Today I overheard one of my male students saying the following to one of my female students, "Jesus wants us to kiss."
Luckily the girl was smarter than the boy thought ;)
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Stepping off the Carpet Square
Just in case you are wondering....I do have life outside of preschool. When that bell rings on Friday afternoons, I put my carpet square in the closet, throw on my party clothes (I use that description loosely), and run out the door! Seriously though, I have been making a myriad friends including a misunderstood Texan, three + seminary students, the Sunday lunch crowd (a bunch of mostly single people who go out to lunch after church on Sundays-non-exclusive), a nice couple that lives across the street (we have dinner and Gilmore Girls on Tuesdays), and the ladies at work (who crack me up!) Oh, and I've had a chance to reconnect with a wonderul teammate from my CityLights summer (2001) team. She is living in St. Louis now and doing her student teaching. God has really blessed me with an opportunity to reconnect with this truly amazing woman!
Don't worry, I haven't quit singing. I am singing on the worship team at my church (which I am becoming an official member of this Sunday), and in a short-term gospel choir. I don't really know how to explain it, but this worship team has been one of the best environments for me musically that I have experienced - I think it is because there is freedom and grace for me to make mistakes...something I haven't felt when it comes to music in a long time. Plus, I feel like I'm sort of being musically discipled if that is possible.
Occasionally I help out with some of the InterVarsity CityLights stuff, and will probably be doing more of that for the spring break groups that come down. Oh, I have a great house church that I go to every week as well. So I stay busy, but not too busy.
Don't worry, I haven't quit singing. I am singing on the worship team at my church (which I am becoming an official member of this Sunday), and in a short-term gospel choir. I don't really know how to explain it, but this worship team has been one of the best environments for me musically that I have experienced - I think it is because there is freedom and grace for me to make mistakes...something I haven't felt when it comes to music in a long time. Plus, I feel like I'm sort of being musically discipled if that is possible.
Occasionally I help out with some of the InterVarsity CityLights stuff, and will probably be doing more of that for the spring break groups that come down. Oh, I have a great house church that I go to every week as well. So I stay busy, but not too busy.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Seriously the funniest day of my life...
So the same day as the wedding only earlier in the day...
My aid, Erica, and I decided to take the kids outside for recess today. It was pretty muddy, but beautiful! I didn't want to hinder them from experiencing such wonderful weather in January! In the middle of recess, Thomas ranup to me with this really disgusted look on his face. AND a whole lot of mud up his nose and scattered across his cheek. I asked him what was wrong, but only got this mumbled gibberish answer. Erica couldn't understand him either. So we just kept asking him what was going on. Finally he yells, "I'm digging for the buried treasure behind the house, and it started raining!" With those words he ran off behind this cement tunnel that was twice his size. Not seconds later, there is mud FLYING several feet in the air. You couldn't see Thomas, but he was definitely digging for something back there. I wish I had a picture...
Later in the day....some of the kids figured out that the plastic grapes in our "house" center can be suctioned to things. Marie decided to suction them to her ears as earrings....
My aid, Erica, and I decided to take the kids outside for recess today. It was pretty muddy, but beautiful! I didn't want to hinder them from experiencing such wonderful weather in January! In the middle of recess, Thomas ranup to me with this really disgusted look on his face. AND a whole lot of mud up his nose and scattered across his cheek. I asked him what was wrong, but only got this mumbled gibberish answer. Erica couldn't understand him either. So we just kept asking him what was going on. Finally he yells, "I'm digging for the buried treasure behind the house, and it started raining!" With those words he ran off behind this cement tunnel that was twice his size. Not seconds later, there is mud FLYING several feet in the air. You couldn't see Thomas, but he was definitely digging for something back there. I wish I had a picture...
Later in the day....some of the kids figured out that the plastic grapes in our "house" center can be suctioned to things. Marie decided to suction them to her ears as earrings....
Here Comes the Bride
Yes, you read that title correctly, but no, I'm not the bride (although lately it seems like everyone I know is a bride or groom). Instead it happens to be one of my students. I know, they are only four. But it's true. To understand this story, you must know that one of my students was a flower girl in a wedding this weekend, and another is going to be a flower girl in an upcoming wedding. In addition to this, many young children will often re-enact events that are happening in their lives. So with that said, here is the story of the year (I think).
During free play this afternoon, I was mixing up some paint for tomorrow's craft. I find that when I preoccupy myself, the kids are much more free in their dramatic play than when I am watching them. Usually I can loose myself in my own activities until certain words from the wee ones pull me back to my classroom. Today it was the words of Torey saying, "John, get that Bible so that you can read to us, and we can be married." The only thing I could think was "oh goodness." I turned just in time to see the "happy couple" walking up the aisle. Raina, the blushing bride, was dressed in a bright green apron covered with lab coat molded into a flowing skirt. Upon her head a green towel was draped in a veil-like manner. (Only she couldn't see through the towel..hehehe). The groom, Torey, was wearing a grandfatherly hat and a Vikings jersey.
The couple walked hand-in-hand down the . Minister John then read a most perfect scripture for the occasion. (He was actually holding some random children's book). "Be good to others for God is good. Psalm 87:14 " said John. (Meanwhile I'm dying inside!) He then tried to put a ring on the bride's finger as the groom protested, "NO! That's the wrong finger!"
When the "ring" reached the correct finger, Minister John turned to the photographer (who was actually taking pictures with a fake camera) Kya and said, "Hit it." Kya just stared at him like he was crazy. Again, John said, "Hit it." This time Kya swung her fist in the air as if hitting some imaginary target (I was totally rolling!) John corrected her and lead the whole class in singing the first four notes of Here Comes the Bride...over and over and over as the couple left the minister's presence.
The bride insisted upon having a dance. Luckily DJ Jazzy Salmond was in the house and hooked the couple up with some Karrin Allyson ballads. Torey immediately swept Raina out onto the dance carpet, twirling her about. He even dipped the bride, although they ended up on the floor. Minister John and his "wife" Marie also cut a rug with the happy couple.
I imagine I will be laughing at this for a long time!
During free play this afternoon, I was mixing up some paint for tomorrow's craft. I find that when I preoccupy myself, the kids are much more free in their dramatic play than when I am watching them. Usually I can loose myself in my own activities until certain words from the wee ones pull me back to my classroom. Today it was the words of Torey saying, "John, get that Bible so that you can read to us, and we can be married." The only thing I could think was "oh goodness." I turned just in time to see the "happy couple" walking up the aisle. Raina, the blushing bride, was dressed in a bright green apron covered with lab coat molded into a flowing skirt. Upon her head a green towel was draped in a veil-like manner. (Only she couldn't see through the towel..hehehe). The groom, Torey, was wearing a grandfatherly hat and a Vikings jersey.
The couple walked hand-in-hand down the . Minister John then read a most perfect scripture for the occasion. (He was actually holding some random children's book). "Be good to others for God is good. Psalm 87:14 " said John. (Meanwhile I'm dying inside!) He then tried to put a ring on the bride's finger as the groom protested, "NO! That's the wrong finger!"
When the "ring" reached the correct finger, Minister John turned to the photographer (who was actually taking pictures with a fake camera) Kya and said, "Hit it." Kya just stared at him like he was crazy. Again, John said, "Hit it." This time Kya swung her fist in the air as if hitting some imaginary target (I was totally rolling!) John corrected her and lead the whole class in singing the first four notes of Here Comes the Bride...over and over and over as the couple left the minister's presence.
The bride insisted upon having a dance. Luckily DJ Jazzy Salmond was in the house and hooked the couple up with some Karrin Allyson ballads. Torey immediately swept Raina out onto the dance carpet, twirling her about. He even dipped the bride, although they ended up on the floor. Minister John and his "wife" Marie also cut a rug with the happy couple.
I imagine I will be laughing at this for a long time!
Sunday, January 09, 2005
My kids rock!
I just wanted to take this opportunity to brag about my students. I should have bragged about this a month ago. I challenged them to read with their parents for a Scholastic program called Classrooms Care. For every 100 books that a class reads collectively, Scholastic donates 100 books to a program that gives them to schools in need. I gave my students and their families six weeks and challenged them to read 4 books together each week which would put us around 300 books total (roughly). My students read 356 in just 6 weeks. And yes, the are only in Pre-kindergarten. They recommend reading Cookie's Week. They laugh hysterically every time we read it.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Grandma?!
There are days when I feel entirely too young to be a teacher. There are also days when I feel much older than I really am. My students tend to aid in the "feeling old" process with their frequent slips of the tongue - calling me "Mommy." Although I am old enough to be the mother of one of these precious children, I definately don't think that I am old enough to be so. But when one child slips up and says "mommy" instead of "Ms. Salmond" my mind gets very confused about my age. Two days ago one of my students actually called me "grandma." I almost had a mental breakdown! (no, not really).
I attended a conference over Christmas break that was very prayer and worship oriented. I attended the same conference last year. It was at this conference that God called me to work in St. Louis. I didn't want to, but a year later here I am. So I wondered what big things were in store for this conference. Much of what I got was personal, but I did get some revelation as to how to pray for one of my students that has a lot of academic problems. I have prayed for him a lot over the past two weeks since hearing what God had to say about this boy. Basically, I saw this picture of his mind being veiled. Nothing could enter or leave it. My main prayer for him is that the veil would be released...broken...forever. Before Christmas break, this child had trouble even identifying his own name (which all of the students can do). Our first day back in class we played an alphabet game during which he correctly named THREE letters of the alphabet. Today he sat, worked on, and completed a 25 piece puzzle ALL BY HIMSELF. Both of these are rather large feats for him. I am excited and pleased to see how quickly the Lord is unveiling his mind and working to restore it. What a blessing to be able to see it!
It finally snowed in St. Louis while I was in the city. It snowed all morning long. My students kept running to the window to behold the white world outside. We took a break after snack time, bundled up, and went out into the cold to do some exploring. It was great! The littlest things strike up joy and amazement within my students which is exactly what you could see on their faces and hear in their words as we felt the snow, build tiny snowballs, and tried to catch snowflakes in our mouths.
My students were also introduced to the magnifying glass today. This too was "amazing" to them. Thomas insisted upon using it to examine my eye about every 10 minutes throughout the morning, and even managed to wack me pretty hard-I'm surprised I don't have a bruised eye socket. Wouldn't that be quite the story to tell?
John told me today that he couldn't rest (during rest time) because "Reggie White, the football player died." One word for that. Strange.
I attended a conference over Christmas break that was very prayer and worship oriented. I attended the same conference last year. It was at this conference that God called me to work in St. Louis. I didn't want to, but a year later here I am. So I wondered what big things were in store for this conference. Much of what I got was personal, but I did get some revelation as to how to pray for one of my students that has a lot of academic problems. I have prayed for him a lot over the past two weeks since hearing what God had to say about this boy. Basically, I saw this picture of his mind being veiled. Nothing could enter or leave it. My main prayer for him is that the veil would be released...broken...forever. Before Christmas break, this child had trouble even identifying his own name (which all of the students can do). Our first day back in class we played an alphabet game during which he correctly named THREE letters of the alphabet. Today he sat, worked on, and completed a 25 piece puzzle ALL BY HIMSELF. Both of these are rather large feats for him. I am excited and pleased to see how quickly the Lord is unveiling his mind and working to restore it. What a blessing to be able to see it!
It finally snowed in St. Louis while I was in the city. It snowed all morning long. My students kept running to the window to behold the white world outside. We took a break after snack time, bundled up, and went out into the cold to do some exploring. It was great! The littlest things strike up joy and amazement within my students which is exactly what you could see on their faces and hear in their words as we felt the snow, build tiny snowballs, and tried to catch snowflakes in our mouths.
My students were also introduced to the magnifying glass today. This too was "amazing" to them. Thomas insisted upon using it to examine my eye about every 10 minutes throughout the morning, and even managed to wack me pretty hard-I'm surprised I don't have a bruised eye socket. Wouldn't that be quite the story to tell?
John told me today that he couldn't rest (during rest time) because "Reggie White, the football player died." One word for that. Strange.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments