Summer Academy 2011!

Summer school was phenomenal. Signing up for summer school back in the spring seemed like such a good idea at the time...I mean, hellooooo, extra money! But then the week before it starts, it doesn't seem like the best idea...I mean, my summer break was really only 6 weeks long. 6 weeks with not one vacation. 6 weeks with 12 undergrad credits and 6 grad credits. 6 weeks of being miserably busy! And then...summer school came with a BANG! But, at least I got 6 weeks to do all that, and I am thankful for that. I learned SO much this summer. Speaking of learning, I just read this awesome book for work called the "Five Dysfunctions of a Team." I'd highly recommend it! It only took about 1.5 hours to read, it was really well written, and it really got me to actively think about how important it is to be a team player. Read it!

But it really was such a great and fun experience. I really enjoyed it! I loved spending time with the kids outside of the regular school year and I think that it really built a bond between them and I. I have a substitute for tomorrow and Friday since I have new teacher orientation, and a couple of my kids were crying. It was sad- but sweet. Teaching summer school truly blessed me, and I am so thankful for a wonderful job with awesome teachers and wonderful students. On a plus, my body is now back in the routine of waking up at 5:30 or earlier...and I've been waking up naturally, without an alarm clock! :)

Here's some pictures of the week!

I got these flowers from a 2nd and 3rd grader. :)

On Monday,  I was teaching about Africa. So, during recess, without prompting, my kiddos found this! Such a proud teacher of her students!

I edited names and addresses out, but this is the work of a rising 2nd who had a LOT of difficulty with spelling last year. She wrote this by herself- I didn't help her spell anything. I am more proud of her than I think I have ever been of a student.

My theme was "Around the World in 10 Days." LOVED IT! I had the students create a passport on the first day, and they added stamps each day as we learned about new continents and countries. So fun! :)

I also edited the name off of this one. During writing for the past week and a half, we worked on an animal research book. The students all picked an animal, and we talked about the animals, and wrote about them. This was one of my favorite activities that I have ever done, and it was a HUGE hit with the kiddos.

This week.

I've been having a really great week of fellowship with God.

But of course when you start to experience such sweet communion with Christ, He throws some trials at you to test your faith.

That has been the story of my week.

First, my husband's contract for his job ended (like we expected, but we were praying it would get extended). To top that off, I don't get my first paycheck until the end of September, and even though we saved as much as possible to cover us until the end of September, we are still short about $1000 or so. So, we are back to praying. Not that we ever stopped, but we're back to praying every second of every day. Sometimes, it just really feels like God doesn't want us in Virginia...I mean, this was the third job we've lost in 8 months. We are praying, but it's easy to feel discouraged.

I am currently in grad school at Liberty. I love my classes, and I'm super excited about. Unfortunately, I don't feel the same way towards Liberty's financial aid office. I really do think that most schools financial aid/billing offices are so corrupt...but I find it ironic that two out of the three colleges I've to that are CHRISTIAN schools have literally worse financial aid/billing offices than the secular college I went to. Perhaps this is because we expect Christians to show grace, or even more so, to do their job right the first time?!

So, of course, upon acceptance to Liberty, they decided to select my financial aid for verification. Of course. And of course, I took summer class which is under the 2010-2011 financial aid year and fall classes which is under the 2011-2012 year. And I got selected for verification for both. Well, summer classes are almost over, and guess what school has a bunch of idiots that still hasn't processed my summer financial aid even though they've had all the documents? And now, it's going to take even longer because they mistakenly filed a 2011-2012 document under 2010-2011 and are refusing to remove the document until they've "reviewed" it and now I have to send in another document to get it removed? Oh, and guess who won't be able to take classes during the first 8 weeks (their terms are 8 weeks long) because they haven't processed my summer financial aid? And guess what that means...that means I get to take NINE credits during the second 8 weeks...while teaching full-time. YEAH RIGHT! 

Man, I yelled at that guy. He kept apologizing, but I was like, "Look, to be honest, your apology means nothing to be unless you get me registered for classes for these first 8 weeks. If you can't do that, then you aren't going to be let off the hook for making an idiotic mistake."

I'm still not registered for classes. I'm so upset and since I'm a former Pantalena...I'll eventually get what I want. ;)

But through it all, I will trust Jesus. He has always provided for us in the past, no matter how impossible the situation has seemed, and I know He will continue to provide. I'm so thankful for His unending love, and that He would choose to love my unlovable heart. Praise be to Him!

Teaching English to Refugees

I really enjoyed this blog post. Here's a preview of it...

"They straggle into the classroom, some early, some right on time, some a few minutes late. I don’t hold it against them. This is not the willful laziness of college. My students haven’t opted to sleep late or chosen to stand outside the door talking with a friend. If they are late it is because of their work or because one of the three buses they take to make it to the school was delayed.

My students have not come to the United States as travelers, but as refugees, as people without a home. They are far, far braver than me. They astound me with their courage. I am amazed that they still laugh, that they bother to ask me how my day was, that they mourn for each other’s losses when their own are at least as great. It is because of this courage, this joy, and this compassion that I spend every Tuesday night in the windowless basement room of a church. It is because I have been given so much in a world where so many are given so little that I do my very best to teach my students the difficult language of a country that perhaps one day they will refer to as home."