el huracán

Between a stomach bug and a wedding in California, I only saw my students twice last week. Hopefully sometime soon, we’ll fall into a familiar routine. Praise the Lord! While I was away I received the news that our newest student has accepted Christ! What amazing growth we’ve seen in his life in two short weeks.

As for the hurricane…it was a bit disappointing. There was a good amount of rain and wind, but I didn’t even have to close the shutters on my windows. The power was out for a while, so I got to use the candles that have just been taking up room in my cabinets. Perhaps this was good practice for the next hurricane!

So thanks to Earl, this will be another short week of school. We should resume tomorrow. I miss my kids—I haven’t seen them in a week!

nuevos comienzos

Week One in Review:

My surprise new student adds an interesting dynamic to my classroom.  This dynamic is a bit more of a challenge than I had previously anticipated.  What would life be without challenges, though, right?

I think my students learned a little this week, but our time was mostly spent getting to know one another.  Two of my students are excited to learn about God, math, writing, science, and Spanish.  The other one does not seem to be excited about much of anything right now…except maybe sleeping during class.  He puts on a nice “tough guy” façade, but I know there is a lot of potential underneath.  (Friday was his birthday, and I think I saw a smile when I brought out his cake after lunch!) 

I had a chance to interact with all the students in the school this week—during chapel time, recess, and my art classes.  My high schoolers also got to spend time with the little ones.  Probably my favorite moment this week was when my students read stories to the preschool/kindergarten class.  Suddenly…my teenage boys become grownups as they sat balancing squirming little boys on their laps.  I saw a hint of frustration in their eyes when the little ones were not paying attention—I hope they remember this feeling the next time they start to get restless in my class!

My students are wonderful to me as I struggle with my sign language.  I had an interpreter this week, but I tried not to rely on her every moment.  I am extremely thankful for her help, and I am encouraged by a few successful attempts I had at communicating with my students by myself.  I’ve definitely learned a lot these past few weeks…but I have a long way to go! 

Please pray as I keep learning ASL, and pray that I soon discover the best ways to motivate my students, especially the new one. 

Sorpresa

6 words for Monday:
First day...7:30am.  Surprise!  New student.

Aren't surprises fun?  I guess God knows that I can handle it.  He knows best, right?

el primer dia...de verdad

Here's my six-word memoir for the night before the real first day of school...

I'll work all night...if necessary.

el primer dia

First day of school!

A group from Buffalo has come to open our school year with a week of Vacation Bible School.  That means we don't start teaching until next Monday--so I've got seven more days of nerves. 

Almost half of the students did not come today--including my two--so I had the chance to practice my Spanish with a three-year old.  Talk about a confidence boost--I have definitely mastered three-year-old Spanish!

We had fun today, though, and I am looking forward to hanging out (hopefully) with my own students tomorrow.  I'm exhausted from chasing the little ones!  That's why I'm writing this from the hammock on my front porch--my eyelids are becoming heavier with each word I type.