for a good cause

I am pleased to announce that our 2nd grade PBL project has been a huge success! The second grade students helped to raise awareness about endangered animals at our "museum," but also raised $200 for the World Wildlife Fund through their pencil sale and achieving their responsibility goals. I am one proud teacher!

a thousand little things

This song is perfect! Leave it to Point of Grace - a band I could not get enough of about 15 years ago! Though I haven't listened to them in a while, this song is totally going on my playlist because the lyrics could not be more fitting for what I try to live out on a daily basis. Thanks to Ann Voskamp's blog (again!) for bringing this song to my attention. Hope you enjoy it too!

a poem of my own

I read a poem like this one on a favorite blog where the author even provided a template for creating your own. The writer in me could not resist. Here's a peek into who I am and where I'm from.

I Am From…

Inspired by “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon

I am from well-used furniture, passed down from earlier generations,

from books on every shelf, blankets piled high and photos abounding on the wall.

I am from a multi-family home in a small town,

set not so far away from one of the greatest cities in the world,

a home where scented candles burn routinely and the love of family is felt throughout.

I am from the moss that grows between cracks in the driveway,

the large maple tree that blooms beautifully just outside the kitchen windows in spring.

I’m from clean rooms and weekly family dinners,

from parents whose love continues to grow

and “little” brothers who make me proud, and stand so tall.

I’m from hard workers and church-goers,

and from those who gather around the table.

I’m from “keep doing your best” and “remember your manners,”

and “I love you this much.”

I’m from sharing what we’re thankful for.

I’m from the hospital of a nearby town where all of us were born,

and a large pond where we often gather to enjoy the heat of summer.

I’m from brown and white brownies, and freshly baked banana bread.

From great-grandparents who loved one another since the age of 12,

despite illness, sorrow, and war,

a symbol of their love now in a ring of my own for decades to come,

worn on my left hand at all times to show the world where I am from.

how appropriate!

Saw this picture on another blog I follow and thought the phrase was so fitting and beautiful... I just had to post it here. Pretty much sums up my blog (and the attitude I've been striving for)!

Photo by Ann Voskamp
www.aholyexperience.com

giving thanks in all circumstances

• taking steps for a.j.e.less designs
• possible job opportunities, encouraging him through the application process
• a new season of The Amazing Race, watching with the neighbors
• more ministry opportunities at church
• being asked to sing at her wedding
• sunlight streaming through the blinds
• faraway friends stopping in for a visit, enjoying easy conversation
• soup delivery from The Seasonal Kitchen
• his successful surgery, lots of loved ones praying for the best
• spring-time temperatures in winter months
• a successful trip to the museum, enjoying the day with a mentor and friend
• another answer to prayer - her job offer!
• learning harmonies during praise team practice, blending well
• "If I Were President Paragraphs"

• her finding a new place, helping her get settled in
• a simple "thinking of you" text message
• spending time with my love after busy, busy weeks
• taking her out to lunch
• hearing him talk normally
• how he knows my love language: emptying the dishwasher, vacuuming weekly, mopping the floors, filling my water bottle, and so much more
• writing a note of encouragement, dropping it in the mailbox
• a chocolate chip cannoli reserved for me
• being able to pray with families at school
• making time for my creative side, completing orders for loyal customers

• mom's way of providing a meal for us, even if we can't come for dinner
• getting half price tickets
• seeing our adorable niece (and her momma), her infectious giggle
• pushing her in the stroller when the sun came out
• being helpful at a special boy's 1st birthday party
• taking our time on a peaceful Sunday morning, making waffles for breakfast
• laughing until the tears well up
• an exciting new purchase
• sharing a passage from a favorite book
• theme week at school, beginning with some crazy hair-styles!

• him bringing me my forgotten lunch
• our first check from The Depot
• signs pointing in the right direction, arriving on time
• learning new possibilities for using iPads in the classroom
• being a shoulder to cry on
• gaining answers after so much uncertainty
• thankful for the promise of a job in the coming year when so many are without
• girls' night out: tasty meal and spring shopping, mom's generosity
• needing nothing but a light jacket, feeling like we were in Florida a few weeks early
• prayers for a community in need

dreaming of a snow day

This week's current weather forecast for my local area:


Monday - Mostly sunny, high of 43 degrees F
Tuesday - Sunny, high of 44 degrees F
Wednesday - Sunny, high of 58 degrees F
Thursday - Partly cloudy, high of 67 degrees F
Friday - Showers, high of 59 degrees F


It's hard to believe this is "winter." Just a few days ago, I had to close the shades in my classroom when my students went crazy over snowflakes falling from the sky. Though I knew it would quickly turn to rain and melt before the school day was over, I must admit that the kid inside of me briefly wondered, "Is this it? Our first winter snow day? Will we need to have early dismissal? Wouldn't want those buses to get stuck in the snow!" Despite one student's prediction of 5 inches by lunch time, my initial forecast was correct. 


But the snow shower got me thinking ... what would I do with a snow day? The possibilities are endless!

• break out my neglected scrapbooking gear, cover my dining room table with supplies of all kinds, and craft the day away
• sleep in and wake up when my body wants to, rather than to an alarm (enjoy sprawling in the middle of the bed during the early morning hours while my husband is out making money by shoveling!)
• curl up on the couch in my pj's and finish reading the series I started months ago
• watch an unseen Netflix movie with my husband, or an old favorite that we own
• pre-make greeting cards to send out to loved ones throughout the remainder of this year, maybe even write in and mail a few
• find my Swiffer duster and actually put it to use
• spend time on Pinterest without feeling guilty
• bake something sweet and eat it while it's still warm, share some with our neighbors

Oh, what I would give for a snow day! But all I can do is dream... last year we had snow days in abundance ... this year is another story. Nothing but a rare October snowstorm, and the forecast looks like more of the same.


Yet, I don't want this to come across as complaining. I've never been the girl who can't wait to bundle up in layers and take on the slopes. I'm the girl who likes how pretty the snow looks when it first comes down (especially when it falls on Christmas morn) but doesn't love how the snow feels. I much prefer the warmer temperatures. So, though the teacher-side-of me is a bit disappointed she had to work every day in February, the rest of me could not be more thrilled that the thermometer reads above 40 most days lately.


This warmer, mild winter has not brought snow, but has brought many gifts nonetheless:

• plenty of outdoor recess opportunities
• being able to crack the windows in my classroom and my car
• less "stuff" for them to manage (no snow pants, boots, mittens, and hats lined up in the hallway)
• the regular smell of 7-8 year olds (rather than the soggy, wet smell that comes with playing in the snow)
• no need for scraping the icy windows in the morning
• a husband sleeping soundly next to me (as opposed to being out shoveling at all hours)
• plenty of street parking
• keeping curriculum on track, no need for readjusting due to missed days
• a dry basement, one that often floods due to too much rain or melting snow
• crocuses peeking out early
• motivation to exercise outside
• not having to work hard to keep the bottoms of my pants, shoes, and socks dry
• on time train schedules
• not having to worry about our car losing traction on snow-covered roads

I have come to realize that there are blessings in all seasons, even if they are not the gifts you expect. 

All of this to say that I would not be opposed to a snow day, but am equally happy to "skip" winter and enjoy all that spring has to offer! 

rewards in 2nd grade

It's been busy in 2nd grade lately! There's always the daily routine of math, language arts, science, social studies, Bible, handwriting, and so forth. But, that's just the beginning. Between planning a field trip to the museum, writing and casting a script for our upcoming Easter chapel, and keeping track of 19 responsibility goals, it seems we don't have room for much more in 2JB. 


Yet in the midst of it all, teachers at ECES make it a priority (at least) once a year to give our students a unique opportunity to learn through problem-based learning (PBL). It's easy to see that our world is full of problems that these young ones will inevitably face, and we want to prepare them by giving students the chance to formulate solutions already at an early age. Each year, students at every grade level are presented with a problem. Together as a class, students learn more about the problem and decide on an appropriate response to help solve the problem.


Second grade is currently in the thick of our PBL project for this year. Since we are studying animal camouflage and habitats in science, we thought it would be appropriate to challenge our students with the problem of endangered animals. Students became very interested in this topic and were eager to find out why animals become endangered, and what we can do to help. In response, students are busy creating shadow boxes (dioramas) of various endangered animals in their habitats. We plan to display these projects in our school library next week and invite the student body to visit our "museum" in order to raise awareness of endangered animals. But the second grade students did not want to stop there! They were quick to suggest that we should also somehow raise money for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a well-known organization that helps to protect endangered animals. We decided that when students come to visit our "museum," they will have the opportunity to join us in caring for God's creation and buy an endangered animal pencil for 50 cents. All of our profits will be donated to the WWF.

Another reason we chose the problem of endangered animals is because students at ECES have been striving to develop responsibility during the month of February. As one of our school's core values, it is important to us that students learn to be responsible. Students in all grades were asked to come up with 2 responsibility goals to strive for during this month - a home goal and a school goal. Each class is also working toward a class goal together. (My students are doing a great job of keeping their backpacks and jackets on their hooks and off the floor!) We found that this theme of responsibility ties in nicely with our calling as Christians to respect and protect God's creation. God calls us to care for the Earth and everything in it. What better reason to be responsible?

During this PBL project, I've found that the most difficult part of it all is helping 7-8 year olds understand the reasons why we should be responsible. At this young age, many of them have a hard time working toward a goal without the promise of a reward at the end. I do my best to explain that developing new habits (being able to form letters correctly, or sit attentively through a lesson, or complete work neatly) is a reward in itself. Being responsible allows us to strive for excellence (another one of our school's core values) and do everything for God's glory. But to an extrinsically motivated second grader, that simply doesn't cut it. "You mean we don't get a prize for being responsible? No toy or piece of candy?  Are you kidding me, Mrs. Beverly?"


I quickly realized that a sticker on their responsibility charts simply wasn't enough for many of my students. They needed something more to motivate them to be responsible. I knew that I must incorporate some kind of reward for a completed responsibility chart, but did not want this reward to be the sole reason for their being responsible. This is when we decided to partner with our students' parents. Our proposal was that parents donate $5.00 to the WWF if their child completed his/her school responsibility goal 25 or more of the 30 possible days on the chart. If students were responsible 20 or more of the 30 days, parents would donate only $4.00, and so on. This way, students earn a reward for their hard work, but the money is still going to a worthy cause. I thought it was genius, and was thrilled when parents agreed to the plan. I was eager to share this reward system with my students...

Upon hearing the idea, many students hopped right on board. A large majority of my class has a genuine desire to care for animals of all kinds, and these students were excited that they could help endangered animals simply by being responsible. I was thrilled to see their eager smiles ... until it was time to answer their questions. One hand shot up quickly to say, "You said we would get a reward. I still don't see what we are getting out of this." Ugh. Clearly everything I had said up to that point was not sinking in for this small boy. Before I could get a word out to answer, another student spoke up - "The reward is helping the animals! Don't you want to protect God's creation?" Well at least some of them are catching on the way I hoped. But, I was still discouraged by the frown on this small boy's face. He still wanted to know what was in it for him.


Though most of my students were overly motivated by this plan, I was still discouraged by the one who wasn't. I couldn't help but partly blame myself for his selfish desires. Did I help to instill this need for a physical reward? You see, this same small boy is one of a few students in my class who have a daily behavior chart. If he completes the appropriate tasks on the chart throughout the school day, he is rewarded at home with quarters. These quarters are meant to be saved until he can buy something he has been waiting for. I imagined this small Lego-loving boy would stack up his quarters until he could purchase the next set on his list.


Or so I thought until I received this email from his mom just yesterday:


I just wanted to share with you that [small boy's] been collecting quarters in a jar ever since we've started the behavior chart. He wants to use those quarters to donate towards the wildlife conservation. I thought that was pretty neat. :)

Pretty neat? I think it's outstanding! This took me completely by surprise. I have no idea what changed his mind, but clearly this small boy is not just thinking of himself. It's rewards like this one that make the difficulty and busyness of my job oh-so-worthwhile.