Everything Has Changed

 

"All I know since yesterday

Is everything has changed"

~Everything Has Changed by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift

My life has pretty much flipped upside down since I last posted on here. When I last wrote, I had a serious boyfriend, was teaching summer school after my first year of teaching, and enjoying my first New Mexico summer. Now I am almost done with my second year of teaching, live in a two-bedroom apartment, and am getting married in just a little over a week! 

School

I have a class of 11 this year and am learning a lot still! This class is extremely different from last year, full of new challenges and excitement. I still love my kiddos and love seeing their beautiful faces, as there are no longer masks at school. They continue to be my world, though maybe a little less so this year due to having a fiance. We are enjoying learning together and they are working so hard to do their best. 

Church

I am working with the youth consistently, though now on a hiatus until a while after the wedding. Bryce and I also work in kid's ministry with the preschoolers. There is always excitement and chaos involved in youth and kid's ministry, but we love it and can't wait to go back after we get used to the whole being married thing. 

Wedding

As mentioned above, the wedding is a little over a week away and to say we are excited is an understatement. I cannot wait to be married to Bryce and start our new lives together. While I know there will be a lot of change, both easy and hard, it is the start of a new life that I have been dreaming about since I was little. I found my Prince Charming (though he has a lot more in common with Spider-Man) and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him. It's also pretty great that lots of family and friends will be coming into town, and I will have a chance to see them all and celebrate this great day with them! 

Book club

A highlight of my time right now is a little book club that I am a part of. It is some ladies from church and we meet once a month to talk about a book we have all just read, though usually conversation strays far from the book. It has become a wonderful community and I have grown closer to already existent friends and made new ones along the way. God has blessed me with this little literature-loving community, and I love it! 

Twas the Night Before Birthday

 I might have forgotten to do this the past few years, but I'm remembering this year! 

• How old are you?
  24 (tomorrow)
• What is your favourite thing to do?
  Reading, teaching, playing with kiddos, and dog dog watching with my boyfriend
• Where do you work?
  I am a first grade teacher, going into year two!
• What is your favourite food?
  Ice cream, or possibly Bahama Bucks
• Who do you like to spend time with?
  My friends and Bryce
• What do you do really well?
  I'm not sure...hopefully my job
• What makes you laugh?
  Silly things small children say when they are being very serious
• What is the best part of the day?
  Coming home from work and seeing Bryce
• What are you afraid of?
  Loud noises
• What do you love to learn about?
  Languages and theology
• Where is your favourite place?
  Pagosa Springs
• What is the last book you read?
  Finished: Six of Crows
  In process: Eragon

Teaching Year One

"In learning you will teach

and in teaching you will learn.

You'll find your place beside

the ones you love."

"Son of Man" by Phill Collins

The end of the school year is here. The end of my first year teaching in my own classroom. I said good-bye to my twelve wonderful students and sent them on their way for the summer. While I will see most of them again, it was still quite bittersweet. There were tears on both ends and many, many hugs. 

Looking back at the school year, I am quite sure those twelve little ones taught me more than I thought they could. They tested my patience, kindness, humility, and knowledge of all things. Every day they asked hard questions and expected easy answers. Sometimes the answers were easy, and other times they were not. Even though I have spent years with small children and watching them develop and grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually, this was an entirely new experience. Overall, I had thirteen students this year, and each one taught me something about life, God, or myself. These thirteen kids became my own as my love for them grew deeper. I invested everything I had into their little lives and loved every second of it. There were definitely hard days, especially as the end of the year grew closer, but we all came out on the other side stronger and closer. That little room became a family of sorts and all the complications that came with it. 

I honestly can say these past few months have been hectic and crazy and stressful, but I am thankful for it. I am excited for next year and all the joy and challenges it will bring. Although, I am definitely also grateful for the break to enjoy a real New Mexico summer, since last year was, different, to say the least. 

Firefly and The Magic School Bus

Even though we had a short week this week, it was rather eventful! 

For three of the four days, I had 12 students, which was quite exciting, but also crazy and I had to say good-bye to one of my kiddos, which was quite sad. The students are starting to have a bit of Spring fever as well, so they are full of energy and are not sure how to get it out appropriately. 

Firefly decided to try out dying but decided he did not like it, so he is still alive. I came in Wednesday morning, to what looked like a very dead fish. I took all the plants and such out of his tank and went to scoop him out of the tank so the kiddos would not see him, but when I scooped him up, he was quite alive! My only theory is that he was too cold by the window. He now lives under the heater vent and seems to be much happier there. When the kids asked what happened to Firefly, because he was not in his usual tank when they got there, I told them what happened, and they started coming up with all sorts of theories too. 

A little backstory: at lunch this week we have been watching an episode of the original Magic School Bus series. Since we alternate science and social studies each quarter, this is all the science they are getting right now, and they love it. I've offered to let them watch other things, and they always say "NO!" and beg to watch Magic School Bus. 

After talking all morning about Firefly's mysterious resurrection, the students still could not figure out what had happened to Firefly. Together they came to the conclusion that we needed to go into the Magic School Bus and shrink down, because something must be wrong with Firefly's water. Since fish breathe water, that would make him sick if something was wrong with the tiny things in the water. (Only being in first grade, they do not know what molecules are.) I explained as best I could a few different things that could be wrong with the water, but that I thought it was just too cold. The kids agreed this was a good hypothesis, so we talked about the best place to put his tank, so he would not get that cold again. 

Firefly is now very happy where he is living and has been amusing us for the past few days by swimming backward and in little circles at very high speeds. 

I have a classroom full of little scientists who love to explore. Instead of being sad that Firefly had (somehow) died and come back to life, they wanted to solve the mystery and fix the problem. They are like this with everything, but I love letting them explore their world and letting them solve problems by getting messy, making mistakes, and taking action. :) 

Random Thoughts and Stories

 Usually, my posts have a point. Today it does not. While every day is full of craziness, there are a lot of things that happen that make me smile and make every not so enjoyable moment, worth it. Today I give you a glimpse into the tiny details of my life that make me smile. 

Sean the Goose

One of my students, when he is feeling particularly sad, will come and sit next to me during recess instead of playing with the other students. One day, he was talking to me using his hand like a duck. I laughed and asked him for his duck's name. He simply told me, "Ms. Short, it is a pretend duck. It is really just my hand." I did not have a good response to this, so I let it be. I began talking to him with my hand though, and it became one of his dear friends, named Sean. Sean is a goose. Sean only comes around when my sweet little student is having a rough day. He will address Sean, rather than me. Sean is asked for what question number we are on. Sean is told the silly stories. Sean is asked to play games at recess. Thankfully, Sean hasn't been around much lately, but every time this student takes my hand while talking to me, I smile. I know this silly little game means the world to him, so I play along, even if it means he doesn't say my name all day. Also, Sean cannot talk. He can only honk. Thankfully, for me, this means I do not have to come up with silly responses. Just honk. 

New students and new games

This past week I have added a few new students to my wonderful class. This comes with some new territory for everyone. Since we are still following COVID regulations, the students have to sit six feet apart while waiting to go to the bathroom. They are sitting in the hallway, which also means they are not allowed to talk. Most of the time, in the past, they would sit quietly and mind their own business, but with the addition of our new students, this is not so anymore. They have started to come up with games they can play without talking or getting up. Some go with classics, such as rock, paper, scissors, and some come up with new games. It makes me smile to see their creative little minds at work and to see them making the best of every situation. 

Nine months doesn't seem that long

Anyone who has known me the past 11 years or so, knows I have been around the same set of kids for quite a while. Typically, I am babysitting or nannying for the same kids for at least 4 years. When you are around someone and playing and interacting with someone every day (or almost every day) for four years, a strong bond will ensue. I miss my sweet kidlets every day. They were my world for so long. Now I have a new set of kids, but I only have them for nine months. Compared to four years, that is almost no time at all. At first, I thought this would make me more detached from them, but it is quite the opposite. I have become very attached to my eleven students and am having to face the reality of my attachment while preparing to say good-bye to one next week. While I know good-byes are hard, I am not sure it is going to be any easier after nine months than it was after four years. 

Well, there's a glimpse into my thoughts lately. It's not a whole lot, but my kiddos make me smile, and I thank God every day that I have the privilege of calling them my students. 

Chaotic Joy

Ramé is a French word meaning "something that is both chaotic and joyful at the same time." 

I think most teachers would use the word "chaos" for this school year. I don't blame them. It is quite accurate. As a first-year teacher, at a new school, in a new state, chaos is what I feel most of the time. It can become rather overwhelming, honestly. This week, new restrictions are in place, adding a whole new level of chaos to everyone's lives. (Yes, it is possible!) 

Yet, chaos is not the only feeling. 

There is also joy. Unspeakable, amazing, overflowing joy. I walk into my classroom, be it my temporary classroom, every morning as the sun is just coming over the mountain. I see nine little desks, with nine little chairs each with the name of one of my precious little students, and all I feel is joy. There is no chaos yet. It is quiet and calm. The calm before the storm. I set up their desks for their morning work, make sure I have enough copies for phonics, math, language arts, and science, pick out our read-aloud books for the day, and smile. For a few hours, those nine little lives are mine. I get to share the gospel with them. I get to love them. I get to see them learn new words, break through walls, and make new friends. I get a few hours a day to impact their little hearts. This is one of the deepest joys I will ever experience, and I like it that way. 

While my world seems chaotic and constantly out of control, those nine precious children only need to see the joy. They need to see the peace that God can give, even though their world is falling apart too. They need the calm, not the storm. God has placed these sweet, amazing students in my classroom for the purpose of me showing them His love, peace, and joy, no matter what chaos is surrounding them. 

Yes, this school year is chaotic, but it is also joyful. This school year is ramé and it is a blessing. 

Worship and Work

This week in Bible class, I was teaching the students about the importance of work and rules and how they relate to worship. While they are only 6, it is an important concept to learn at a young age and to start practicing doing their best in everything, while the consequences are still small for not doing their best. Every time one of them would hand me their paper, I would ask them, "Is this the best you can do? Is there something you can do to make this paper better?" At the beginning of the week, almost every paper set on my desk was taken back to a student's desk grudgingly to redo something or to finish the activity. As the initial questions started not getting work redone, I started asking, "Do you think this is good enough for God? Would you give this paper to God and tell Him it was your best work?" Papers started returning to desks, but it happened less and less often. They have begun to turn in their best the first time, 

All of this got me to thinking, do we as adults and people claiming to be Christians always do all our work as if we are going to give it to God? Do I write my lesson plans to have God review? Do I love my students as if God is sitting right there watching everything I do? I think for most of us, the answer is a resounding no. Did I do my dishes to the glory of God? It sounds silly sometimes, but that is what the Bible says to do. To do all of our work to the glory of God. This is how work becomes worship. Otherwise, it is just day-to-day boring old hum-drum. Yes, it may still be boring and tedious, and it may take some extra time to do things our best the first time, but then it is also a joy when it is finished and you see the work that is completed and you know, for sure, that it is the best you could possibly have done. 

One of my students brought me their handwriting page at the end of this week and waiting at my desk for me to mark the letters and parts of the sentence that needed changed. I asked them the usual questions, and he answered, "yes" to all of them, so I checked the work. When I told him, "Good job! It looks great!" and set the paper in my pile of work to put in their take-home folders, his face lit up. He had never had me accept his work the first time. He said, "I'm going to do my best every time the first time! It is so much easier!" My little six-year-old learned a valuable life lesson this week, and, as his teacher, it was a joy to watch.