Runner's World Article

I ran this morning before school for the first time since school had started.

Then after my morning class, I come back to find the September issue of Runner's World had arrived! Yay!

If you have the chance to get your hands on the September 2008 issue of Runner's World, I highly recommend reading an article about Ryan Hall (pp.80-88, 146). The title of the article is "The Power and the Glory." It's excellent!

Ryan has quite the story to share!

Nametags... yummy

K1 REPORT

We had a great class this morning, with only one crier. The statistic is down from last week's average of two or three per class.

But it seems that my students have discovered their name tags make great chew toys... that, or since I teach them right before lunch, they are feeling hungry and can't help but chew? At one point I think I could count five of them sitting there, blinking at me, chewing on their names tags - baby style. But they are babies... so what could I say? The homeroom teacher didn't seem to mind.

They're cute. It's fun. And I pray that somehow through the course of the year, they'll be able to learn a little English - at least grow comfortable with hearing it - and most of all, that they'll be able to experience Christ's love through the lessons.

Age is of the Essence

So I come into the office this morning, sit down at my desk, exchange greetings and weekend news with a few coworkers sitting near me. Then Peggy starts giggling. I see she's holding a little stick-it note.

"Peggy, are you laughing about something you wrote?"

"Hee hee... yes. I need to ask Judy for some help."

Asking Judy for help makes sense - we all do that. Judy is a super-mom and one of the best problem-solvers - solution-finders I know. But I don't see the humor.

So I look at Peggy quizzically, seeing if she might continue and share the joke.

She does. "Hee hee... my brother needs a girlfriend."

"Oh, ha, well why is that? How old is he?"

"He is twenty-seven... not very young."

Peggy's face turns, for a moment, from jovial to concerned... in an older-sister type way. But the next moment, she grins again and laughs.

But my face turns suddenly distraught. "Peggy! Oh no! I'm going to be twenty-seven very soon!"

Peggy is now looks shocked... as it is a very big social faux pax to call someone old... which is kinda what she did.

She says to me, "Oh, you're still young."

I throw up my arms and cry, "No! No! Lies! Everything I've been told is all lies!"

Peggy decides to comfort me. She says, "I'm going to be twenty-nine!"

"Yes, Peggy, and you're married with a baby." But I've just been giving her a hard time and explain, "Really, Peggy, it's okay. I'm really not worried."

But at times like these, I wonder... maybe I should be?

Is my "all in good time - God's time" approach actually valid?

Going on twenty-seven?

Maybe I need to talk with the office match-maker...

Hear the (School) Bells Ringing!

School is back in session, and I'm so thankful for that! Today was crazy, but so good. Over the summer, even with that short stint of summer school, I forgot how completely exhausting teaching is. But it's a good exhausting. And it's all worth it when I get to actually TEACH and work with students! My favorite part of the whole day was probably seeing some of my students from last year. Two in particular. I saw them and they smiled and said, "Anna!" And I ran over to them and gave them hugs. They grinned from ear to ear as I asked, "How was your summer?! How are you?! Are you so excited to be in E5 now?!" I loved it. It was really cool. Last year, I remember thinking I could never love that class as much as I had loved the class before, but it happened, because now I'm thinking that same thing about these students, "Oh, they're cool. But I don't know if I could ever love this class as much as last year's." Ha ha.. praise God He grants us with endless love that is able to flow out and love ever more and more. If only me and my selfishness and sin wouldn't get in the way so much! But that is my prayer, that God blesses this year as well and these students and helps us all learn and grow... in English... and ever so much better - in CHRIST!

As a matter of getting the facts of the year down, I'm teaching E4 again (as I have the past two years) but I'm also teaching a couple new things - Bible class once a week to the E1 students and English/Phonics/Bible three times a week to the K1 students (three-year-olds). The-three-year-olds are a hoot and a half. I "read" the book "Cookie's Week" to them today. For those not familiar with this amusing specimen of children's lit, it's a book about a cat getting into trouble each day of the week. I pretty much just said, "Hello, cat! Goodbye, cat! Oh, no, cat!" and pointed out a few other things as I turned the pages. The students loved it. However, at three years old, they're thrilled if they can identify any fauna in their OWN language, let alone a second language. So they would yell out in Chinese, "Mow-mee!" which is Mandarin for "Cat." And since that was a feat to celebrate, I didn't tell them no... instead, I just responded, "Yes! Cat! Cat!" At one point, one of the students caught on, stopped, tilted her head, and said with a quizzical brow, "Cat?" They must figure I haven't quite developed that schema yet. Obviously I don't know a "Mow-mee" when I see one.