Spring Break: A Daily Account

• Saturday, March 16 ... We left Arkadelphia around 8:30 and headed to Branson, MO where we met Adam's parents and brother. After lunch, the guys headed to laser-tag / go-karts, while the girls hit the  outlet mall! We attended the Sights & Sounds Theatre production of Joseph that evening. It was a wonderful show and I love seeing the Bible come alive!
• Sunday, March 17 ... A little more shopping and eating before we bid farewell to Adam's family. Adam and I attended the Dixie Stampede for dinner. Watching the horses was my favorite part! It made me feel like a little girl again. After dinner and the show, Adam and I visited an antique store and then went to Applebee's for drinks where we played Phase 10. It was a very simple way to end our evening, but it became one of the highlights of our trip.
• Monday, March 18 ... A short time in Branson that morning, a drive back to Arkadelphia, and a movie/pizza night :)
• Tuesday, March 19 ... Tuesday was a pretty laid back day. We cleaned our apartment, ran a few errands, and took a long walk.
• Wednesday, March 20 ... We left Arkadelphia just after 8 (we were very proud of ourselves!) and drove to Arlington, TX. We met up with our friends, Nathan and Meagan, who graciously hosted us! Nathan's pastor took the four of us to visit Dallas Theological Seminary that afternoon. The evening was spent talking and playing games. Such a fun time!
• Thursday, March 21 ... Nathan and Meagan took us to Mr. B's Burgers (voted best burgers in the world, by owner) for lunch. It was delicious! We played Euchre for most of the afternoon and then Adam and I headed back to Arkadelphia. I drove in Dallas traffic and didn't kill us (or anyone else!). On our way back, we met up with more sweet friends, Trevor and Marissa and Marissa's parents!
• Friday, March 22 ... The epitome of a lazy day. Very little productivity, lots of sleep, no showers, microwave meals, tv, reading, etc. It was fabulous!
• Saturday, March 23 ... Today we are continuing our laziness with less vigor. I have to finish preparing for school next week and we have to get rid of the new ant problem in our shower :/ We've also been invited for dinner at Kevin and Erin's place, so we're looking forward to that this evening!
• Sunday, March 24 ... Tomorrow we're planning to attend church and then prepare for the week to begin. We'll also attend church tomorrow night to begin Easter week!

Did you get a Spring Break? Did it include travel, friends, and laziness like ours did?!

What They Can't Teach You About Teaching

Teaching is exactly what I pictured and yet very different at the same time. I cannot begin to count the times I have thought "I have no idea what I'm doing..." or "No one told me how to handle this!" or "I just made 95% of that up on the spot and I'm not sure it was right." I hope I'm not the only one :)

I feel that I have been taught much more than I have taught this year. My principal is incredible and he often says, "I think you're getting better every day!" But there are many days when I think "You might not say that if you had been in X period." Nevertheless, I can say that I am not the same teacher or even the same person that I was on our first day of school last Fall.

I have come to believe that there are aspects of being a teacher that simply cannot be taught. My professors tried to warn me of this in their own way, but living it out can be somewhat shocking! These are a few things that I think you cannot teach someone about teaching.

• Discipline ... Oh sure, people give you ideas and help you write your "Expectations and Consequences," but no one can truly prepare you for the first time a student lies to your face or challenges your authority in front of the class, etc, etc.
• Writing and Grading Quizzes/Tests ... Is this question worth 2 points or 5? How much do I count off when a student rounds to nearest whole instead of the tenth as instructed? How long will it take my students to complete a test? If several students fail, did I teach the material well enough or did I make the test too hard? BLAH.
• Conversing with parents ... I have been blessed with mostly supportive parents, but it is never an easy conversation when you must say "Your child is failing math." And no one can dictate your reply when a parent asks "Why does my child only have an 89%?"
• Physical health / Voice training ... Vitamin C and washing your hands won't keep you 100% healthy when you're with kids all day. Trust me, I've tried. In addition, talking/standing for almost 6 hours a day can wear on your body in general if you're not careful, but it's the worst when you're sick. This is not a "suck it up and lay low" type of job.

Finally, no one can fully teach you the amount of love that you will experience both for your students and from them... No one mentions the disappointment you'll feel when they let you down or when they don't perform well. No one can describe the way you'll cheer for them and work for their success. "My kids" (i.e. my students) are wonderful and terrible. They're good and bad, clever and ridiculous... And I love them because they're mine.

When God Closes a Door...

We've all heard the expression, "When God closes a door, He opens a window." Well God closed a door for us last week and I am very impatiently waiting for the window...

I had so much confidence in that door. It brought me peace and joy. It brought direction and clarity, excitement and bravery. When we were staring at the open door, I felt close to God. It was easy to believe that God is faithful and that He would provide.

So our door is closed... And we wait... Again. Oh Father, teach me patience in the waiting. Revive my passion for You. Bring confidence to my fear and peace to my anxious thoughts. Mold my desires to be Your desires.

Giving Thanks

• One of my sweet students had been absent for two weeks, but they are back now!
• Pencil sharpeners
• Conference periods when I actually get to PLAN
• Perspective
• God has a perfect plan.
• God doesn't expect us to know every piece of the plan :)
• Apparently my nephew said my name when he saw my picture! (We're still working on him saying it when I'm present. Haha. He doesn't see us often, so he's a little shy.)
• Letting go
• Sleep!!!
• Women who love and support me.
• Spring break is almost here!