Is this mic on? and school year

I'm thinking about not writing anymore as I think nobody is reading this thing.

Anyway, I had a great summer, I had a major breakthrough as a teacher, and I spent quality time with my family.

School has begun. We have had 3 days, and I am EXHAUSTED! It's good, though. I love it. I have to be a lot more on my toes this year with these boys. I feel like the last 10 years have just been a training ground for this year. There's no way I could have taught this class 2 years ago or when I first began teaching 10 years ago. I see God's hand in all of the timing that has brought me to this place.

I also began to realize that I didn't "miss God" like I thought all of these years that I had. I always wanted to be a teacher, but, just like one of my previous blogs tells about, I was told I would be poor the rest of my life. I received a business management degree, and a year after that thought I really missed God by not getting a teaching degree. God revealed to me that I didn't miss Him, He knew that is what I would do, and I was saved from learning how to teach the wrong way. I have been schooled on the job and by Him, which is way better for me and the students. That was SUCH a relief, and I have a confidence now that was lacking.

Now my aim is to point the students at all times toward God. Why do we learn, obey rules, learn Logic/Latin/History, etc? To glorify God.

It's going to be a great year. It may be exhausting, but well worth it.

Full summer

Well, we are officially into our summer break. However, I will be "going to school" this summer. I have to learn two years of Latin and I will be figuring out a Logic course. (I laughingly told Deb, "I hope I am smart enough to teach this!") So, of course, I have loaded up my plate more for next year by teaching Logic to the High School during what would normally be my "planning" period. I will learn the third year of Latin next year in order to teach it to 5th grade every year after that. No rest for the weary, right? I will be teaching Logic to my 5th graders as well. I have some audio courses from last year's conference that I need to listen to sometime in between going to Colorado, Oregon, and Austin for this year's conference. It makes me tired just thinking about it! I'm confident that this summer will fly by. I hope I make the most of it and get much accomplished! Pray for me!

Great year

This has been a great school year. I had the privilege to teach my oldest daughter and one other terrific young man. They are such a great class, very easy to teach. Yesterday in chapel each teacher got up and spoke about what we see in our students and we got a chance to tell them how much we love them and will miss them next year. It was very touching. Fortunately, I get to still teach my students next year in the afternoon, so I am not exactly losing them for good. :) We do several things with the 6th grade class, too.

Here are some highlights of this year:

• Learning a new and very long Bible song
• Having a Thanksgiving brunch in class with 6th grade
  
• Having a very special Lord's Supper together as a class; 5th grade only
  
• Watching The Crossing in History class--good movie!
• Reading Bridge to Terabithia in reading class and being shocked by some bad language
• Watching Bridge to Terabithia in reading class
• Reading The Cay in reading class
• Doing projects about The Cay in class
• Comparing the book Johnny Tremain with the movie
• Reading The Indian in the Cupboard in class
• Watching August Rush with 6th grade class
• Having a week of celebrations with 6th grade
  
• One student's mess around his desk
• The girls coloring
• Decorating the 6th grade room for Valentine's Day
• Our Christmas party at school
• Our end-of-year carnival
• Singing "Superhero" in chapel
• Getting new desks!
• Having an all-school fun day
• Wacky Week
  

Good news

Well, good news! Our roof FINALLY got fixed, so after about 9 months, we have no more roof leaks! Yea for us! Our back porch ceiling is ripped out, but at least no more leaking!

My poison sumac seems to be getting very much better. I only itch in the evening now, and many places are fading away. My right leg looks the worst now. I'm just glad to be almost through with it!

Yesterday was a good day. Shelden turned 11, and she had a slumber party Friday night to celebrate with her friends. They played, cooked us dinner, and watched a movie. They stayed up way later than I did, and then we woke them up to go garage saleing Saturday morning. We hit a few sales, took a few of them home, and Bailey stayed with us until after lunch. I got a bad headache after that, and Dennis took the kids out to eat and shopping. They came home and gave me my Mother's Day gifts. Other than a headache, it was a great day.

This is our last week of school, and it should be fun. Two weeks until Colorado!