The End of an Era

It's finally here. My time to begin letting my to-do list and schedule actually follow the same path as my heart's priorities. School finished today at the end of a very long, emotionally draining week that I may choose to talk about at another time. But, it's over. I moved out my personal things. I turned in my keys. And, I left. For 24 years my life has operated on a school calendar. That will happen again, of course, once we have children in school; but for now I get to revel in what I would do if my life didn't revolve around an August to May schedule. Since I was 5 years old I have dreamed about being a teacher, and for 5 years I have been one. There were parts I thoroughly loved about it. There were parts I could have done without. A brief parent note today summed up the part I enjoyed when it said, "It is because of you that [my son] reads." That touched my heart in a place that is only touched when I'm a teacher.

But, I've reached a point in my life right now where getting up and going to work all day everyday isn't my top priority. When I started teaching, I wasn't married. I needed the job to live on, and I needed the job to provide some substance to my life. Now, I'm married, and I'm dying to make being a wife my top job! I want to be able to serve my husband by having more energy and focus at home. I am going to be able to work from home on my jewelry business touching the lives of other women while my number one focus (after my spiritual walk, of course) gets to be towards my husband and our home. I honestly don't know what to do first. I've longed for months to be at this point because there was so much I wanted to do, and now that I'm here I don't know where to start. Granted, I've only been "here" for 4 1/2 hours. I fully expect to spend the next several days and weeks learning what the rhythm of being a full-time wife while working from home feels like. I'm beside myself excited, but I'm also quietly contemplating how fabulous this feels inside.

So, for now, the teacher part of me is taking a break. Someday, Lord willing, I will open my home and heart to other children that need help learning to read--beginning my own therapy business. There is still a part inside of me that gets such joy from unlocking the door in the child that opens them up to the world of reading; and I want to one day be back doing that again. In the meantime, I am closing the back cover on this chapter of my life, curling up with a brand new book, and longing deeply to see what's inside.

Field Day 2008

Do you remember Field Day as a kid? Wasn't it just so much fun? Well, today was Field Day at Anderson Elementary. It was hot and the kids were exhausted, but they had a blast!!! Here's a few pictures I snapped during the day, and yes, the first couple are of us teachers making fools of ourselves. Enjoy!

There is No Other

Wow! It's so amazing and awesome what God can do in a period of three weeks. These last three and a half weeks have been transforming in my life. God has just continued to show me over and over that His way and His timing are best and that all things work together for good. Obviously, as I have blogged about recently, Taylor is a HUGE blessing in my life. Our relationship is incredible, and what we see God doing in us as individuals and as a couple continues to blow us away on a daily basis. In addition to this change in my life, I have been praying about taking my career in a different direction. I have been burned out this year, and I have always known I wanted to someday find myself working in a more specialized area. I found out on Tuesday that I have been accepted through my district to be a dyslexia therapist next year! I am so incredibly excited! Like I said, it's amazing and awesome what God can do in a period of three weeks! I was reading tonight about God's right to rule and I came across this verse: "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." He has been in control the entire time, and He's always known that these last three weeks would come to be. He simply asked me to be patient, walk by His side, and learn about Him a little more so that I could be ready for this time of my life.

On a different note, I really wanted to share a school story from today. We had major, major storms in the area last night that caused a lot of damage in the neighborhoods around my school. The kids came in today fired up and ready to share their stories of missing trampolines and toppled trees. But, my favorite story of all was from a little boy in another 1st grade classroom. Here's how it went:

Boy: "Miss Roof, a subtraction problem happened in my backyard this morning."
Roof: "Oh no, what happened?"
Boy: "I have 4 chairs. 1 blew into the alley. 1 blew into the pool. And 1 blew into the spa. How many chairs are left?"

I guess we're teaching them something, huh? He came to my class today and shared that with my kids, so that we could use his real-life problem as our problem solving for today. It was fantastic! Happy subtracting!

"I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me."
Isaiah 46:9

Physical Education...or not?

In an effort to remain positive on the down hill slope towards Spring Break, I thought I'd share a funny from school today.

Girl: Hey, I figured out what PE means.
Boy: What?
Girl: Practice Exercising

And, there you have it!

Organizing Grasshoppers

Today I had some much needed refreshment as I went to a workshop to spend some time filling up my professional reservoir instead of pouring out of it. At one point the presenter referred to managing a classroom of Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade students as something akin to organizing grasshoppers. What truth is found in that statement!!!

This week I have organized 20 grasshoppers of my own while attempting a secret teaching mission! We made gingerbread cookies on Tuesday. It was so much fun, but oh so exhausting! There is truth to the idea that you only need one cook in the kitchen at a time, so experiencing 20 cooks ages 6 and 7 was quite the experiment. Yesterday, the cookies rested temptingly on each students' desk in a plastic baggie. They had been instructed not to touch until our afternoon decorating experience. Little did they know that the "Big Bad Wolf" would come steal their cookies while they were at lunch and leave a note demanding written letters explaining why they want their cookies back (ah the joy of sneaking in a good writing lesson!). My little grasshoppers were furious, and suddenly their little imaginations were let loose!

"Miss Lowery, we saw him shake that tree outside."
"Yea, and he said, 'HA, HA, HA!"
"My gingerbread man was my best friend, and now he's gone!"
"We worked so hard to make those. That Big Bad Wolf is just mean!"
"What a waste! Our parents brought in all that stuff to make those cookies, and now they are gone!"

Oh, it went on all day! When I tried to get them back to writing by telling them, "No, the Big Bad Wolf is not on the roof and he's not in the tree...he's in a cave watching our gingerbread and trying to decide if he's going to let them come back..." well, suddenly the cave was visible from outside our window. Oops...I should have tried a different tactic.

What wonderful, exhausting fun that was! And, yes, very much like organizing grasshoppers!

Oh, the Mind of a Six Year Old!

Over the last few days I have taken a walk down memory lane by re-reading my past posts. One thing I noticed is that last spring I posted several more school stories than I have this year. So, the following is just a handful of the cute things I've heard so far this school year! Enjoy!

"I lost my first tooth! You know, I was brave! I thought I would cry, but I really didn't!!!"

"Ms Lowery, (long, exasperated sigh) I'm starting to get ear wax again."

Student: "Do you have a son?"
Me: "What?
S: "Do you have a son?"
Me: "No I'm not married. I don't have children."
Another student: "Is that why you have this job?"

Student: "My leg hurts."
Me: "It's growing pains."
S: "Does your leg hurt when you grow?"
Me: "Well, I'm not growing anymore; but when I was, yes my leg hurt."
S: (In shocked voice) "You're not getting any taller?"
Me: "No"
S: (Very confused look on her face) "Does your birthday still come around?"
Me: "Yes...I'm getting older, but I'm not getting taller."
Every face looking at me has a puzzled expression. HA!

It's moments like these that keep me going! I hope you enjoyed these smiles as much as I did!

Third "Year's" a Charm

It's 9:15 pm. I left my apartment at 7:00 this morning and just returned home about 15 minutes ago. Tonight was Meet the Teacher night at school. Exhausted is the word of the moment. I received my class list this morning and spent the remainder of the day labeling things in the classroom for my students and preparing everything else needed for Monday morning. At 5:30 pm, my new prodigies began arriving in my room anxious to find out who their teacher would be. They sorted supplies and said hello to their Kindergarten friends. The parents had all kinds of questions and wanted special conferences immediately at that inopportune moment. They were excited, scared, anxious, and full of energy...and all 22 of them are mine for the next nine months.

But this year is different. This year I am prepared. My first year of teaching was all about survival. Really that's all first year teachers can do: survive...there is just too much to take in. I was also teaching 5th grade and found it was not my preference, so I was anxiously awaiting word of a change for Year 2. My wish was granted, and my second year became Year 1 all over again because I was teaching a different grade level and a new curriculum (and with mono), so once again I was in survival mode. But, like I said...this year is different.

Now, here I sit, two days away from the start of Year 3; and I am prepared. I am ready to teach well, not just survive. My room is organized and makes sense as opposed to everything just being out of the way to make room for the kids. I know how to expect first graders to behave. I know what changes in lessons need to be made cause it just didn't work last year. I know. I have experience. I am prepared.

Someone once told me, "Give teaching three years. Your first year is awful. Your second year is a little better. But your third year--that's when it starts getting fun." Oh, dear Lord, please make it fun! Yes, third "year's" a charm...and I'm ready for it. So, bring it on!

"It was He who gave some to be...teachers"

Ephesians 4:11

The Human Brain

Do you ever stop to marvel at what our brains are capable of doing? Think about that while I give you some background to where this is going...

I teach first grade. I taught fifth grade last year (Ugh), and quickly learned that the younger ones are my cup of tea. So, I work with little 6 and 7 year olds all day long. In addition to my first graders, this spring I am coaching 9 fourth and fifth graders in an elementary school version of Academic Decathlon. It's actually proving to be quite fun.

I was amazed by something today. All day long I spend my time helping first graders read words like, "cat", "pot", and "cake." This afternoon I sat down with my fourth and fifth graders, and I found myself explaining "maritime technology." (Side note: I am not exactly a naval buff, so I must admit this was slightly challenging.) Immediately, I was struck by how drastically the human brain changes in the three years between first grade and fourth. If I asked my first graders to even begin to understand "maritime technology" they would probably cry from frustration. If I was feeling adventurous I might be able to get them to clap out the syllables, but that would be the climax of our time spent on "maritime technology." My fourth and fifth graders, however, were eating it up! That thought is sounded really cool. Their brains were practically begging for more information!

How can our brains do this? I have no idea! But, I do know that we have one amazing God that made our brains capable of taking in that much knowledge in a relatively short span of time without exploding!

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Take a smile break!

My first graders are often plagued by hiccups. Sometimes these episodes can cause a few giggles. For instance, today one precious little boy hiccupped very loudly causing me to look at him. He caught my eye and said, "I'm getting taller, that's why."

Seeing the confused look on my face, he felt the need to clarify by saying, "The hiccups make me taller. That's what my mommy told me."

I quickly grabbed a pen to jot down this new insight into human growth and development and heard from across the room, "Is that true, Miss Lowery?" Obviously, this little girl wasn't convinced. So, instead of having to give an anatomy lesson, I quickly jumped into our next order of business.

What can I say? If he thinks hiccups make him taller, who am I to squash that idea?

I hope you enjoyed this giggle as much as I did!!!

"The joy of the Lord will be my strength!"

Chivalry Isn't Dead!!!!

Throughout this school year, I have weathered constant battles with my students over who gets to go first during small group activities. I'm not sure I have ever put my students in groups where I didn't have at least one group fighting over who went first...then second...then third...etc. It's exhausting. I'm often tempted to say to them, "Jesus says, 'The first will be last, and the last will be first.'" Unfortunately, the government frowns upon quoting Scripture in class. So, I have resorted to trying to teach this lesson without "preaching." (Side note: Isn't it interesting how in order to not be prejudiced against the minority, we consequently become prejudiced against the majority?) Even though it means putting up with and working through these fights of the ego, I still make my students work in groups.

All of that said, I can now come to a story from today. I had once again put my students in groups of two or three. After passing out materials, assigning partners, and giving directions I turned my students loose and waited for the first argument. Much to my relief (and, I admit, amusement) the first thing I heard was a sweet little boy say to his female partner, "Since you are a lady, you get to go first." I was floored!

I often feel that our culture lacks true gentlemen (and true ladies for that matter). It was so sweet to know that this little one in my classroom is already being taught and learning the importance of being polite and respectful to the opposite sex. I know some men four times his age that could use a lesson from him!!!

Having said that...as a woman, it can be easy to think that chivalry is all about how a man treats a woman. However, I am beginning to think that couldn't be more false. Lack of respect for the opposite sex stems from men to women, and it is not just found in the secular culture. I often see this even amongst those that call themselves Christians. What an unfortunate testimony we make when we do not respect our fellow humans! I feel certain God would tell us that disrespect is the same as not loving. Ouch! I believe He told us to "Love our neighbors as ourselves." That brings a new light to the idea of chivalry.

So, is chivalry dead? Thankfully, not yet. It is living inside my 6 year old student. There is hope for the next generation, but it is up to us to be the models God has called us to be!

"Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs."

Ready or Not...Here They Come!

At 7:50 tomorrow morning I will have 20 little 6 and 7 year old rascals pouring into my classroom dying to tell me about all the things they have done these last two weeks. Am I ready? Well, we'll see. :) The funny thing about me is that I love to teach, but I hugely look forward to the day that I can stay home. Thankfully, God provides me with blessings each day that validate His purpose for my life right now which is teaching.

I'm sure you've heard of the show Kids Say the Darndest Things. One of the fun things about teaching first grade is being able to hear first hand some of these "darndest things" without holding a remote in my hand. Here's just a few of the things I have heard so far this year:

"She sure writes fast, how does she do that"
"Well, you know grown-ups. Teachers and all kinds of grown-ups can write fast."
"Yeah, but we can beat them in a race"

"I have a peeing affection!"

"My neck is stuffy." (Said by a little boy with a frog in his throat)

"He's going to be so handsome." (Said by a little day-dreamer about my dad before he came to do story time.)

"Angels fly. God floats. He doesn't need wings."

"Miss Lowery, Hannah said an 's' word."
"Can you whisper it in my ear?"
In a whisper voice, "Miss Lowery, Hannah said an 's' word."

"Am I getting smart?" (said by a little boy after spending 15 minutes working very hard on addition!)

"How do you spell 'gig'?"
"Tyler, why do you need to spell 'gig'?"
"Because I giggle when I watch TV."

"I prayed for you last night, Miss Lowery."

What a blessing these little munchkins can be! Don't get me wrong, there are days that I come home and wonder how I'll ever go back and face them again. The amazing thing is that it seems like everytime that I become overwhelmed one of them will say something that reminds me why I do this. This is what I love about teaching first grade: I learn as much from them as they hopefully learn from me. And, I'm sure there will be many more profound and hysterical things coming out of their little mouths in the next several months.

So, am I ready? Yes. Will the next five months come with challenges and exhaustions? I would be surprised if it didn't. Will God give me the strength to get through it? Absolutely!!! Will He continue to provide blessings along the way? Probably more than I could ask or imagine. I pray that God will use me to touch their precious lives.

"He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me'." Matt. 9: 36-37