One Sno-Cone At A Time

Saturday, I wasn't able to be at Lewis School's Relay for Life race. I've been there every year since we started doing it. John, Amy, and Ian Anderson weren't able to be there either.

So of course other New Hope folks showed up and rocked the event, giving away hundreds of free sno-cones.

And you wonder why I love these people and this place so much.

They LIVE IT OUT.

Certified!

I passed the K-6 certification test yesterday!

It was "high-stakes" testing yesterday for me. Not just due to the $200 price of admission, but since the door to the classroom was padlocked until I passed the test, there was some pressure. Yes I had just completed a teacher education program with straight "A's." Yes I had purchased two study guides and reviewed them for the last month.

But after substitute teaching this spring, and the experiences I had in student teaching, I am very aware - more than ever before of the stakes involved. If "Johnny and Jennie" don't learn, everything starts to unravel. Their lives and the lives they will touch, certainly. But beyond that, our society as a whole. We need educated citizens who understand what their role in this "grand experiment" is. Those who teach them ought to be highly motivated and highly skilled.

The test definitely spanned a wide range of topics and information. There were a lot of thoughtful questions about strategies you might use with students presenting with different needs. I liked that, because it was the reality in every classroom I taught in this year. There were some good questions about civics and government, about real world use of math and science - overall I thought it was harder than I thought it would be going in. And that's a good thing.

There are more tests to come. The General Knowledge test, the Professional Educator's Test, and possibly the Social Studies or English subject test. But since I want to teach in Elementary, the K-6 was the ONE I needed NOW to be  "hireable." I expect to receive certification in Business Education and Social Studies 6-12 based on transcript review, but my heart is in the lower grades. We'll see.

The last six months of work, school, substitute and student teaching combined to really stress me, Bunny, and our relationship. We made it through thanks to an enduring love and the grace of God. Bunny was so supportive and encouraging even when it was really rough. We hope to be able to squeeze a quick get-away in before school starts so we can stand in a vacation-location and just be a couple again. We LOVE those times when we remember just how deep and intense our love for one another is. There has been no prayer I've prayed more over the years than one of thanks to God for sending me her.

So dear reader, one more hurdle has been overcome. Now lets pray there's a principal out there in Okaloosa County that wants to hire me. Thank you for all your help (I'm looking at you Amy Anderson and Diane Weech) and prayers.

Small Town Smiles

From It's Like Herding Cats

Bunny and I attended the Lewis School band's Spring concert last Thursday night to see some of our kids perform. All of them did great. We've attended a bunch of these over the years, and I never leave without giving thanks to God for letting us be a part of the lives of these kids and their families. And really, of the "life" of this area.

It's different here in military communities.

Not everyone is military. But so many area that even events as simple and as American as a school band concert give you glimpses of what life is like for those who protect us, and those in their families who give so much behind the scenes. There's no way we can possibly thank them enough.

There was a dad with a camera at the concert. He, his wife and two little girls were sitting on the front row. He was fit and his haircut said he was probably Army or Marines. His wife was also young and seemed happy. Dark hair falling in ringlets and a wide smile made the littlest girl a concert in her own right as God was singing "look what I've given!" The dad was working hard trying to get a picture of his beginning band student. Crouching on the floor so low as he did, I wondered if he had used the same skills earlier in Afghanistan or elsewhere.

The flutes did a special Disney piece that the band director said one of his students came up with. He made a a point of recognizing her, saying that her family was getting ready to move to Kentucky. Immediately I thought "Ft. Campbell?" because several of the Explosive Ordinance guys we have known went there after graduation.

I go to these concerts, or any of the school events really, and come away knowing how blessed I am to be a pastor and to be part of this great experiment in freedom called America. Small town smiles are awesome.

And now, I share videos Bunny took at the concert. Enjoy!

The beginning band


The symphonic band

Hello Mr Wilson :)

From It's Like Herding Cats

Well, I'm officially a substitute teacher. After spending some time yesterday in Amy Anderson's class to get oriented, today I was officially the "substitute teacher" while Amy went to a conference. Amy's an ESE teacher at Lewis School here in Valparaiso and has an all boy class (at the moment). Every one of the boys can touch your heart in one way or another - and they did mine.

Even with a "head start" from yesterday, I still needed some help from Amy's assistant to get started teaching. Her lesson plans were clear, I just didn't know what grade each of the kids were in. :) That helped a lot. Once that was cleared up, I was able to grasp where each of the kids needed to be. It was a blast to be able to help them work through some roadblocks and finish their work.

And yes, I ate in the cafeteria and got to play with the kids at recess! The atmosphere at Lewis is just infectious from the minute you get there. The principal, Mr. Fantaski, and a teacher Jimmy Harrison (who I met delivering Supper on Saturday a couple weeks ago) were at the curb greeting kids as they were being dropped off. And every other staff person I saw was just as kid-focused. Great school.

I saw lots of kids I already new from New Hope or from Bunny's piano teaching. Most of them were happy to see me but a couple were a little shocked. That was funny. "What are YOU doing here?" was the most common question and then when I answered it changed to "that's cool."

Once I got through today, I got about an hour turnaround at home before heading to New Hope. Bunny had spent hours cooking the chili for tonight's meal, so all I had to do was cook the grilled cheese sandwiches for tonight's meal.Once that was done, then worship practice and finally teaching 1 John 4. It was a LONG day.

But it's a good tired.

Going to dial it back to only two things tomorrow - sermon prep and then working on my schoolwork for Gulf Coast.

Because Friday I get to go teach Middle School!