Race For The Cure

I raced for the cure today. I was part of the Wichita Race for The Cure, and I walked with a team from my school. I ended up walking 1/2 and running 1/2, which was fun! (Good practice for the Tri) I now know why people get hooked on running races, it's so fun to be able to cross that finish line with people cheering you on.

Beyond that, the Race for the Cure is an amazing experience. About 8,000 people total raced in Wichita, and it is so fun to see all those people come together for a common goal. Many people were survivors of breast cancer, and many people were racing in memory of someone who battled breast cancer. It really makes me realize how blessed I am, as no one in my family has had breast cancer, and really not even any of our close family friends, and that truly is a blessing.

Dear Parents

Dear Parents of Elementary Students Everywhere.

Please don't ask me for parenting advice. I am 23, and childless, raising your child is not my job. I am here to support what you are doing, and to help build up your children educationally, socially and emotionally, but I cannot and do not want to replace you.

Do not always believe your child. I promise you that they are going to, at some point, try to pull the wool over your eyes. If your child is making outrageous accusations that I am in some way doing something that sounds outrageous, more than likely they are not telling the truth. Don't assume either, that they are always wrong. They have a childish innocence that is what I cherish, please help them hold on to this.

Fathers, teach your boys to treat girls with respect and admiration. They are young ladies, and need to be treated that way. In the same way, fathers, treat your daughters with admiration and respect. Treat them like young ladies, and they will act that way. Mothers, love your children too, nurture their more sensitive sides. Mothers, empower your girls. Teach them to say no in a confident way, but without disrespect. Teach your daughters that they can grow up to do anything they want to.

Make them go to bed on time. Don't let them watch adult TV, make them read a book instead of watching TV at all. Teach them to respect adults, take no for an answer and stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

This will make my job just an ounce easier.

Perspective

My pastor preached on perspective today, and how our perspective always needs to be focused on God. He challenged us to lift up our eyes to him, instead of focusing on ourselves and our situations. Perfect timing for me to hear that reinforced in my life.

Doubting

I am having a day filled with doubts. I hate that, but I just can't seem to shake it, so I've decided to put it out there, on my blog, so all the world (or all 5 of my readers) can see it.

I know that God has an amazing plan for my life, but sometimes, to be completely honest, I don't truly believe in my heart what I logically know in my head. My greatest dream is to one day be a wife and a mom, and the way things are right now (me single), that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I am right now doubting that it ever will, and I feel like I am mourning that loss in a way. I would, however, much rather be where I am than where I was a year ago, in that I know now that I wasn't with the right person then, and I don't wish to be with that person now. I guess I just wish sometimes that I had someone to share my life with.

Blame in the Christian university I went to, and I partially do. I think going there gave me a skewed perspective of when people get married. I feel like I am too old, and that I've missed my chances, probably mainly because I went to a school where the theme was "ring by spring, or your money back". Can I get my money back please?

So there it is, what I've been thinking. I think I'll go for a run tonight and have a chat with God. Maybe I'll drive to a beautiful park near here once it starts to cool down. I just don't want to feel the way I do right now...I want to believe there is still some hope.

Once In A While

From bad luck I'm walking away
I'm not getting stuck
I'm not gonna stay

To good things I'm moving ahead
I'm tired of dying
I'm living instead

Once in a while I wake up
Wondering why we gave up
But once in a while
Comes and it fades away

The sun's up and lighting the sky
I never could see it
It just passed me by

Good things keep moving along
I'm not looking backward
For something that's gone

Once in a while
I'll wake up
Wondering why we gave up
But once and a while
Comes and fades away

I don't what love is
I'm selfish and lazy
And when I get scared I can act like I'm crazy
But when I think of your kisses
I'm still gonna smile
I'm still gonna miss you
Once in a while
Once in a while

Once in a while I'll wake up
Wondering why we gave up
But once in a while
Comes and it fades away

Good things keep moving ahead
I'm tired of dying I'm living instead

Nomad

I don't live in the state I grew up in, and I don't live in the state I went to school in. I don't live in the country I went to elementary school in either.

I got new car insurance this week. Turns out it is frowned upon to be living on one state with car insurance from another. I think that's odd personally. Why should it really matter?

The insurance man said "You might want to think registering your car in this state."

Hmm, no thanks. I like my 'Sconie plates.

I don't know where I'll be a year from today, and I have come to accept the fact that
a) I don't have it all figured out and
b) I might as well not make plans since God's plans will beat out any I make without Him.

I read this quote today, and it seemed fitting.

The Way I See It #31
"Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises."

-- Rita Golden Gelman, Author of Tales of a Female Nomad. She has had no permanent address since 1986.

Bribery

My school levels for reading, which means that all the kids who read below grade level all go to 2 teachers, the kids who read at grade level go to 2 teachers and the kids who are reading beyond grade level all go to 2 teachers. Clear as mud?

I teach an "approaching" level, so kids who are working below grade level. The kids who I have, are in my opinion low because they are very unmotivated. Last week I reached the point of unashamed bribery. I went to Target and found the biggest bag of gummy bears known to mankind. I then began rewarding every answer and raised hand with a gummy bear. Right answer = gummy bear thrown to you from Ms. J. (Don't worry, they also now know the 5 second rule - 5 second rule, it's still good!) I now have all the 100 % student participation, and my gummy bear bag is near extinction, I suppose I'll have to start weaning them off.

Team Hoyt - Redeemer

Laughter

Today I had a para in my room for part of my math time, so I had her work one on one with a student who is really struggling, and really can only work when someone is sitting right next to him redirecting his attention to what he's supposed to be doing every minute or so. Meanwhile, I was doing calendar, or what my brother calls "a scary game show", with the rest of my class.

They were working on some subtraction problems, and during the time they were working together she went over to get some manipulatives to help him understand the problem better. During this, she picked up a box and the lid came off and about 200 blocks tumbled everywhere. It was really loud, and I lost the few kids who were actually paying attention to me. I asked a few students to go over and pick up the blocks, so she could go back to working with the student.

While I should have thought of it beforehand, the students I sent over were two of my noisiest students, who were incredibly amazed by the fact that some of the blocks had spilled underneath the shelves, and the more the found the more excited they got. This was the point when every teacher's worst nightmare comes true; I had lost control.

I couldn't help it, I had to laugh. It was all too funny. The blocks spilling, me trying so hard still to teach in the chaos, and the noisy helpers picking up the blocks. Laughter is so contagious, and after I was laughing, so were my students, who as I'm sure you've guessed, were no longer paying attention.


Sometimes it's good to lose control.

Quotes of The Week

You can decide which quote is best, although I strongly prefer the second.

"Ms. J, do you have a baby in your tummy?"

To my defense, I was not wearing anything remotely maternity looking that day, but my colleague had just came back from maternity leave, and I think that the students wanted me to have a baby as well.

"That Ms. J, she's a tricky woman."

The tricky-ness prevails again!