterward, and oh my Lord, but one of the guys, Joe Don, antagonized a gorilla so badly that the gorilla threw poop at Joe. Joe ducked, and the poop hit a little girl in the face. We ran for cover as the little girl cried. Terrible, I know, but as a high schooler, I lacked some manners. It was probably one of the only times I felt cool because I got to ride in the “cool car,” which was really a van that one of my classmates’ father drove. We had so much fun on the ride home. Maybe one day I’ll share more about that…
2. What’s something you’re tired of seeing online?
I really loathe advertisements. I can’t even watch a YouTube video without having to click X’s to make the ads go away. Puleese.
3. June is the month for roses. Which of the following expressions would you say has most recently applied to your life-‘everything’s coming up roses’, ‘there’s no rose without a thorn’, ‘came out smelling like a rose’, or ‘wearing rose-colored glasses’?
I’m definitely a person who wears rose-colored glasses. As a teacher, I need to. I need to inspire my students to greatness. I have to help them believe in themselves. I can’t do that if I’m negative, so every day, I try to make the best of every situation…find the good in everyone and everything. It’s not always easy, but I think that, overall, I am successful…a fact proven by comments I’ve been reading in my students’ writing this week. Many have described how energetic I am and how I make them feel as though they can do anything. Their words made me smile.
4. When grilling outdoors do you prefer gas or charcoal? Who does the grilling at your house? What’s the last thing you ate that was cooked on a grill?
I prefer good old fashioned charcoal, but I’d venture to bet that I probably couldn’t tell the difference if given a blind taste test. The Mr. does all of our grilling at home, and the last time he grilled, a couple of weeks ago, he fixed Boca Burgers for me. Yum! He often grills asparagus too. To die for!
5. Are you afraid of the dark?
I am not afraid of the dark but do have nightlights around the house to help me find my way to the bathroom in the wee hours of the night.
6. Share a favorite song with a number in it’s title.
Wow! This was a hard question! I had to do some research!! After looking at a longgggggg list, I selected the song 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman. We sing this frequently at church, and I love it!!!
7. “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”(C.G. Jung). Do you agree? Why or why not?
I definitely agree with this statement! Too often, I’ve been critical of others when, in reality, they are displaying a trait or habit that I, myself, have or do.
I’m not sure that I can speak for others, but I find myself in a constant state of reflection. I take every single thing I observe and hear and compare myself against it. It’s only since I’ve begun teaching that I’ve actively engaged in a silent dialogue with myself about these things…digging deeper to understand myself better. It’s been an exhausting process, but I am glad that I finally have finally gotten to the point where I am blatantly honest with myself. I use my reflections to make changes in my life. I have to or else I’ll never get better at whatever it is that I’m trying to improve. As a teacher, this is vital to my growth in my profession.
8. My Random Thought
As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, this is the final week of school…
Click to embiggen
That’s my little homemade attendance sheet. Each day is split into two sections because I teach each class for two 45-minute sessions, and I have to know if kids are coming to class tardy for specific sessions.
My jaw dropped when I turned to the final page on Monday. It seems like only a short time ago when I was inserting the first set of pages in August.
Each line on each page (every class has its own) represents a young life I’ve been blessed to work with.
Each name has a history of sorrows and triumphs.
After spending ninety minutes a day with my students, I find myself sad to see them go. This has been my best year teaching thus far.
I know I say this often, but I truly mean it as I repeat my mantra…I am blessed to do what I do every single day.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge | 8 Comments »
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