Thoughts on teaching - more to come

This week I began my first week teaching at Bay Elementary (CCISD). I am teaching K-5th Resource. Teaching is a job that requires a great deal of effort and is at time very exhausting; however, it is a rewarding career and one that I have believed in and supported for a number of years. Anyone can earn a degree and be trained to complete a certain task, but it takes a special person to be a teacher. Teaching requires so much from an individual and definitely has to be something that comes right from the heart.
Children are the future and having the chance to impact their lives, one way or another, makes teaching that much more extraordinary. To teach is to impart knowledge, character, personality, ability, talents, stability and decision making to children of all ages, sizes, shapes, colors and ability levels. Teaching isn't simply academics, learning how to read and write, but it is about building and shaping lives in an effort to produce productive and successful citizens in the 21st century.
Teaching is more than standing in front of a classroom to give a lecture at the white board. It is about learning the individuals in your class, who they are, how they learn, what they like, etc. It is about helping them develop as people. It is about doing whatever it takes to reach each student to help them internalize the lessons. It is about making sure every child as the same opportunity to learn.
In my personal life I place a high importance on learning both formally and informally. It is my goal to help children find that same passion for learning however it looks in their individual lives.

more thoughts later....

"Bridewars" (a blog for Jenny)

My parents caved and put a television in my bedroom when I was a smalll child, which started a very bad habit for me. Every night I would go to sleep watching "Nick @ Night". I love shows like "Green Acres", "Dick Van Dyke", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "The Patty Duke Show", and the others. (The only problem was waking up in the middle of the night to "Drag Net" or "Alfred Hitchcock".) I became accustomed to noise as I fell asleep. With the noise in the background I was able to drown out the conversations I was having in my head.

When we moved to our new house in the 5th grade, my parents made the decision to no longer allow televisions in our bedrooms. Yikes. This caused problems for me, because I couldn't sleep well. I would stay up until all hours of the night worrying about and pondering things in my head. I started going to sleep watching something in the livingroom and then go to bed later in the evening.

In college I earned the privilege of making my own televsion decisions. I chose to have a tv in my room. I got in the habit of putting a movie in and making it my bedtime movie for weeks at a time. This is how I have learned almost every line in "The Wedding Planner". This movie wins the title for longest running air time on my nighttime viewing list after being the top (only) pick for an entire semester.

For about a year and a half I chose to go off television at bedtime. I had complications with televisions, cords, cable, etc. I also started having headaches and the light/noise was making them worse. This was a complete shock to my college roommie, Jenny.

After the short stint of breaking the habit, I have returned to the evil addiction of nighttime noise. Robert graciously (I mean listened to my words when I said "I want that") gave me his old television. He got the cords to connect the television to the dvd/vcr. I don't have cable in my room, so movies it is.

The first night he fixed it I put in "Bridewars", and tonight as I tuck myself in for a good night's sleep I am watching "Bridewars" for night number 24. It is good, but I don't know that I am looking for another "Wedding Planner" incident. Any suggestions for the next selection?

"Miss....MIss....MISS" an update on my life

These past two weeks have been crazy. I have been busy trying to wrap things up at UBC, while beginning my new job as a teacher. This will be the first time in my life I have ever been referred to as "Miss Wood". It will definitely be interesting and a change for me. It makes me feel extra old and a little impersonal. I picture the first week of school being pay back for the way we so "respectfully" called on our teachers growing up "Miss....MIss...MISS", as if their entire focus should be directed on me and my needs and desires. I imagine it will be fun. Another interesting firsts this job will entail is the need to relate to 5th graders. Personally I am not convinced 5th graders are relatable, so this will be a challenge for me.

A little side note - I have almost finished decorating my room. I am super excited out it. It is definitely bright and cheery. YEA!!!! Now if I can just the furniture I want/need and get it arranged in a way that is acceptable.

Anxious Anticipation

I'll never forget the summer after my first year in college when I began to ponder what my life would look like. Would I be the next Katie Couric? This had been my dream up to that point and everything in my life centered around making it as the next Today Show host. As the reality of life began to unfold I began to question my dreams and where my life would take me. My roommate, Shawna, had gotten me a part time job working at The Texas A&M Children's Center. Although I loved kids, I did only take the job as a way to pay my bills. During that first summer I finally admitted it outloud - my purpose in life would be working with kids.

Everyone who knows anything about me knows that my world from that point on has been consumed with small children and how I can invest in their lives. I have learned many things over the past 7 years (wow - that made me feel very old) about working with children. The main thing is that I have realized that if my true passion is investing in the lives of children I must be focused on investing in the lives of families. This has/will look different through the years.

For the past three years I have worked as the Director of Preschool Ministries at University Baptist Church in Clear Lake. This has given me the opportunity to work with families as they begin to foster the spiritual journeys in the lives of their preschoolers. I am so thankful for the confidence they had in me to allow me to do this job. It has truly been an honor to serve with these families.

For the past year I have been praying about where my life would take me from here on out. After much prayer and consideration I made the choice to begin searching for a teaching job. The search was long, but I am excited to say that I have accepted a teaching job for the 2009-2010 school year. I will be working as a Resource Inclusion teacher at Bay Elementary in Clear Creek ISD. I am looking forward to the new realtionships I will make as I am able to invest in the lives of families from a different perspective.

Through this process I have learned to be patient and that God really does grant the desires of your heart. I am full of joy as I anxiously anticipate my future endeavour.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!