The Week One Done!

Well, The first week of school has come and gone. It was one of the strangest weeks I can say that I have ever had. Satan is really working in all areas to keep the school from running smoothly and for the kids to be distracted. I will not go into details but just pray for all of us. I would love to share each child's name, but I am not sure that is a good idea. So, just pray for the students of Indian Bible Academy, there families and community. Since this is a mission school, any prayer is really appreciated. Each of the teachers and the administration need prayer also. I will list our names at the end of this blog post.

We have 15 students in our school. Last year there was only two teachers with 16 students between us. Last year, I taught all subjects to 9 students and the other teacher had 7 students teaching all subjects.  I think this year will be much better.

I have 6 (1st grade through 4th grade) students in the morning and 5 (4th grade through 7th grade) in the afternoon. I teach reading, language, spelling and math. The other elementary teacher, teaches science, social studies, health, and writing. We switch classes at lunch.

My class room is 12 ft by 19 ft, that is 228 sq feet. It is not a big space. Making the most out of it is a must! I am glad I only have a few students, if I had to fit more than 9 or 10 in the class it would not be doable.

taken from back of classroom

taken from front of classroom

East Wall

West Wall

This year I have had time to get ready for school knowing I was going to be teaching full time. Last year it was hard because I basically found out the day school started that I would be teaching full time. I had no time to prepare. So, needless to say my classroom feels more organized at least even if it isn't. I also have been lucky that my daughter is here. She has helped a bunch and I am sure will continue to help. My teaching desk this past week was a whiteboard on a filing cabinets. I bought a new black table that is adjustable.

makeshift teaching table

I need to stop buying things... it doesn't help my budget any.  But I needed the bulletin board for calendar time activities and I wanted to have a birthday calendar this year also.

Birthdays

Calendar Activity Board

I made prayer cards for the students to start praying on their own. Talking to God is important to do daily. God just wants us to talk to Him like He was a friend sitting right beside us. He already knows our hearts He wants to hear us voice it. I think that is a part of the day that most of the children like. Especially one in particular. Last year he wanted to pray during group time out loud. Unfortunately, his brother laughed at him and it made that time and the rest of the day less productive for us all. This year he is very eager to pray, I think not only because we split the two of them up but also because it is an individual time.

Prayer Cards and Brag Tags

I am trying everything I can think of to make this year run smoothly, one thing I hope will help is progress reports every 2 weeks and caught being good tickets. So far, the caught being good tickets are working, and my hope is that with the progress reports the parents will begin to take a more active role in the education of their children. There is a lot of work to still be done, I know God has a plan and I hope that I am following it. We will see as the year progresses.

Thanks for reading. God Bless You All!

Please pray for:

Indian Bible Academy (Louisiana)
Pastor John
Ms. Erika (High School Teacher)
Mr. Andy (Elementary Teacher)
and Me, Ms. Vanessa (Elementary Teacher)

Getting Ready for a New School Year!

It is August 7, 2019... today was the first day of school for public school teachers. It is no different in our small private school, since we follow the same schedule. I have been working off and on all summer either thinking about what to teach, finding stuff on Pinterest, or actually working in my room. There used to be a a statement... " 3 of the best reasons to teach, June, July, and August. The thing is a teacher never stops being a teacher and as you can see (in Louisiana at least) August is no longer a reason.

Things that need to be organized in folders!

Files all organized!

Desk set up... I still need a teaching table! 

I never stop thinking about teaching. I am always thinking about the same three things over and over (there are actually more but these are the ones I think about most), "how can I improve?", "what should I teach?", and "why am I so bad at my job?" You may think I am crazy, but I spend a majority of my time pondering these questions.

I want to be the best teacher I can be, to honor and glorify God, since He is the reason I do this job. I don't do it for the money, never have, because this is the WRONG profession to be in to make money, especially in a private school. Believe me public school is no better, I am teaching now, because I can't live on my retirement and God said, "I am not finished with you yet!"

So how can I improve? In what ways can I, as a seasoned teacher continue to grow and learn to improve my abilities? Just that way.... By learning something everyday if possible, or at least searching out new things. I have always told my students if they are not willing to learn something new they might as well be dying... because our minds need the stimulation, without it, it will start to die. So, I read, I blog, I program, I talk to others, and I attend classes or conferences. I continue to grow my mind and my knowledge. I can study the Bible too! Yes, that does help me, don't ask me how but it does!

What should I teach? Again you may be thinking well, DUH! Reading, Arithmetic, Language, Writing, all the other subjects, and Bible in my school, right. I guess it isn't so much what to teach but how should it be taught. I want learning to be fun, and to cause the students to want to continue to learn long after they have left the school system. I want them to be excited to know that 2 x 2 equals 4 and that birds didn't come from dinosaurs (contrary to popular belief). I want them to know that just because dinosaurs are real that doesn't mean that evolution is, that the Bible actually talks about them.

“Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his hips, and his power is in his stomach muscles.
He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron.”         Job 40:15-18

There are more references in Job to dinosaurs but this is the one that I believe really shows it. It tells of a Brontosaurus, or an Apatosaurus, with large legs and a tail like a cedar, ribs like the bars on a jail cell. Don't you get a picture of...

from: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/apatosaurus-brontosaurus-rising

In chapter 41, God speaks of Leviathan, which could possible be a dragon of some kind. Boys love to learn about these things. I want them to want to learn, so how do I teach to make it fun and exciting? I am always trying new things and I hope if you know some things I can try, that you would share them.

The last question is an esteem question. I am not a good teacher in my mind. I never have been, I have been told that by a few people, in particular a principal or two. Words have meanings, words hurt, words invade and stay in our minds. This is why I TRY... to choose my words as carefully as possible. I fight the floods of negative comments that replay daily in my mind! I don't want that for my students, I want them to know that even if they can't get math, they can succeed at other things or that if they are good at everything they should not look down on people who might not be as well rounded.

Teaching is a hard and time consuming profession, if you are doing it right. It is a life long profession... I will probably be a teacher in one way or another until the day I die (no time soon I hope)! I will continue to ask those question about my professional teaching, my Sunday school teaching, my AWANA teaching, and any other teaching God puts before me. Your prayers in this endeavor are appreciated!

Thanks for Reading. God Bless You!