Hello Blog

We have people over to the house every Friday night to watch scifi shows and eat snacks. The Friday after Halloween we decided everyone should come wearing costumes. I didn’t have a lot of time to throw something together. Digging through my closet I found a shirt and vest that looked like they were from the ’60s, a huge afro wig, and some round pink glasses, so I went as a hippie. Later that evening I was getting something in the kitchen and my dad was saying something to me. I turned to look at him and he said, “Oh I thought you were my daughter.”

“Um, dad, I am your daughter.”

Haha, I’ll have to post a picture sometime.

A little girl was standing near me at the playground. Another little girl approached her with a very serious look on her face.
“You’re late for Girl Scout Mermaid Dolphins.”

When I work with a reading group, the other students are not allowed to interrupt and ask me questions about their seat work. Between groups I announced that now would be a good time to ask questions if they had any. One student’s hand immediately shot into the air.
Me: Yes?
Student: What if a giant worm swooped down and snatched up the earth?
Me: …I meant questions about your papers…

“Hey guys! Can I help? I promise I won’t pick my nose!”

*****

*student appears to be off task*
Me: Did you finish your drawing?
Student: Yes
Me: What did you make?
Student: A picture you will never forget! Behold! The Great Smokey Mountains!

*****

I give each student a dollop of shaving cream on their desk. They smooth it out and practice writing their letters in it. Once they’ve practiced for a while, they are allowed to draw whatever they want. I’m walking around the room supervising when I hear an excited voice behind me: “Look Miss Jarvis! I drew the doctor’s TARDIS!”

*****

It can be very emotionally draining to teach this child, but sometimes he just makes my day.

A student presents me with a card he just made. Inside is a string of letters. ” What does it say?” I ask.

He takes the card and reads it to me, “Dear Miss Jarvis. I love the way you look and your smell is beautiful.”

Student #1: She yells a lot.

Student #2: Yeah, she needs to control her temperature.

I’m going to have to start using my planner again for a bit. I’ve got so much to do in the next two weeks – I keep getting mixed up and double booking myself. Can’t wait for summer!

I taught my students the golden rule last week, and since then they keep asking me what the silver rule is.

Student: I know what’s the silver rule! No screaming inside.

Hopefully, this extra long post will make up for it.

Yep, April was a bit of a crazy busy month and May is not looking much better.  I think trying to have a social life during the school year is going to kill me in the end.  Only 3 more weeks of school.  I’m home sick today which means I have a little time to write, but it also means I’m having a hard time putting a coherent thought together.  Josh is subbing for me for the first time.  Should be interesting – can’t wait  to hear the stories tonight.

I can’t figure out what’s wrong with the aquarium in my classroom.  I’ve changed, cleaned, and adjusted everything I can think of.  I even had the water tested at Petco, but my fish still keep dying!  Well, I’ve got a couple gourami, a chinese algae eater,  some minnows, and apple snails that seem immune, but the last 30 goldfish I’ve added have all died.  Yes, 30 goldfish just became very expensive snail food, then flushed down the toilet.  And believe me, death by snail is not a pretty sight.  They grab hold of the sickly fish, chew a perfectly round hole in its belly, then suck out all the guts.  That’s probably TMI, but apparently I’m incapable of keeping my morbid fascination with nature to myself.

I’ve got about 2 weeks of free time between school ending (May 21st) and camp beginning (June 6), so you Arizona folks let me know where you’re going to be so we can get together!

Here’s an updated schedule in case you’re wondering what I do with all my time:

Sunday: sunday school, church, lunch, nap/laundry/piano practice, choir practice, church

Monday: work, staff meeting, dinner, attempting to be productive (exercise classes, piano practice, etc.), unless I have a date then all productivity goes out the window.

Tuesday: work, tutoring, piano lessons, dinner, ultimate frisbee (occasionally a camp board meeting or church ladies meeting)

Wednesday: same as Monday except more tutoring replaces the staff meeting

Thursday: work, tutoring, making dinner, church

Friday: work, clean house, Stargate Donut Friday (15-30 people come over to watch Stargate/Psych, eat donuts, and play ping pong)

Saturday: garage sales, birthday parties (every weekend in April and half the weekends in May), or hanging out with extended family

Bleh, I’m not very good at blogging.  Good thing this isn’t my job.

As the end of the school year nears, I’ve been thinking a bit about my possibilities for next year.  If I still have a job here, I’d like to stay.  It really is a great school.  Though I might not make as much money as elsewhere, the educational freedom and psychological well being I receive here are totally worth it.  However, our teaching contracts are only year to year, and a drop in enrollment (due to so many people leaving because of job losses at the space center) could easily mean no job for me next year.  I’ve been mulling over my options, and I’m actually kind of excited, but I’m going to have a really hard time deciding on just one course of action.

Here are some possibilities:

- Teaching at a Christian school in Peru (our missionary there has connections and has promised to help me find a job if I want one)

- Getting a masters degree in Christian counseling from RTS (something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but haven’t had the time or money)

- Going into missions to teach/do humanitarian work in orphanages in a third world country (Haiti, Africa, Russia, I haven’t really narrowed it down yet)

- Staying here and writing full time (my dad suggested this.  He’s already finished the first draft of his book and he wants me to help him fix it up)

- Getting EMT training (seems like a useful skill to have especially since I’ll likely be working with children a lot, and they have a tendency to hurt themselves)

- or I could just look for another teaching job in Florida (Jacksonville or Orlando, maybe?)