Questions/ponderings for the first day of school...

Do I have my computer? =)
Do my shoes match? (kids teasing can be ruthless!)
Will my height be an authority advantage over my kids?
What will their first impression of me be? (I wear my emotions on my sleeve--especially fear!)
What will my first impression of them be? (and will it change drastically throughout the year or are your first impressions usually right?)
Will my "inspirational" first-day words truly invest my students?
Will my very first lesson (in which I actually do have to teach content) be executed effectively for a great start to the year?
Will I get the students everywhere they need to go on time?
Will I be thankful for my lunch break or wish I could be with my students instead?
Will I look at these students as my babies (really BIG babies) from day 1, or will it take time?
Will I open my arms to them from the first minute, or will I appear stand-off-ish?
Does the Lake Forest t-shirt I'm required to wear really say, "Let's get down to business!"
How will I tell most of them in a motivational way that they are currently unable to read a 4th grade book (or even a 3rd grade book)? (do they even realize that?)
Will I be able to stay mission-minded above all things?
The bottom line is...
I don't know what will happen the first day of school, and maybe I don't really want to know because perhaps I wouldn't even change anything.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philipians 4:13

The next food network star??

Have you ever had one of those moments where you actually came up with a really good thing? Whether it be an invention, a plan for a new business, or something simple like a really good recipe, it feels so good to get that little sense of accomplishment. I can't say moments like these happen often for me. In fact, I don't remember the last time I actually came up with something I felt would contribute to the world in some small way. Well, tonight I am proud to say that it happened! You see, I love to experiment in the kitchen. I love to play with flavors that aren't combined in any recipes (that I know of...). Let me give you some background into my current situation. Aaron and I have been blessed and our needs have been provided, but we haven't exactly been eating like royalty. But on Saturday, we went grocery shopping and found some great deals. We sort of just bought a hodge-podge of "luxury" ingredients that led to no particular meal. Last night, we ate some fantastic steak and salad (both close to expiring so we got a great deal). Tonight, though, there was no turning back. Aaron said he was hungry, we went exploring in the kitchen, and "Voila!" A beautiful meal was born. It started with some instant brown rice and a bag of frozen vegetables. In 15 min, I had created a beautiful stir-fry (vegetarian even!) that was unique and delicious. I started with the vegetables and a little oil. The "moment" came when I opened up the spice cupboard (always a great idea if you're bored of the same ol' same ol'). Within 5 min, I had added garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, soy sauce, and my 2 secret ingredients: curry powder and orange juice. With no rhyme or reason, I dashed away at my new creation. While this was good, I added sweet peas and a little more spice. Delicioso! Then I cooked the instant rice in the microwave. When it came out, it seemed so bland. So what do you do with bland?? Fry it! Now we had fried rice and I added our soon-to-be-expired eggs for a perfectly Shogun-approved show. Add some soy sauce and a little garlic salt and our meal was complete. Layering the new-recipe veggies over the not-so-bland rice created a delicious dinner that cost us about $4! It just goes to show that when you think you have nothing to eat, you probably do. Give spices and fruit juice a chance! So there it is...you may be skeptical, and that's okay. The point of all of this is that I'm proud of my accomplishment. This blog is dedicated to my mother-in-law, who I can only hope to be as wonderful of a chef as she is (love you mom!). At least tonight, I think I made her son proud.

Gearing up!

As I'm sitting here reflecting on the process that we're learning to create meaningful goals and unit plans for my school year, I am thinking about all the things I admire about the teachers I've had in the past. I think that in order for me to truly be an effective teacher this year for my students, I need to spend some time reflecting on what they did that made them so great in my eyes. I remember in Kindergarten, I forgot to bring something for show-n-tell. I was a fairly creative child, at least I like to think of it as creative and not odd. I was looking all around for something I could show, and I noticed that my shirt had a very sparkly button. My teacher called on me and I proceeded to show and tell the class about my sparkly button. Did my teacher stop me? No. Did she tell me I didn't have anything to show and that I needed to sit down and remember to bring something next time? No. She let me share. I can't believe I still remember that. While I don't really remember much about 1st grade, my parents do. That was the year I learned to read. It wasn't magic. Miss Steiger (now Mrs. Wynn) didn't wave her magic wand over me and I just got it. I can only imagine the strategic planning that went into teaching me life's most important skill of reading. Phonics, comprehension, engagement, spelling, and the list goes on. Thanks to Ms. Undernehr for keeping me on the learning track even when my mind was distraced on the dreamy Bradley Ward. Even in 2nd grade, I was a little boy crazy. Now I'm proud to say that I worked as a colleague with Ms. Undernehr, and she looks exactly as I remember her back then. In 3rd grade, Mrs. Nugent figured out our interests. If anyone knew what a 3rd grader likes, she did. I remember the day she brought in a special guest who brought snakes, and we actually got to hold some of them. From that moment on, I've always been interested in snakes and can't wait till the next time I get to hold one. In 4th grade, I remember reading Hank the Cowdog with Mrs. Menardi. It was the first chapter book I actually remember reading, and I couldn't put it down. Even in 4th grade, she read out loud to us every day and I can't wait to do the same in my own classroom. Now here I am, a 4th teacher. It's hard to believe that these teachers were able to make something of my hyper, talk-too-much, boy-crazy self, but they loved me. I remember that more than anything. They took the time to get to know me and form relationships with me. Because of each year with them, I was able to grow as a learner and eventually graduate from college. Why I chose teaching? I'd love to say that it was all because of them. But that wouldn't be entirely true. When I decided to become a teacher, it was because I felt confident in my ability to do something that I am passionate about. Teachers are the foundation of that. When I walk into my classroom in 2 weeks, I hope that I can find out what my students are excited about and show them all that they can accomplish. I know it's cheesy, but isn't that the most important thing? To help the child believe they can do whatever they want if they push through. Thanks for reading through my thoughts, and thank you to all teachers who push their students above average and help them succeed.

Well, we're all settled in to Jacksonville, and Atlanta Institute was very eye-opening. They break you in quickly by planting you in Atlanta. It's so nice to be home! I am learning to love Jacksonville so much each day. It is really a beautiful city that's not on anyone's radar. Aaron and I have been spending a lot of time just getting to know the town and getting the apartment to really feel like home. Some of the beaches we've been to are Hannah Park, Jax Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra. I think the consensus is that Ponte Vedra is the most beautiful, but it's also the farthest away. I've officially eaten at 10 local restaurants (6 in Riverside, 4 at the beaches), and I certainly have nothing to complain about. So far my only complaint has been the ridiculous DMV system they have in place, in which we had to visit 3 DMV's before we got all of the paperwork necessary, and we paid $100 just to tag our cars for the first time in FL, which doesn't include the cost of the licenses. Someone forgot to remind me how expensive moving really is! But we're making it.

Now for the good stuff...I found out this week that I'll be teaching 4th grade Language Arts at Lake Forest Elementary, which is a "visual and performing arts" charter school. This is very exciting, as I've always been involved in the Arts and love to see children really involved in it as well. I think this will be very challenging for me though. While I will only be teaching one subject, the school earned a grade of "D" by FL's state standards, which translates just like school grades. In other words, they're in trouble! To put that into perspective, only about 40% of students in 3rd grade and higher passed the state standardized test. That's a big problem. FL as a state passed with about 60%, and Duval Co. (the county Jacksonville is in) passed with about 45%. None of those numbers are where the FL Dept of Education think they need to be, and that's one of the big reasons Teach for America is in Jacksonville now. That means that as the Language Arts teacher for 4th grade, I'm responsible for these kids learning to read and pass this test. That's a HUGE responsibility, but I'm not doing it alone. Not only will I have the support of other teachers in this big endeavor, but I have a divine presence in my classroom that is even more on these students' side than I am. I am ready to defy some statistics placed on these kids' heads. While I am only one person and only one teacher, I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me! So send me in Jacksonville! Here I come...

Ready for Institute!!

All I can say is WOW! From the moment we drove into Jacksonville, I knew that Aaron and I would find everything we could ever want in a city. Know matter where you are, hop in a car and go to the beach, downtown, riverside, or the historical San Marco - all in less than 30 minutes. To be honest, I had already read that a thousand times on the Jax website and numerous brochures, but it's hard to believe it until you get there. That said, Aaron and I ended up putting a deposit down in Avondale, which is a beautiful historic community in Riverside. I'll be posting pics as soon as we move in.

Induction week was amazing! I am truly working with some of the most wonderful young men and women who are seeking to bring change to this community. I am surrounded by people my age who have a vision, a passion, and a purpose for being here. Many of them just wanted to be part of a great cause, and some want to revolutionize education in America. While we are all dreamers and visionaries, I know that my purpose is different. Here is my biggest prayer request: while these men and women are amazing, most of them do not know Jesus Christ as savior. I look at them and think to myself, "Wow, imagine if they were serving the Lord with this passion." It is inspiring and motivating to be around them, but even more, I am hurting to think that they are far from God. I want first and foremost to make great gains in students' lives and achievements in Jacksonville, but my second purpose is to stand out among many with my Christ-like attitude and lifestyle. I am the minority here. Yes, Jacksonville is in the Bible belt, but that's not where my new friends come from. They are bringing their views and experiences from well outside of this community. Many of them have negative experiences with Christians, and I am here to change that. I will not judge, I will not boast, and I will love.

Movin out and movin up!

It's done!!! The house is empty, my knees hurt, and the rent contract is signed. I can't believe we did it in such a short time! Thanks to all those who prayed for a smooth transition because it is happening. I could not have done this without my family. Shout out to Mom, Dad-in-Law, and Caleb. You all are wonderful and today would've failed without you. Tommorrow we leave for Jacksonville! Please pray for safe travel, as it looks like this has been a busy traveling weekend. I wish I could've been a lake-dweller like many in northwest Arkansas this weekend, but I will soon be at the beach so I can't complain. Hasn't it been the most beautiful weekend?? I hope all my friends and family get to enjoy that this week. With all this rain comes a lot of beautiful green life.

Embarking on a new adventure

Welcome everyone! I've never blogged before, so I hope that this will be a successful first attempt. I wanted to share with everyone why I set up this blog. As I'm about to "embark on a new adventure", I think it's very important that I stay connected with my family and friends. I absolutely cannot do this alone. Aaron and I are excited about this change in our lives, but we will need your daily prayers, encouragement, and support. Some may think..."Oh they're going to Jacksonville where they can lay on those beautiful beaches all day", but I want to be very clear. My new teaching position will perhaps be the greatest challenge of my life. It will require me to put forth more dedication and energy than anything else up to this point (besides my marriage). It will be both exciting and terrifying. Aaron has supported and encouraged me through some difficult times in my life, and I know he will be there through this one, but I don't want the burden to continually fall on him. That's where you all come in. I need you to pray for us and make sure that we are showing the fruits of the spirit in our lives and especially with each other. I want to be a shining light for the students and families that I will be teaching in Jacksonville and ultimately help them see that their futures are not destined for failure. Many of the students I will be teaching will be several grade levels behind. I will be asking them not only to challenge themselves, but to prove everyone else wrong. Teach for America is ultimately about helping kids become successful in school now, so that they can learn to be successful in life. I think the outcomes will be so rewarding, but I will have to work extremely hard to take these kids who've never felt success and get them to pass the state tests on grade level. I know it can happen. I believe that it can happen. I've read about it over and over in the Teach for America files. I've seen it happen first hand at Eastside Elementary in Rogers. When the state decided that English Language Learners could no longer use portfolios but had to be tested, Mrs. Wilkerson and her amazing teaching staff took on that challenge and the scores keep going up more and more every year. Kids come to school not knowing English and living in poverty, and in 2-3 years (if not less in many cases), they're on grade level! I can't wait to take that on! While Jacksonville will be a different area with different people in different situations, I can keep my experience at Eastside in the back of my mind constantly. Well, I've officially said what I needed to say in this first blog, and there will be many more to come. I will post prayer requests on here, as well as inspiring teacher moments, or just experiences I have with Aaron in Jacksonville. And, I should admit, we will be at the beach a lot! Thank you for your love and encouragement. Come back soon!