Finishing Well

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Lynn

Beginning and Ending a School YearFor teachers there is a sense of relief mingled with sadness at the end of a school year.  Relief that the year is done and sadness that the year is done!  At least that is how I feel.  I am MUCH relieved to be done the year because I have literally poured myself into the job and into the lives of my students.  I can feel my spiritual, emotional and physical “bucket” is nearly empty and in great need of being filled up with renewed energy and purpose.  I am exhausted.

That said, I am equally sad that the year is done because in many ways there was more I could have done.  I re-evaluate my lesson plans, wondering how I could have improved my method of delivery, or how I could have reached my more challenging or troubled students?  With every comment I write in their report cards, I wonder if they will retain anything from my classes.  Have they actually learned?  Did my students actually grow up in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord in my classroom?

I am saddened that I will not be with these students next year.  God has closed one door but opened another one, so I will be moving from my Junior High position to teaching a Grade Six class after Christmas.  I love teaching Junior High Schoolers but I go where I am most needed and in this case it’s teaching Grade Sixers.  It will be a new challenge.

I prayed everyday for my students and prayed that I would daily try to represent my Lord well in the classroom.  I tried to show fairness and grace when a student needed that.  I tried to be firm when the need arose for that as well.  I made a point of smiling in the face of adversity, modeling patience and perseverance and fighting back my natural prideful nature by practicing humility.  That was sometimes the hardest thing for me to do.

Some days were silver and some days gold…and some days…well…they lacked any colour, but luckily they were few and far between.  The last day of classes was a “GOLD” day as my students surprised me with a birthday party.  It wasn’t even my birthday!!  I had mentioned that I had never had my birthday celebrated at school, even as a child, because I was an August baby.  So they surprised me with what they called a “pre-lated” birthday party.  It was awesome!

So, the school year is coming to an end.  I am looking forward to recharging during the summer and seeking direction for the new school year.  I have “run the race” set before me this year.  I kept the pace and with God’s encouragement I crossed the finish line…exhausted but feeling that overall I finished well!

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Friday Funnies – Dadisms

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Lynn

I don’t know who coined the word: “Dadisms” but it’s a great word!  I suppose “Momisms” will be next.  The word represents all those wonderful, silly, unusual, sometimes questionable phrases and words of wisdom that Dads have imparted to their children over the years.

My father had a zillion of them, here are some of my favorites:

“I may not always be right, but I’m never wrong!”

“Don’t do as I do, do as I tell you to.”

“How can I soar like an eagle when I am surrounded by turkeys?”

“On a dog sled team, like in life, if you’re not the lead dog then the scenery seldom changes.”

(Yeah, my Dad was quite the character.)

I thought for Friday Funnies in honour of Father’s Day I would let my readers send me their own “Dadisms”.

Happy Father’s Day!!

 

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When Students Read

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Lynn

A group of diverse children reading a book.

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see my Junior High students reading.  One, and I will admit a great added bonus, is the peace and quiet in the classroom when students are doing S.S.R. (sustained silent reading).  Two, books are the great gateways to new worlds and foster imagination and creative thinking.  Three, there is the added benefit of improved spelling scores.  It is said that “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”.  I totally agree.

I am “old school” when it comes to teaching.  I admit that.  There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the sound of pages turning in a quiet classroom.  Yes, there are few that read on their electronic devices, but for the most part, my students are immersed in their paperback novels and it’s a lovely sight!  I also quiz my students in vocabulary and spelling words.  Since September I am pleased to say my students have improved dramatically in spelling.  Yay!  I know it’s not common practice to teach spelling in Junior High, but as I’ve already stated, I’m “old school”.

One of my students is such an avid reader, I have to force her to put down a book long enough to hear directions in class.  She has read thousands of books in her young lifetime.  I am impressed.

Studies have shown, that students who read, seem to also excel in writing, spelling, as well as many of the other subject areas in school.  I have a big banner at the front of my classroom: “Turn the pages of your imagination: READ!”  My students know how important I think reading is.

So here are a few hints to parents to foster the love of reading in their child.  If you have a few tips please feel free to add them in comments.

1.  Start early.  I mean, start reading books to your children when they are toddlers.  Bedtime stories are great times to read together.

2.  When you are doing everyday activities with your preschooler read signs, back of breakfast cereal boxes, anything and everything that has print that can also become a teachable moment with your child.  It will help them learn their alphabet letters and help them to understand that we read all the time.

3.  Buy lots of books for your child.  I know computer literacy is BIG right now, but I’m still a big advocate on buying paper or board books, so children turn pages and look at illustrations from a book NOT a T.V. or computer/tablet screen.

4.  To foster reading in your child, model that behaviour.  Read books yourself.  Turn off the T.V. and immerse yourself in a good book.  Your child will take note!

5.  For older children and teens…read the books they read.  I have never been a censor of books per se.  I generally read the books that are popular BEFORE the kids read them, so I tend to immerse myself in what they are interested in.  That said, there are books I absolutely refuse to read because of their sexually explicit content or profane language or they have a definitively negative or immoral message that goes against God’s Word.  My kids know which books are “banned” in the household, and it’s a teachable moment to share why those books do not need to be read by them or by me.

6.  Lastly, if you want your children to read their Bible, make sure you model reading in YOUR Bible.  Just sayin’ !

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