Back to School

Yesterday said hello to fall quarter once more, my last fall quarter ever! And, though I had an aching head and a couple of near-coughing attacks [that was when I gladly took a break from class and ran to re-fill my water bottle], it was fun to be back with my classmates. And it was great to meet some new [albeit quirky] professors.

This is most of the cohort, minus a few absentees.

One of my goals is to get an updated class photo this quarter, with EVERYBODY in it.

Think I can do it?

Books, jalapenos, and relationships

I was sick today, with not much to do at home. I think I checked my email nearly 100 times and thought about blogging nearly as many times --- but, what's there to blog about when you're lazy and grumpy?

So I made lunch and then read.

And I ran an errand for my dad, and then read.

And I helped Oliver with his homework [reading], and was so tired of reading by then that I tried to take a nap. [Have you ever tried taking a nap with a five-year-old on the loose?]

Finally, at around 7:00 PM, when I realized a nap was not going to happen and how yucky and lazy I was being, I decided that, sore throat or no, headache or no, groggy or no, I needed to be a willing help to my parents.

So, after my Daniel fast dinner:

I helped my parents can some jalapenos.

I wish I could have helped more, but I'm truly a novice at this, so mostly I just watched, took pictures, and followed occasional orders from my dad.

And, you know what? After helping my parents, my headache has lessened, my throat is less sore, and I am less groggy.

So it seems today has been another lesson in relationships. God has created us to be revived when we fellowship with, or work alongside other people, and NOT when we seek to further our own selfish interests.

Day Last: Goodbyes

My pre-autumn field experience ended today with hugs, cards, roses, cupcakes, and extra recess for all! 

Here's to the best three weeks of my college education.

Can I come back...please?

Beauty

Day ???: On the up and up

I took my purse to school today...

...and emptied the contents of it in front of Mr. P's 4th grade class!

I set up the scenario that I was going to the movies tonight, and that I didn't want to take my purse with me, to avoid leaving it behind by accident. SO, I wanted them to help me determine what was most important for me to take to the movies with me.

It actually went so much smoother than my last lesson, which, as you may remember, kind of flopped. Part of the reason was probably because I had a notes up there with me, per Mr. P's advice.

I did need to reference the notes [very stealthily, while I had students sharing their ideas with each other], and that way I was able to stay on track. I am much more encouraged after this lesson that, indeed, teaching is for me. I just need lots more practice.

Tomorrow, Mr. P. will be gone all day, for a meeting. It will be Mr. M [a substitute] and me. I'm excited to be able to help Mr. M. familiarize himself with the class and the way we do things.

Goodbye, Tuesday. Hello, Wednesday!

[The week's halfway through, guys! -- good or bad, depending on your perspective.]

Warmed my heart

At the end of the day, a very shy student, who I had colored with during the afternoon recess, bashfully handed me this.

Cover:

Inside:

And Mr. P. got one that said, "Mr. P, you're the best teacher with Mrss Avila."

:) Although teachers are very likely used to getting drawings and cards from their students, I believe that their hearts still warm up every time, like mine did. I want to give her something back, but what?

In the midst of all of this...

Little Oliver has had both a long-needed haircut and his first [and second] day of school!

And, he still seems excited to go to school, even after finding out that there's more to kindergarten than just recess!

I've also been hired on for several part-time jobs this fall -- Two middle-school tutoring positions, one after-school magazine class instructor, and one holiday store transition worker. Thank You, Lord, for providing in abundance!

Where did we leave off?

Sorry to end on such a disappointing note.

The day after my "rough day," I had the best day.

And, now, I'm eager for the weekend to give way to Monday again. How often in our lives can we say that?

Today, I taught a lesson for the first time, about making connections while reading. I found that, while I thought I had the lesson organized in my head, it wasn't nearly organized enough! Mr. P. makes teaching look so easy that I thought I could get by without any notes! Boy, was I wrong!

The good thing is, as Mr. P. said, "Well, the whole point was to get them to make connections, right? And they did that." If that is the measure of success, then I would have to concede and say that the lesson was indeed successful. The students made connections to "Ira Sleeps Over." But the lesson sure took a few detours and bumpy roads, let me tell you!

In the future, I'll use notes until I'm good enough to make teaching look easy, like Mr. P.

Day 4: Rough

I woke up to the sun shining in through my window.

It only took me a split second to realize that something about this picture was not right.

SHOOT! I thought, bolting out of bed. WHAT TIME IS IT? I flipped open my phone. 7:00. AHHH!

I put on who-knows-what and was racing down my driveway 11 minutes later, then racing into Lincoln Elementary School 5 minutes late. Of course, Mr. P. didn't say anything. Nobody seemed to know that I had almost literally stepped from my bed into the classroom today...but I knew.

My head ached. My left eye twitched [it's been doing that since Saturday - anyone have ideas?]. My hair frizzed. My eyelids drooped. And my stomach growled. I hadn't had breakfast, and I didn't pack a lunch. It was a forced fast today.

And yet, I only briefly mentioned this to Mr. P. Nobody seemed to know that I felt like a failure today. Just me.

After school, I raced to church to do some work [another story in itself]. As soon as I got myself situated in the office, I just told it all to the Lord. I cried a little, but, just talking things through with Him made my frustrations seem so silly and the answer to them so simple. My main frustration was that I wasn't being real with Mr. P.

In all this internal chaos, I've been trying to appear calm, collected, and confident -- even though I'm in an altogether NEW situation! What pride! I see now that I must open myself up to Mr. P, and be vulnerable with him. I'm NOT a practiced teacher! I don't HAVE to stand like a teacher, sit like a teacher, speak like a teacher, smile only when he smiles, look stern when he does, -- or any of that! It's okay for me to look like a novice, because I am one!
So, tomorrow's another day. As for now, I'm going home...to eat.

P.S. Today, Mr. P. asked me if I wanted to teach a lesson on Friday. I said yes!  God, help me.

Day 3: Longing

I got through the day, and it was a good day.

But I want MORE! I want to go DEEP with these kids, though they are just kids. I want to sow into them. I want to impart passion and see them grow.

But, I must remember that they are not MINE. They are not even Mr. P's. They are not even their parents'. They are God's children, entrusted by God to their parents, and entrusted by their parents to Mr. P...and me...kind of.

The longing goes in a different direction, too. The hunger to teach is growing! Yay! This first year of teacher training that I have gone through, I can't say that I have worried, but I have wondered -- God, when will You awaken in me a passion for teaching? I KNOW teaching is my calling. I've known this for some time. It was this certainty only that led me to pursue the calling, without passion. But now the passion is being awakened. I want to TEACH! I don't want to just walk around the class and answer questions and collect papers and laminate name tags! I want to teach!

And -- I long to be myself. I am finding [although I assumed as much from the start] that Mr. P. and I have differing ideas on some things. While he shares his ideas, I just smile and nod. Smile and nod. But, inside, I have questions for him, to test his ideas or challenge them. I will work on expressing myself genuinely, instead of trying to remain agreeable. I will ask God to help me be who He has called ME to be in that classroom, instead of trying to imitate Mr. P's easy-goingness.

So, one week down, two more to go, and this is where I'm at.

More on this topic later, following a three-day weekend!

Day 2: Falling in Love

We had a cryer today -- poor thing! She was worried about her little brother, a first-day kindergartener. And the worry manifested itself in heart-wrenching tears! AH! I comforted her as much as I could and then gratefully left her in Mr. P's hands. After seven years of teaching or so, he must have more experience with this stuff than I do!

This whole incident took me back, though, to when I was a junior in high school. I was a teacher's aid for a 2nd grade class. While the little runts were coming in from recess and I sat correcting papers, one little girl walked -- crying -- up to Mrs. D, the teacher, saying that she missed her mom. Her pretty little face was all scrunched up and wet with tears as Mrs. D took her into her arms, sat down, and rocked her back and forth, back and forth.

I watched the exchange with a sense of surprise and some discomfort. But it touched a part of my heart very deeply, maybe that mothering part. I believe that was one incident that God used to draw me to teaching, and I haven't forgotten it.

All that to say -- I'm helplessly falling in love with these students. God, help me!

Day 1: Pre-Autumn Practicum

Has a day ever felt longer? Haha.

Mr. P said once that he always bears the first day of school with an eager desire for it to end. "The kids are just...weird" on the first day, he said. I found them adorable, so I'm wondering what I am to expect of their "normal" behavior.

One little girl walked up to me halfway through the day to hand me a piece of paper. All day, kids had walked up to me to hand me their completed work, so I expected no different from this young lady. "This is for you," she said. I took it and saw the words "Miss Avila" written there, with colored polka dots punctuating the rest of the space. Awww! I said I loved it, gave her a hug, and inserted it into the back window of my practicum binder.

At the end of the day, one little man said, "Today was fun!" Ha! Would you like to know today's agenda?
1. Get to school and play.
2. Come inside and draw [make nametags]
3. Play a get-to-know-you handshake game.
4. Learn about MYD [discipline system]
5. Go back to seats and draw [name tags]
6. Go outside and PLAY "wizards and trees" [a team-building game]
7. PLAY some more!
8. Come inside, then go back out for lunch recess [PLAY!]
9. Eat lunch in the classroom, and draw/read when done
10. Read [Okay, this WAS an instance of schoolwork.]
11. Make, color, & decorate personal posters
12. Recess [Play!!]
13. Posters again
14. Go home!

My point being: of COURSE it was a fun day! It was a play day! Woo! But -- poor kids -- will they be disillusioned when the real work comes?

And, I'd like to take a few sentences here to praise Mr. P. He is so good and so patient with me. While he takes care to teach me just like he teaches his students [methodically, thoroughly], he also lets me make decisions on my own. And he does it all so subtly that I don't feel a bit like he's exasperated with me or like I'm taking up his time. I will admit that, when I first knew I would be placed with a male teacher that I did not even know, I was disappointed. But now, I see that God's hand was in it all along, and, as my mom put it, I "lucked out!" It's almost as good as working with one of my own brothers. I am truly looking forward to the rest of this practicum experience!

Peace out!
More later.

P.S. I really wish I could post pictures on here from the practicum, but -- alas! -- that would violate the students' right to privacy. Bah.

Launching Pre-Autumn Practicum

More than a few times in the past few weeks, I have had the intention of beginning a post, but I have not followed through with it until now.

After 5 days of camping and lots of family time, I find myself preparing for a teaching practicum, to begin in two days. And, seeing as how the original purpose of this blog was to serve as a place for me to reflect on teaching experiences, you can expect timely and genuine reflections over the next three weeks.

What will I do? This practicum is intended to provide me with the opportunity to see what it's like to begin the school year, from the teacher's perspective, of course!

SO, I've had the privilege of being paired with Mr. P, a 4th grade teacher in the area. Today, I helped him prep for day one as much as I could, but the first day of school is actually in two days, on Wednesday. I've been surprised at how honoring Mr. P is of my ideas! Me, a simple college student who only aspires to teach one day! He, a teacher with 6 or 7 years already under his belt! Why should he ask for my opinions? But he does, and I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. P!

More to come. :)

Engagement Party

This past weekend, we hosted an engagement party for Jared and Ivory.

Lots of people showed up, although we invited many more. Many of those who came also brought tasty treats. [That was the general idea!]

We played a fun game that embarrased nearly everyone.

But my favorite part of the night was probably when all the little kids swam in the pool while the adults sat around the couple as they shared their story. More than a story, it's a testimony of God's sovereignty.

I'll certainly let you all know when their wedding website is published, because that will include a written version of the story.

Besides the story-telling, I also loved the fellowship.

And this beautiful woman made it all happen. Thanks, Mom!

[All photo credits: Estela Avila]

Wooooooo!

Because this directly related to the road to teaching [and that is what inspired the initiation of this blog], I MUST share!

A few weekends ago, I took a trip with four other classmates to Ellensburg, a.k.a. Central Washington University headquarters. While there, we took a test -- or, really, half of a test. This test is THE test for education majors. We CAN NOT become certified if we do not pass this test. [Why am I being so ambiguous? The test is called the WEST-E.]

Now that that is clear, I was informed today that I PASSED THE WEST-E!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Actually, like I hinted at before, I only passed half of the WEST-E. I'll take the other half sometime during winter quarter. But still. :)]

Please, congratulate me.

Hehe.

Summer days

It's awesome to have so much time to just laze around!

When the blueberries need picked, we can just pick them! When the lawn needs mowed, by gosh, let's mow it! When that book needs read [haha!], let's read it!

And I'm learning more about gardening. I was going to water my garden today because the dirt looked dry. "No!" said my dad. "Look!" He bent down and brushed off the top layer of dry dirt. Underneath, it was all dark and moist. "You're overwatering it!" Woops.

I'd like to have my mom help me dig up those daisies. They almost make the garden look like a tombstone.

I am starting to like dahlias more than I used to. Being my namesake, I've almost had to will myself to like them! Thankfully, even if they weren't always my "style," they've always been beautiful flowers, so it hasn't been hard to learn to love them.

And petunias, well, not my fave, but they made for a great picture today.

My favorite flower in this garden is the soft pink carnation, but I couldn't get a good photo of it.

If I could re-do my garden, I would pay more attention to color coordination! :)

As it is, I am amazed by how beautiful each of the flowers is! They each seem to be alive somehow, flourishing even when I fail to water them [or water them too much!] I can truthfully say that I am more grateful to God for flowers now than I ever have been.

Retrospect: the anticipation

The weekend that Jared proposed to Ivory, I had my camera on me and snapped a few photos of Ivory and I at random moments [like just before going to sleep two nights before, and while driving over the pass the day before.]

[She had no idea why my smile was so large.]

Ouch.

I smother my shoulders and neck with aloe vera gel, and I think, 'This kind of hurts, but it was worth it.'

I twist my torso and feel the aching muscles, and I think, 'Man, I'm really weak. I need to keep running with Mom in the mornings!' [But that's beside the point.]

It was SO worth it!

What was? Yesterday, I joined the Gilleys for a day of rafting down the Wenatchee River. The river is practically in my backyard, but it never crossed my mind to raft down it until, a few days ago, the Gilleys invited me over the phone. You can bet I was nervous, and perhaps with good reason [I fell out of the boat!], but I compare it to riding a rollercoaster -- exhilerating! Haha. So, would I recommend it? Yes. For everyone? No. [For example, I don't think my mom would enjoy it very much.] You can read a little more about our adventure on the river here, from Bek's blog.

Another ouch came today. It was seeing my dad in the hospital, which was also another first. He's doing well, recuperating from surgery and all, but still -- seeing the strongest person I know in pain - ah! It's hard.

While visiting in my dad's hospital room, our pastor joked that sometimes, if we ignore God's call to rest, He forces rest upon us. Haha. My dad laughed.

Can it be? Is it true?

Today I submitted the last assignment of this summer quarter. With that submission came immeasurable freedom! It's amazing how much I can do now without having the reminder of an unfinished homework assignment whispering in my ear.

Really, I get to plunge myself fully into this wedding planning stuff. I think it's fun. Who knows if that will last? Maybe it will be fun until the last few weeks, when the time is near with some projects still unfinished.

Something I've been blessed by [and Ivory more than me, I'm sure] is the amount of generosity that people have extended toward our family for this wedding! The Crealocks offered their time and resources immediately, which might be a "given" for some people [parents of the groom and all], but it came as a genuine surprise and blessing to me. Also, a friend of the family [really, the mother-in-law of Ivory's best friend] almost begged [not really - I jest] to host a bridal shower for Ivory. AND, a lady and longtime friend from our church immediately said she would organize a bridal shower at church for Ivory.

Whew! Thank you, Lord! Community is amazing, and it extends beyond what we sometimes realize.

Set a Fire

I'm holding on to see if I'll make it this month with $10 leftover to buy that CD. For now, it's youtube videos for me.

Here's one I listened to over and over again yesterday:

Progress

After we thought we had looked at every possible bridesmaid dress available to us through the Internet, Ivory and I happened upon The Dress: black, white, and affordable! [I won't post the picture, because it's fun to keep secrets. :P]

As difficult it was to come to terms with the fact that my sister will be leaving, now that I have, it's so fun and such a privilege to get to help plan for her and Jared's big day. It's a first for her, and it's a first for me. It's a first for Jared and his family, too. And, although Armando has already been married, it's the first time our family has been on the planning side of a wedding. Firsts are just as exciting and adventurous as they are difficult and scary.

Now, before I go spending hours browsing for shoes to wear to the wedding, I have a final to study for and four assignments to complete.

P.S. Check this out!

Wedding Planning

It's unreal that my sister is at that Point in her life.

You know the Point, right?

It's the Point dramatized in every culture, every form of media.
And it's the Point fantasized by every girl.

ENGAGEMENT!

And I get to be a part of this!
I get to be a brain that helps her think through plans, and hands and feet that help to execute them.
It's unreal.

Lately, we've been web-shopping for bridesmaid dresses [AH!] It's not only fun, but also a lesson in tastes and in submission to our Dad. ["Dad, what do you think of this dress?" "No." "Ohhh...okay..."] AND, it can be frustrating. I've not gotten to the point yet where I'm in the depths of despair, but the chances of finding a dress that Ivory loves, I agree with, and my dad sanctions seem pretty darn minimal. BUT, God has proven Himself faithful in issues like this time and again. There is the Dress, somewhere, that honors Him and flatters us. I'm excited to find it!

Of course, we're doing all of this somewhat prematurely. The date has not been set, and neither has the wedding party. :) Hehe..woops.

My day has just been made!

I'm so stoked that this album is now available on iTunes!

I've been holding off on buying it because of the hassle of paying to have the album shipped to me from Argentina!

The band is Toma Tu Lugar, led by Marcos Brunet. Brunet's vision is to see the church take its place as true worshippers, in the church and out, so that God can take His rightful place over our nations. Hence their name, "Toma Tu Lugar," which literally translates into "Take Your Place."

And the band is adequately aligned with their vision. They are primarily a team of worshippers. All of their songs are recorded live, from worship conferences they are invited to all over Argentina and [sometimes] surrounding countries. It's prophetic worship that SO invites any listener to become a participator, to enter into a time of total adoration of our God.

If you are at all interested in Spanish worship music, this album is a MUST. Just search "Toma Tu Lugar" on iTunes.

Oh, and their first album is also now on iTunes:

I own this 2-disc album, and it's a keeper.

Check them out on facebook, twitter, youtube, or myspace.

OR, just check them out here, at their website, where you can preview tracks and read about their vision.

It's official!

Jared & Ivory

Lost and Found

You know the feeling when you put on a jacket you haven't worn in a year, stick your hand in the pocket, and find a $20 bill?

That's something like how Ivory and I felt when we discovered an undeveloped roll of film.

What could be on it?

When was it from?

Ivory took the film to be developed, and here are some of the treasures that were on it:

An almost-forgotten visit from a friend:

"Batdorf Espresso" in Leavenworth. We shot the picture while shopping, two or three years ago, to show to Ellie.

And shots from a girls' day hike behind our house, probably at least two years ago:

The Hiding Place

I know this book is by no means new. It is likely that you have already read it, maybe even more than once. It was written in the 70s, I think, and the story it tells took place decades earlier, amid the horrors of the Holocaust, during World War II. But, as I have heard before, although the book is old, it holds timeless truths.

Just to share one insight I gained from Corrie's story:

The fleas!

There is a part in the story where Corrie and her sister Betsy find themselves in Ravensbruck, a German extermination camp, and they are introduced to their new living quarters. The first sight of them appalls Corrie. It's a room, made to house 400 people, but now accommodating 1,400 on large, long bunks. The mattresses smell of urine, and they are crawling with fleas. Corrie is driven to despair, but Betsy reminds her that their weapon is gratefulness. Together, they begin thanking God for everything they can think of -- for leading them to Ravensbruck, for all the women they can reach out to, for the Bible they have managed to sneak past all of the guards, "and for the fleas," says Betsy.

James Brown's depiction of women's sleeping quarters in Ravensbruck

 "The fleas!" Corrie is astonished. But Betsy insists that they are to give thanks for everything, in any circumstance. So Corrie thanks God for the fleas, but she is sure she could never be grateful for them.

As Corrie and Betsy get established in the extermination camp, they notice that they have almost no supervision in their living quarters, so they are free to hold Bible readings and worship sessions that bring life to the women around them. They later discover that the reason they were unsupervised is because the guards wanted to keep their distance...because of the fleas!

This was an impressing way to see that, indeed, isn't every detail of our lives in God's plan?

This book is definitely going under "Dahlia's Picks." I highly recommend it.