Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Let me preface this post about my students by saying that the names listed in this and any further posts are not the real names of my students. I have devised some pseudonyms for them to protect their precious little identities. I’m hoping this won’t cause me to struggle when I address them in the classroom. I’m sure I will let you know.

My post today took place a little over 4 hours ago as my mentor teacher, Mrs. Porterfield, filled out a KWL chart on Martin Luther King Jr. For those of you who ask, “What is a KWL chart?” Let me tell you. The letters stand for three questions: What do you Know? What do you Want to know? And what did you Learn?

Since we taught the students a little bit last week about King, we wanted to see what they remembered before listening to the read-aloud.

Here’s what they said. If it seems boring at first, imagine second-graders saying these things, and keep reading… I promise it’s adorable!

What do you Know about Martin Luther King Jr?

>He was shot

>He had a dream.

>That white and black people would be friends

>He got an award.

>He was a friend of Rosa Parks.

>He got arrested.

What do you Want to Know about Martin Luther King Jr.?

>What he eats

>How good was he at basketball?

>What shoes did he wear? (Dominic responds: “We don’t need to ask that. You can just look at the picture in the book and see.”)

>Did he play soccer?

>How old was he when he died? (Molly: “That’s tricky.” Like answering the other questions was a simple feat!)

What did you Learn about Martin Luther King Jr.?

>He was 39 when he died. (Lynn: “That means he would have turned 40 yesterday.” Mrs. Porterfield: “No, he’s dead.” Lynn: “Then how old did he turn yesterday?” Mrs. Porterfield: “He didn’t turn anything. He’s dead.” Lynn: “Hmmm.”)

>He was a minister.

>He protested peacefully.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day Everyone!

The First Three Snow Days of School

Student teaching has had a very interesting start! It has held surprises that I didn’t expect to encounter; but these have not been surprises in the classroom. I have been more in awe of the wonderful grace of Jesus as I get settled into my time down here. It is quite obvious that God wanted to take me from my comfort zone in Dubuque, IA down here to Murfreesboro, TN to re-learn what my life should look like living in complete reliance on him. I am so blessed. For a while, I was wondering whether God was trying to stop me from coming down here….

First, my housing fell through in November.

Second, I didn’t have the funding that I knew would be necessary to survive while down here.

Third, I didn’t have a job down here.

And fourth, about 3 hours from arrival, my car was acting up pretty badly.

But in all of these scenarios, God provided for me. I am reminded that he wants me to be flexible. Everyone can recognize that this is the lesson that I need to learn, right. Miss “List-maker” & “Plan Every Minute” kind of girl. But in all honesty, in all of these moments when I was brought to my knees asking God to provide for me, He drew me closer to himself first. Then in each scenario, in his perfect time, HE PROVIDED! Everything that I have NEEDED!

As far as my student teaching is concerned… I wonder as to the road ahead. Mrs. Porterfield (my mentor teacher) has spent many weeks of the first half of the year out of the classroom. First she got the shingles for three weeks, second she pulled her back out, and finally a few weeks before Christmas her doctor ordered her home to rest. What’s in store for me? Will this be a lesson that I spend the rest of my life learning? Or will I grow from this now and find other challenges ahead of me for the rest of my life? I look forward to what Christ is going to do in me. Worrying about how and when I will learn these lessons is unimportant!

For a while, I was just frightened at the prospect of what God could have for me. Afraid, actually, more than I’ve ever been of anything in my life; but just seeing how he provided for me this first week has touched my heart. I hope that in the good and bad times I will continue to sing His praises. As Colin prayed the night when the car was acting up, “there are major dilemmas in life that we often look back on and see as mere speed bumps in the road…” May I look at life in light of knowing the Master Planner and Designer!

K, I promise... My next post will involve some stories about my students. I just wanted to share something from this time of transition :-)