Week 7: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

This week...
Was we had one whole day of In-Service on Monday, I continued teaching the students about multiplication, and I was able to start teaching my unit on immigration that I created last semester. As I read through Proverbs each morning I learn more about the human character and I tell you, kids are the best examples of human character! I will admit that it was a tough week but the Lord teaches me so many things through it all! He has shown me that in the midst of all the craziness to rejoice! I have an audio book of the unabridged Oliver Twist in my car so that every time I drive I can pick up where I left off but sometimes I will turn it off and have a time of prayer and praise to the Lord! When I pray out loud and praise the Lord for His provision and for who He is and sing songs of praise to Him I find that, though the day may not change, my attitude towards the day changes! It is a wonderful discovery! God truly is good!

Top 10 of the week:

1. Friday Nighters-I had a great conversation with a 5th grade and 3rd grade boy about what the Lord intended for marriage. These kids learn about guy-girl relationships on the streets and they assume that cheating on your spouse is a given. I was thankful to be able to share with them and was also thankful for their openness in sharing since sometimes it is difficult to hold any lengthy conversation about deep things. Pray for Colton and Elijah.
2. Beginning an Immigration Unit that I created
   
3. Finished reading the book of Numbers and am starting Deuteronomy
4. Tough Thursday at school with: cheating, crying, girl fight with punching and arguments
   
5. Reading the "Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" aloud for the students in a British accent
   
6. All-day teacher In-Service for Science, Math, and Social Studies
7. Cooked up 20 chicken enchiladas
8. Introduced Sleeping Ugly to one of my guided reading groups
9. I lost to Dale in racquetball only 9-15!
10. Crazy Hat Day at Carver Elementary
    

Week in Pictures:

Our KWL chart for Immigration. The students wrote one thing they "Know" about immigration and one thing they "Want to Know" about immigration.

The first part of the KWL chart. The students did the "Know" and "Want to Know" and at the end we will write down what we "Learned"

Setting up country stations for my first lesson on immigration

Where most of the students' ancestors are from. Most are from Germany.

My lovely first pan of chicken enchiladas!

Top Quotes & Stories:

Me: "No, Canada is not a part of the United States."
Student: "Why? Because they could not get it?"

Mrs. Breitbach let me be "Star" for the week where you share about yourself with the class. I talked about how I took my Bible and read it while floating in the Dead Sea and when they had time for questions they were all asking me questions about the Dead Sea!

A boy was looking for a biography on Michael Jordan in the library and couldn't find one so I grabbed one from home that I had bought and let him borrow it. He is reading about Michael Jordan's accomplishments and was telling me all about how he and Larry Bird were playing at the same time.

Cael comes up to me every morning and says good morning in Japanese (ohaiyogozaimasu)

Teacher Thoughts:

1. Use the carpet area to introduce the lesson and to close the lesson. It works.
2. Instead of using your voice, hold up your hand and count down your fingers from 5 to 0 until the students are quiet. Explain to the students what you expect when it gets to 0.
3. When using manipulatives such as pattern blocks, make sure the students only take out the number that they will need otherwise they create edifices or domino mazes.
4. DO NOT LET 3rd GRADERS NUMBER THEMSELVES OFF. It doesn't work. Assign them numbers if you are doing group work.
   
5. If you are doing station work, have the students work at stations and then have them come to the carpet area and share with someone who was from a different station for about 30 sec. Then have them find a different person they haven't talked to to share with. Do this several times.
   
6. If you have materials to send to print center. SEND THEM EARLY! But if they don't make it in time. Use note cards.
7. Model, model, model. They is almost never a situation in which there is too much modeling for the students. Show them what you want them to do and show them how to do it.
8. Be sure to separate students that do not work well together. Nip it in the bud.
9. Keep your work space clean. You feel better about your work.
10. Don't do all the talking and writing on the board. Have students come up and show an answer or two on the board. The kids love and when a peer is at the front they pay better attention to the content of the lesson. It saves you re-teaching in the end and it engages the students.
    

Please Pray that I will...

• read the Bible and pray with diligence (I am finishing Deuteronomy and reviewing my memory work in Ephesians)
  
• prepare and teach my lessons well
• get rest
• be able to talk with Colton and Elijah again at FN
• be a Christ-like example and encouragement at Carver Elementary School
  

More Pictures

What Antonio drew at Friday Nighters when I read him Jesus' parable of the wedding banquet

Valentine's Day! The girl in the center, Corissa, is the one that I tutor in reading

A new game at Friday Nighters!

Carver Elementary school entrance

Tracing our shadows in the morning for Science.

Week 6: I am the Lord your God...

This week...

This week I was teaching Math, Science, Macmillan, and guided reading groups. The guided reading groups are groups Green and Blue. Green consists of seven students and Blue consists of four students who need decoding intervention to help with their reading. I am learning how to plan more appropriately for my lessons and am realizing that, unlike speaking opportunities where you rehearse again and again, there is no way that you can rehearse for four or five lessons with the same intensity. You really have to get the "big picture" and teach from there. God is good and I am learning a lot. Thank you for all your prayers!

Top 10 of the week:

1. Started the Decoding Intervention group for struggling readers. It is very scripted and moves quickly.
   
2. Valentine's Day- I received 15 valentine cards
   
3. For my Green guided reading group we are reading How News Travels and we sent an email to the elementary principal to see how quickly it was received...it took 2 minutes!
   
4. Smart clickers
5. Glasses ordeal- I misplaced my glasses on Valentine's Day and I had to wear contacts. One of my students told me, "Mr. Eby you look much better with your glasses."
   
6. Fighting Saints- A ice hockey team came to visit and talk with Carver Elementary kids
   
7. Finished The Mysterious Benedict Society
8. Mimio training- I helped professors become more accustomed to how to use the Mimio interactive whiteboard
   
9. 1st sickness this year! I had a slight fever with chills and achiness. Thankfully I got it Friday evening and I have time to get some rest.
   
10. Wednesday night small group discussion about Philippians
    

Top Quotes:
Mrs. B: "I need some chap stick before my lips fall off."
S: "Will they really do that?!"

“I think I have that short term loss memory thing” –Amelia

Week in Pictures:

Dale's invention. He is creating a chair that uses stretch cords for physical therapy.

Dale's house.

Snow in Dubuque.

My friendly car named "Humphrey"

Dale's kitchen

Teacher Thoughts:

1. If you are using graphic organizers for a lesson make sure all the students create one as well because the whole point is to give them a strategy to process their thoughts.
2. When you have a bad start to the day...sing a song of praise to the Lord and smile LOTS. It brightens up your entire day no matter what happens.
3. Smart clickers or any form of new technology in the classroom requires time for both the students and the teacher to get used to in order to use it at its fullest potential.
4. While students are doing their summative assessment (i.e. Math) do a formative assessment by walking around and checking student work.
5. Put on classical music when students are taking a big test.
6. If you want to have a calming effect on your students during a wild day try speaking gently and do not raise your voice. If the students can't hear you then they are being too loud.
7. Mrs. B doesn't give the entire test all at once but takes a lesson and breaks it into parts then administers part of the test so that the final lesson and the test are intermixed and it is not as intimidating for the students. It takes about two days to do both.
8. Give real-life examples when teaching multiplication. It helps tremendously!
9. Consider your transitions so that you can make the most of instructional time. For example, if you are doing an outdoor activity have the students put on their PE shoes after the outdoor activity so that they don't have to change in and out several times.
10. For outdoor activities be sure your instructions are clear and model what students will be doing if you can. Be sure to remind students to keep quiet voices. To get their attention it may be helpful to have a whistle.
    

Please pray that I will...

1. Get better from the slight fever that I came down with Friday evening. I am still very weak today (Saturday) and need to get back to full-energy.
2. Continue in my study of God's word
3. Teach well as I take on the opening and closing responsibilities for my classroom as well as cursive handwriting.
4. Get LOTS of rest!
5. Be a light to the many unsaved at Carver Elementary
6. For the one boy in my guided reading group who is a Jehovah's Witness
   

Week 5: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...

This week...

There is so much learning out there but the ultimate learning, the ultimate knowledge is found in the fear of the Lord. That's where it starts!

This week I have again learned about flexibility. I am teaching math, science, and have just started guided reading with a group of seven struggling readers. I am really enjoying my time tutoring in reading and am learning TONS of tips and ideas from my cooperating teacher Mrs. Breitbach.

Top 10 of the Week:

1. Taught about constellations and brought in a $250, 10-cm lens telescope
2. Teaching math and doing a lesson on "How to Plan for a Class Party"
   
3. Started reading groups for 7 kids!
   
4. Kids on the Block Puppet program
5. Got an Oliver Twist audio book for my car
6. Picked up the children's book entitled The Mysterious Benedict Society
7. I am getting better at racquetball...I lost to Dale 7-15!
   
8. Tutoring Corissa in reading
   
9. Pajama Day at Carver
   
10. Friday Nighter lesson about the life of Jesus

Week in Pictures:

1. The $250, 10-cm lens telescope I was able to show my class in our unit on The Stars
   

2. Some of my students Stencilrama work

3. The Kids on the Block puppet program teaching about disabilities


Teacher Thoughts:

1. Don't keep students in for recess to do late work. Send it home with them because they need the recess and you need the break in the day.
2. Be creative. i.e. Putting "eyes" on the globe to show how "Mr. Earth" sees the constellations
3. When people are fighting. Sit down with them. Hear each side of the story one at a time with no interruptions. Summarize what you understand they are saying. Have them ask for forgiveness and forgive each other and move on.
4. Scanning textbook pages or other documents is so helpful for teaching!
5. If you want students' undivided attention bring them to the front carpet.
6. If a student is distracted by an object, confiscate the object.
7. If it takes too many seconds for the class to become quiet when you get their attention, have them come in at recess and practice it.
   
8. Use partner sharing more than letting the teacher read aloud the text to the class because it engages the students and cements the learning!
9. If you remember an instruction after you just sent the kids to do independent work, get their attention and tell them so that you don't lose instructional time. Better late than never!
10. If you have students work in groups, have each group create one product because then they have less work to do and you have less to grade. At the same time, they learn the concept just as well if not better!

Please pray that I will...
-continue to set aside time for the Lord in the mornings
-use time wisely as I take on some more teaching responsibilities little by little
-have wisdom as I tutor in reading
-stay healthy and well rested
-know how to command respect of my students in a healthy way and that I will know how to deal with students who are frustrated, fighting, or simply having a bad day

A Video

This is a test to see if I can upload videos successfully. Here is a video of the ocean from the Japan Sea not far from where Nojiri is.

Some Pictures!

The delicious homemade pizza I had with some friends

One of my 3rd graders wanted to write in Japanese so here is her practice sheet after I showed her how to write the numbers.

A scrumptious Saturday morning breakfast I prepared before I read my Bible!

The view outside my window on a frosty Iowa morning.

My study.

Week 4: Bless the Lord O my soul!

Every morning this week I woke up and would remind myself of the words from Psalm 103.

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

I love the part in the chapter that also says,

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

In 3rd grade we are still learning about the Sun, Moon, and Stars. The heavens are truly an amazing thing! How great is the Lord's mercy toward those who fear Him? As high as the heavens! WOW! How far has He removed our transgressions from us? So very far! Praise God for how good He is to us.

This past week was an interesting week. I taught math and science on Monday and then gave the math and science tests on Tuesday. On Tuesday school was dismissed at 1:30PM due to the oncoming snow storm. We received 13 inches of snow and had temperatures down to -15º F. As a result, there were two snow days where school was canceled. I was able to get some rest, catch up with people, do some lesson planning and spend some much needed time reading my Bible.

Week's Highlights:

1. I made a double batch of spaghetti sauce
2. I completed my first full units of math and science
3. I played racquetball with Dale Twesten and lost to him 7-15 which is improvement from my previous games.
4. I shoveled snow for about 3 hours on Tuesday morning
5. Listened to a missionary share about China
6. I have a long-term plan prepared for the girl I am tutoring in reading
7. Mrs. Breitbach just got a Smartboard slate for the classroom!
8. Friday Nighters went smoothly!
9. Got some resumes sent out
10. Ate homemade pizza with Josh Traverse and Anna Krahn and watched Ramona and Beezus by Beverly Cleary.
    

Teacher Thoughts:

1. Snow days really teach you to be flexible
2. Teaching to the test might yield good results in the short term but it doesn't mean that the students are learning for the long term
   
3. Scanning student worksheets or textbook pages to the computer is tremendously helpful
4. Just because you can raise your voice to be heard in the classroom does not mean that you should. If I use a special signal to get students' attention then I can talk normally and they are listening.

Cool Facts & Thoughts:

1. Did you know that a student teacher takes about 5000 steps in a typical school day from morning to night? Its true. I measured it with a pedometer!
2. Pens don't work very well on paper at 0ºF

Have a great week y'all!