The Amazing Adventures of Snakewoman

Transcription (because the handwriting hasn't improved much from his loin project last year):
The Amazing Adventures of Snakewomen (Part 1)
On summer vacation Mrs. Malik went to the rainforest.  She saw amazing animals but one night she went to sleep in the rain forest.  In the tent a scaly slithery thing slithered in.  A viper pit bited Mrs. Malik.  On the morning she didn't notice anything, but in school everyone saw Mrs. Malik differently.  She had a scaly body.  Then she noticed she was half snake and half human.

to be continued


(Part 2/2)
When Mrs. Malik got home that day she used everything to get rid of the scales but nothing worked.  So after that she was [watching] the news then she saw a villen (villain) destroying the city.  When she went downtown she saw the guy.  He was faster than a speeding waistband more powerful than boxer shorts (a nod to the Captain Underpants series).  He tired to stop her but Mrs. Malik was faster than a speeding scooter more powerful than metal.  After she stopped the bad guy, she called herself Snake Women.  She had two jobs now: an ELL teacher and a hero.  She was happy.

THE END.

Oh THAT meaning

Once upon a time a fellow fourth grade teacher was approached by a new, VERY limited English student.

He said, "Give me rubbers!"  His teacher's eyes bugged out, and she hollered for an Amharic-speaking classmate.  "WHAT does he want?!?!," always fearing the worst of 4th grade boys.  Translation from Amharic to English.  "Um, he needs an eraser."

British English.  Gets ya every time.

p.s.  Brownie points if you knew Amharic was the official language of Ethiopia.  Bonus brownie points if you can name the country (and/or language) directly to the north that gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1991.  WITHOUT using Wikipedia or Google!  (I have several students from this country too.)

Welcome back

Tomorrow is the first day of school.  As a teacher I interact with dozens of children each school year.  We just got word that my elementary school has hit the 800-mark for enrollment.  That is a LOT of students.  I attended two elementary schools which had 175 and 200 students each, so my current school population baffles me sometimes.  Students can have one of eight kindergarten teachers and then end up knowing only a handful of students in their first grade class after they've been shuffled around.

On Friday, students and their parents came to school for a few hours to meet their new teachers and see their classrooms.  After a quiet week at school, I loved hearing the walls echo with the sounds of high pitched voices.  My favorite part of the morning though, was being able to greet the students by name.

My first year of teaching I stood in the lobby of the school, armed with class lists and eager to assist anyone who needed it.  I didn't know anyone, much less the names and rooms of the classroom teachers.  I was fairly useless short of a welcoming smile.

This year I knew many of the students and parents who walked through the door.  I unfortunately forgot a handful of names I should have known, but it filled me with joy to greet most of them by name.  I could ask about their summers, their new baby brother, if they were ready for 1st, 2nd, or 5th grade.  And I received many, many hugs.

I am filled with hope and anticipation for the school year ahead.  For the relationships to be formed and the opportunity to get to know these students.  Teachers often spend more time with students than their parents are able to.  That is a humbling thought and a huge responsibility-- I have the ability to help mold these young lives.

Whether you are in a classroom, a cubicle, or at the grocery store, do you take the time to value the people you interact with and the influence you can share?

“Dear Sir: Regarding your article 'What's Wrong with the World?' I am. Yours truly,” 
--G.K. Chesterton

I tend to have a VERY long-winded answer to that question.  Mean drivers on the Beltway, my neighbor whose cigarette-infused apartment insults greets me every day, interminably slow clerks at the store, red lights, Capitol Hill, Westboro Baptist, the cost of gas in Northern VA, and my current supply of chocolate in the pantry. 

When everyone and every thing comes to mind first, I find myself trying to blame them.  Moi?  There are MANY things far worse than me.

This perspective makes a mockery of the Gospel.  If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God (1 John 1:10, The Message).  A claim like that makes me look foolish and does not accurately portray God's character.

Instead I need to have the conviction of Paul who writes in 1 Tim 1:15, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst."

If I am the worst of sinners, I am in desperate need of a Savior.  Unless I live a life wholly dependent on Christ and his gift of the cross, my life is hypocritical and wasted.  I don't want to become complacent with the story of how Christ died for me.  I want to daily recognize my need for Him and cling to his mercy and grace.



Note:  While the validity of this quote is of some question, the message makes it worthwhile for me, so I'm choosing to ignore the fact that there is no evidence Chesterton wrote this.

Dads

Dads are good at teaching you things.

Dads teach you how to ski.  In style.

Dads teach you how to sleep when its noisy (I've mastered this skill).

Dads teach you the value of homemade ice cream.

Dads impart their awesome music skills.  Ok, or perhaps just their appreciation of music.

Sometimes LOTS of music.

Dads teach you to love.

Dads teach you to enjoy the simple things.

Thanks Dad!