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The Restoring Power of Grace

Posted on January 29, 2016 by auburnchick

Last night, I watched the power that grace can have on a person’s life.

I attended my high school’s basketball games…both of them (JV and Varsity).  It was Senior Night, and I wanted to honor my basketball son…the young man I taught three years ago and have been providing game day snacks for the past two years, and another young man I taught four years ago.  Both are amazing human beings…polite, hard workers, and great examples to their peers.

I had the added bonus of watching a current student of mine play in his first game this season.

This young man had previously been unable to play because he had been academically ineligible.  With the end of the first semester last week, new grade point averages were configured, and he’d fallen short by one point.

He asked me for grace…the chance to get the one point he needed to be able to play.

I’d said no.

At first.

After a chat with a fellow staff member…someone I respect immensely…and a bit of soul searching and praying, I decided to have the student redo a major assignment he’d blown off.

He floated into my classroom the next morning, and I was proud to put a more-than-passing grade on the completed work.

He’d earned his point with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears…pulled an all-nighter…probably a first for him.

Thus it was that I found myself watching as the game began; he was in the starting lineup.

His coach, who had never asked for any special favors, had visited my classroom yesterday morning before school started…thanked me for working with the student and for giving him another chance.  He’d told me that this student was an excellent athlete and would be a key player next year.

Let me tell you…watching this young man play was a humbling experience.  He scored between fifteen to twenty of the team’s points.  Our guys won the game…by a slim margin of five points, I think.  It was a nail-biter of a game.

After it was over, I told my student congratulations.

He hugged me…pure joy on his face.

He thanked me.

He told me he’d never let himself get in that situation again.

I then told the coach that he hadn’t been wrong about this young man.  The coach thanked me.

Honestly, this was less about me than this student of mine.  He took action when given the chance.

Had I not extended grace, he wouldn’t have learned the lesson of the assignment.

He also wouldn’t have learned a bigger life lesson…that laziness will bite you in the rear if you allow it to become a habit.

He might have given up on me, as a teacher.

I believe that I’ve laid some groundwork that will be key to his success in the next few months as we prepare for the state reading exam and, possibly, the last two years of his high school career.

I think I learned as much as he did.

I learned that although I can and should be wary of students who might try to manipulate me into getting what they want, there are exceptions to the case, and that I’ll never know until I take a chance on someone.

I was reminded that there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to handling students’ individual situations.  I tend to think in black and white.  The gray in the middle is hard for me to navigate through.

I learned that God will make His will known to me through the use of others and to be sensitive to those times.  Trust me.  It became very obvious by the end of the day that this was something I had to do.

I hope that this experience will one day point this young man to the saving grace that Jesus extended when He gave His life on the cross.  I am so grateful for that forgiveness…the chance to redo things in my own life.  It’s only right that I do the same for others as well.  In my humanness, I sometimes forget.

Filed under: Christian, Teaching | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Multi-Tasking

Posted on January 27, 2016 by auburnchick

Yesterday evening after dinner, I left the TV off…a very rare occurrence.

The reason?

I had cupcakes to bake for my 6th period class.  It’s small in number, and we had a number of behavior issues the first three months of school; however, with consistency and accountability, the kids have grown into a cohesive group.  They finally earned their 2,000 Class Dojo points and are having a celebratory party today.

While I prepared my vegan Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes, I was tuned into Twitter and the Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study party.  It’s the first online study I’ve done, and I am so excited!  I’m in a Facebook group that’s being led by a longtime online knitting/bloggy friend.

I must have been quite the sight…laptop on my counter, mixing bowl not too close but not too far away…Pandora belting out a mixture of Ingrid Michaelson songs and Christian tracks.

I’d overfilled the cupcake liners, so when I pulled them out, there was cupcake overflow around each cupcake…that dried into hard-to-remove cupcake overflow.

Sigh.

It took me quite a while to clean the pans.  One of them is an air bake tin, so it can’t be submerged in water.

Bigger sigh.

I used some of my newfound muscles and scrubbed for a longggggggggggggggg time.

I had also decided to prep for a crockpot dish that I wanted to turn on before leaving for work.  I know myself, and it’s hard to get much accomplished in the morning besides my daily workout, shower, and beauty regimen.

Oh my, but I had to saute the chicken first, thus making ANOTHER mess that I had to scrub up.

Oh wait.  There’s more though.

While all that was transpiring, I was washing a load of clothes…of which I had to hang up about half of my stuff because I am quite particular, you see.

I was multi-tasking to the highest level…because I tend to be an overachiever, as you already know.

My students and co-workers may find me bleary-eyed in the morning.  Thank heavens for the cancellation of a regular Wednesday morning meeting.  I won’t have to be on my game immediately after stepping onto campus.

Small miracles, people.  Small miracles.

Filed under: Christian, Teaching, Vegan | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Refreshed

Posted on January 3, 2016 by auburnchick

It’s Sunday night…the evening before I head back to school after a two-week Christmas vacation.

I spent the first week throwing off the remaining crud I’d been fighting since Thanksgiving.

The second week, once we’d returned home from visiting family, was, quite simply, divine.

When you’re a teacher, it takes a couple of weeks out of the classroom to begin feeling like a normal human being again…one who can put more than one thought together…one who can actually grocery shop, cook, and keep the house clean.

I feel refreshed.

Do I want to go back?

Not really.  I treasure my time at home in the company of my family.  I like being a stay-at-home mom and wife.  I’m pretty good at it too and do not ever find myself suffering from boredom.

With that said, I am going back because no, I did not win the lottery.

At the moment, I feel un-rushed…calm even.

I think part of the reason is a renewed sense of who I am in relation to my Creator.  I’ve been reading the book Wrestling with Wonder, by Marlo Schalesky.

I began this book on December 16…ordering it after I’d finished a devotion series that contained excerpts from the book.

This book is not really a feel-good kind of book.  It’s one that makes you rethink what the word “blessing” means.  Mary was blessed, but she endured the most unimaginable pain a woman can face despite God’s promises to her.

All of the things that God allows in our lives can be considered blessings because He is working His perfect purpose through those things.

News flash…blessings aren’t for us.  They exist to further His kingdom.

This book is partially told first person…from Mary’s perspective…as she might have thought about things as they happened…the angel appearing to her to tell her she was carrying the Savior of the world…her journey to her cousin Elizabeth’s house…her trip to Bethlehem…the birth of Jesus…and more.

The book’s purpose isn’t to glorify Mary.  It’s to reveal the wonders of some of the most confusing and life-altering moments in Mary’s life and then relate them to our own lives.

This book has reminded me that God allows the good and bad things into this world because He does have a grand plan, and it isn’t always to have me feel all happy-go-lucky.  That’s comforting given relationships I still struggle with…inner turmoil that eats away at me as I fight my own dark thoughts and feelings.

There’s been a release of sorts…a lifting of some of the weight that I had allowed to reside on my shoulders for awhile.

This morning, one of the songs we sang at church was “Redeemed,” by Big Daddy Weave.

The lyrics, as always, spoke to my heart…especially the following words:

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”
I remember, oh God, You’re not done with me yet

So, despite feeling a little like this right now…

I’m actually feeling more like this…

I hope that my calm demeanor lasts and actually rubs off on my students…kiddos who will be returning for a week and a half of teaching before first semester exams.

If my calm doesn’t last, I may be indulging in the following…

And this…Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets (from the book Vegan Pie in the Sky or here)…

Filed under: Christian, Teaching | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Reflections from 2015

Posted on January 2, 2016 by auburnchick

I’ve quit setting New Year’s resolutions because I feel as though they become empty promises to myself.

I prefer to reflect routinely on things and purposefully make immediate changes to improve things…or purposely accept things that cannot be changed and try to move on.

So, let’s see.  2015 was an interesting year.  I spent the first few months angry about my VAM score (my teacher evaluation).  I consider that score a mixed blessing, though, because I decided to quit killing myself by working all the time and start balancing my life more.  As a result, I began working less from home and stopped working on the weekends.

In March, my mom had a brain aneurysm that nearly took her life.  We reconnected, and I talked to her fairly regularly for a while as she gave me reports on her health after she left the hospital.  Unfortunately, this good will hasn’t completely lasted.  We’re still having some problems…the same problems we’ve had for years…and I’m finding myself frustrated and hurt, as I’ve spent most of my adult life.  I have to find a way to work through this.  I am by no means a great daughter.  I’ll readily admit to this.  Yet, I am a person who desires to be treated fairly…loved equally.

One amazing thing that happened over the course of the last half of the year was that I began a serious journey to become more fit.  I’ve talked about this on my blog, but it bears repeating in my reflection.  I was called “thick” by a student last year, and this hurt my heart so much.  Just like my VAM score, I used it as motivation to get better and started out by lifting weights. at the gym  When school started, getting to the gym proved to be challenging, so I transitioned to working out at home with my first Beachbody program, Piyo.  The focus on exercise and diet has completely changed me, and I am more fit than I’ve been in fifteen years.  I went down one pants size and have more endurance than ever before.  I’m more confident and happy.

Overall, I think that 2015 was about balance.  I’ve learned to balance most parts of my life.

Warrior 3 – One of my favorite Piyo positions

I’m not a workaholic like I once was.  I know part of this comes from having more experience with this being my sixth year teaching.  However, with my frustration at the education system as it exists, I decided that doing as much as I can during actual at-work hours was okay.  With the exception of one night a week at home lesson planning, I do everything else at school.

This has meant that I’ve had to quit being so anal about things.  I’ve learned how to leave grading on my desk.  I’ve learned that it’s okay to tell students that I haven’t gotten to something yet because I’m choosing to be a regular person outside of school.  Surprisingly, they understand.  I have learned not to over-commit to things because I’m still in the baby phase of balancing out my life; old habits are lurking in dark corners ready to take over again should I stop being vigilant.

2015 was a year in which I became even more self-aware.  I am a solitary person.  I am not a very sociable person.  I am awkward when I get in group settings, which is probably why I don’t have a lot of close friends.  It’s been a hard realization to see others draw closer to each other, but I am slowly learning to accept it and not feel jealous.  I treasure my time with my husband, children, and fur babies, and that’s okay.  I’m a homebody and fiercely independent and do not need to apologize for it.

My self-awareness extends to my walk with Christ, which always needs improvement.  This past summer, the First5 app got released.  It’s done by the Proverbs 31 ministry and is simply fantastic.  Every morning, before I even get out of bed, I read my devotion and watch the Weekend Wrap-Up videos.  Starting my day in God’s Word and praying have refocused my life.  No, my renewed focused hasn’t made my life perfect, but spending time talking to my Father, who knows me best, has reminded me that I exist for His glory, not to meet man’s expectations.

The new year should be interesting.  There are changes afoot in my world…changes I’ll slowly blog about as they come to fruition.  Such is the way when one gets older.  My plans are just to take things one day at a time and praise God for whatever comes my way.  He has ordained my life, and He will be glorified through everything He allows into it.

Filed under: Christian, fitness, Teaching | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

While I Was Gone…

Posted on December 18, 2015 by auburnchick

Lordy, but every time I write a post, it seems as though I’m apologizing!  My blogging…it just sucks right now.

Enough with that, though.  I’ll offer up no excuses.  It is what it is.  I’m choosing to spend down time not on the computer and, instead, watching television, knitting, and reading.

Anyhoo…

The burning question, if you’re not a friend on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter is:  What has Auburnchick been up to the past few weeks?

Well, let’s see…

I’ve been doing a LOT of teaching.  With this being December, we are hot and heavy into all things reading.  My kiddos are working hard on grammar, fiction reading, and main idea (our current unit).

Things are going swimmingly.  I’m extremely happy with my classes this year.  I’ve had fairly minor behavioral issues, and I’ve experienced a few surprises.  My students have been incredibly cooperative and trusting, allowing me to lead them in all things reading.  They don’t always like that I’m strict, but I think they understand that I’m consistent, firm, yet fair.

One thing I’m doing a better job at this year is balancing my life.  I’m lesson planning one night a week from home and getting the rest of my work done at school.  These purposeful decisions have allowed me to spend more time on myself and my family.

Probably the thing I’m most proud of is my fitness quest.  After jokingly being called “thick” by a student last school year, I made it my mission to take care of my body.  You know I started working out this past spring.  I worked out with weights this summer but tapered off when school began.  The start of the school year is when most teachers drop into a black hole.  It’s brutal setting up new classes…new routines…new everything (because the state of Florida constantly changes things).

That’s when I started working out from home with Beachbody’s Piyo program.

The diet plan and workout schedule helped me so much.  They provided the structure I desperately needed, and when I finished two months after starting it, I was fourteen pounds and 7.25 inches leaner, stronger, more flexible, and in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time.

I had seen a friend (a former teacher who I used to sub for who is now a full-time Beachbody coach) and her posts, but I’d resisted.  I’m completely sold on these programs now.  They work, if you have the self discipline to follow through (which I do, as you know, because I am the poster child for being an overachiever).

I love the free shirt I received after I uploaded before/after photos on Beachbody’s website…

The back of this shirt says it all.  I sincerely feel as though I have redefined myself.  I’ve developed healthier eating habits…keeping up with my portions in MyFitnessPal, a free app, and exercising nearly every morning.  Working out at 5:15am (thus getting up at 4:15am so I can read my First5 devotions) is sometimes challenging, but I’ve seen the payoff, and it’s totally worth it.

I have re-instilled the confidence that had slowly eroded away over the past few years, and I’m finding it a joy to pick out clothes each day.  They fit so much better now, and I’m getting into pants that had gotten extremely tight last year.

I jumped right into a new workout after “graduating” from Piyo.  I’m currently four weeks into TurboFire, which is an intense cardio program.  I selected it with a goal of burning the subcutaneous fat from my abs.  It’s lingering, despite the ab muscles I developed through my previous program.

TurboFire is no joke, let me tell you.  When I do the 40-minute workout, I burn nearly 400 calories.  It’s crazy, but I’m loving it!  Chalene Johnson is extremely motivating (and no, I’m not getting paid to say this).

Oh hey, do you like that picture up above?  Well, let me tell you about THAT.

See, with me getting into fitness and doing my first 5k in October, I started wanting a fitness watch.  After doing a LOT of research, I found one I liked and told the Mr. that this is what I wanted for Christmas.  He asked if I wanted to wait to get it, and I decided that no, I did not.  I even had a Best Buy coupon that was going to expire, so he let me order it.

I decided to get the Garmin Vivoactiv.

This arrived on my doorstep right as we were leaving for dinner. I had separation anxiety and took it with me…hence the restaurant menu.

I went back and forth between this and the Apple Watch but ultimately decided on this because of a few of the features it offered that the Apple version did not.  It’s also a watch that I thought would fit on my small wrist much better than the Fitbit Surge, which I’d read was fairly large for people with uber-small wrists like mine.

Being the techie that I am, it didn’t take me long to set it up and download widgets.  Don’t you love the clock I set up in the picture above?  It’s animated; the dog wags its tail…totally worth the itsy bit of extra battery it takes to run it.

Speaking of battery, this thing only requires a charge every 10-14 days…no kidding!  I have it connected to the GPS, and it still lasts FOREVER!  I love this thing and wear it CONSTANTLY, except for when it’s charging.

Things I like about it…

It connects via Bluetooth to my phone, so I receive various notifications on it.  I can read text messages, get weather updates, and even view calendar notifications on it!  I cannot respond to or generate any communication from it, but I can answer phone calls though it!  No, I can’t talk through it, but I can press an answer button it, and my phone will pick up!  It also has the capability of setting alarms, which I love!  It vibrates when it goes off, which is much less irritating than my regular alarm sounds, which I eventually ignore.

I love the step counter and derive much pleasure when I reach my goal of 10,000 steps.  A party goes off on my wrist when I do with the watch vibrating and displaying fireworks.  I do the happy dance every single time this happens.

Please excuse the random photos below.  They were not taken the same day, but they are various screen shots from the Garmin Connect app on my phone and photos of the watch’s widgets, so you can get idea of the data you can view.

Fireworks on my wrist…

Caloric breakdown…

It also connects to the app, MyFitnessPal, so all of my calories are updated seamlessly.  It keeps track of a variety of exercises too!  I’ve been extremely pleased with it.

Knitting-wise, I’ve been busy.  Here are a few pictures of things I’ve completed (I’ll try to post soon with specific details)…

Hearwarming Stockings for the Mr. and me…

The Mr.’s stocking

My stocking

I’ve made a few baby hats…two for a former student’s twins, and two for a friend’s grandson…

The yarn is TopThis, and it is FABULOUS to work with and comes in a large variety of animal themes!  It’s relatively inexpensive, so it makes for lovely gifts, should you choose to order it.

I’m currently working on a very large project…my Oakwood Poncho.

Thanksgiving rolled around, and the Mr.’s parents treated us to a Western Caribbean cruise.

Packing was a bear, let me tell you.

I’d created a plan for myself that week…trying to balance work and packing…and it was a relief when I finished everything with a minimal amount of stress.

It was a wonderfully-relaxing week that I’ll share about in some future post.

Getting back from vacation was not so much fun.  I got sick that Tuesday and had to take two days off of work.  I’d thought I could persevere, and I even went to work that Wednesday and attended a meeting before school.  However, I started crying toward the end of the meeting because I couldn’t figure out how I was going to make it through the day, and my friend/department head told me to ask one of our school’s secretaries if she could find a sub to cover my classes that day.

Cindy, sub extraordinaire, filled in with the subs that were already scheduled to work at our school, and after quickly creating lesson plans, I left school.  My poor first period class…they saw me crying, and my heart nearly burst when a couple of the girls teared up themselves.  I think it was hard for them to see me incapable of being the stoic teacher that I usually am.

I put in for a sub that night because I knew I was still too sick to go in the next day, and when nobody picked up, my fellow reading teachers filled in the gap and absorbed my students into their classrooms.  Reading teachers are the BEST!

I’ve been fighting the crud for over two weeks and think I’ve FINALLY turned the corner.  It’s taken LOTS of prayer and the preparation of homeopathic remedies.  I’d been unable to work out for two weeks and just got back into my routine this week.  This is the sickest I’ve been in about four years.  Not good stuff, let me tell you.

CVS remedy…

I googled for my own remedy (and have discovered that I do NOT like honey and am only consuming it because it’s supposed to be good for sore throats, which I STILL have…)…

My first workout after a two-week hiatus…

Despite being so sick, I managed to get most of January’s lesson plans written.  I especially wanted to get the first couple of weeks finished so I could go into Christmas Break without work on my mind.

 

Speaking of Christmas Break, I am now officially on my two-week vacation.

This was me, this morning, after my challenging/invigorating 40-minute workout.  Because I’m still recovering from the crud, I had to transform high-impact moves into low-impact ones (i.e. no jumping and less jogging/running in place).  I still burned a TON of calories and was ready to head into my school’s early release day…

Leaving school…well, I don’t think there are enough memes to show what I was really feeling.  My watch and this selfie tell the picture best though…

After I ran a few errands and grabbed lunch to go, I settled in for a two-hour nap…more recovery time so I can continue my quest for full healing from this horrid crud I’ve had…

That’s about it from my corner of the world.

I always say I’ll blog more, but I know I can’t promise.  My priorities are shifting; turning on my computer on my “off” days is less important.  Spending time unplugged (except for my phone) ranks near the top of my list these days.

However…I miss my writing and long to return to it more consistently.

We.  Shall.  See.

Filed under: fitness | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

One Month Into School

Posted on September 24, 2015 by auburnchick

We’ve been in school about a month now.  As is typical of the beginning of the year, it’s been hectic.  Setting up classroom routines and norms takes a lot of time and effort.

One of the things we did the first week was to create affirmations.  We did this activity after reading and discussing an article about brain gardening.  It was such a fabulous piece of text and helped us understand how our brains are physically affected by affirmations and “killer statements,” those things that stymie learning.

The day of our Open House, I finally got around to stapling the affirmations to a bulletin board.

I know the board is a bit of a hot mess.  If you’ve ever studied how boys learn, this sure isn’t the way (they need things framed in an organized manner).

However, I was in a bit of a hurry, and I wanted to get everyone’s statements posted.

Next year, I’ll probably have cutouts of flowers so students can write in the center of them for a more “garden-y” look.

Thank heavens there wasn’t a Bulletin Board 101 class in college.  I fear I would have failed.

Anyhoo…

Here’s what my guided reading table looked like a couple of hours before Open House.

I had decided to just stay at work when school ended so I could grade MAZE assessments.  Oy vey.  I worked for over two hours and didn’t even finish!

#teacherproblems

Skipping along a couple of weeks…

On Tuesday, I administered a Text Features summative assessment after spending two and a half weeks on this unit.  To review for the test, I found a Kahoot that was already created and edited it a bit to suit my needs.

I was so excited as students came into class that day because I knew how much fun they were about to have.

It was their first experience using my Chromebooks and their phones (for academic purposes) in my class.

They went crazy over the game; their competitive sides really came out.

They might have made a lot of noise.  Thank heavens for the concrete wall that separates my room from the computer lab next door.

We wound up playing the game again a couple of days later when students asked.  They said it was much better than a standard review.  Can you believe that some students still got some answers wrong on the game?!  It was one last chance to clear up some misunderstandings.

As you can see, we’ve been hard at work and playing a bit (hello Friday night football).

We’re off to a great start, and I couldn’t be happier.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

A Ray of Sunshine

Posted on September 9, 2015 by auburnchick

Today was my 26th wedding anniversary.

I started off the day early, early, early with a workout, shower, and a careful selection of my wardrobe for work…

Yes, that is my redneck outfit, and yes, I am standing on a toilet, thank you very much.

Because I am cool like that.

Twenty-six years, and the Mr. hasn’t dumped me for a more refined woman.

God bless him.

Anniversaries should be considered national holidays or something (just staying married should be celebrated by everyone in these days and times of quickie divorces), and, as such, things should go perfectly on such special days.

However, I am Auburnchick, where what can go wrong will go wrong.

I got to work a few minutes late for a meeting that I’d totally forgotten about.

Sigh.

A mere few minutes after arriving, I was informed that I had a bit of a wardrobe issue…as in something that needed changing…before I interacted with children.

Sigh.

So, while another teacher watched my class, I drove home (thank goodness I live in Small Town, USA), changed my clothes, and headed back to school.

Oh, the transformation.  I went from Redneck Chic to Express store, professional chic.  The change gave me the opportunity to wear the new shirt I’d bought ON CLEARANCE during a flash sale a couple of weeks ago.  It paired well with my black skinny jeans.

Anyhoo, I was not a very happy camper, despite my rather fake smile in the picture above), having my morning thrown off like that.  I was also missing my sweet first period class and all of the plans I’d made.

Fortunately, when I walked in, they were doing EXACTLY what they were supposed to be doing…in their ASSIGNED seats.  In fact, the teacher next door didn’t hear a peep out of them for the first twenty minutes I was gone.

I gave them double Dojo points.  They earned it.

With those snafus, I was flustered, but I rallied.

Near the end of second period, one of the school’s secretaries delivered a box to my room.  During my planning, I opened it and discovered this beautiful flower arrangement, which the Mr. had thoughtfully ordered…

Sunflowers have always been my favorite.  They smelled heavenly and completely brightened up my room and my mood.

The day wound up going pretty well.

Despite feeling completely overwhelmed, still, and a step behind where I’d like to be at this point in the week, I am smiling.

I am so blessed to have a husband who has stuck by me through some difficult times.  We’re at a point in our lives where we are able to focus on each other more, let issues that once bothered us go by the wayside quicker, and plain old have fun, like young kids, together.

Happy Anniversary, hon!  Love you more than I say and more than you know.  ❤

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Learning to Rest

Posted on September 6, 2015 by auburnchick

Gee whiz, but time flies so fast these days!!!  I can scarcely believe that it’s been nearly twenty-one days since my last post.  Good gravy!

When last I posted, the new school year was about to begin.  On Friday, we finished our third week.

Thus far, things are going swimmingly.  To say I was nervous would be an understatement.  Despite this being my sixth year, I still experienced anxiety in the days leading up to the 18th.

I am pleased to report that I am loving my classes.  God has turned what was, potentially, a nightmare of a schedule into one with hidden blessings.

I always enjoy my students; however, the mixture of them in various classes doesn’t always work well.  Personalities are that way, don’t you know.  This year, though, the kids are getting along better.

There have been a few issues, to be sure, but what can you expect when you’ve got between fifty and sixty hormonal teenagers crossing your threshold each day.  Still, considering all of that, things have gone well.

No matter how smoothly school goes, one thing doesn’t change.

The fatigue.

There’s a crap-ton of it.  I find myself bone-tired every day.

My students require a lot of hands-on assistance; putting papers into folders a certain way can take my students entire class periods.

I kid you not.

The first few weeks are all about teaching procedures and getting organized.  I thrive on both…so do my kiddos once they learn the way I like things.

I’m trying hard not to bring work other than lesson planning home with me; however, I cannot seem to get caught up.  That’s why I found myself, after the Auburn game yesterday, grading…

I read everything and leave comments all over the place.  I want each student to feel special.  Feedback and, more importantly, accountability, are very important…especially to my students…many of whom don’t experience much of either once they leave school each day.

It’s exhausting though.

Molly felt my pain yesterday…

It was my full intention to finish my grading today…Sunday…after church.

God had a special message for me, though, spoken through one of our youth pastors who preached our sermon today.

We’re currently going through a series that mimics school subjects.  Today’s topic was about Recess.

We were reminded about why God created the Sabbath…a day of rest.

Several things struck me as I listened.

First and foremost…God didn’t need to rest.

I don’t know why I’ve never considered that before.  I mean, He is God, after all.  He never grows weary.

Duh.

I can be so slow sometimes.

God created the Sabbath to set a precedent for us.  We are to set aside (keep holy) the seventh day (without getting legalistic, which the Pharisees did).

I needed this reminder to keep my time at home as work-free as possible.  I started doing this last fall, and although I didn’t always get assignments graded the day after they were turned in, my students, surprisingly, understood and even empathized.  God worked everything out, as He always does.

I will admit that I’m struggling, though…the pull to get something constructive done is strong.  I already sent one email to my reading department…I just could not help myself.

As far as the rest of my day goes, I think I’ll cast on a new knitting project.  I’m not playing in my Harry Potter House Cup this term.  I stressed myself out this summer by committing to a lot of knitting-related projects and didn’t get to read as much as I wanted.  Getting to knit without extra pressure of points will be good for me (by the way, Hufflepuff won the Cup this summer…which I played a role in).

Resting on the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments.  My daily First5 Bible study is creating a renewal in my heart.  The more time I spend reading God’s Word, reflecting, and praying, the more I want to live out His commands.  He has been incredibly faithful in the tangible way He’s answering my prayers.  I know that He will honor my efforts as I fight my inner overachieving nature to serve Him more diligently.

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Ready, Set, Teach!

Posted on August 17, 2015 by auburnchick

This afternoon, I left my classroom around 3pm, ready to head home after a week of prep work.

Click to embiggen

The things I’d hidden away in June had been pulled out…the room reset.

Thanks to one of my school’s secretaries, my tables were located and needed only to be rearranged.  My favorite art teacher lent his muscle and helped me move the extra furniture out (see the before and after pictures below).

I’d loaded up my car with my much-beloved mini-fridge and boxes of notebooks and folders…an overflowing bag of novels balanced precariously on top…just another day at the office.

I’d created a poster for my door, following a template I’d first seen on Facebook and later printed from this website (found the markers at Joann’s Fabrics).

Although my teacher computer wouldn’t work the past two days, I didn’t let that stop me.

I rearranged books and created lesson plans.  I set up students in Remind 101, Plickers, ClassDojo, and my Smartboard response system.

I spent a lot of time with a couple of newbie teachers in my department, hired a scant few days ago.

They were stressing…majorly.  My heart went out to them.

Despite the numerous in-service meetings and endless to-do list, something strange has occurred.

I feel at peace.

I’m enjoying a calm that has eluded me the night before the first day of school in all of my previous years of teaching.

I don’t know most of the students who will enter my room tomorrow.  I have only talked with one, actually, and that was because he was good friends with a student I taught last year.

I’ll have over fifty new names and faces to memorize.

I remain serene.

I talked about this to Cinda, my friend and mentor.  She happened to call me early this afternoon while I was still at school.

She expressed pleasure at how far she’s seen me travel the past four years that she’s known me.  Though I expressed trepidation at teaching an ESE class this year, she allayed my fears and told me that I possessed the skills to teach these students…that she’d witnessed how I created relationships with children…how my classroom management provided much-needed structure and consistency.

And so I’ll head to bed after spending time in God’s Word.

I’ll thank Him for the confidence that the past five years has provided.

I’ll ask for His nudging when it’s time to wake up…I’ve set three alarms just to be sure.

I’ll read my First 5 devotion before I get out of bed, and I’ll spend time in prayer.

Then, I’ll greet my day, genuinely excited…eager to greet a new group of 9th grade homeroom students (my 12th grade homeroom kiddos graduated this past May after we spent four years together).

Ready or not, here I come…jumping eagerly into my sixth year of teaching.

 

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Driving Around the Hodgepodge

Posted on August 12, 2015 by auburnchick

I had to smile as I read through Joyce’s questions for this week…the theme coinciding with her many travels these past few weeks.  Glad you’re back from your not-so-vacation away, Joyce!!  Without further adieu, let’s get started!

1.  When was the last time you relocated? Did you move yourself or leave it to the professionals? Are you happy staying put or is there a move in your future? Best thing about moving to a new city or town? Least favorite and/or hardest thing about moving house?

The last time I relocated was twelve years ago.  The hubby’s work needed employees to accept positions in different office and even offered to pay for a moving company to do the whole thing…from packing to hauling.  We moved across the state to be closer to family.  In general, I’m happy staying put.  I don’t do change well; however, the Mr. and I are looking to move one more time in four or five years when he retires.  We’re planning on going back to Auburn, Alabama so we can be closer to our football team and reestablish ourselves back  in the “real” country.  The best thing about moving to a new place is discovering mom and pop restaurants.  We like to eat out and have begun to do so more now that the kids are grown.  My least favorite thing(s) about moving are 1) unpacking and 2) finding a new church.  As I said, I don’t do change well, and I am extremely nervous around people I don’t know.  I could easily be a hermit.

2.  When were you last ‘moved to tears’? Explain.

I was last moved to tears yesterday during my devotion time.  I’m using the new #First5app, a devotional app by the Proverbs 31 ministry.  Before I check social media or email or even step out of bed, I’ve been reading my devotion and praying.

I didn’t sleep well Monday night…anxious about school stuff.  Yesterday was my district’s first day of pre-planning, and I’d looked over my rosters of students the evening before.  This year, I’m teaching two level 1 classes and one ESE class.  As I read over their files, I began to feel overwhelmed and inadequate.  When it’s late, dark, and you’re tired, stuff like this gets super-magnified.  I may have slept two and a half hours total.

I woke up and found the following in my devotion…

God spoke directly to me with these words.  My room was pitch dark, the only light coming from my phone.  He was telling me that He saw me struggling but would cast His light on all of my worries…that He was there supporting me.

So yes, I was completely moved to tears.  To have tangible confirmation of my loving heavenly Father was emotional.

3.  Do you have rules about eating in the car…any forbidden foods? What’s the last thing you consumed in your car? Your go-to car snack when traveling long distance?

We eat in the car, although the Mr. doesn’t like things that are too crumbly.  Our car is only eight months old; the previous one had over 100k miles on it.  I can’t remember the last thing I ate in the car.  It was probably a bag of chips or a bagel.  My go-to car snack when traveling is jalapeno chips.  The Mr. and I have to check labels carefully, because most brands have milk in them.

4.  Share a favorite song relating to cars and/or driving.

Had to do some hunting before I landed on this…love me some John Travolta (although the lyrics are rather raunchy, are they not?  I just realized this while I was listening to it play!! Oy vey!!).

5.  What’s your most frequently visited drive-thru…Starbucks? the bank? the pharmacy? some other window?

It was probably a drive-thru to a fast food place.  For the last couple of years, Rooster has had a job where he often worked 5-9, so we’ve picked up some quick dinners for him and dropped them off so he could eat…because we pamper him, yes we do.

6.  He who hesitates is lost”…would you agree? When it comes to making decisions do you generally act quickly or do you more often than not fall into the ‘lost’ category?

I can’t say that I’d completely agree with this.  If someone hesitates, it could be that he/she is taking a moment to think through a decision ahead of time.  I’m that way.  I’m a bit of a slow thinker.  If I don’t pause, I’ll probably be lost in the next few minutes.  I need time to process things…hence, I don’t usually make decisions quickly.  That’s not to say that I’m not committed once I decide on a direction to go.

7.  When was the last time you got lost? Was it stressful or an unexpected happy adventure?

The last time I got lost, I was on my way to a baby shower.  I was already two hours late because I read the invitation wrong (I blogged about this), but I decided to make an appearance anyhow.  I could not find my friend’s house to save my life…despite the GPS.  I got to the house just as the mom-to-be, her mother, and her sister were about to leave.  It was very stressful, and I was mortified.  Fortunately, the young lady loved her hand-knit gifts, and all turned out well.

8.  My Random Thought

Have you seen any videos with Veronica-Poo Nash Poleate?

With the beginning of the school year upon us, I thought you’d enjoy the following.  She offers great advice for teachers (go ahead and watch, even if you’re not a teacher).  I laugh every time I watch it.  I will say that I’ve got the stank eye thing down to a T.  🙂

The kids don’t start until the 18th around here, although I’m back at school in meetings and preparing my classroom.

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