Creative Classroom: Q is for Duck

At my last visit to the public library, this book caught my eye. Q Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting, Michael Folsom, and Jack Kent is an amusing read. Many of my third graders love telling riddles, so I thought they would enjoy this book. Today at lunch I read it to them. Sure enough, they had a lot of fun with it.

The riddles in the book are very easy for third-graders, which I think makes this book a good inspiration for the children to create their own alphabet riddles, using their vocabulary and/or spelling words. What a fun and creative way to practice vocab!

Creative Classroom: Super Soldiers

As a newbie teacher's aide, I have been learning many things this school year. One of my big growing experiences has been getting my 28 third graders (18 of whom are boys) to keep a good line whenever we walk through the hallway. We've gotten a lot better since September, but there's still room for improvement. If you're an elementary teacher, what are your secrets for keeping your class "in line"?

Earlier this week, at the end of one of our restroom breaks, as the children were finding their places in line, I praised one of the boys who was the first one ready: "I like how Eric is standing in line like a soldier."

"Eric reminds me of a trip I took to London, England, when I was about your age. I got to see soldiers on duty, guarding Buckingham Palace. Do you know what? Those soldiers stand straight with their hands at their sides, and nothing distracts them from what they're supposed to be doing. They don't talk; they don't even smile or laugh. Now, I bet we can be like those soldiers. Except that we can smile. Let's be smiling, silent soldiers!"

The kids loved my little story, and they got excited about being soldiers in line.

Then I had another idea: "Oh! Smiling, silent soldiers! These words all start with the same sound, "s." Remember, in Reading we just worked on words that have the same beginning sounds. I wonder how many "s" words we can think of to describe the way our line should be."

The kids got into it! As a class we came up with this motto: Super, Silent, Serious, Straight-stepping, Smiling, Student Soldiers. =)

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thankful Thursday #11 and my first Thankful Thursday in the new year! Today I've decided to jot down five every-day things that I'm thankful my dad does for our family. As I've been living at home again, I'm the daily recipient of his thoughtfulness and serving. Here are just a few examples . . .

1) Every morning Dad gets up before any of us have to leave the house, to scrape the frost off the windshields of our vehicles. Depending on who has to leave first and whose car is blocked in by the others, he moves the cars out of the way, so that we each can leave without hassle.

2) Dad keeps all of our cars filled with gas. He also makes sure all of our vehicles stay in good repair.

3) Dad does all of our family grocery shopping.

4) Dad prepares meals for us when Mom and I are too busy to do it (which is more often than not).

5) Dad keeps our family finances, as well as my own personal finances, in order.

I am thankful to be living at home with a father who daily demonstrates his love and commitment to our family.

of Textbooks, Tennis, and Thin Mints

Last night’s brother-sister dialog is still making smile. Textbooks, tennis, and Thin Mints—these are the kinds of things that comprise daily life. Relationships. Memories. How blessed I am to share so many of them with my wonderful brother....

Me: We need to sign up for our next session of tennis classes. One of us should swing by the tennis center on the way home from work on Tuesday.

Peter: I can do it.

Me: Great! Thanks. I’ll reimburse you for yours  [we had already agreed to treat each other to the tennis lessons, as our Christmas gifts to each other].

Peter: Right. By the way, I need to transfer the money to you from my account, for that textbook I just sold for you on Amazon.

Me: Come to think of it, the price of that textbook is about the price of the tennis class. Just call it a wash.

Peter: That’s convenient!

Me: So, how ’bout celebrating with a Thin Mint? [Peter and I both love Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies—so much so that I bought him several boxes for Christmas, which he kindly shares with me. ;-) ]

Peter: Great idea! Cheers!

Invitation to Abundant Life

At the dawn of this new year, I have been meditating on Isaiah 55, an invitation to abundant life:

1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

​​Come to the waters;

​​And you who have no money,

​​Come, buy and eat.

​​Yes, come, buy wine and milk

​​Without money and without price.

2 ​​Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

​​And your wages for what does not satisfy?

​​Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

​​And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

3 ​​Incline your ear, and come to Me.

​​Hear, and your soul shall live;

​​And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

​​The sure mercies of David.

4 ​​Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,

​​A leader and commander for the people.

5 ​​Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,

​​And nations who do not know you shall run to you,

​​Because of the LORD your God,

​​And the Holy One of Israel;

​​For He has glorified you.”

6 ​​Seek the LORD while He may be found,

​​Call upon Him while He is near.

7 ​​Let the wicked forsake his way,

​​And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

​​Let him return to the LORD,

​​And He will have mercy on him;

​​And to our God,

​​For He will abundantly pardon.

8 ​​“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

​​Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

9 ​​“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

​​So are My ways higher than your ways,

​​And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 ​​“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

​​And do not return there,

​​But water the earth,

​​And make it bring forth and bud,

​​That it may give seed to the sower

​​And bread to the eater,

11 So shall My word that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But ​​it shall accomplish what I please,

​​And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

12 ​​“For you shall go out with joy,

​​And be led out with peace;

​​The mountains and the hills

​​Shall break forth into singing before you,

​​And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 ​​Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,

​​And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;

​​And it shall be to the LORD for a name,

​​For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

(NKJV, copied from Blueletterbible.org)

Oh, the poetry and promises that well up in this beautiful passage! My thirsty, weary, battered soul is renewed to be reminded of the power in God's Word. The perspective. The purpose. The provision. The prosperity. The peace. The pleasure. Yes, LORD, yes. Accomplish and prosper Your word in my life this year.

Easy Green Beans

On Pinterest I come across scores of pictures of tantalizing culinary delights. But in this season of life that I'm in, juggling work and graduate school, I have zero motivation or energy to tackle gourmet dishes. Anything I do cook these days has to be quick and easy. . .

Last night for our New Year's Eve dinner I offered to make a side dish of green beans. I started with canned French-style cut green beans and stirred in some Italian dressing, Caesar dressing, and Parmesan cheese. Then I poured everything into a casserole dish, sprinkled French-fried onion rings on top, and set in the oven to bake. With a mere five minutes of prep (not including oven time), those beans were scrumptious. Score! =)

Family Christmas Picture

This morning following the worship service at church, we finally got around to taking our annual family Christmas picture. Here's to rejoicing in God's goodness to our family in 2011 and trusting in His continued faithfulness to us in 2012.