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.