... my first year of teaching took up a little time and I forgot to blog.
Yep.
I didn't even tell you about my NEPHEW being born! His name is Pierson and he is my favorite person on Earth.
I love him...
Anyway. It's been a bitter/ sweet year. Two days before Pierson was born, my Granddaddy died. The radiation he had a long time ago caught up with him. He would have LOVED Pierson. My Grandmother is doing well, but she is really sad. What do you do when you lose your partner for over 50 years?
She is strong, though.
Well, I survived my first year of teaching. I will admit, my last post pretty much set the tone for the rest of the year. I really didn't feel like I knew what I was doing. I felt like I wasn't qualified to make certain decisions that I had to make... but then I realized that I definitely had an opinion on that decision and valid reasons for why I chose that particular pathway.
There isn't a certain day where one ways "Woah! I'm a teacher! I'm in charge of 60 children learning to spell, read, write, and manners!" No... you are too busy being in charge to have epiphanies like that.
I didn't think I was going to stay in 4th grade. I had no desired to do so until one of my mentors encouraged me to give it one more try. She also lied and said I was a good teacher... :) So, one more year of 4th grade and this next year I get to teach Social Studies too. That's my favorite. If it doesn't work out, I will be on the search for a middle school Social Studies position.
Basically, I survived my first year of teaching without harming any of my students. THAT is an accomplishment.
I also moved into an apartment with Ashlee Green in Hurst. It's really fun. She is a nurse at Cook Children's in Fort Worth and works nights, so I get my alone time but I also get my hang out time with my roommate. She is so fun.
I leave to go to Made in the Streets in 11 days. I was blessed to be asked to go by a group from the South Macarthur Church of Christ. We will be over there for two weeks (July 10-24). I am super excited and a bit nervous. I'm elated to see how God will work in me those weeks. I know I will learn more from those kids than they could ever learn from me.
More specific updates WILL be coming soon (I hope), but for now, I leave you with my infamous "Booger Eater" story. Enjoy.
(Names have been changed to protect the identity of the nasal orifice perusing child)
As I picked up my students from lunch, I noticed Ron crying... again... and Harvey looking like the cause. Knowing that the two of these children have had their "misunderstandings" before, I decided to give them a chance to work it out in the hallway while I got the rest of the class started in their stations.
When I stepped out into the hallway, Ron was still crying and Harvey still acted like he didn't know WHAT he had said to make the child upset.
The dialog went something like this:
Ms Hall: "Ron, what seems to be the problem."
Ron: "Harvey keeps making fun of me and calling me names!!"
Ms Hall: "What names is he calling you?"
Ron: "I don't know... something like.... hunngeioooshhhpppp"
Ms Hall: (turning toward Harvey who looks at the other child as though he has lost his mind) "Harvey, would you mind telling me what happened?"
Harvey: "Yeah, Ms Hall... I called him a booger eater!"
Ms Hall: "Why would you call him that?"
Harvey: "Because that's what he IS! He picks his boogers and eats them."
Ron confirms that Harvey has called him a booger eater and Harvey is sent in the room to sign the book and sit out of stations. I gave Harvey the lecture about how name calling is wrong no matter the circumstances. Ron started to step into the classroom after Harvey,however, I still had more questions for Ron.
Ms Hall: "Now, Ron. Why would Harvey want to call you a booger eater?"
Ron: "I don't know!!! He's mean to me!!"
Ms Hall: "Think, Ron. Did you put any fingers in your nose or do something that made it look like you were picking your nose?"
Ron: "Well........ you know, it's so cold outside that my nose gets dry and I need to get them out somehow!"
Ms Hall: *gag* "So you WERE picking your nose?" Ron: "yes"
I talk about picking your nose in the bathroom with a tissue covering your finger and not digging for the booger... all the while trying not to laugh in the kid's face.
Ms Hall: "Well, we know why the 'booger' in booger eater was there. Now, did you put your fingers anywhere near your mouth so the other kids might have thought you ate your boogers?"
Ron: "Well........ after I pick them, they get stuck under my fingernails and, well.... I have to get them out SOME HOW!!!"
Oh... my... gosh... I didn't know whether to collapse in laughter or run to the bathroom to throw up. I managed scare the snot (pun intended) out of him and tell him how harmful to his and others health it was to do that and if I ever caught him with his fingers in his nose or mouth, he was going to sign the book. He seemed to understand. He did, however, sign the book a few times for booger picking.
And when I caught him with a finger up each nostril, he signed twice.
