I loved Charleston! Here is one of our girls with the presenter for Gullah heritage in South Carolina. Gullah, a people, gullah and nation. What an experience for the kids to learn about the way of slaves, and SC plantations. There was a beautiful fountain at a waterside park. Much more to see, maybe someday I'll be able to explore more. If you ever go, check out the slave market, and ask a guide to see the truck eating tree! :)

Here are four of my kiddos. Each of these boys has a story to tell, sad, hard, rough lives, and they are nine and ten years old. Each has behavior problems, and each needs love. All four are in one class together. (Watch out fifth grade, here they come!) I love 'em, but at times I don't want them near me! Second from the right has promised to bring me a tadpole, maybe he will. I've tried to get ways to relate to them besides making them sit, study/work, and be quiet. Working a Bible club in a gated community for three years really prepared me for this bunch.

Hi,

This week was quite interesting with teaching a few lessons (with some lessons everything came out horrible!) and our field trip to Charleston, SC. That was amazing to be able to watch the planning, go along, and be a back-up chaperone. I didn't really have kids to keep track of, so I wandered with the different groups. We had one chaperone (mom or dad) with two or three kids each. We had 84 people I think.

What a trip. We left at 7 am Thursday, and explored Boone Hall, downtown Charleston (carriage ride, walk through the market, and "ghost history walk...") and today we went to the Aquarium. Visits to restaurants and the hotel were interesting, but no one got hurt or lost (for long.) :) The trip down and back showed no problems since the kids kept occupied with playing video games while keeping an eye on the proceedings of the various movies they played on the bus.

This trip helped me get to know some of the kids better, and some parents too. We made a rest area stop going and coming. on our stop today two of our moms were able to help an elderly lady who had fallen. The lady's daughter told me they were traveling all the way back to Caribou, Maine. I hope they make it okay. The lady noticed my school of education badge from Bob Jones (student teacher badge), and seemed to know about the school. I wasn't able to talk much more with her about it though. It was nice to get to know our tour guide too. He is a retired pastor, now likes to travel some with groups or golf. :)

I was able to wander the Aquarium with one girl who was so curious and we had a lot of fun reading the plaques and info cards on the fish and other wildlife. It reminded me of the Biodome in Montreal. It was organized into habitats, and there were a lot of really neat fish and creatures to see. (no salmon though... too far south) I'm glad the rattler, copperheads, shark, and alligators were on the other side of the glass.

The kids were very energetic leading up to the trip, so hopefully they will be ready to work this coming week.

I'll teach a few more lessons next week, and then observe several teachers. It's been a blessing to learn from the other teachers with interacting with them in the lunchroom, and playground.

I'm looking forward to graduation, but not to leaving my kids. My sister has been very kind to reserve the second Pavillion on BJU campus after graduation on Saturday May 8th from 2-3. If you can stop by and say hi, I'd love to see you. We will have cookies and a bit of time to visit before everyone leaves.

The job search is going okay... sent an application to one school, and have contacted several more. The Lord knows where he wants me.

Thanks for your interest. Please let me know how I can pray for you.
Beth:)

Yeah, tomorrow we head out on a field trip to Charleston. I'm excited about seeing the old city... Here are some of the kids coming along... three of my 44 darlings. :)

Week Eleven

Week eleven

This week was crammed with my final major directed teaching project and two full days of teaching. I had my last observations as well. My kids with behavior problems varied, but nothing too major. Things are coming to a close, but I feel like I just started! There are some improvements, but so much more to work on!

At school we have been overwhelmed with a huge craze over Sillybandz. They are little silicon rubber band thingies that come in lots of different shapes and colors. We have a few girls coming in with over fifty on each arm, in little ziplock bags or plastic containers. We gave warnings that the bands can not be out during lessons. Confiscation has occurred a few times. Some students have given me some, so I own a turtle, kangaroo, apple, hippopotamus, pig, teddy bear, and Scotty dog. I’m not too sure what to do with them, but when I wear them to school the kids trade with me. I really like my turtle. It’s very interesting to see how they can be used as rewards. They are a distraction at times, but overall the kids contain their play.

I heard a story one time, and my sister told me that a speaker in chapel mentioned this story of a turtle. There was a man who passed the same way each day. He noticed a turtle on top of a fence post. Each day the turtle was there. He realized one day that someone had to help/put that turtle on top of the fence. The same goes for us, we can’t get anywhere without being lifted up to the fence. We’re nothing without God. Just thought that was a great reminder for me, that really God is able to help me get to every fence I need to reach.

Friday evening was our school festival, there were fun games, rides, cookie decorating, face painting and a cake walk. All the events cost 2-4 tickets and were purchased at the entrance of the playground. I sold tickets for a while, and wandered the area for a bit. Mustang Madness was quite crazy. The Mitchell Road elementary school (my school) mascot is mustangs so thus the name for the festival. What shocked me the most was the “turkey bowling”. They had two frozen turkeys that people could roll down a path and try to knock over a set of pins. It was hilarious to watch the frozen poultry tumble across the gym floor.

For other happenings, I got to go to a baby shower last week, and a bridal shower today. It was fun to catch up with a few people, and get out for a bit. I have gotten little graduation announcements, and will try to be sending those out soon. I met with two different school administrators this week. Both were very positive, so I’m excited that I have a few opportunities to pursue for next fall. So far I’ve planned to go home for the summer. May is sneaking up fast.

Our entire fourth grade is taking an overnight field trip to Charleston this coming Thursday and Friday. I’m looking forward to it. I only hope I don’t lose anybody. We will be taking a carriage ride, visiting the Aquarium, Boone Hall, and the market… In preparation for the trip we will be doing centers for learning about the Civil War, and Charleston. So Monday-Wednesday will be a bit hectic to get the normal week events crammed in.

In Christ,

Beth:)

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine. This is the refrain of a Soundforth song. And this is really what I’m experiencing right now.

Since my last email about four weeks have passed. This is already week ten. We have had a lot going on at school as well as finishing my required ten full days of teaching, a project in assessing student progress, attended evening services during Bible Conference, called several schools about openings, and just got back from the Greenville County Schools Spring Break.

For those who have asked, the certification test (Praxis 2) went okay. It was really hard to know how to study for it- so I didn’t. There was about 18 multiple choice questions that could be from psychology, curriculum, child development, government standards or many other possible aspects in education. The other part was in four sections. We were given a case study- teacher and class situation. Then we were to write short answer essays in response to the case study. That was interesting!

I got to go to the opera of Samson et Delila with a good friend. It was very convicting that sin is easy fall into in our present world. It was a rather sad performance, but I enjoyed the company.

Back to school my troubled kid (N.) has been through a lot these last few weeks. He got suspended for two days after all his behavior choices came to a breaking point one day- the day after my last update. He has since gotten worse, then better. Our Principal explained to him that he was hurting those that care about him. We bend over backwards for him, and that he is ungrateful with these hateful responses he’s giving us. The week before Spring break was awful with the entire class because of the excitement of getting a week off, but since we’ve been back- yesterday and today, N. has been very good for us. We actually got a lot done in class today, I had trouble with others, but not him. Once he has a task- he can work on it. Whenever he has down time, or had to make a transition-he struggles.

Another incident occurred a few weeks ago when I took a folded paper away from a girl after I asked for it three times. She got mad, so she slapped me. (It didn’t hurt) I wanted to laugh because she was suddenly ashamed and shocked at herself. The entire class was shocked as well, and several students asked if I was okay. (I was a bit shocked myself, but okay.) She got a referral (incident report put on her school record) and was punished with silent lunch/no recess for a few days. But I have had a lot less trouble from her, and she’s been very helpful. She has hit several teachers in the past so I guess that is what it took to initiate me into being a teacher perhaps?

I’ve contacted several schools, heard back from a few. The two openings I know of so far are for K-4 positions. I’ll tell you frankly that even though I teach a toddler Sunday School class, kindergarten is not my comfort zone- or at least my field of training. Please pray with me as I seek wisdom in regards to searching for a position.

We haven’t had any more fire drills or such craziness. The day before our Spring Break (March 26) we had a Fine Arts Day. That was fun. I entered the food art competition my own version of the cover from the children’s book Madeline. I had pineapple rings as hats with an Eiffel Tower over green icing. I got “Best International Entry.” The kids were pretty good considering moving around the school from event to event. That was a nice day to begin the break.

Bible Conference was a blessing, but also draining with several late nights working on a project between evening services and lesson prep. I got to sit with my sister and brother-in-law, and several friends.

I went home for Spring Break tired and a bit discouraged because of I was struggling completing a project. I did get it turned in. Rest, and some soul searching and a chance to get away for a bit were really a blessing. I got to visit with friends from New York came through while I was home, helped move a freezer, do housework with mom, go on a youth activity, get our church cleaned and decorated for Easter, filed patient files in a Doctor’s Office, cleaned a Dentist Office, and worked a day in the Scottish Store. It was really warm last week so it was nice for the mountains to finally be free of snow. Even though I had a lot going on, I did get rest! J

I’m looking forward to observing other teachers around the school, and teaching my kids a lot more. We have a field trip, and Mustang Madness- (school festival) in a few weeks. I’m also going to be calling a lot more schools as I look for possibilities for ministry in teaching.

It is crazy that five years of the Lord's leading is coming to a close, with graduating from college in a few weeks. I was told that the days go fast, and I can now say that they do.

Beth