On Cups of Kindness and Forgotten Acquaintances

Tags

2012, Happy New Year, Let's Review, Matthew 2, Matthew 24, One More Round, thoughts and reflections

Oh my goodness! It’s the last day of 2012! And I have blogged a grand total of 13 times this year. I suppose I could round it off to a nice even 14, how’s that? So, I have decided to share with you 5 important things I learned this year. Please note that they are listed in no particular order except what comes into my brain first.

1. Our beautiful world still exists! I know some people will disagree on the actual amount of beauty in our world, how our world was created, how/when it will be destroyed, and how to take care of it, but that is not the point. God created this world to be a home and provider for His children, and He intends for us to stay here for now. I think we all learned a valuable lesson about Matthew 24:32 – 36 on December 21 – don’t you?

2. Apologies are hard. I certainly do not have all the answers for this one. However, I have also learned that forgiveness is even harder. I would greatly appreciate any advice on the subject.

3. Tragedy happens. We cannot explain it away. We cannot make legislation against it. We cannot stop it. On December 14^th our nation mourned for the children of Sandy Hook, Connecticut, but we could not save them. This story shook me to the core, but it reminded me of something that occurred thousands of years ago. Matthew 2:13 – 18 tells how King Herod killed all the baby boys in and around Bethlehem in his mad desire to murder Jesus Christ. Verse 18 says “A cry was heard in Ramah – weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” I know the families in Sandy Hook felt just this way, and I heard many people asking “Why didn’t God keep this from happening?” Well, I don’t know why. I don’t why He decided to save just Jesus, either, instead of all the children. God is our provider and protector, our fortress and strength, but He has given all people the free will to do as they please. Evil exists in our world not because God allows it to happen, but because Satan has a stronghold in the hearts of God’s people. Therefore, I know that I can only face the tragedies in my life and seek God’s peace.

4. Life is easier when you shut up. Try it. It really works! Sometimes your outrage is so all-consuming that you simply have to say something! But I promise that you never say the right thing when you are angry. I, personally, seem to always say the wrong thing, but it’s worse when I am angry.

5. Murphy’s Law is especially true when it comes to toes. If there is something around for me to run into or trip over, then I probably will. And my toes will take the brunt of it. This is hugely disappointing (and painful) for a dancer. Ouch.

I hope you have enjoyed this short, sporadic jaunt into my history. I can assure you that it is in no way complete, but I simply cannot remember the complete history of my life. This is why my blog ought to be higher on my list of priorities, wouldn’t you say? Since I never make New Year’s Resolutions, though, I will simply try to post here more often.

Happy New Year!

On a Rant about the Electoral College

Tags

2012, Barack Obama, close race, discrepancy, Mitt Romney, presidential election, problems, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Electoral College

It has been five days since the presidential election, and I have to say that I am still rather sore about anything that says “vote” or “election.” If I’m going to let this out, then I certainly have no hope of keeping my politics (what little I have) a secret, so we’re just going to head full force into this train wreck.

This year marked the first year I was eligible to vote in a presidential election. I was so excited that I even dashed around my college town trying to find a notary public in the 45 minutes I have for a plan period. (Let’s just say that God blessed me by keeping the cops on the other side of town that day.) I really was disappointed that I had to vote absentee and wouldn’t be able to actually show up at the polls, but I wanted my opinions to be important to my country, so I was content to mail them. And mail them I did! During the previous election, a mere four months shy of eligibility, I had felt so powerless and insignificant that I was determined not to let that happen again.

The silly thing is: I don’t know if my vote actually counted. Sure, my party won in my county, and my party won in my state, but does that mean I actually helped? My state has voted red since 1968, and this year marks the fourth election that all counties have voted Republican. So, really, I’m following the norm. Logically, I know that my vote counted toward the local elections and state questions, but the box I was so excited to mark? I don’t know. Because you would think that if a state voted unanimously for one candidate, that it would affect a large part of the election. Except that my state didn’t. Seven electoral votes don’t go very far when the election is won by 126 votes. Seven electoral votes barely make a drop in the bucket when other states have 29 and 55 votes. If we were talking ages, how many people would raise their hand and say that a 7-year-old is wiser and more knowledgeable than a 55-year-old? Yes, my state is small, but it is not worthless. 24 out of 50 states voted Republican, and considering that Florida’s popular vote was determined by 0.9%, that seems to me like a fairly even race. When everyone was predicting that the election would come down to 29 electoral votes, that seems like a pretty huge discrepancy. Barack Obama received 61,907,639 popular votes, and Mitt Romney received 58,648,640 popular votes. Clearly, Obama won the race, but with a difference of only 3,258,999 popular votes – a percentage difference of 0.02704% – there is something wrong with the electoral votes.

“The founding fathers established [the Electoral College] in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.” Or, as I have always understood, the founding fathers believed that most of the nation’s original citizens were uninformed and uneducated; therefore, they were unable to rationally elect a leader without some help. Surely that is not the case any longer? Additionally, the founding fathers were afraid of a monarchy or an oligarchy, and that is why our country was developed as a democratic republic. I’d say they did a pretty good job of preventing such a thing. Now, every citizen in our country 18 years or older has the right to vote. However, many people don’t vote because of the Electoral College. In my Republican state, Republicans do not vote because they know that the Republican candidate will win. In my Republican state, Democrats do not vote because they know that the Republican candidate will win. Then, when the election results are posted, and everyone can see how insignificant 7 electoral votes really are, we just shake our heads and hope that the bigger states knew what they were doing. How worthless must our citizens feel before we make a change to our Constitution? “The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors.” That direct quote from the U.S. Electoral College’s website does not sound very democratic to me. Here’s another quote, this one from their FAQ page: “What proposals have been made to change the Electoral College system? Reference sources indicate that over the past 200 years, over 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College. There have been more proposals for Constitutional amendments on changing the Electoral College than on any other subject. The American Bar Association has criticized the Electoral College as ‘archaic’ and ‘ambiguous’ and its polling showed 69 percent of lawyers favored abolishing it in 1987. But surveys of political scientists have supported continuation of the Electoral College. Public opinion polls have shown Americans favored abolishing it by majorities of 58 percent in 1967; 81 percent in 1968; and 75 percent in 1981.”

The Electoral College is supposed to reflect the views of the people of the nation, but this nation is finally at a point where the people would be better served if they could declare their own views. We would see more people at the polls and more people with a political and social investment in each election rather than a people sitting around with their fingers crossed.

Quotations taken from the website of the U.S. Electoral College.

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html#changes

On Patience and Forgiveness

Tags

answered prayer, apologize, forgiveness, grace, humility, learning life lessons, patience, problems, student teaching

Today, I completed one of the hardest tasks I have experienced in a long time. This task was more difficult than corralling preschoolers in a ballet class. This task was more draining than cooking lunch over a camp fire for 12 campers. This task was more humbling than totaling a sedan. But it was also more rewarding than acing all of my finals. This morning I sat in front of my class of 22 third graders and apologized for my behavior.

I know you are shaking your head at me, so please let me explain. Before I became a teacher, I never imagined that I would become frustrated with my students. It’s not that I am a particularly peaceful person because, in fact, I can have an incredibly short temper. However, I have never lost my temper with anyone but my own family. I don’t know why this made me think I understood how to be patient, but I did. So, this week, when my students would not pay attention or settle down to learn, I became frustrated and did not know how to let go of that frustration. I began snapping at students and aggressively taking away privileges and rewards. I suppose I had hoped to scare the students into obedience, but it only made them more wild and rebellious. Yesterday after school, I was so embarrassed and disappointed in myself that I really had no idea what to do. I wanted the last day of the week to be better, but I wasn’t sure how to make certain that I could maintain civility. All I could think to do was pray.

I prayed that God would give me peace, comfort, and strength. I prayed that He would help my students to stay calm and obedient throughout the day. I prayed that my discipline techniques would work. I prayed to find patience anywhere deep inside me. I prayed, but I still didn’t feel much better. I went to bed and cried out of desperation. After a while, I began to think of my students and the arguments they have. “How many times,” I said to myself, “have you told them simply to apologize? Even if it was just an accident, apologize.” That was when I knew God had given me my answer. I had hurt and offended my students. The only way for me to fix that and teach them courtesy and forgiveness was to humble myself and apologize.

I am not proud to say that apologies have never been easy for me. I agonized all night and all morning about the task before me. When students began arriving, I wasn’t sure that today would actually be any different than the rest of the week. I was so afraid, and I don’t really know why. Finally, though, it was time for our morning meeting. So, I apologized. I asked my students to forgive me for becoming upset with them and treating them badly. I nearly wept, I was so ashamed. Then, a little girl raised her hand. “Will you forgive me for being disobedient yesterday?” Several other students asked me similar questions, and all I could do was nod my head. “Yes,” I said, holding back my tears. “I forgive you.”

I hope my students learned something today about making apologies and asking forgiveness. We certainly had a much better day. Whatever they learned, though, I know I learned more about patience and forgiveness in those few minutes than I have in 21 years of living.

Have a blessed weekend.

On Lesson Plans and Best Intentions

Tags

adventure, perseverance, student teaching, third graders, time, work smarter not harder, writing lesson plans

So, way back in August I had intended to use this blog a bit more to record my experiences in student teaching. I meant to write about my very first day. I meant to write about my wonderful class of third graders. I meant to do a lot of spiffy blogging things. And I never did. Not only was I tired, but I simply had no words for that first day. Or that first week. Or anything since then. Who’d have guessed that teaching could be so overwhelming? Data teams, FLEX groups, PLC meetings – I don’t even know what those things are! Literacy by Design, FOSS Kits, Everyday Mathematics, Common Core Standards, Literacy First, Reading Counts – how am I supposed to organize it all? To make it all worse, I have to take the pre-planned lessons in the school curriculum and write my own lesson plans using my university’s lesson plan form just so I can get my own grade. I am a firm believer in “working smarter, not harder,” and putting sticky notes in the teacher books seems a lot smarter to me than daily rewriting five or six entire lesson plans that I won’t even have time to use.

Which is what I should be doing right now – rewriting lesson plans. And I will do it. I will do it because I have to, but I still feel like I have no words suitable to accurately describe my teaching experience so far. Although, I must be doing a good job because one little girl hollered out in class that she wished I was the real teacher. Unfortunately, the regular classroom teacher was still in the room. Talk about a sticky situation.

I’ve read that student teaching will be the easiest thing I ever do as a teacher. Considering how few responsibilities I actually have so far, I believe that must be true, but I think it must also be the most uncomfortable and disconcerting position in which I’ll ever be placed.

On Moving and Surviving

Tags

college, college life, Move-In Day, problems, summer, survival tips

I have come to believe that college is not about earning a degree or making life-long friends. College is not about having a good time or making huge mistakes. No.

College is about survival.

For three years, I have done all of that stuff, but mostly I have survived. In particular, I have survived Move-In Day. (Yes, it’s actually a proper noun.)

Move-In Day, for me, usually means that I put a few things in my car the night before, and then wake up as early as I can on the Day to frantically shove everything else into my car. After that, I put all the big stuff in my mom’s minivan. Finally, she (or my Dad – whoever draws the short straw) and I will drive off toting all of my stuff and a selection of my siblings into the wild blue yonder (roughly 2.5 hours away). Once we make it to school, I spend the rest of my day organizing everything in my tiny dorm room. However, this year, all of that has changed. Adapted, I suppose. Survival is all about adapting, right?

This summer, I wanted to stay in CollegeTown where I had a job rather than go home to The Big City where I didn’t have a job, so I got to have three Move-In Days. In a nutshell: I moved everything home for two weeks, then I moved everything back to school for three months, then I moved to a friend’s house for two weeks, and today I moved back to school. Whew! I now have a small understanding of what military families experience. But I made it! School starts tomorrow, and I get to stay in one place for a while! (I must still be in shock, though, because I still haven’t bothered to unpack my stuff.)

But, as my grandma says, there is always something. Today, it is curtains. My bedroom has two windows, but only one set of curtains. I was all agog for a solution! I couldn’t have windows with no curtains! Fortunately, the window does have a curtain rod, so one of my roommates suggested that I hang towels on the window, but I don’t have an abundance of towels, so I hung up throw blankets instead. It really makes for a strange sight, I assure you. But I have survived the crisis.

So, for all of you college newbies, I will list a few of my most treasured survival tips.

• Bring extra blankets. They serve many purposes as I learned today.
• Pack your clothes in (clean) trash bags. Honestly, you’ll look like a hobo when you move in, but you don’t have to worry about how to store an assorted set of empty luggage throughout the school year.
• Sleep well the night before you move in. You don’t want to run out of energy to organize your new room. (Otherwise, I suppose you can just make your bed first.)
• If possible, consult with your roommate before you move in. Communication makes sharing a new space easier.
• Don’t act too cool to really say goodbye to your family. I know you’re ready to get on with your new adventure, but remember that your family will likely not see you for quite a while. Show them that you really love them. (I promise you’ll feel better, too.)

Honestly, I’m a true expert here.

Do you have any Move-In Day Survival Tips of your own?

On Pots and Multiple Dimensions

Tags

clay in the potter's hands, God, gossip, life, multiple dimensions, point of view, small university, The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

Alright, I am a college student. I attend a very small private university (think 3A high school, then expel the football team and pep band – yeah, just like that). Since I began attending, my interpersonal relations have improved by leaps and bounds (my friends would agree that this is true, but I still have a long way to go) simply because I have been forced to interact with the same people everywhere I go on campus. I have to learn about these people and form opinions about these people. I have to listen to other people talk about these people. I engage in conversations about other people. Honestly, gossip runs rampant. In fact, the entire place is very much like a high school, except now the students are allowed to pretend they are grown-ups.

So, you ask, why am I going on and on about my university? Well, it is to help you, dear readers, understand the insightful brainstorm I had just last night. Read on and tell me that you agree with me.

I just finished reading The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty (yes, this is young adult fiction, but please keep reading before you write me off). I adore Moriarty’s books because she does not simply create characters and plots. She raises her characters as if they are her own children, and she delves deep into their personalities to see how they will affect the plot. Furthermore, I can always find my own fears, feelings, and habits in Moriarty’s characters. She makes you think about what you are reading. And last night, I was thinking about The Ghosts of Ashbury High. [Spoiler Alert: I will give you no spoilers. Read the book for yourself. You must.]

Jaclyn Moriarty tells the story of Ashbury High School’s current senior class from the perspective of all the main characters and many of the minor characters. Major events in the plot are often told three or four times by different participants. (Although, I assure you that it is in no way repetitious – like I said, J. M. makes you think. She doesn’t do it for you.) As I was reading, I realized that the story had so much more depth and richness because of this. I could see all sides of the story, as it were. And now, you are asking me how this connects to all the random people at my tiny university, well, listen up because here is where my brainstorm kicked in.

I decided that Jaclyn Moriarty had written a 3-D book. I was learning all the dimensions of the story from multiple sources – students, teachers and administrators, even historical occurrences. Then, I thought, people are three dimensional just like this book. I don’t mean in the physical sense (because that is obvious), but in the relational sense. Our perception or understanding of a person should be three dimensional.

You see, there are three perspectives that can tell the story of one person.

1. A person understands himself. His understanding of himself determines how he presents himself to other people.
2. That presentation determines how other people understand him and how they present him to society.
3. Society is made up of individuals who will form an understanding of him based on (1) how he presents himself and (2) how others present him.

Therefore, when I meet a new person, he has an opinion of himself, other people have an opinion of him, and I must now form an opinion of him, and all of this develops a 3-D understanding of that new person. This can be really easy in a gossip-y place like my university, but gossip can also make it really hard. How many times have you formed an opinion of someone based solely on what other people say? Have you disregarded what other people say about someone? Have you taken the time to learn what a person knows of himself?

A person is not made only of what he believes himself to be. The whole world has the ability to mold and warp him (his personality and reputation) in any way. I guess this is why the Bible talks so much about God being a potter, and why it tells us we are His clay. We are changed and molded all our lives because that is God’s plan. (Isaiah 29:16, Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 18:1-10, Romans 9:21) The world may change our reputation, but God changes our hearts. And that is more important. If you like (and I do), we could say that God provides the fourth dimension to the world’s understanding of a person.

So, I’ll leave you with this: Do you allow people the honor of understanding them from all dimensions? Or do you heed only the gossip? Furthermore, do you believe that no matter what the world says about you, God has the final say? I struggle with this on a daily basis, but I can still rely on the fact that He loves me, and He is molding me into an even better pot every day.

On a Whim and Flight of Fancy

Tags

a bit of personification, changes, growing up, HB #2, Paper-Mate, relationships, surprise, Ticonderoga, wooden pencil

There is something to be said for wooden pencils; therefore, I shall say it. I love them. I love writing with them. I love sharpening them. I love the way they look. A yellow Ticonderoga can almost make me weep. A pencil is so unassuming, yet so powerful. It is not permanent like an ink pen, but that very property allows it to be incredibly versatile. It is by no means as agile and professional as a word processor, but it will always be more personal and comforting than the harshly printed Times New Roman. (Unless your handwriting is entirely illegible. In this case, for the sake of all concerned, please put those Number 2s safely away where you can do them no harm.)

I suppose I am bordering on the whimsical here (if I have not entirely crossed the threshold already), but I feel rather ashamed of my treatment of wooden pencils over the years. Once I placed my eager fingers around a mechanical pencil I decided I would never again use a wooden pencil. I was finished with pencil sharpeners of all kinds! No more broken tips! Never again would I hear the terrible squeak of the metal band around a worn-out eraser! From there on out I would never use any pencil other than a 0.7mm. I felt no emotion other than sheer bliss when I found that Paper-Mate had a mechanical pencil with an extendable eraser. I knew certainly that this was not some minor love affair. That Paper-Mate pencil has long been my brave companion for written deeds of all sorts, doodling, arithmetic, and Sudoku alike. Meanwhile, wooden pencils had simply become a nuisance to be reckoned with yearly over standardized tests. But somehow, I have had a change of heart. I don’t know how it happened. Maybe it is the price of growing older, I truly don’t know, but I now find a sort of antique romance about wooden pencils that grips my heart. Mechanical pencils are practical and long-lasting, but they are also serious and austere. On the other hand, wooden pencils change, wearing away bit by bit, but they are steadfast like soldiers marching toward the front lines. They scratch quietly at the paper while one must click incessantly at a mechanical pencil. Sharpening, far from being a chore, has become a beautiful ritual, timing the final turn of the pencil to attain the most perfect point. There really is nothing so wonderful as writing with a perfectly sharp pencil.

I will not put away my Paper-Mate for good, but I am no longer blinded by my practicality. I have become a partner with good old Number 2, not a domineering master, and we work together better than I ever thought we would. I am looking forward to this new adventure we will share.

On Politics and Equality

Tags

Do You Want My Vote?, equality, expectations, Genesis 1:26-27, in God's image, politics, stealingfaith.com

Do You Want My Vote? – stealingfaith.com

Above, there is a link that you should click on. Go ahead, do it. The author of this blog, Juggler, has hit on a few points that are very dear to my own heart. Generally, I steer clear of anything political because I know that I simply do not have enough information to say anything of note. However, this blog comes down to the basics of what is important not only when we are voting for given politicians, but also when we encounter people on a daily basis.

Juggler primarily directs her words toward politicians who are catering toward women. Previously, I have mentioned how I feel about people making assumptions and expectations based on observed characteristics, and Juggler makes an even stronger point.

Politicians are telling women that we ought to fight for equality, and they are telling men to stand aside and let us have that equality. Yet, in God’s eyes, we are already created equal. Genesis 1:26-27 says “²⁶ Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings^[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.’ ²⁷ So God created human beings^[c] in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God, who was neither male nor female, created both in His image to be just like Him. In God, there is no glass ceiling, only salvation. God does not distinguish our abilities based on male and female characteristics because He sees each of us, individually, for exactly who we are and who we can be in Him.

I am not going to offer any political advice because I still do not feel that I am qualified to give it, but please consider, once again, how you treat people. Treat people equally, but not based on race, gender, age, or religion. Treat people fairly and equally because that is how God calls His children to treat all people.

On Obedience and Humility

Tags

authority, control, God, humility, Joshua 5:13-15, obedience, The Battle of Jericho, The Lord's commander, trust

Joshua 5:13 – 15 (NLT)

The Lord’s Commander Confronts Joshua

¹³ When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”

¹⁴ “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”

¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told.

 

I was reading Joshua 5 last night, and when I came to this passage I nearly felt as if I had been hit over the head. Joshua and the Israelites have just crossed the Jordan River (Moses-at-the-Red-Sea fashion) on their way to Jericho when – out of nowhere! – a man is standing in front of Joshua with a sword. At first sight, I would have reacted as Joshua had, probably drawing my own sword. Yet, would I have fallen to the ground when the man told me who he was? No. I can say assuredly that I would have questioned this man. I would have asked for proof, preferably in the form of a signed affidavit from God Himself. I certainly would not have told this strange man that I was a servant under his command. And who does he think he is, anyway, calling himself the Lord’s commander?

I like to think that I am a very practical and logical person, and I insist on having facts and proofs set before me before I believe anything. I’m not going to lie – sometimes this makes believing in God a daily struggle. I usually have no problem obeying my parents, trusted professors, or even the government because they have established their authority over me in many ways and on many occasions. When it comes to other people, though, I have a difficult time adjusting to their authority and trusting their judgment. Clearly, in the position of Joshua, I’d have found myself in a great deal of trouble. Even as I was reading this passage, I only wanted to know why this person had presented himself to Joshua, and my question was never answered. As I was thinking about it, though, I could see that all God wanted was Joshua’s unerring respect and obedience. God was about to send Joshua on an insane mission to take over Jericho, and He needed to know that Joshua would do exactly as he was told.

How many times have I questioned God’s authority in my life? When I get to my own Jericho, will I ask God why He insists on making me dizzy and tired walking around the walls? Will I humble myself to His greatness? Right now, I don’t know, but I do know that if I keep working to Him first in my life EVERY SINGLE DAY that it will be easier to keep Him first when I meet my Jericho.

How do you submit to God’s power and authority? Do you, too, struggle with the need for proof and reasons?

On Education and Student Teaching

Tags

adventure, elementary school, experience, growing, my own classroom, practicums, Pray for me!, relief, student teaching

It’s official! (Actually, it was official almost two weeks, but we all know that I should never be responsible for The Breaking News Report.) I have finished my education practicums!

I wrote about my first practicum, but I never described anything after that, so I’ll give you a bit of background. I, along with four other girls in my class, had to take six methods and practicum courses. This meant that for two weeks I would go to class and learn how to teach a subject, then for the next two weeks I would be assigned to an elementary/middle school classroom where I was expected to teach that subject. Needless to say, it was a whole year of switching back and forth.

What I Learned and What I Taught:

• Primary Math Methods – 2^nd grade Math Practicum
• Intermediate Math Methods – 6^th grade Math Practicum
• Social Studies Methods – 6^th grade Social Studies Practicum
• Science Methods – 6^th grade Science Practicum
• Primary Literacy Methods – 3^rd grade Literacy (Guided Reading) Practicum
• Intermediate Literacy Methods – 5^th grade Literacy (Writing) Practicum

You might be able to guess that I am a little tired of 6^th grade. However, I did learn throughout all of this that I think I would prefer teaching older students. I have always worked with very young children, but I know now that I am more adept at teaching older students. I find it much easier to use a student’s background knowledge to build new knowledge than to lay the foundation for future learning.

Anyway, the most exciting thing is that I am finished! In a few weeks (or more, who knows) I should have my student teaching assignment, and in August I will have my own classroom (sort of). I am most relieved that I will only need to meet about 25 students next year, rather than the 200 or so I met this year. I will be able to create my own classroom and jump right into the school year with these students. I’ll have the guidance and assistance of the classroom teacher, but I will be expected to take full reign of the daily instruction and discipline. Just think – I can create my own routines! I am truly thankful for the experiences I had during the practicums, but I am not going to miss the ever-changing schedule. Please pray for me as I venture further into the great frontier of education!