The beginning of the end

Tomorrow I take my final Educator Skills Test.

This one is on bilingual education.

110 questions.

2 1/2 hours.

$130.

God-willing, I will pass this test and be done with Educator Skills Tests FOREVER :)

If you haven't heard this yet,

have a listen:

Cuan grande es Dios!

The amazing thing about this song is that it was not recorded in one studio.
Every different language we hear was recorded separately, then meshed together to form this song.
Chris Tomlin speaks about the song here.

OH MY GOLLY GOSH GOSH!

It regards student teaching.

STUDENT TEACHER

noun

a student who is studying to be a teacher and who, 

as part of the training, observes classroom instruction 

or does closely supervised teaching 

in an elementary or secondary school.

It actually regards the long-withheld-but-recently-disclosed identity of my cooperating teacher.

COOPERATING TEACHER

noun

a classroom teacher who volunteers to host a student teacher, 

thereby giving up the task of teaching his/her class to the student teacher 

and serving as the student teacher's primary mentor.

Today, I was informed that my cooperating teacher will be...

Mr. P! 

MR. P.

proper noun, abbreviation

my former cooperating teacher for my 3-week field experience 
at the start of the school year!

Remember his class? They are the ones who sent me these:

I am SO excited!

Watch out, world! This woman is about to become a student teacher!

A new love

Is there something new you are learning?

Something, perhaps, you thought would NEVER be your thing?

But now it is?

Haha.

This is my roundabout way of introducing a new love:

Art.

Now, don't expect me to start wearing one of those silly hats or anything.

I'm taking an Art class this quarter -- or, rather, "Art in the Classroom," and -- I swear! -- it's like being back in elementary school art class! SO fun!

We meet once a week. Our instructor focuses on a different medium each week, guiding us through the creation of a piece of art through that medium, step by step. Then, our homework is to create 2 sketches throughout the week, implementing something we learned in class.

As I go through this class, re-discovering the joy of art along with the rest of my classmates, I can't help but remember two or three prophetic words I have received in the past: that God is releasing over me creativity, particularly in the arts. 

The only thing is, I've never considered myself to be artsy.

Little by little, though, first with writing, then with music, and now with art, it seems God is showing me that He wants to break off the limitations I've set on myself.

It truly is exciting to be in the middle of this -- of God awakening something in me!

And, the cool thing is, for Valentine's Day, a group of us volunteered to host a childcare event at church.

Guess what my station is? Yep. Watercolors!

I'm excited to share with these kids my new found love for art.

Hello, 2012!

I've had some time to re-evaluate why I blog.

For one, I don't want to do something that has no point. Do any of us?

I haven't heard God tell me to lay this down. So I've re-evaluated, and re-membered. This blog's purpose (right now) is to document my road to teaching. Of course, other things come up along the way that may seem unrelated (even to me) but that I will still post...because, after all, our lives are not like department stores, with a section for "School," a section for "Church," and a section for "Family." They all overlap, and they all affect all the rest.

So, with this renewed perspective, I hope you truly glean something from this blog, whenever it is that you happen upon it. I'll do my best to keep it separate from my journal, and to share things that are worth sharing.

Thanks for reading, and hello 2012!