A few stray thoughts…

• The days seem to pass so quickly. I think it's because we stay busy, or at least I do.
• Last summer, when I realized I'd be teaching 5th graders, I wasn't so sure that I wanted to. But I really like the 5th grade material. Preparation takes a bit longer, since I need to know what they're learning before they learn it. I'm trying hard to remember that they're a bit older than the children I'm accustomed to teaching; therefore, they don't need everything explained in detail. It's fun watching them develop their God-given talents and abilities.
• This week the 4th graders will finish writing a tall tale. The parts of the tales that I've heard during class have been quite entertaining. I'm sure the finished projects will be, also.
• The 5th graders are in the midst of an "inventor" webquest. In each of their presentations they will "become" an inventor and show us their invention. Some children are becoming someone famous, like Einstein. Others are finding products like tape and tape dispensers. I think the presentations will be interesting.
• Tommy, Kate, and Jared represented the 5th graders in the school spelling bee. The bee was won by an 8th grader.
• Jared and Blake represented the 5th graders in the school geography bee. The geo bee was also won by an 8th grader.
• While none of the 5th graders got very far, I'm proud of them.

God bless you and yours.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Semester's End

I know that the calendar says that the first semester of the school year is complete…but, it seems to have flown by quite quickly.

A brief summary of the first half of the year:

• We discovered Speed Stacks. Besides being fun, they help educate the mind.
• Our student teacher, Miss Opperman, has come and gone.
• 4th & 5th graders have learned to live and work together.
• Science and social studies projects have been completed.
• The students, specifically the 5th graders, have benefited from my week-long immersion into Colonial Williamsburg.
• We've learned how to "tinikle" (although we had some bruised fingers...ask your child).
• Juggling has been successful (well, more for some students than for others).

Second semester will hold more adventures.

God bless you.

Psalm 42:8

 By day the LORD directs his love,
 at night his song is with me—
 a prayer to the God of my life.

News

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

As I write this weekly blog, I'm listening to Koine. The song is about the eternal God, and how He found me when I wasn't seeking Him. Thanks be to God!

I know my job is to teach, but I pray that each day the students see God's connection to them in all of our subjects and activities.

This past week's activities included three enrichment days looking at and playing with stamps. Last fall, Miss Schmidt showed me an email about joining, Stamps Teach. Both she and I are part of a pilot program for introducing students to stamps and possibly stamp collecting. Their mission is to provide educators with lesson plans, activities, and worksheets that use postage stamps as hands-on learning tools. Educators can use these tools to add some fun and interest to their current curriculum while exposing students to postage stamps. 

One day we found people, place, and things on the stamps. Another day we made math equations and used the world map to find the countries from which the stamps came. The third day we looked for uses of simple machines. They were all very excited. I heard my name over and over again as they wanted to share with me what they had found.

The American Philatelic Society, the nation’s largest stamp collecting organization, will provide free youth memberships to all children who send in an application for the Young Stamp Collectors of America (YSCA) program. I have this information and will get it to the students in the near future.

God Bless you and yours.

Happy New Year

Watching the students get more tired as the week went on, I'm glad that Emanuel only had four days of class this past week. The tired part goes for the teacher, too!

After student teachers leave, the students always need a reaffirmation of the classroom rules, behaviors, etc. We spent a bit of time on that each day. I did have at least one student call me Miss Opperman this week. That's pretty normal…they didn't see too much of me the last few weeks before Christmas.


We once again tried juggling for enrichment. Some of them are getting very good. Over Christmas break I watched a man juggle and ice skate at the same time. We're not quite ready for that yet!

We also tried making balloon butterflies. Several 4th & 5th graders stayed in at recess time to blow up the balloons. Our ears were ringing with the sound of popping balloons! Many of the students were able to follow the YouTube video directions and create a butterfly. Good Job!
Thanks to Becky Schewe for the idea.

God bless your week.
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 
John 4:24