Miss Amy's Schoolhouse

Raise your hand if you like interruptions to your plans? As a reforming planner, I can definitely say I can tolerate interruptions a lot better. God has spent the year breaking me of my planner heart. It has been hard because I love that part of education- writing out lesson plans and schedules and then checking the activities and schedule off as needed.

Today God reminded me that is in control of it all, including my classroom. Our principal reminded us of that at morning devotion and then God decided to provide me with the opportunity to see if I would listen and obey. We were in the middle of Bible lesson when I noticed a student was getting upset. Tears had formed and slowly were going down the cheeks. We only had a little in the lesson left to finish, and I was faced with the decision: Do I finish my lesson or stop and minister to this child? I didn't want to stop but I yielded to God. I asked the child to come forward. I asked what was wrong, and the child told me,"I miss Mommy." Then I gave them a hug and asked the class if we could stop and pray that Jesus would comfort the child. Everyone prayed and that opened some little hearts to be compassionate and include that child to play. By the end of the day a new friendship was formed. Thank you Lord!!

Thank you Lord for breaking this planner apart into a person that embraces and now anticipates interruptions. Your ways are not only higher but better than mine!!

Hello friends!!It's been awhile since I've updated. A big change has happened since I last posted. I'll try to be brief as I get up to date.
•First, the daily 5 went amazing in my class! I saw an interest and a love for reading and writing instilled in my students. One boy jumped from reading at a preK level to reading at a first grade level by the end of the year. I pray that he continues to be a life long learner. Another boy went from hating to write in his journal to finally writing an entire sentence on his own. I cannot encourage teachers to look at this method more. It saved my sanity as we moved to common core while engaging my students in a way I've never seen before. I think a huge reason is because it allows the students to become independent and responsible for their own educational journey.
•Second, within a week at the end of May, God opened another door for me to teach kindergarten at a Christian school. It was a hard decision to make because I still loved everyone that I worked with at my other school. We were a great team and I've found that is hard to come by in education. However, I really felt God calling me to this new place.
•My new school is amazing! I LOVE my new team! They're wise, encouraging, joyful, and helpful. I have never had a transition to a new school go so well. On that note, everyone at my school is WONDERFUL! Last week, I was on emotional overload. My room wasn't coming together and I didn't know what to do. My principal noticed and organized some help along with my team leader to get things sorted out. The advice and suggestions were so helpful and made everything fall right into place. I am so blessed!!!
•My good friend, Miss L, attended the WillowCreek Leadership Conference via the power of web conferencing. During that time, God laid on her heart a message for me from a Spanish speaking pastor. It was the passage in 1 Samuel where Samuel is mourning over the loss of Saul being king. God tells Samuel to stop the morning and get his horn of oil to go to Bethlehem to anoint the next king. Miss L shared this with me during our accountability time last week about another area God is growing me in. However, His words carried me through the week. You see, Monday I ran into my old team at a restaurant. After I left, I was mourning that chapter had closed. While I was excited to start what God had in front of me, it was still sad to not be starting school with comfortability of the old. This passage of scripturereally helped me through the week to move on to the place God wants me now.
• I met my new class and their parents on Wednesday and we started school Thursday. I know that God has called me here for such a time as this. There are so many diverse needs of each student and their families and God has taken my "rolling-stone-patchwork-experiences" and is using it to His glory. He is taking the good times, like when I befriended an international student from China in college, and using it for His good. He is taking the hard times, like working with some challenging students for the past four years, and using it for His good. He is taking my sad times, like grieving over a loss and using it for His good. Don't ever doubt Romans 8:28! Even though life has blessings and dark times, God is in control and will take it and use it for His purpose.
• I am so excited for this new school year and I can't wait to watch it unfold!!

This week is Spring Break for my school district. I know that all my friends that have non-teaching jobs are always super jealous...unless they are my friends who are still in college. :-) I've been trying to decide what would be the best use of time this week. So far, I've decided these things are a MUST DO:

1. Get some rest and relaxation. Enjoy quiet moments, like today with the rain outside, hot tea in my hand, and a little Italian Greyhound curled up next to me.
2. Finish my children's book and get it in submission state to start the long process of finding some one to publish it.
3. Get all my school paperwork in order instead of a stack of quickly written down notes tucked away here and there.
4. Get organized on how to present the next step in the Daily 5.

Anyone have any other suggestions on Spring Break time for teachers?

I figured I would begin my blog by telling you a little about myself and where I teach. My name is Amy and I teach at a high poverty school just outside of Oklahoma City. The school is located in a wealthy suburb, however the students that make up a majority of the school are not. The majority live with some kind of constant transition in their lives, from the amount of parents to the place to live. A large group live in section 8 housing and rely on free/reduced meal programs for breakfast and dinner. The neighborhood surrounding the school is filled with your average middle class families who are working hard to provide for their children. It is a diverse population that can often clash, but in the end works hard to get along.

I find myself called to this desert. It surprises me how thirsty for knowledge, love, security, and acceptance all of the children are, no matter what their background. Some have bigger deserts in their lives, ones that would put the Sahara to shame. They are all the same though, and it is my job, even though it can be tiring and tear-filled, to water these deserts as much as I can. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but God has called me here. I know that I have only been able to survive these years, and especially this past one, by relying on His strength and grace.

I hope that by serving God in this manner, Isaiah 35:6 (The Message) will be true for those student I teach. May they be like lame men and women leaping like deer, may their voiceless hearts break into song. May the springs of water burst out in the wilderness of their lives, and may streams of knowledge, love, security, and acceptance flow into their desert-filled lives.