Right now is probably the biggest time of transition within the entire year. I'm getting ready for the start of another year of teaching (year two!) with classes starting on Tuesday. Last night was our Open House which is kind of a meet and greet for the parents, students, and teachers. We had a pretty good turn out and it was fun to bust out my Spanish again.
I'll be teaching 6th - 8th grade Lit-Comp at Aurora Middle School in Minneapolis again: six sections, 84 students. Whew! It's sure to be intense and I have to completely shift my planning to a different mode than last year, but I am so pumped!
This weekend is also kick-off for the new year of the Dinkytown Campus Division. We're starting with dinner tonight, and kick-off from tonight through Sunday morning. Immediately afterwards, all 48 of us will simultaneously move into our new spaces! (That's like moving 8 community families all at the same time. Woot!) We're having four work sections in D'town again this year: Missionary, Action, Business, and Property Management. I'm in that last one and am so excited that I can hardly stand it! (Pictures to come.)
The Lord has given us so much good work to do. It's really an honor that He trusts us to execute it all. "The goal of this instruction is love that flows from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith." (I Tim 1:5) Come, Lord!!!
Showing posts with label Aurora Middle School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aurora Middle School. Show all posts
August 29, 2008
June 3, 2008
End of my First Year of Teaching
So, here I am, at the end of my last day of school. I don't know how it happened, but I do know that I continued to thrive throughout the craziness because of our gracious Father in Heaven. I have realized a few times this year how much I love teaching the Latino community. Last year in El Paso, I could see Mexico from my apartment, and it was a huge part of my life down there. Here's my 4th grade class:
This year, I was hired by a bilingual charter school in Minneapolis. For the first half of the year, I kept my abilities in Spanish under wraps from the kids because I wanted to challenge them. I have predominately used my Spanish in communication with the parents of my school. I had a great conversation with one of the staff members here who recently left the police force in Monte Rey, Mexico and came here. It's amazing what lives some of my young ones have led. Here's a picture of this year's 8th grade class, who graduated this past Saturday. (They're just a little bit bigger than last time.):
I am so blessed to have known these young people. Come, Lord, and bless their futures in return, those I will and won't see again. Prepare those whom I will be serving next year. Let Your Name be glorified in all things!
P.S. If you haven't heard already, I am leaving for Italy later on this week. I will be living and working in NW Italia for 6 weeks as a live-in nanny for an Italian family. I will probably be using this blog as a way of regularly posting updates for people to read. Come, Holy Spirit!
This year, I was hired by a bilingual charter school in Minneapolis. For the first half of the year, I kept my abilities in Spanish under wraps from the kids because I wanted to challenge them. I have predominately used my Spanish in communication with the parents of my school. I had a great conversation with one of the staff members here who recently left the police force in Monte Rey, Mexico and came here. It's amazing what lives some of my young ones have led. Here's a picture of this year's 8th grade class, who graduated this past Saturday. (They're just a little bit bigger than last time.):
I am so blessed to have known these young people. Come, Lord, and bless their futures in return, those I will and won't see again. Prepare those whom I will be serving next year. Let Your Name be glorified in all things!P.S. If you haven't heard already, I am leaving for Italy later on this week. I will be living and working in NW Italia for 6 weeks as a live-in nanny for an Italian family. I will probably be using this blog as a way of regularly posting updates for people to read. Come, Holy Spirit!
May 6, 2008
Declaration of Humanhood
Here is another piece of writing from one of my students. She is a very bright, outspoken, always-going-to-speak-her-mind young woman at age 13. Here's a glimpse:
Declaration of Humanhood
I hereby declare that I am human.
I am human in my joy and laughter, and I am human in my pain and tears. I am human in my need to love and help others, and in my need to be loved and helped by others. I am human in my dreams and accomplishments, but most of all I am human in my flaws and mistakes.
Being human, I am entitled to the following rights:
I am human in my joy and laughter, and I am human in my pain and tears. I am human in my need to love and help others, and in my need to be loved and helped by others. I am human in my dreams and accomplishments, but most of all I am human in my flaws and mistakes.
Being human, I am entitled to the following rights:
- I have the right to be imperfect.
- I have the right to make many (sometimes huge) mistakes.
- I have the right to learn from my mistakes and then move on with my life.
- I have the right to forgive myself.
- I have the right to feel what I feel.
- I have the right to laugh until it hurts, and cry until it stops hurting.
- I have the right to live as I choose.
- I have the right to happiness.
- I have the right to my own beliefs.
- I have the right to true friends and true love.
- I have the right to be loved by others.
- I have the right to be loved by me.
- I have the right to be who I want to be, not what others expect me or want me to be.
February 1, 2008
Published Poem by a Student
A got a letter this fall at school informing me of a poetry contest that my students were invited to enter. I recently got a letter informing me that one of my 6th graders has been selected to be published in the book of all the best poems from the contest! I don't think I can quite describe the feeling of having one of my students (my students!) published.. heck, I'm not even published. So, here is the poem, enjoy!
Love
My dove in the clefts of the rock
In the hiding places on the mountainside,
Show me your face,
Let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.
Each time he yelled about his spirit,
A part of his soul came out of him
And it was so painful.
It felt like a bird was eating
A little part of his heart every night.
When I see a smile as beautiful as yours,
I can go to space
And bring you every single star
Just to see a smile on your face.
And our love was so beautiful
That we can invent images of it.
Addendum August, 2008.
I am outraged. I was at a wedding and I heard the first stanza of this poem being read as one of the readings. It is Song of Solomon 2:14. The other 2 stanzas are original, but now I must figure out what to do about this. No wonder he wasn't very excited when I told him he was going to be published! He knew what he had done. I will see him in one week, now I must think about how to handle this situation. Argh...
Love
My dove in the clefts of the rock
In the hiding places on the mountainside,
Show me your face,
Let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.
Each time he yelled about his spirit,
A part of his soul came out of him
And it was so painful.
It felt like a bird was eating
A little part of his heart every night.
When I see a smile as beautiful as yours,
I can go to space
And bring you every single star
Just to see a smile on your face.
And our love was so beautiful
That we can invent images of it.
Addendum August, 2008.
I am outraged. I was at a wedding and I heard the first stanza of this poem being read as one of the readings. It is Song of Solomon 2:14. The other 2 stanzas are original, but now I must figure out what to do about this. No wonder he wasn't very excited when I told him he was going to be published! He knew what he had done. I will see him in one week, now I must think about how to handle this situation. Argh...
December 12, 2007
Aurora Middle School
As of November 29, I have officially completed teaching my first trimester of Language Arts at Aurora Middle School. So, we are well underway with trimester 2... and Christmas break is only seven days of school away! Here's a quick overview:
- I am teaching Middle School Language Arts to five sections of students: two sections of 6th grade, two of 7th, and one of 8th. Every morning we have homeroom for 15 minutes and I have the privilege of having the 8th graders. They are an amazing class of young men and women and must be described as resilient. They have been through far more in their first 14 years of life than most people. They were the premier class, and have always been
- My school is a bilingual charter school. For our school, the younger grades are taught in Spanish and they gradually are introduced to more English. So, by the time they get to me in Middle School everything is in English. The practical side of things is to get them ready for high school. It's pretty cool being able to teach in English to a bunch of kids who are all bilingual.
- I haven't had the need to use my Spanish a ton, but it's still helpful. I teach completely in English, but I am surrounded by Spanish all day. The times when "Spanish situations" come up are mostly when communicating with parents.
- I am teaching Middle School Language Arts to five sections of students: two sections of 6th grade, two of 7th, and one of 8th. Every morning we have homeroom for 15 minutes and I have the privilege of having the 8th graders. They are an amazing class of young men and women and must be described as resilient. They have been through far more in their first 14 years of life than most people. They were the premier class, and have always been
- My school is a bilingual charter school. For our school, the younger grades are taught in Spanish and they gradually are introduced to more English. So, by the time they get to me in Middle School everything is in English. The practical side of things is to get them ready for high school. It's pretty cool being able to teach in English to a bunch of kids who are all bilingual.
- I haven't had the need to use my Spanish a ton, but it's still helpful. I teach completely in English, but I am surrounded by Spanish all day. The times when "Spanish situations" come up are mostly when communicating with parents.
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