A Dream Come True, Thank You, and Pictures of the Classroom

It's true.  I am finally a classroom teacher.  It's wonderful, stressful, challenging, tiring, rewarding and everything in between.  Yesterday (Friday) I came home from work at about 6:00 and Trent and I headed to Costa Vida for date night.  After date night, we went back to the house to play board games. But first, I suggest that we take a quick 30 min. nap.  It was about 7 o'clock - so not too late.  Later, I heard someone moving around the room and I shot out of bed.  It was Trent.  He said that it was midnight and he was just going to bed.  Apparently, he had tried to wake me up at 8 and I growled at him so he just let me sleep.  So basically I went into a small coma.  I was only up for about 5 minutes and I fell back asleep until 8:30 the next day.  Do the math, folks.  That is over 13 hours of sleep.  Seriously, I was exhausted.  I wake up at 5 every morning, I keep up with 19 kids all day long and then I stay until 7 {maybe later} every night.  Then I do more work at home until midnight and I start my routine over again.  It is grueling. But I LOVE it. I know that sounds crazy, but I would do anything for those children. But something I am working on is time management and learning to listen when my body says, "STOP!"   Also, decorating my classroom was like a stressful, but also a dream come true.  I feel like the pictures below do not do it justice {Trent - let's get a better camera}.  Seriously.  You should have seen the kid's faces when they saw it the first day of school.  "Wow!" "Cool!" "Awesome!" "Yes!" were all common phrases.  Success people! But that success would have not been possible without a few people.   Ambrey: You are such an amazing friend.  Seriously - what would I do without you!? You spent so much time with me getting my classroom ready the first week before you went to Utah.  You ran errands with me and it was nice having a fellow perfectionist in the classroom because you understood my OCD tendencies.  Thank you. I owe you TONS. P.S. - I am sorry I am so good at phone tag ;)   Kayla and Chad:  Is there anyone better than the Merrells?  I suggest not.  Kayla, how could I ever thank you enough?  You are pregnant! A child is growing inside of you and you are running to Idaho Falls {twice}, helping me hang things from the ceiling, cutting hundreds of letters, organizing, painting, and reassuring me after every decision and project.  I could not have done it without you.  You have seen me as the tired zombie, fed our little family, and have just portrayed the true love of Christ.  And Chad - when we die and go to heaven - I am going to prove to you that SO many people have complimented me on the stadium lights. Because it has happened at least 6 times!  Dead serious.   Gail Merrell:  Over 300 books... I still can't believe how many books I have collected in the last week.  Thank you so much! I can't imagine how long it took you to sort and pack all those books. I just want you to know that I appreciate it!  I wish I could have recorded the children's faces when they saw the books.  Thank you! Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it!   Mommy and Daddy:  You know how much I love you. I hate being so far away from you.  Thank you for driving the 16 hours to give me those books.  Only a deep love for a child could possess two individuals to drive so far, only to stay for one day and then drive so far back.  I hope that I can become as patient, selfless, and long suffering as you two {and you know that last part is true}.   Trent: You are my rock.  You are my everything.  What husband takes his free time to decorate his wife's classroom, build her a hutch, and basically spend all his free time revolving around her.  You are the most selfless individual I have met. I love you.   There are so many other people I should say thank you to!  Sam - for bringing me fabulous treats that helped me get through my preparation week, Talia for training me to become an excellent teacher. Seriously - I just want to be like her.  Kelli for our first teacher support groups ;).  There is SO much that goes into teaching.  So much preparation, love, challenges, and fun.  Here is to a successful year!   So my classroom theme is about teamwork - that is why it is a sports theme.  We talk about how in this class, we are all working together to try and help each other succeed.  Let me tell you, the kids have ATE this up! They absolutely love it! The first week, I taught them how to teach.  We talked about not giving the answers to our peers but showing them how to come up with the right answer.  It is definitely a work in progress but they are doing so well.  It's amazing.  I love this teamwork theme.  We have a big poster that says, "T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More."  Having that as our motto has made a huge difference in our classroom environment. Now for the pictures:  

I was SO nervous.  Seriously, I thought I was going to pass out.  Nothing you do during college can prepare you for that moment.  

 You see that white board underneath that sign - yeah. I did that. Well Ambrey did that.  That was a chalkboard people and we turned it into a white board. Hold the applause.

Those are their book bags on that stylish 70's bright orange backpack rack.  I actually just moved our locker room down below the backpacks so that I could put up Mountain Language above the backpacks.

Please, stay awhile.  You are always welcomed here.

Kayla hung the footballs and baseballs from the ceiling.  Later, I found thin plastic bases.  I am gong to put a hole punch through it and then hang it above the groups.

Get it - Lunch is "Served." Thank you Pinterest.

Excuse the mess.  I wasn't completely put together when I took this picture. But how cute is this banner?

 The kids LOVED this.  Also, I am getting pillows and bean bags for them to relax on while they read. Notice the 12 boxes of books! Thank you Gail!

 Every kid has a job and it is related to a something in baseball.  For example, the assistant coach is the teacher's assistant and the concessions manager is the lunch count.  They love it!  Also, they had to interview for their jobs.  Best. Day. Ever.

 Math Rotations, Fast Finishers, and Writing Section.  Whenever a child asks a question that I don't know the answer, they write it down and put it on the corkboard.  If they finish their work early, they come and grab any index card and research the answer and then report their answers on Friday.  They love it!

 They really are tough words!

 The stadium lights. I should have taken a picture of it far away.  It looks SO good with the rest of the classroom.

   

Think Less - And Act More

I witnessed a miracle today.  Today was our last day as primary teachers.  I seriously have LOVED this calling.  At first I was a little hesitant but they seriously stole my heart.  As we started the lesson, we had a knock at the door.  It was the Primary president with a visitor.

“This is your class for today.” she said, “And what was your name?”

The little boy just took his fingers and rang then across his lips as if to say, “zzziiiiiiiipppppp!” But he didn’t say a word. 

“That’s okay!” I chimed in.  The president just shrugged her shoulders and walked out.  A few minutes later she came back inside.

 “His mother just informed me that his name is Chris” she confirmed. {For the purpose of being respectful I will use an alias name and call him Chris.}

“Alright, buddy – pal – my main man Chris.” I said.  I know – I am weird, but I was just trying to get the kid to smile!

We continued the lesson and talked about Zion’s Camp. We watched a video that illustrated the events and every so often I would stop and ask the children questions.  About halfway through the video, I stopped the video and asked the students, “What were the men eating on the trail?”

“Powwije.” Christ blurted out.  I tried to hide the excitement/confusion/surprise on my face.  My brain quickly registered that he had tried to say porridge. 

“Awesome, Chris! That is exactly it! It was mushy grey porridge!” I was trying to validate his statement to help him feel comfortable. 

Later in the lesson, I turned to Chris and said, “And who was giving the men those blessings?” He just pointed up.  I said, “Yes, your right just say who you are talking about.”  He quickly shook his head no. “Do you mean Heavenly Father?” I asked.  He nodded his head yes and I again told him he was right and that was an excellent answer.

The lesson continued on and it went smoothly.  At the end I closed by bearing my testimony. Our lesson today was on trials I ended with saying, “Ya know.  I am a 4^th grade teacher.  As you know I just finished student teaching and I witnessed a lot of trials that 4^th graders have to face.  I have seen kids struggle because their parents are getting a divorce.  I have seen children who have been abused, children who have had a speech impairment, and children who…… are deaf.”  Now let me back up and tell you my train of thought.  I said speech impairment because I thought Chris wasn’t speaking because of a speech impairment. I thought he had a lisp or something similar and was embarrassed to speak in front of people.  But I didn’t want to end my statement looking at him and saying, “SOME children have a speech impairment.” So in my mind, I was like crap – now what do I say.  The next word that popped into my mind was “deaf.”  After I said it thought, “Wow. You’re a genius.  If a student was deaf – he wouldn’t even be at your school so obviously that was the dumbest example ever.”  But I just continued on and said, “And some of you may be experiencing those trials now, but I just want you to know that although trials stink, Heavenly Father is preparing you. I told Katie Heavenly Father was preparing her to be a great missionary. That although she may be shy she would be able to connect with people and help them learn the gospel.  I told Spencer that his knowledge and love for Heavenly Father was contagious.  I went around to every child and praised them for being here, and reminded them of their greatness and potential.  Then it was Chris’s turn.  I told him that he was going to do awesome things in his lifetime.  He quickly shook his head “no.”  I told him he was wrong.  That he was in store for great things – but he had to believe in himself.  He had to believe that Heavenly Father would help him and to not let fear or insecurities dictate his life. I think he needed to hear that. I ended by telling them that Heavenly Father loved them.  And I told them that Brother Thompson and I loved them.  I reminded them they were never alone because they had a cheering section and love oozing out of our hearts for them. 

We closed by saying the prayer and then I busted out the candy.  Hey, it’s our last week – we deserve a celebration, right?! So I told the kids that in order to get their candy they would have to come up to me and show me their biggest smile they would wear as they faced the trials of the week – and they had to give me a hug.  Each child came up and gave me the best smile and the biggest hug.  Chris was the last one to come up.  He gave me a half smile.

“Chris! I want to see those pearly white teeth!”  I said in my funniest, weirdest voice. He broke a smile and then gave me a big hug. As I handed him the gummy worms, he looked at me a little funny.

“Did you know?” he said.  I could tell he was trying his best to speak normal.  But he sounded different – and I couldn’t figure out why.

“Know what?” I responded.

“Did you know I was deaf?”  I literally sat there stunned. The room was completely quiet. Everyone was looking at me. 

“No, I had no idea.”  Now I was the one stuttering. 

“I am deaf and I can’t speak well.”  He pointed to his throat and said something else but I didn’t understand the last part.

“Ah, Chris” I said, “come here!”  I gave him another hug and said, “I honestly had no idea.  Ya see, that stuff doesn’t matter to me.  It must be hard but I never want you to be embarrassed.   Heavenly Father loves you and so do I.  You have so much to offer.  Don’t let that dictate how you think of yourself.  Because honestly, I think you are great.”

I hope I don’t come off as “holier than thou” or anything remotely close to that.  Because, guys, I am not that great.  I am writing this because this is an experience/feeling I NEVER want to forget.  I always ask Heavenly Father to use me.  I want to be the instrument in His hands. This is the first time, in a long time, that I felt like an instrument in His hands.  I felt that love for the little boy.  I had known him for 40 minutes.  But I loved him.  And I loved him because Christ loved him.  He helped me feel that love for him and then express it in a way that he needed to hear it.  But Heavenly Father helped me feel and express those emotions.  He is the one who put the word “deaf” in my mind.  He knows that I usually speak before I think and would say anything that came into mind ;).  It was a miracle.  I know that little boy needed to hear those words. That boy thought I knew him personally.  But the truth was that I didn’t – Heavenly Father did. 

Afterwards, we left for sharing time and then he left at the end of church.  All those kids stole a piece of my heart today.  I swear about half the children in Utah have a piece of my heart. Today I witnessed a small, but meaningful miracle.  I hope that I do what I did today:

Think Less – And Act More

When I feel inspired to sit by someone, I start to think, “Oh that would be weird, you don’t know her.”  Or I feel impressed to call someone and then I think, “She probably hates you because you haven’t talked to her in months.”  It is those doubtful thoughts that keep me from being an instrument in the Lord’s hands.  I just need to act on it!  So I guess what I am trying to say is maybe if we just acted on our good thoughts, we would be able to witness more small but meaningful miracles.

Think Less – And Act More.

My Addiction / Book Club

I love to read.  But I have this horrible problem.  When I read a book I become consumed by it.  Literally.  I will just stay in bed for as long as it takes to finish the book.  Everything else in the world becomes less important.  Cleaning? Psh.  Dinner? Fend for yourself.  Ask my mother.  I have read a book that was between 600-700 pages in two days. I did not eat, drink, sleep, or even move.  I just read constantly.  Because of my horrible addiction, I don’t read books too often.  Usually just one or two a month and on a Sunday when I can devote a good evening to starting – and finishing – an entire book.

I bet you can tell where this blog post is going – I want to share my book addiction with you.  Let me explain:

                Before Mother’s Day I was in Deseret Book Store trying to find my sweet mom a present.  Also, I was trying to get some inspiration for my talk, which was on mothers.  I found this adorable fourteen page booklet. Seriously, everyone needs to read it.  It is entitled, Are We Not All Mothers by Sheri Dew.  Sheri Dew is a woman who never married or had children.  It helped me understand that motherhood is not just about having babies, although that is an important part.  Read it. Today.

                Sorry, book tangent. Okay, I am in the store trying to find something for my mother.  I literally have been in the store for over an hour racking my brain, trying to think of a personal gift idea.  Then this thought came to me: What if I bought a book and highlighted it with a yellow marker and left sticky notes throughout the book about my thoughts, insights, etc.  Then I send it to my mom and she will use a different color highlighter and post-it notes and mark up the same book.  It would give us something to talk about and bond over.  And as we read books, we could just send them back and forth to each other.  It is like our own little book club?  It’s fun to find sticky notes and see what she thinks about a section.  We both have different insights and different statements touch us differently. 

                So here is my challenge for you:  1. Do this yourself with a friend or family member.  It could be someone far away that you want to keep in touch with or just a neighbor.  2.  JOIN ME!  How fun would it be if women all over were sending inspirational or just good books to each other.  Even if you are put with someone you don’t know.  It’s like your spirits are connecting because you are reading and sharing your insights with a fellow sister!  Interested?  Keep reading!

                Okay so here is my plan.  First of all, the most you have to commit is two months (so just August and September - I’ll explain why later).  And I am just going to try this little book club experiment until November.  You will need to find a book and read it sometime in the month of August.  So you have a month to find and read a book.  Then, at the end of August, your partner with will send you their book and you will send your partner the book that you read.  Make sense? So you will just swap books.  The book you receive will be filled with sticky notes, writing, highlighting – whatever! And you will read the book and mark it up too!  Then after you have finished it (which you will need to finish it sometime in September), you will send the book back to them and they will send the book you bought back to you.  So you will end up with the original book you bought and highlighted. But then you can re-read it and see the notes, talks, and messages your partner left in the book.  Then, you can either stop or do it one more time (for September and November).  If you decide to do it again, we will swap partners so we can meet a variety of exceptional women.  Does this all make sense?  If you are interested you can just e-mail me and I will send more information and you then you can decide. 

                Folks, I am a dreamer.  When I imagine this happening, I picture like a mini relief society meeting.  I imagine women talking about a book and relating it to our lives, sharing stories, and strengthening one another.  But it’s definitely a commitment.  Your partner is expecting a book that will enlighten and encourage her.  So if she doesn’t get a book – obviously it would be sad. 

                If you would like to know more tedious details and information – either e-mail me at duke.chelsea22@gmail.com or just leave your e-mail in the comments below! Whichever is best for you!  Also, this invitation is for EVERYONE and ANYONE! So you, yes you, are completely invited if you want to! And if you don’t join this book club, do it with a friend! Honestly, you will LOVE it!

 

 

The book on the left is what I sent my mother, the book on the right was from my "you have to read this today" book tangent.

 

I just love my mom!

 

 Seriously, this book completely changed my perspective on Mary and Martha.  This book is about the incident in Luke 10: 38-42. Ah-mazing. Loved it.

 

Just Around the Corner

A few days ago during church, I was reminded of an incident that I had forgotten.  I wasn't going to share it, but today Mr. Thompson shared a quote with me.   "We are like mountain climbers, bound to each other as children of God.  I thought how Satan must laugh when we push each other down - by faultfinding criticism, name-calling, and labeling- when part of our purpose in mortality is to learn to lift each other up." - President Eyering 1983   Don't you just love that quote! Gah! So hopefully hearing this story is a pick-me-up for someone out there.  

Flashback to about 3 years go.  I was asked to sing a duet in our Singles Ward. The Singles Ward is where 19-30 year old young adults gather together and go to church and do activities.  Basically, it is a BLAST.  I absolutely loved it.  Well, I had been in a ward for only a few months and was asked to sing a duet with another individual (who was a music teacher). Oh goodness, I was a nervous wreck.  I only do well singing in extremely large groups - and even then it’s debatable. Even worse, there was going to be a sea of cute men staring at me.  And in my mind, I pictured them judging my singing capabilities - holding scoring cards with 0's and 1's.  Dramatic.... of course. But it was still a fear.  A few days before the performance, I begged my parents to come and support me my Mom and Dad told me they desperately wanted to come and support me sing.  I was ecstatic.  I had a face I could focus on and block out the others. I would have someone who could make me feel confident.  I had my own silent cheering section. I was ready.

Well, the big day came.  I was sweating bullets and yawning like crazy (when I get extremely nervous, I just yawn -- weird). I looked for my parents among all the people and could not find them.  I was getting nervous, but I knew they would be there.  They had never let me down before! Well, basically, they didn't show up.  I sang and totally blew it (or at least that is what I think - Mr. Thompson says differently). I was devastated, humiliated, and wanted to cry.  When the service was over, I went out to the foyer. To my amazement, my parents stood there beaming.  Apparently, they had been late and didn't want to disrupt the service, so they decided to listen in the foyer instead (there are speakers in the foyer so they could hear everything).  My mother comforted me and told me all the things I did well. My dad told me how proud he was of me.  Basically, they stopped me from jumping off a cliff.   A few days later, I was thinking about this incident and it hit me.  There is a parallel between this incident and our relationships with our Heavenly Father. He is always there.  But maybe he is outside in the foyer, listening intently to every word we say and do.  He is just patiently waiting until after the service (trial, decision, etc.) so he can calm our souls and give us the encouragement we need. During trials, we might feel alone.  I know I did singing at church that day.  However, my parents were literally feet away from me.  Just like our Heavenly Father is literally with us through every step of our lives.  He is cheering for us and ready to calm our souls when needed.   So if you are feeling alone, please don't.  I am rooting for you!  Heavenly Father is rooting for you! "Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late. Some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in Good Things to Come." - Jeffrey R Holland