Pen Pals

When you are in college,
enrolled in the teaching program,
reading about tons of super-fun ways to teach otherwise-monotonous stuff,
and excitedly exchanging ideas with like-minded, naive, and optimistic classmates,
you say to yourself,
"When I am a teacher, I will do THIS!
And THIS!
And THIS!
And THIS!
And..what the heck,
I'll also do THIS!"

And so you begin your first year of teaching with a head full of ideals, imagining 24 sweet smiles turned towards you, thrilled to discover that you are the most wonderful teacher ever and that learning in your classroom will be pure fun.

It is not long before your ideals are crushed.

After the first day of school, the "sweet smiles" become mischievous sneers, blank stares, or submissive terror.

Between making sure ADHD George is in his seat,
just-from-Mexico Juan and Lucia understand what they're supposed to be doing,
spacey Joey and Elijah are actually using their math tile to practice multiplication instead of building towers,
mean-girl Kate has apologized for making sensitive Julia cry,
and special-education Gary isn't just sitting there clueless,
you feel lucky if even one student demonstrates the skill you are teaching,
and any thought of idealistic, touchy-feely, hands-on, extra, fun stuff goes out the window, along with your temper.

I'm not exaggerating. At all.

So, I am happy to announce that I have managed to implement ONE of my college-days ideas - pen pals!

And the kids are LOVING it (plus it's such a sneaky way to teach about proper letter-writing format and the importance of punctuation, spelling, and grammar).

My two older brothers and I all happen to teach 4th grade this year (crazy, huh?) So, one day, my brother Mario and I were talking about the possibility of being buddy classrooms, and so the idea of pen pals was birthed.

I announced the idea to my class just before Christmas break, and they were thrilled with the idea! (Although more than a few were like, "What's a pen pal?") Our classes exchanged Christmas cards, and just this month Mario and I paired our kids up, and the letter-writing began. It was cool to see kids like Elijah, who reads at a 2nd grade level and spends most of his time at home playing video games, actually excited to write! He was even one of the more conscientious ones when it came to revising and editing his letter. He wanted it to be great for his pen pal!

We just sent the letters last week, through the school's delivery system, and Friday, at the end of the day, my kids got to open their pen pal letters.

Oh. My. Goodness! You would have thought it was Christmas morning. Hardly any of the kids were sitting down. They were walking around the classroom, hands clutched to their letters, earnestly reading the words aloud. After every sentence, they'd look up grinning and exclaim to the nearest body, "Oh, he likes soccer, too!" "Oh, my gosh! He's a dare-devil!" "Teacher, she likes Monster High!"

And now, as much as I hated to spend precious instruction time deviating form the writing curriculum to work on these letters, I have to say it was worth it.

I'm looking forward to continuing the letter-writing. Mario and I decided to try for exchanging letters once a month, so I'll have a couple of weeks' wait, and a couple of weeks of the daily, "When are we going to write back to our pen pals, teacher?"

But that's okay. I can't wait to start again, either.

Nostalgia

I love the part
In fairy tales
That's very near the end
When all the kingdom cheers for their new Queen

And all is well
And all is good
And everyone belongs
And happily they're ever-aftering

But when I enter the kingdom of dreams
And face the promise of all I can be,
Will they see me as a heroine?
Tell me, will they let me in?
Won't someone let me in?

- Let Me In, Rigoletto

I'm feeling very nostalgic, and I started singing this song.

Maybe because I've been looking through old photos, like the one you see above.
Or the one you see below.

I've generally been very aware of change.

[But who isn't?]

And so much has changed.

Like this.

And this.

And this.

And I'm not sure if what I want is for all the change to be un-done, or for nothing else to change, or for something to change.

Have you ever felt like this? It's like you're caught in a limbo between the past and the future, and you're not quite sure how the present fits in.

It's moments like this that I become so aware of my need to cling to God.
He is stable -- my Rock.
His purposes are eternal -- my Guide.
His love is unchanging, and His joy is unfailing -- my Strength.

Car Accident Part III

All I wanted to add to Part I and Part II was a bit of insight into what God has spoken to me through the car accident. There is more to the story, and, if you ask me in person, I'd be more than happy to oblige your curiosity, but, for now, I just want to declare that I am a survivor of a rollover car accident!

The doctor said my angels must have been watching over me. I think he's right to a degree, but I hate to give the credit to angels. God allowed this to happen, and His hand was securing my safety through it.

Going back to how Part I began -- with me driving past the site of the accident, remembering it all, wondering what might have been -- a song came on the radio just as I was driving past. It's a song I've heard a lot of times before because, well, it plays on the radio, and I listen to the radio. But when it came on this time, it had a whole new meaning for me. God truly has been with me all this time.

And that's the end of this story.
And (dare I say it) the beginning of the rest of my life!

Car Accident Part II

If you missed part I, you can catch up on it here.

Forgive me for splitting the story up like this, but it took me so long to write the first part that it was my bedtime by the time I finished! And nobody wants me to stay up past my bedtime.

But, enough. On to part II.

---------------------

"Are you okay?" A muffled voice called out from behind me.

"Yes," I said through my hands.

Then, a knock to my right. "Are you okay?" A face was peering in at me through the passenger-side window. He hadn't heard me.

"Yes," I called, a little louder.

The face disappeared and, after the sound of rustling in the grass, it re-appeared to my left, at my window. "ARE - YOU - OKAY?"

"YES!"

"CAN - YOU - OPEN - THE - DOOR?"

I did open my door, to an older man who was so helpful. He stuck his body in through the door so that, when I unbuckled my seat belt, I would land on him instead of crashing down to the roof of the car (I know it's trippy to think backwards that way -- falling onto the roof). Then, he helped me roll out of the car door -- can I just say, I had to trust him on this one, because I was scared there would be broken glass all over the place, but he told me to roll out, so I did. And I didn't get any shards of glass in my side!

I stood up on the grass with the help of what seemed like dozens of hands. In reality, it was just the older man, a lady who appeared to be his wife, and a younger man who explained that he was a nurse. Together, they escorted me to their car, where I sat until medics and police arrived.

It wasn't until then, sitting, shivering, waiting, thoughts racing, that I thought about the other vehicle -- the one I had hit. Was the driver okay? Was the car okay? Were they angry with me?

I ended up remaining at the scene of the accident for about an hour and a half. I was checked out by 3 different medics, and found to be remarkably unscathed. Then, a police officer took over, a state trooper. He administered a sobriety test, took down all my information, and then took me to his car, where I could use his phone to call my dad and wait for him to pick me up (in the course of the accident, I had misplaced my phone and my glasses, so I was grateful for this police officer's guidance -- literally -- and phone). I was so blessed when I entered the police car to hear Positive Life Radio playing from his speakers -- only, maybe you can relate -- the songs provided the perfect atmosphere for me to sit and cry in.

I never did see the lady from the other car, or her car...or my car, for that matter. I think we walked past the lady on our way to the police car, but, because of the dark and my misplaced glasses, all I saw was a blur and a bunch of people crowded around a stretcher. I assumed the lady was on the stretcher, which really scared me.

After the state trooper went to check on her, I asked how she was.

"Well, when I first talked with her, she said she didn't need any medical attention. But after a while, you know, the adrenaline wears off, and she noticed some neck pain. So they're taking her to the hospital just to be safe."

I just nodded.

What a horrible feeling, to know you have caused someone else pain.

When my dad came for me, and we sat in his car, and the tow truck was driving away with my totaled 2002 Saturn, the state trooper approached my window.

"This is the bad part of my job." He proceeded to issue me a citation. Failure to stop at a red light, and all that.

"But keep your head up," he said, when he was finished. "It happens."

------------

To be continued (just once more - promise).

Car Accident, Part I

I drove through Cashmere today, like I do every day.

Some days, I can drive by, and I feel nothing. But today, as I drove through that intersection, something prompted me to look at the side of the road. I saw the tire marks in the grass, where it was matted down still, and even some debris strewn around. And then the thought came, -- what if...?-- and, before I knew it, I was in tears and keenly aware that God was with me that night, one week and a half ago.

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Thursday night, coming home from church, between 9:00 and 9:30 PM, I was approaching Cashmere and thinking about school...kind of emotional over a hurtful incident that came to mind. "Gosh, Dahlia," I told myself, "stop it!" as I removed my glasses to wipe my eyes.

Whether I ever put my glasses back on or not, I'll never know. Next thing I knew, there was a black car crossing the intersection directly in front me. Frightened, I realized I was in the middle of the intersection and that -- as a quick glance up confirmed -- the light was red.

Oh, no! Swerve to the left, getting past the car, CLANK of metal hitting metal. Hands gripped the wheel, foot floored the brake, but I watched helpless, as the highway spun out of sight, and I was propelled toward a grassy hill on the side of the road.

Immediately, I recognized this feeling. I felt it before, crossing Blewett Pass, when I slid on a patch of ice and my car U-ed around, out of my control, straight into the snowbank on the side of the road. Only, this time there was no snow to stop my car.

It went up onto the grass and flipped over -- "AAAAAHH!" I screamed, like when you're on a rollercoaster and you realize for the first time that you're about to go upside down. The flip sent a shower of dirt into my mouth and eyes. "Glass!" I thought, and covered my face with my hands. "Oh my gosh," I thought. "Will I still have time to make cream puffs tonight?"

And there I was. Upside down. Hands shielding my face. Seatbelt stretched taught across my chest and lap. Wheels spinning on the other side of the car floor, above my feet.

-------
To be continued.

Bearing fruit

"You guys," I told my students, "I want to apologize for being so grumpy today."

Agh. It was one of those days.

There was a spider on the floor.
The globe fell on a girl's head.
A boy stepped on said girl's leg.
She cried both times.
A boy asked to go to the office because he wasn't feeling well. The office sent him back, but he still didn't feel well. He was going to go to the office again - was halfway down the hall, when he realized it was recess, so he decided to stay, after all. Ha.

And -PROBABLY- this all grated on me just because I was frazzled to begin with-

Frazzled = not prepared = apologizing grumpy teacher.

And yet I called on the Lord, and He shifted my perspective, so that the end of the day was much better than the beginning of it.

The other day,  when I was feeling similar to how I felt today (ahem....nasty, snappy, grouchy, and - dare I say - crunchy), I skipped lunch and sat in my dark classroom, lights off, Bible in hand. And I read.

I am the vine. 
You are the branches.

Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself,
unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you,
unless you abide in me.

I am the vine;
You are the branches.

(From John 15)

And I wrote down this scripture on a sticky note, stuck it to my desk. Cause I don't ever want to forget.
He is the vine.
I am the branch.
And I must bear fruit for these children to pick.

Funny.

We've been learning about fruits in science. :)

Tunes

There are two songs that I listen to over and over again in my classroom.

I don't know why I've been listening to almost exclusively songs in Spanish when I'm at school. I could probably do some psychological soul-searching to find out. Or I could just share my current top two songs with you.

1. Marcela Gandara's song, "Valiente y Esforzada."

It has been my anthem, since before school began. It's one of those songs that hits right to your core the first time you hear it, and you can't let it go.

Here's a rough translation of part of it:

I am strong and courageous, and I don't grow weary at all.

To my right and to my left, my eyes are on the goal:

Jesus, you have my gaze.

Jesus walks by my side.

I go with you, and I don't fear anything.

I am secure, cause you love me.

I trust in you because you guide my life

Every day you are faithful.

2. Rojo's song, "¿Donde, Como?" 

This one I think just gets me because of the catchy tune. Listen to it and tell me it's not catchy! I haven't actually learned anything except the chorus so far. But you can bet I will.

There's a peek into what I'm listening to. Please share when you catch a tune that wiggles your ear.

Cherries, teaching, and Washington, D.C.

How long has it been since my last post?

I'm scared to do the math. 

I assure you, it has been time well spent.

6 weeks working in the cherry warehouse, with my cousins.

During this time, I was hired for a 4th grade teaching position at a local elementary school! There is a story behind this, but, seeing as how the time I've allotted for myself to write this post is almost up, it will have to wait for another time. [Sorry!]

After the cherries, and after a week of making a mess of my classroom, my brother and I headed out for a 10-day D.C./Virginia trip! SO much fun! We had been planning it for a long time, and, even though at first I felt guilty for leaving my messy classroom for so long, I believe it was worthwhile.

Allow me to throw some photos at ya.

We had a red-eye flight to D.C. If you've done one of these before, you understand how we felt -- red eyes, indeed.

Remember the Titans? We had the privilege of seeing T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. [Not actually where the movie was filmed, as we were disappointed to discover.]

We spent LOTS of time in the American History museum [6 hours, to be exact.] So fascinating. George Washington was there to greet us at one of the levels [but I honestly can't remember if we saw him at the American History or the Natural History museum...I guess the former makes more sense].

My primo Silve accompanied us when he was free. Here he is pictured with my hermano in front of the Washington monument.

See Mr. Lincoln in the distance? In front of him is the World War II memorial. Close-ups follow.

Library of Congress, ceiling.

One of the best tours we had was that of the Capitol. Because we requested it through our senator Patty Murray, my brother and I got a personalized tour from one of Murray's interns, who was from Seattle!

Mt. Vernon [home of THE George Washington] ended up being very close to where we were staying in Alexandria, Virginia.

George Washington's tomb at Mount Vernon:

Soldier's Home, a.k.a. Lincoln's Cottage [where Lincoln and his family stayed for part of his presidency. It is just 3 miles from the White House, I believe].

The women's memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. While we were there, a young man dressed in a suit walked in. He left behind a bouquet of roses. 

The highlight of our trip: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Wow.

Okay, so this next photo might seem out of place. Let me explain. After our tour of the Pentagon, we visited the Pentagon memorial honoring those who died from the plane crashing into it on 9/11. Just outside the memorial was an outhouse. THE fanciest outhouse I have ever seen. Proof:

Supreme Court:

Iwo Jima memorial:

Our final stop we took while on our way to Virginia Beach: Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. See his grave below, followed by his house.

That's all I have time for today. 

Coming soon: classroom before and after photos, and a full report from your very own 4th grade teacher. :)

From graduation to summer break

I figure it's high time for a graduation post!

One week ago, I graduated with my B.A.Ed in Elementary Education!

My lovely family was there to support me.

A local graduation celebration preceded the ceremony by a week. That was a good time.

And a week full of math games, poetry, movies, and snacks followed it.

Oh, and, before I forget, remember my suspicion that the kids were writing poems for me?

Haha, I was right. They did.

So now I am a university graduate.

But the train doesn't stop there. I have job applications pending, a trip to D.C. in the works, and today was my first day working cherry season 2012. (Cherries are big around here.)

Got any summer plans?