I just typed up a bunch of words - 1, 299 to be exact - about how hard my life was through college and my first years here in the Dominican Republic. I wrote specifically about how in college I worked a bunch and studied a bunch and for a period went directly from a … Continue reading Exchanging a lie for the truth
Category: Teaching
We Need Help
At the beginning of the year I set some goals for 2017. One of the big ones was to start an English school at my house. God put the idea on my heart towards the end of 2016 as a way to get to know and serve the kids in my neighborhood. Then, a friend … Continue reading We Need Help
The Desires of My Heart
Yesterday I was in Target and, as one does, I took a stroll through the clearance section at the front of the store. I thought, "I should see if there's anything that would be good for my classroom." Then I thought, "Holy smokes! In two months I'm going to have a classroom again!" This past … Continue reading The Desires of My Heart
2017 Goals
This morning I knocked over my mop bucket, spilling dirty water all over the living room. Then I realized that my stove isn't broken like I thought it was for the past week, but that the gas line just wasn't opened all the way. New year, same me. But also, new year, new goals! Well, … Continue reading 2017 Goals
Letting go of criticism
At the beginning of 2015 I choose a word to define the year - soften. At the end of the year I did feel softer - in my attitudes, in my words, and in my relationships. And I wanted to keep that flow going. So this year, rather than choose a word, I chose to … Continue reading Letting go of criticism
Being a teacher
The thing about being a teacher is that no matter how successful I am, I fail. The thing about being a teacher is that I have 19 students in my care at one time. That’s 19 little human beings with their own personalities and preferences and learning styles and likes and dislikes and lengths of … Continue reading Being a teacher
In my classroom
Every day 38 students, in two groups of 19, come into my classroom. (My very small classroom.) They come in excited and chatty. They come in with a lot of questions and stories and kisses and comments. They come in and they sit down and we get started. Every once in a while, while the … Continue reading In my classroom
We need each other
Last Tuesday our school had a Christmas dinner. It was the first time since I've been there that everyone was all together in one place. The cleaning ladies, the women who work in the kitchen, the teachers, the maintenance staff (which is just one super cool guy named Ramon who reminds me of my dad), the … Continue reading We need each other
My best life
Friday had all the makings of a great day. First, it's a Friday. Second, it was the day of my birthday party. Third, since it was the day before my birthday I planned on having a fun little crafty/Christmas time with my homeroom at the end of the day. Fourth, it's casual Friday so … Continue reading My best life
Here’s the thing about our consequences
You've probably heard said, "I learned everything I need to know in kindergarten," or something like it. Well, in first grade in addition to teaching my lovelies phonics and addition, I like to think I give a refresher course in "everything I need to know." In first grade we practice sharing and taking turns and putting … Continue reading Here’s the thing about our consequences
