We're Back!

We're baaack! To school that is. :)
First off, a thank you to all of you teachers who encouraged me that the first year is just plain tough. You were right. Even though my workload hasn't decreased (in some ways, I have more responsibilities this year) and my resources have increased only slightly, I am a faster planning, more prepared teacher all around. I am thankful we are only first-year teachers one go around.

"So, how's school?" you ask.
"It's great," I say. And I mean it. "I mean, can you believe we're already 3 weeks in?"
School has been great this year. In addition to feeling like my stress levels have gone down, I feel excited about what I'm teaching, I love spending time with my amazing middle schoolers, and I see God at work all around Highlands.

Some of my favorite back to school moments are as follows...
1) Subject: Science
Grade: 7th (who I keep accidently calling 6th...oops! Old habits and all.)
Topic: Lab Safety
Activity: Lab Safety Public Service Announcements
The Situation: My students have been assigned to create a simple PSA to illustrate one of our "lab" (ok, science classroom) safety rules. The groups are demonstrating crazy mishaps in the lab - hair on fire, electrocution, playing with breakable/dangerous materials...Guillermo is sitting with a beaker of water on his desk, waiting to present his PSA with Nicolas, when SUDDENLY, he takes a huge swig out of his beaker. Did I mention, "Don't eat or drink in the lab" is one of the rules? As Natalia put it, "Don't drink the chemicals!" Did I mention Guillermo sits front and center? The class dies laughing when I exclaim, "Guillermo! What are you doing?" My faithful students chime in, "He's drinking chemicals!" And we all laugh some more.

2) Subject: Algebra
Grade: 8th
Topic: Distributive Property
Activity: Illustration to make the whole class jealous (not really...)
The Situation: I am reviewing the Distributive Property of Multiplication with my students. "You see," I say. "Anything in parentheses is a group." I draw a set of chalk parentheses on my concrete floor (the perks of Bolivia!) around Andreia and Matias' desk. This produces some, "Oooh"ing from a few boys. "Would you like to be in a group, too?" I ask. They assure me that they don't. "So," I continue. "Whatever we give or do to one part of the group, we have to do to the whole group. It wouldn't be fair otherwise." I pull out a box of chocolate. "What if I just gave a chocolate bar to Andreia?" I ask, holding up the bar and placing it on her desk. Matias SNATCHES the chocolate bar. "Matias is going to be jealous, right?" I take the chocolate bar and put it back on Andreia's desk. "Yes, you're a group, but only Andreia gets this." Matias snatches the chocolate bar again. I put it back, and him his own. "To be fair, we have to give the whole group the same thing." Matias snatches both chocolate bars. "Welcome to the real-world, Miss!" Luis Mateo pipes up.
And then I hear from around the room..."Do we all get chocolate?" "Not today," I say. "Just this group." "But Miiiisss...we're ALLL a group..."

3) Subject: Science
Grade: 6th-7th
Topic: Background Building for Upcoming Lab - Surface Tension
Activity: The Paper Clip Drop
The Situation: I challenge my students to guess how many paper clips will fit into a full glass of water before it overflows. The guesses range from about 2-70. We talk about suface tension and cohesion, and I add some water to the cup so it is just starting to brim over the lip. I challenge my students to guess again. "2!" "5?" "10!" "None!" The guesses are in. One by one, I place paperclips into the cup, with the class counting along. At first, a few students are hanging back. Eh...what's so cool about this anyway? But as the numbers rise, "25...50...75..." every student is gathered around counting along. "I knew she was going to trick us!" Marianno declares. "I knew it! Like when she added more water to that cup...I knew she was going to trick us!" :) Final count: 158 paper clips! My kids were stunned, amazed, shocked. I love teaching science.

Today, I'm home sick from school - Blah...I'm pretty sure it was something I ate. I'd rather be healthy and there, but God knows what we need, and I've been praising him this morning for little sick blessings. Today is a half day, and it works out well that I'm not missing all of my classes. Plus, it gives me a little time to write updates and rest. God is good. I will praise him when I am sick and when I am well. Oh, how he loves us so.

Prayer Requests of the Week:
1) Health around the world - While I'm fighting food poisoning in South America, Bennett is fighting a cold in South Korea. Please pray that God will provide energy and health to both us and the other teachers at our schools.
2) Bennett is going on the Senior Retreat with his kiddos this weekend. Pray that he will have wisdom, discernment, and the Lord's words to speak into his students' lives. Pray that they will see the Lord alive in him and be drawn to the beauty of our God.
3) Pray for Highlands to be able to receive approval from government officials as they seek to make some changes.
4) Pray for our students to see the Lord. That they will know him and choose to follow hard after him.

What's new with you? :)

Love from La Paz,
Joy