10.31.08
halloween fun
Today is Halloween, and my class had a fun, festive, educational day!
Here was the schedule…
Math:
Take a quick quiz over multiplication models. I love multiplication models! This is where you work multiplication problems by drawing a picture, making it into an addition problem, using rows and columns of tiles, etc.
Pumpkin estimating and measuring activity! My kids each got a pumpkin. They estimated and measured their pumpkin’s height, circumference, weight, and number of lines. If they had good behavior, they got to take their pumpkin home! I used the small tiger-stripe pumpkins, which are fun and cute.
Language Arts/Reading:
Take a quick spelling quiz. Some of my kids are not reading yet, and they really struggle on spelling quizzes. Some of my kids write the words, and others have a multiple choice quiz.
Read (super-abridged) Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I made each student a book so they could follow along. Dialogue about the characters and their defining characteristics.
Watch the Disney version. It is way more funny than it is scary. They really enjoyed it.
Take a quick quiz over characterization in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
I taught these twice (once for 4th grade, once for 5th), and the day ended with a Red Ribbon Week “I Elect to be Drug Free” assembly. This included a speech from the Chief of police, a performance by the high school cheerleading squad, skits by the students, a rap by our administrators, and everyone signing a pledge to be drug free. It was way less lame than I was expecting – it was actually SO fun! We have a fun, bubbly, sweet counselor who made it all happen.
I would say that today was grand!
what??
Remember the post about small town football?
It gets even crazier than that.
The entire town changed Halloween to Thursday, October 30th. I didn’t even know you could do that! So everyone wore their costumes last night and trick-or-treated last night.
Why, you ask?
Tonight (the real Halloween) there is a football game.
An away football game.
Now THAT, my friends, is dedication.
10.30.08
more pages…
“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utter meaningless! Everything is meaningless! What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?…I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, like chasing after the wind…When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything under the sun was meaningless, like chasing after the wind…so I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind…I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune…this too is meaningless. For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” –Ecclesiastes
This can’t be the Bible can it?? It sure doesn’t sound like the Bible we learn in Sunday school. I have always kind of ignored this part of the Bible. Then Shane & Shane shed some new light on it:
“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utter meaningless! Everything is meaningless! What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?…I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, like chasing after the wind…When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything under the sun was meaningless, like chasing after the wind…so I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind…I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune…this too is meaningless. For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!”
Their song, entitled Over the Sun, reminds the listener that nothing done on earth (under the sun) matters in the least if it is not done for the Glory of the One in Heaven (over the sun)! What beautiful lyrics:
Sitting around the fireplace with a friend
Who’s been through it all, Solomon, wisest one,
Tell me what you have found
Under the sun, under the sun
He answered:
Get over the sun
Where life is hidden
Then he put on a somber face, talked about how
The rich man will waste away in the ground
Where the poor man is found painted up, like a clown
Under the sun, under the sun
He answered:
Get over the sun
Soon you’ll be done
A life spent on some shiny god
Who leaves you empty
Get over the sun
I love this album…I am still listening to it over and over and over…
“What ever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving Jesus Christ.” Colossians 3:23
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (earthly matters) will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
10.28.08
pages on my mind
I bought this cd last week and have been listening to it on repeat for days and days. I just can’t get enough of it!
The songs have been so thought-provoking. There are several songs that refer to parts of scripture that are not commonly sung about, and these have been my favorite. When I am not listening to it, it is playing in my head or I am singing it (off key) out loud. My poor students.
One song is about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego from the book of Daniel. They were under orders of the king to bow down to a golden statue of himself daily whenever the trumpets played. They served YHWH, and refused to bow to any other than Him. The punishment was death – by being thrown into a fiery furnace. They told the king to go ahead and burn them up. They knew that their God was able to save them. But even if He didn’t save them, they were committed to serve Him with their dying breath. The king threw them in a furnace so hot that the men who actually did the throwing died immediately. But the people looked with disbelief at the four (yes, there was one extra!) figures they saw standing in the furnace. The three walked out without even a hair on their head singed. The king immediately worshiped YHWH, and commanded the whole kingdom to do the same!
Here are the lyrics:
There were three, before the king. There were three who wouldn’t bow to him.
For when you heard the music play, and if you were standing you would burn.
They looked at him and said,
Burn us up! Burn us up! Burn us up!
Oh king, oh won’t you burn us in the furnace of your desire.
We give up! We give up! We give up!
Oh king, oh won’t you burn us in the furnace of your desire.
Won’t you throw us in the fire?
The king enraged at what they said sent the three away to find their death.
The palace stopped in unbelief when the guilty raised their hands to sing.
They looked to Him and said,
Burn us up! Burn us up! Burn us up!
Oh King, oh won’t You burn us in the furnace of Your desire.
We give up! We give up! We give up!
Won’t You save us from the fire?
You are able to deliver from the fire of affliction.
It’s the declaration of my Lord.
You’re not an image of gold; You’re the God of old.
You have made us; come and save us. We are Yours.
But even if you don’t…we will burn.
10.25.08
adorable x 700
Yesterday at school, my sweet boy had a much better day. He was on top of his game all day long.
The highlight of my day:
“Everyone get out a pencil for your spelling quiz.”
(He gets up out of his seat and walks over to me. He shakes my hand and looks me straight in the eyes.)
“Mrs. Moore, good luck on your spelling quiz.”
“Thanks. Good luck to you too.”
He was so serious, and it was so precious I could have died! And yes, he always calls me Mrs.
One of my favorite thing about teaching mostly rough and tumble little boys is that they totally invite and respond to physical touch as communication. This is great for me, because I love to communicate through touch. Not in creepy inappropriate ways of course, but through handshakes, high fives, pats on the back, taps on the arm, squeezes on the shoulder, etc.
One of my little ones just cannot sit with his bottom in his chair. When he is really concentrating on schoolwork, his little behind comes out of that chair. He will perch, squat, stand leaning over his desk, put one foot in the chair, or any number of different postures. It doesn’t really bother me because he is WORKING! But if it looks like he might fall over and bust his head open, I will correct him. A few days ago I finally cupped his face in my hands and asked him to put his bottom in the chair, and with both of his hands he grabbed both of my hands and held them to his face, and said in the most earnest voice, “But I just can’t sit still today!” It was the sweetest thing! He is so adorable! I resisted the urge to adopt him on the spot (his mom might get a little angry…) and told him again to put his bottom in the chair.
I have also found that when a student is getting frustrated with an assignment, then if I just stand beside them and rub their back, I can feel their anxiety melting away. I was apprehensive about teaching kids who are so young, but this is the kind of thing I couldn’t do with older kids. And it makes me happy that I am where I am!
10.23.08
losing it…
Today was a bad day. Today I lost my patience with a student. And I punished him with no warning. And his behavior just went downhill from there. Which reminded me that the principles I try to follow (but neglected to follow today) are good, true, effective, and founded on Biblical truth.
When my students make a bad choice, we talk about what they can do better next time. Today it is my turn.
Rachel, what will you do better next time you are losing your patience?
I will STOP my thoughts, take a deep breath, call upon the Lord, and think through my next words. I will give the student a choice: follow directions and there will be positive consequences; ignore my direction and there will be a punishment. It is your choice. Then, if they ignore the directions, they know exactly why they are being punished and have no excuse. I will not tell them what to “put off” without telling them what to “put on”.
Today was a good day to come face to face with my sin of impatience, and a good day to seek God’s forgiveness and correction.
Today was a good day to be reminded that when I choose to sleep later instead of reading God’s Word, I am much more likely to take my eyes off of Him during the day, and a good day to ask for God’s forgiveness and correction.
Today was a good day to be reminded that the battle is with Satan and not my students, and a good day to receive God’s forgiveness and correction.
Today was a good day.
Thank You, Lord, for working all to good for those who love You.
Thank You, Lord, that what men meant for evil, You mean for good.
Thank You, Lord, that You are good.
10.19.08
kids say…
…the silliest things!
Friday at school was the last day of the quarter, so the kids who got good conduct grades got to watch a movie in the auditorium. This gave us teachers the chance to input grades before the deadline. I only have 12 students, so I was done before the movie was over. They were watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (oh, how I love having a Christian principal!), so I went to join them. One of my students saw two boys who had fallen asleep with their heads cocked to the side, leaned over to me and said, “They gonna have a cricket in they neck!”
Today during Sunday School the kids were listing ways they could be kind and compassionate to people. They had to fill in the blanks, “I could play _________ with _____________.” My kid with autism wrote, “I could play jokes with Jesus.” I asked him what that meant, and he folded his hands, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and said, “Dear God, why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!” So sweet! I just might start incorporating some knock-knock jokes in my quiet time…
10.16.08
biblical womanhood
Last weekend I got the pleasure of joining Marylyn on a trip (home, for her) to Chicago for a conference for Christian woman. I am not typically a Christian conference-goer. I am definitely guilty of stereotyping Christians, and like to avoid Christian-circle, cutesy-happy-Christian stuff. But Joni (founder of Joni and Friends /Joni i Przyjaciele Polska/Wheels for the World/Wozki dla Polski/etc.) was invited to speak one night and lead a break out session on disability stuff. So I was way excited to go!
Well, it turned out that due to some health stuff Joni had to cancel at the last minute, sad. But it turned out to be a great weekend! And only a tiny bit of cheesy!
Biblical womanhood…I spent my whole summer in Poland learning, reading, studying, praying about this stuff. And the weekend was a wonderful reminder/expander on all of these subjects.
My favorite part of the conference was a breakout speaker who talked about the progression of the feminism movement and how society is now reaping the consequences of wild, wayward women who refuse to accept God’s beautiful, noble, and absolutely fulfilling roles and responsibilites for which we were made.
She laid out 21 points of contrast between the wild woman and the wise woman, all based entirely on the Word of God. I have been thinking and thinking about them, and thought I would share them here.
#1 Perspective:
Wild women are pre-occupied with outward appearance.
Wise women consider physical appearance secondary to spiritual condition.
#2 Modesty:
Wild women flaunt their bodies.
Wise women dress modestly.
#3 Feminity:
Wild women dress masculinely or sloppily.
Wise women dress femininely.
#4 Body Language:
Wild women are flirtatious, forward, suggestive, and shameless.
Wise women guard their dignity and do not use deceptive charm.
#5 Time & Energy
Wild women hang where she might attract men and lurk for prey.
Wise women are busy with their personal mission and are not concerned with catching men.
#6 Pursuit:
Wild women are aggressors in relationships.
Wise women win men over with pure, holy behavior.
#7 Propriety:
Wild women put themselves in potentially compromising situations.
Wise women stay away from potentially compromising situations.
#8 Influence:
Wild women are manipulative and scheming.
Wise women avoid trickery, craftiness, and manipulation.
#9 Speech Habits
Wild women use smooth talk, flattery, seduction, and gossip.
Wise women are judicious and wise with their words.
#10 Prominence:
Wild women are self-absorbed and clamor for attention.
Wise women are others-focused and happy to serve.
#11 Disposition:
Wild women are demanding, controlling, and demand their own way.
Wise women have a gentle disposition that defers to others.
#12 Honor:
Wild women are defiant, independent, rebellious, and resist following.
Wise women affirm, receive, and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men.
#13 Priorities:
Wild women despise their responsibilities.
Wise women have Godly priorities and joyfully fulfill their responsibilities.
#14 Contentment:
Wild women are discontented and always seek new thrills.
Wise women are contented and confident in God’s plan and provision.
#15 Desire:
Wild women think romance will satisfy their deepest heart longing.
Wise women understand that Christ is their “first pledge”.
#16 Morality:
Wild women compromise standards and justify sin.
Wise women keep themselves for marriage, and guard the purity and sacredness of the marriage bed.
#17 Sexuality:
Wild women use sex as a weapon or for self-gratification.
Wise women enjoy and invite sex, understanding it as an expression of profound spiritual truth.
#18 Values:
Wild women have adopted wordly values.
Wise women value what God values.
#19 Edification:
Wild women bash, destroy, and discard men.
Wise women respect and honor men in their attitude, speech, and behavior.
#20 Commitment:
Wild women can’t sustain relationships.
Wise women honor their commitments.
#21 Heart for God:
Wild women wear a mask of pseudo-religiosity.
Wise women have a relationship with God that makes a difference in the ways they relate to men.
These lessons about submission will always remind me of Poland and my summer that was intended for service, but instead was primarily defined by retreat into the heart of God, His Word, and my prayer journal.
10.14.08
meet the roommates
I always tell people that I have had the most wonderful roommates anyone could want. I tell people this because it is true. I love these girls! Meet Jessica, Ellen, Lauren, Kendra, and Marylyn…
Jessica and I lived together freshman year (by potluck!) and sophomore (by choice!). We both grew ridiculous amounts in those two years. Together, we became who we are. Together, we grew to love the Lord – she came to know the Lord! I love her so deeply. She will forever be a very significant part of my life. Now she is getting married to a wonderful guy! Every time I think about Jessica’s life, I think about redemption. When we saw this sign at Grand Station, it was the perfect photo op!
I prayed about who to live with my junior year – God immediately told me Ellen would be the one. The next day, she told me that she wanted to live with me! Oh, how I love Ellen. When I think about Ellen, I think about growth. I have seen this girl grow and grow and grow in the Lord, and she has challenged me to do the same. One of my favorite Ellen memories is reading Stargirl aloud together. If you are prone to eccentricity, I highly recommend this book. Best read aloud with a friend!
Lauren and I were freshmen in the same Bible study group, were on prayer team together sophomore year, took ASL together junior year, lived together senior year. We could not escape one another! Lauren is a servant to the core, and has taught me tremendously about pouring myself out for others. When I think of Lauren, I think of laughter! Lauren has an unhibited laugh policy which brings me great joy!
We have prayed and prayed and prayed for and with one another. Kendra has spoken more truth into my life than any other friend. We have cried and laughed and shared so many things! She was never an official roommate, but she has spent the night enough (and occupies enough of my heart) that I always count her in the roommate roster. When I think about Kendra I think about vulnerability. She lives it. She has taught it to me. She is humble and honest and willing to share the hardest, deepest struggles of her life with others freely. Because of this we know each other deeply.
Marylyn and I are opposites in many, many ways. And that is why we make great roommates. Marylyn refreshes me. She is my sounding board. She wins the listening prize. I love when she sits on the floor of my bedroom to do her homework, even when I am not home. When I think about Marylyn, I think about peace. I am at peace with her. I do not have to have it all together, I do not have to have something profound to say, I do not have to look pretty – she has seen me at my worst. And she inspires me to be my best. That is a great combination in one friend! When she moves out in December I will miss her like crazy!!
I thank the Lord for these sweet, sweet friends. Even I only live with one of these girls now (and she is moving to Virginia very soon!), every single one will always hold “roommate” status in my heart. I am excited for my new roommates this year, and whoever is to come in the future – with this track record, I have high hopes!
10.01.08
i can take you.
Two years ago I observed in a classroom with some of the roughest little kids I have ever met. 9-year-olds with parole officers. It was a very eye-opening experience. In this class was my first experience with restraint. One day several of the kids were out of control, and eventually one of the kids became a danger to himself and others, so the teacher physically restrained him. It was sad, of course. But it was also so cool!
Ever since that day, I have been on a mission to become certified in restraint. Since several of my special kiddos have emotional disorders, it is just safe to have this certification.
Today my day finally came. I can take you down. If you try to hit me, punch me, kick me, throw a chair at me, pull my hair, choke me, bite me, or in any other way put me in danger, I can take it. It was awesome. We practiced all day for two days these awesome maneuvers. I felt like a street fighter. This is the closest this scrawny white girl has ever come to a brawl, and it was great!!!
So if you see me in the near future (before I forget all my awesome new tricks), you have my permission to attack me. I can take you.
