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.
December 12, 2007
Teaching in China, July 2007
Whew! Let me think back to five months ago. There's no way that I'll remember everything, but here's a glimpse into that month of my life.
I went to teach English in Zibo (tzee-bwah), China with my friend Sara Honetschlager from Morris. I was literally living on the other side of the world, with a 13 hour time difference. We spent our first couple days here in the huge city of Beijing (population around 15 million). We spent one day in the Forbidden City and at Tianamen Square. On the Fourth of July we hiked the Great Wall of China. We were only there for a couple of hours, but man was I beat! There are certain points along the wall where you can begin to climb. From where we were, you could go in either direction. I led the charge of 6 other people up the more difficult side. Whew! The steps were designed to make it difficult to climb for invading armies: they did a good job! Each step is at a different height ranging from a few inches to two feet. What a work out, but the view was worth it!
Zibo is a city of about 4.15 million, but is only considered to be a "medium-sized". I created an American-style classroom. I even had my students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! Luckily my advocating "liberty and justice for all" did not get me into any trouble in this communist, socialist country! :) I taught twenty-two students all about 8 - 9 years old (2nd - 3rd grade). It was quite a bit harder than I had anticipated actually, but we had lots of fun. Some highlights: bonfires, teaching dance in the studio, nature walks, teaching about Oregon, playing Field Games, BINGO, crazy Olympics, puddle jumping, talent night, having two dresses custom made for me, and literally stopping traffic because the drivers were staring at me! (It was beyond crazy.)
On the first day of school, I gave my students all English names. By the end of the month, they gave me a Chinese one! So, my name is Man Yu Jie. Chinese names are reverse of ours, so I'll start the explanation from the right. I told them Karen meant "pure one", so my first name is "Jie" = "purity". My second name (Yu) means jade, as in the stone. My "family name" is taken from Coleman, and it (Man) means "full". So, I guess you could say that I am "filled with purity and a little jade on the side". :) I like it!
The food took some getting used to and I was sick for a good while, but eventually I adjusted to the idea of having Chinese food 3 times a day for a month. They eat the same types of food for breakfast as they do for lunch and dinner! It was super difficult to be away from my life here in MN, especially my new roommates. But technology was a blessing, and this was clearly where the Lord wanted me for this month. Glory!
I went to teach English in Zibo (tzee-bwah), China with my friend Sara Honetschlager from Morris. I was literally living on the other side of the world, with a 13 hour time difference. We spent our first couple days here in the huge city of Beijing (population around 15 million). We spent one day in the Forbidden City and at Tianamen Square. On the Fourth of July we hiked the Great Wall of China. We were only there for a couple of hours, but man was I beat! There are certain points along the wall where you can begin to climb. From where we were, you could go in either direction. I led the charge of 6 other people up the more difficult side. Whew! The steps were designed to make it difficult to climb for invading armies: they did a good job! Each step is at a different height ranging from a few inches to two feet. What a work out, but the view was worth it!
Zibo is a city of about 4.15 million, but is only considered to be a "medium-sized". I created an American-style classroom. I even had my students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! Luckily my advocating "liberty and justice for all" did not get me into any trouble in this communist, socialist country! :) I taught twenty-two students all about 8 - 9 years old (2nd - 3rd grade). It was quite a bit harder than I had anticipated actually, but we had lots of fun. Some highlights: bonfires, teaching dance in the studio, nature walks, teaching about Oregon, playing Field Games, BINGO, crazy Olympics, puddle jumping, talent night, having two dresses custom made for me, and literally stopping traffic because the drivers were staring at me! (It was beyond crazy.)
On the first day of school, I gave my students all English names. By the end of the month, they gave me a Chinese one! So, my name is Man Yu Jie. Chinese names are reverse of ours, so I'll start the explanation from the right. I told them Karen meant "pure one", so my first name is "Jie" = "purity". My second name (Yu) means jade, as in the stone. My "family name" is taken from Coleman, and it (Man) means "full". So, I guess you could say that I am "filled with purity and a little jade on the side". :) I like it!
The food took some getting used to and I was sick for a good while, but eventually I adjusted to the idea of having Chinese food 3 times a day for a month. They eat the same types of food for breakfast as they do for lunch and dinner! It was super difficult to be away from my life here in MN, especially my new roommates. But technology was a blessing, and this was clearly where the Lord wanted me for this month. Glory!
June 7, 2007
Scandihoovia Trip and Future Plans
Three days after I graduated from UMM, I had an interview at Aurora Charter School in Minneapolis (follow link). It's a bilingual charter school, with a 99% Latino student body of all native speakers of Spanish. The interview went very well and the next day I left for Europe with 40 others from my Concert Choir.
Our tour first took us to Norway, which was beautiful. We were able to tour in Bergen, Alesund, Lillehammer, Otto, and Oslo. Well, you can't very well go to Norway and NOT see the fjords, so that is exactly what we did. It was not an infrequent experience for us to have to take a ferry across a fjord in between cities. We were also able to take a 1.5 hour long ferry ride throughout the Geiranger Fjord, the second largest fjord in Norway. We started inland and worked our way out to another mountain town. It was a great time of year to be there, because the melting snow caused the waterfalls to be spectacular. I could go on and on, but you'll just have to ask me to tell you more when you see me next. :) Lots of Scandinavia is covered in forests and their buildings are made out of wood. That is also why the countries have burned down a few times. Here's what Norway looks like (city view of Alesund, a bit o' climbing, the Geiranger Fjord, and having fun in Lillehammer):
While I was in Oslo, I got an e-mail from Aurora offering me a teaching position for Language Arts, grades 6 - 8. I am super excited and this is an amazing way that the Lord has continued to bless me. It was fun to celebrate having a job in Europe as well!
After a couple of days in Goteborg, Sweden, we moved onto Copenhagen, Denmark. It is such a beautiful city! My father has been to Denmark four times (once with my mom), and my oldest sister Sarah studied abroad there as well. It was fun to finally be there myself and explore the beautiful streets with friends. Here's a peek at Denmark (buildings near the Nyborg canal, with the Little Mermaid statue):
Then, we went back to Sweden, where we were able to tour Linkoping and Stockolm. I really enjoyed Sweden, it's just a beautiful country. The feeling of landscape that I get from all of these countries is if you were to combine Minnesota with Oregon (at the latitude of Anchorage, Alaska). That's the best description I can give. While we were in Stockholm, we were able to stay in a hostel that was on a boat (two actually)! We pretty much had both boats to ourselves... it was great. Take a gander at Sweden (Stockholm, bikes everywhere, a token "singing" picture, and a picture with my director at our last dinner):
We finished off our tour in Iceland. After spending a night in Reykjavik, we headed to the Blue Lagoon for a few hours. Since Iceland is a volcanic island, there are many natural, hot, mineral springs. The Blue Lagoon is basically a 2 acre hot tub in its natural setting. It is unlike anything I had ever seen, and it was a great way to end our Scandia adventure. Here's a final picture of that (notice the swimmers heads peeking out of the steamy water by the bridge):
So, now I am back in the states, anxious to start planning for this upcoming year. I moved into Dinkytown last night (at the Parsonage) and am very excited for everything that the Lord has in store for me. China will take up my entire month of July and then the school year will be here before we know it. Only this time, I'll be starting it as a teacher! Yes, I'm a bit nervous / scared, but I also know that I am ready, which makes me excited. Lord, come in power!
Our tour first took us to Norway, which was beautiful. We were able to tour in Bergen, Alesund, Lillehammer, Otto, and Oslo. Well, you can't very well go to Norway and NOT see the fjords, so that is exactly what we did. It was not an infrequent experience for us to have to take a ferry across a fjord in between cities. We were also able to take a 1.5 hour long ferry ride throughout the Geiranger Fjord, the second largest fjord in Norway. We started inland and worked our way out to another mountain town. It was a great time of year to be there, because the melting snow caused the waterfalls to be spectacular. I could go on and on, but you'll just have to ask me to tell you more when you see me next. :) Lots of Scandinavia is covered in forests and their buildings are made out of wood. That is also why the countries have burned down a few times. Here's what Norway looks like (city view of Alesund, a bit o' climbing, the Geiranger Fjord, and having fun in Lillehammer):
While I was in Oslo, I got an e-mail from Aurora offering me a teaching position for Language Arts, grades 6 - 8. I am super excited and this is an amazing way that the Lord has continued to bless me. It was fun to celebrate having a job in Europe as well!
After a couple of days in Goteborg, Sweden, we moved onto Copenhagen, Denmark. It is such a beautiful city! My father has been to Denmark four times (once with my mom), and my oldest sister Sarah studied abroad there as well. It was fun to finally be there myself and explore the beautiful streets with friends. Here's a peek at Denmark (buildings near the Nyborg canal, with the Little Mermaid statue):
Then, we went back to Sweden, where we were able to tour Linkoping and Stockolm. I really enjoyed Sweden, it's just a beautiful country. The feeling of landscape that I get from all of these countries is if you were to combine Minnesota with Oregon (at the latitude of Anchorage, Alaska). That's the best description I can give. While we were in Stockholm, we were able to stay in a hostel that was on a boat (two actually)! We pretty much had both boats to ourselves... it was great. Take a gander at Sweden (Stockholm, bikes everywhere, a token "singing" picture, and a picture with my director at our last dinner):
We finished off our tour in Iceland. After spending a night in Reykjavik, we headed to the Blue Lagoon for a few hours. Since Iceland is a volcanic island, there are many natural, hot, mineral springs. The Blue Lagoon is basically a 2 acre hot tub in its natural setting. It is unlike anything I had ever seen, and it was a great way to end our Scandia adventure. Here's a final picture of that (notice the swimmers heads peeking out of the steamy water by the bridge):
So, now I am back in the states, anxious to start planning for this upcoming year. I moved into Dinkytown last night (at the Parsonage) and am very excited for everything that the Lord has in store for me. China will take up my entire month of July and then the school year will be here before we know it. Only this time, I'll be starting it as a teacher! Yes, I'm a bit nervous / scared, but I also know that I am ready, which makes me excited. Lord, come in power!
Graduation from U of M - Morris
Sorry it has been so long. We'll just catch up with the craziness that is my life one piece at a time. The last three weeks of Spring semester found me back up in Morris, in the craziness of trying to finish everything before they would let us Education majors graduate. In the nine days that I had class, there were ten essays and two half-hour presentations to complete. But, I survived with flying colors, little sleep, and great memories. Here's a picture of the Elementary Education class of 2007 and our professors. (Yup, only two guys... they have put up with a lot from us and were a great asset to our class.)
May 12th proved to be a beautiful day. Beautiful enough, even, to have the Commencement ceremony held outside on the mall. It was so nice! Each year the seniors vote whether we will march in alphabetically or randomly (so we can sit with our friends). This year, as usual, we marched randomly, so I was able to sit with a bunch of my closest friends and it was an awesome experience to share.
So, it was a great day. I was blessed to have my parents, sisters, and even my grandmother from Iowa there. The Lord additionally blessed me by letting me be fairly un-emotional. I realized what was happening, but was able to say goodbyes without breaking down. It felt weird, but I realized that this peace was from Him. That evening we had an Open House at my parents. That was a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord's goodness with all of my friends in the Twin Cities as well. Thank you all for your support and shared life that you have given me throughout my four years in the prairie. Glory!
May 12th proved to be a beautiful day. Beautiful enough, even, to have the Commencement ceremony held outside on the mall.
So, it was a great day. I was blessed to have my parents, sisters, and even my grandmother from Iowa there. The Lord additionally blessed me by letting me be fairly un-emotional. I realized what was happening, but was able to say goodbyes without breaking down. It felt weird, but I realized that this peace was from Him. That evening we had an Open House at my parents. That was a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord's goodness with all of my friends in the Twin Cities as well. Thank you all for your support and shared life that you have given me throughout my four years in the prairie. Glory!
April 28, 2007
A Decision...
"Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God... Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us... or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching... he who gives, let him do it with zeal... Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality." (Rom 12:2,6 - 13)
I spent a good chunk of time this week in prayer, which is always a good thing. But this week, I was very specific in my thoughts and intentions to the Lord. I wanted to know if the Father was sending me to China for a month this summer to teach. I asked Him for a word when I was at Eucharistic Adoration, and the above passage is what I received.
The short version? I'm going!!! The above passage seemed very directed towards the desires of my heart and where the Lord is calling me. I am beyond excited! I also found out yesterday that the final cost to us volunteers is going to be a grand total of $500 for about a month. This includes our transportation (flight and travel within China), accommodations, tour fees, and our meals. More details to come soon. I can NOT believe that I'm going to teach English in China for a month. The program we're working with is connected to Concordia Language Villages, so it's a pretty prestigious / well-established deal. That brings my travel tally to an all time high = FIVE other countries over the summer (plus, I was just in Mexico). The Lord is ever loving!
I spent a good chunk of time this week in prayer, which is always a good thing. But this week, I was very specific in my thoughts and intentions to the Lord. I wanted to know if the Father was sending me to China for a month this summer to teach. I asked Him for a word when I was at Eucharistic Adoration, and the above passage is what I received.
The short version? I'm going!!! The above passage seemed very directed towards the desires of my heart and where the Lord is calling me. I am beyond excited! I also found out yesterday that the final cost to us volunteers is going to be a grand total of $500 for about a month. This includes our transportation (flight and travel within China), accommodations, tour fees, and our meals. More details to come soon. I can NOT believe that I'm going to teach English in China for a month. The program we're working with is connected to Concordia Language Villages, so it's a pretty prestigious / well-established deal. That brings my travel tally to an all time high = FIVE other countries over the summer (plus, I was just in Mexico). The Lord is ever loving!
April 24, 2007
To China or not to China, that is the question...
Greetings from Morris! I'm back at it, full throttle for the next 2.5 weeks. Yesterday was the job fair. It went well, I got better at selling myself in 30 seconds, and I even had a couple of impromptu interviews. Come Lord! We drove back to Mo-town yesterday afternoon and stayed up until 3:30 am last night catching up with friends. The perfect way to spend an evening before our 8:00 am class this morning. :) Gotta' love it! Job hunt is still going strong, but there is something very pressing I would like some opinions on.
It's another discernment issue. My really good friend Sara (from UMM) just finished her student teaching at Burnsville High. Short version: one of the teachers she collaborated with has been working with schools in China to put on an English summer camp. It takes place in the month of July and they're in the process of selecting their summer staff. She's going. Bottom line? They've pretty much asked me if I would like to go to China for a month and teach English to students over there. In fact, it's a highly desired position (there are only 10 spots), and they've reserved a spot for me to go. The cost of the trip would be somewhere between $500 - $1000, including room, board, airfare, and some other expenses. We have to cover our visa, spending money, and very little else. A month... in China... for just that?!?!? It's a pretty sweet offer.
But, I'm already going abroad in May. Could I really go to China as well? Money is an issue: I would probably end up writing letters looking for people to sponsor me to teach. Time is also an issue: can I afford to be out of the country for another month of my job hunting time? Pretty much all of it is online, really. It's more a matter of interviewing in July. There's probably other factors as well, but my brain only got that far.
I need some advice. What do you think I should do? The Lord brought this to me... it is quite literally the opportunity of a lifetime. But, just because it's an option doesn't mean that I am supposed to do it. My heart is in it. I really think that I can raise the money and stay on top of the job hunt from abroad. I think that it would be extremely beneficial to travel to a non-Western European country and bring what I learn into my classroom. Plus, it's teaching... in my specialty area! So, please help me out and leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. God bless and I'm very anxious to see what y'all think. I would like to make a decision by the end of the week. Come, Lord, make Your Will clearly known to me.
It's another discernment issue. My really good friend Sara (from UMM) just finished her student teaching at Burnsville High. Short version: one of the teachers she collaborated with has been working with schools in China to put on an English summer camp. It takes place in the month of July and they're in the process of selecting their summer staff. She's going. Bottom line? They've pretty much asked me if I would like to go to China for a month and teach English to students over there. In fact, it's a highly desired position (there are only 10 spots), and they've reserved a spot for me to go. The cost of the trip would be somewhere between $500 - $1000, including room, board, airfare, and some other expenses. We have to cover our visa, spending money, and very little else. A month... in China... for just that?!?!? It's a pretty sweet offer.
But, I'm already going abroad in May. Could I really go to China as well? Money is an issue: I would probably end up writing letters looking for people to sponsor me to teach. Time is also an issue: can I afford to be out of the country for another month of my job hunting time? Pretty much all of it is online, really. It's more a matter of interviewing in July. There's probably other factors as well, but my brain only got that far.
I need some advice. What do you think I should do? The Lord brought this to me... it is quite literally the opportunity of a lifetime. But, just because it's an option doesn't mean that I am supposed to do it. My heart is in it. I really think that I can raise the money and stay on top of the job hunt from abroad. I think that it would be extremely beneficial to travel to a non-Western European country and bring what I learn into my classroom. Plus, it's teaching... in my specialty area! So, please help me out and leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. God bless and I'm very anxious to see what y'all think. I would like to make a decision by the end of the week. Come, Lord, make Your Will clearly known to me.
April 21, 2007
My Week
In my discernment process for what the Lord is calling me to next year, I have been considering many options. I feel that the Lord wants me to be teaching in a branch while living in household. One of the forerunners among those living situations is Dinkytown. So I have been checking out life there this past week. (Well, I'm still here.) :) It has been a great week! The head of the women's house that I am staying at has made me a schedule for each day... it's awesome.
Each member of the household spends an hour of their time each week doing missionary work (affectionately called "mishing") This involves walking up to people (strangers or not) and talking to them about the Lord, getting together with previous contacts, and other activities of this nature. So, I went with Jen and Cara to experience this first-hand for the first time on Thursday. Jen led the first charge and Cara the second. Unfortunately, neither one produced much of a connection. Then Jen turns to me and says, "Do you want to lead the next one?" (pause) "Umm... sure!" Our opening line which I really like was "Hi, (introductions). We are looking for women who are interested in building Christian community..." We ended up talking to two friends, Kristen and Veronica, who are both strong Christians. A few minutes into our conversation they said "Well, we're both graduating this spring." "Really? So am I! And you know the best thing about living our life in Christian community? We form friendships that last a lifetime. We've come from all over the country and committed to live our lives this way, together." Their comment could have been a conversation ender, but the Lord opened a door there. Jen was really direct and asked if they wanted to come over for dinner that night. They were busy, but then we invited them to Lord's Day... this is the best part. (Kristen:) "I think I could probably do that." (Veronica:) "Well, I think we should at least try it out." Praise God!!! We kept praying for them the rest of the week, and they both came to Lord's Day. Glory!!! We had some great conversations and I know they enjoyed themselves. The Lord really blessed all of us in that and it was a great first "mishing" experience. Hopefully they can come to a dinner here next week or something.
Our King's blessings are never ending. He gives us desires in our heart that we may not even be aware of! He showed me that twice this week... but those are stories for another time. You'll just have to ask me about it. :) After our Lord's Day meal tonight, we had a cd release party for J-T Kelly. It was great! The house was full of Division members, guests, and Action team members. I bet that there were at least 70 people there. What a joyous occasion! I've been thinking about Allendale a LOT this week and really miss it. The Lord has united my heart with that place and those people. Rejoicing in J-T's efforts was a great way to end the week... especially since he was my boss in Allendale. Ah, good times!
Other random highlights of the week: playing soccer on the mall, free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, running into a number of friends from UMM and Trinity, roof of the Physics building, having lots of time in prayer and reflection, doing chores, hearing talks from the PTI, reconnecting with friends from grade school, Morning Prayer at 6:30 am, beautiful weather, many long walks, job hunting, getting asked to schedule my first interview, the "happy meter log"... But by far the best part of this week was being able to spend real, quality time with these sisters and brothers. There were so many great talks about life. I was inclined to distinguish between "life in general" and "life in the People of Praise" but then I realized that for me, they are one and the same. That has become clear. Come, Father, move in power!
Each member of the household spends an hour of their time each week doing missionary work (affectionately called "mishing") This involves walking up to people (strangers or not) and talking to them about the Lord, getting together with previous contacts, and other activities of this nature. So, I went with Jen and Cara to experience this first-hand for the first time on Thursday. Jen led the first charge and Cara the second. Unfortunately, neither one produced much of a connection. Then Jen turns to me and says, "Do you want to lead the next one?" (pause) "Umm... sure!" Our opening line which I really like was "Hi, (introductions). We are looking for women who are interested in building Christian community..." We ended up talking to two friends, Kristen and Veronica, who are both strong Christians. A few minutes into our conversation they said "Well, we're both graduating this spring." "Really? So am I! And you know the best thing about living our life in Christian community? We form friendships that last a lifetime. We've come from all over the country and committed to live our lives this way, together." Their comment could have been a conversation ender, but the Lord opened a door there. Jen was really direct and asked if they wanted to come over for dinner that night. They were busy, but then we invited them to Lord's Day... this is the best part. (Kristen:) "I think I could probably do that." (Veronica:) "Well, I think we should at least try it out." Praise God!!! We kept praying for them the rest of the week, and they both came to Lord's Day. Glory!!! We had some great conversations and I know they enjoyed themselves. The Lord really blessed all of us in that and it was a great first "mishing" experience. Hopefully they can come to a dinner here next week or something.
Our King's blessings are never ending. He gives us desires in our heart that we may not even be aware of! He showed me that twice this week... but those are stories for another time. You'll just have to ask me about it. :) After our Lord's Day meal tonight, we had a cd release party for J-T Kelly. It was great! The house was full of Division members, guests, and Action team members. I bet that there were at least 70 people there. What a joyous occasion! I've been thinking about Allendale a LOT this week and really miss it. The Lord has united my heart with that place and those people. Rejoicing in J-T's efforts was a great way to end the week... especially since he was my boss in Allendale. Ah, good times!
Other random highlights of the week: playing soccer on the mall, free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, running into a number of friends from UMM and Trinity, roof of the Physics building, having lots of time in prayer and reflection, doing chores, hearing talks from the PTI, reconnecting with friends from grade school, Morning Prayer at 6:30 am, beautiful weather, many long walks, job hunting, getting asked to schedule my first interview, the "happy meter log"... But by far the best part of this week was being able to spend real, quality time with these sisters and brothers. There were so many great talks about life. I was inclined to distinguish between "life in general" and "life in the People of Praise" but then I realized that for me, they are one and the same. That has become clear. Come, Father, move in power!
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