Feeling Artsy Craftsy and Classroom "Before" Pics

As promised, I took a few "before" pictures of stuff in my classroom. I will take some pictures of the finished bulletin boards, etc. next time I go. Special thanks to Tiff and Carlee for all of their WONDERFUL help yesterday!

T.V. Barcoded with the Zachary High library barcode!

Barnyard Animal border.... special!

Blank wall- now has a cute bulletin board on it!!

Cabinet crammed full of books and junk I will never, ever use. Actually, there was more stuff in it than what is in this picture!

Yearbooks piled up in the back of the room!

Bookcase (where the poptarts and candy wrappers were found)

Front of room- the computers and printer will go. The board hadn't been erased (according to my sis) since April.


Today, I am NOT going to school- it's Laundry Day! So I decided that I was going to do a few fun "art projects" for my classroom. Here's a picture frame. It's one of those "floating frames..." and I just added the fun stuff.





This is a clipboard that I "prettied up." It was previously just a plain, ordinary, brown clipboard. Will I ever use it? Who knows, but it's cute!

Panic Mode!

So, it's beginning to "hit" me that school starts in less than three weeks, and my classroom is still a complete disaster area. I am planning to go up to the school in a few hours (after P's nap) to work some more. Just so you all have a better idea of what I'm dealing with, let me detail a few of the "finer points" of my room as it is right now.

• The yellow-orange carpet in the room (complete with its duct tape to try to keep it together) is LITERALLY older than I am. NICE, I know!
• Currently, the small bulletin board strip above my chalkboard has barn-yard animal border on it. Old MacDonald, anyone?
• Yes, I did say CHALKBOARD. Only classroom on the hall without dry erase boards! Yay for me!
• I found a curriculum guide yesterday that is dated 1986. I was three. Seriously?? SERIOUSLY???
• I also found some wonderful things on a bookcase in the back corner of my room- candy bar wrappers, gum, and- oh yes- a blueberry poptart! (At least, I THINK it was blueberry.)
• There is an entire cabinet full of teacher resources- FOR THE ENGLISH II CURRICULUM. I am teaching English III. Oh yeah, did I mention they're for the textbook that was being used when I was in English II?? In 1998???
• There are still 6 computers and a laser printer in my room that need to be moved to the new yearbook sponsor's room... and I don't know who that person is going to be!
• There are still about 200-250 yearbooks that need to be moved to the new yearbook sponsor's room.
• Until above mentioned computers, printer, and yearbooks are moved, I cannot arrange my room like I want to arrange it.

Things that I want/need to do to make this a workable space:

• Have said computers, printer, and yearbooks moved.
• Move one giant blue storage cabinet from the front of the room to the back.
• Move one blue bookcase from the back of the room to the front.
• Move my teacher's desk into the corner where the giant blue storage cabinet currently resides.
• Clean out giant blue storage cabinet and dispose of English II stuff and 1986 curriculum guide.
• Bulletin boards- I need (want) to do one "The American Dream" space for American Lit (English III) stuff. I need to also do something Business English related (The Road to Success??) I also have one to do something calendar/news related.
• Remember that even if I don't get it all done, I will survive.

"Did you bring your t.v.?"

On Tuesday, I went up to Central to work in my classroom for a while. Mom and Carlee met me there. We did get SOME accomplished, but not quite as much as I'd hoped. I did snap a few pictures, which will be posted whenever I can remember to get them off the camera and on to the computer. We're cleaning out cabinets, desk drawers, etc. when Carlee asks, out of nowhere, "Janee, did you bring your t.v. from Zachary?" Of course, I did not, being that I didn't even HAVE a television in my room last year. Lo and behold, the television for Channel One in my CENTRAL classroom is barcoded from ZACHARY! There is a good reason- Zachary got rid of Channel One after the 2006-07 school year, so all of the Channel One t.v.'s were apparently moved to Central, who started the program this past school year.

(For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, Channel One is a nationally syndicated news broadcast schools can subscribe to, and part of the initiative is a t.v. in each classroom so this broadcast can be watched each morning.) Ironic, a little piece of Zachary will be with me at good ole "Dirty C."

Also on Tuesday, I had a wonderful "lunch date" with Sam and Sabrina, two of my "old" coworkers from ZHS. Sam will be there again, but Sabrina is going to be teaching at Southside Jr. in Denham. We had a great time at Olive Garden, then did THE most teacher-y thing possible- a field trip to School Aids. I love my teacher buddies, and will miss seeing my ZHS friends each day.

Changes!

I went up to Central yesterday to bring stuff to my new classroom. More on that later, but I had to update GREAT news...

I WILL NOT BE THE YEARBOOK SPONSOR!! WOOOHOOOO!

Coach Wales (my boss) told me that he was giving yearbook to someone else, so I'll just be teaching English III and one section of Business English. I could not be more excited!

I'll be going back up there next week to work in my room again, and I'll take before/after pics at that time.

For now, we're in PARTY MODE. Parker's first birthday party is Saturday!!

A Tough One

There's been a lot going on the last few days. My extended family has been faced with a tragedy that is unimaginable. It is one of those situations that truly makes no sense in the world, and probably never will, so there's not much good rehashing it all here. I have really struggled with not having answers to any of the million questions running through my mind.

But I'm learning something about God. He doesn't always give us the answers. Doesn't do it because He doesn't have to. He's God, he's in control, and he's big enough to handle it without my help, or even my understanding. I don't have to know the answer to "why?". I simply need to know that He is God.

In the midst of all of this, God has also reminded me about His grace. He offers it to every single one of us, no matter what we do. No matter how "good" we are, we need his grace. No matter how "bad" the things we do, he still gives us his grace. But he also calls us to love as he has loved. To serve as he served. It's hard to keep that in perspective sometimes, but I think we must-- we must love. We must serve. We must extend grace. We must trust. We must NOT always understand.

Starting Over

In case you've missed the news, I am leaving my job at Zachary and taking a position at Central High School, where I will be teaching English III, Journalism, and Yearbook. Beyond the fact that it was difficult to leave the wonderful friends I have on the ZHS faculty, I will definitely miss teaching my little 9th graders who have been so much fun. In addition, I am completely nervous about having THREE preps, all of which I have NEVER taught before. But I think it will be good.

Things I'll miss about Zachary

• the Freshmen Academy
• my coworkers, especially the "Red Team," the "Lunch Bunch," and Erica Henry, who has not only been my mentor, but a great friend
• 9th graders- they're so quirky and fun
• my 7th hour boys from last year who promised to visit me once they're 10th graders
• the "traditions" of ZHS that are so unique
• but mostly, my coworkers and my kids
• being a part of the #1 School District in the state for all 3 years I taught there
• it's the place where I learned "how to be a teacher"

Things I'm excited about at CHS:

• the chance to do something new
• being at school with my sis for her senior year
• working with some of the people who taught me and inspired me to become a teacher
• working with someone I recently met and have already come to respect and admire so much- Mrs. Kahne Seidel- who is an amazing mother and Godly woman
• learning new things- like, yearbook and newspaper
• starting NEW traditions for those above mentioned "new things"
• being a part of a new, upcoming school district
• working for a principal I have respected since I was a high school student
• NOT DRIVING SO FAR!
• being closer to Parker

Over the next few weeks, I plan to go up and start working in my classroom-- and really making it MINE. I'll post before/after pictures when I start going!

Bring the Rain

I heard a song on the radio the other morning- "Jesus Bring the Rain" by MercyMe... and the chorus of it really struck me...

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain


I was really humbled by this. I am quick to pray the "bring me joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free" part... Of course, that's human nature! "God, please make my life happy and comfortable." I do okay with the "Bring me anything that brings You glory" part... although sometimes, when I get so bogged down in "when this life brings me pain..." I forget to actually BRING glory to Him in those times too. I find myself really struggling with the part of that "prayer" that says, "Jesus, bring the rain." I think it's normal/natural instinct for us as humans in the "flesh" to want "Comfortable Christianity." You know the kind I'm talking about... the 1 John 4:16 "God is love" Christianity, the Joel 2:13 "the Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love" Christianity, the common misconception of "God is a smiling old grandfather who wants us to be happy" Christianity.

I'm realizing more and more that having a TRUE, deep relationship with Christ can in no way whatsoever be "comfortable Christianity." We are called to be the kind of people in Luke 9:23, who follow Christ's command when he says "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." When I think about "taking up my cross," the only image I have in mind of what it is to take up a cross is the picture of Christ carrying his cross to His crucifixion. Carrying your cross is not supposed to be easy, pleasant, fun, enjoyable. Denying yourself means that all of those ideas of "joy" and "peace" I have in my mind don't really matter... it is GOD's picture of "joy" and "peace" in my life that I should be striving for. The encouraging part is that Christ also tells us, in Matthew 11:29-30 to "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Obviously, we are still doing something here-- picking up the yoke- but we have CHRIST walking alongside us.

So... what does that mean? Basically, I have to intentionally, daily remember to pray "If that's what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain." Do I think that Jesus will constantly "bring rain" in my life? No, I don't. I think the "rain" gives me a better perspective of how to not forget to praise him in the "sunshine" parts of life too.