my list.

I decided to make a list of things that I learned this week. I got the idea while I was writing during our Writer's Workshop--a time when everyone in the classroom (me included!) writes for a period of time--I had a tough week and really needed to unload, it was surprisingly therapeutic.

• It is inevitable that I will receive a minimum of one paper cut per day (this was not mentioned to me before I started teaching)
• I currently have 7 paper cuts.
  
• No matter how exciting the lesson, it will always be lame to 5th graders.
• Principals miss teaching.
• I love my students, even the ones that drive me crazy.
• My enthusiasm for certain things may not always be shared by others.
• Biting off more than you can chew may lead to choking.
• My students do not like to answer questions.
• My students will do almost anything for Hot Cheetos.
• Hot Cheetos are disgusting.
• The DMV people in NV do not have a sense of humor.
• I am no longer a part of the "Stay up past 12AM" crowd.
• I am now a part of the "Sleeping in is getting up at 7AM" crowd.
• While money spent towards textbooks and field trips is important, spending a couple grand on a top-of-the-line copier will save the sanity of your staff. That is priceless.
• Getting the digits of a 10 yr old is creepy. (He volunteered them...I was merely the recipient)
  
• When the worst kid in class tells you he moved, you feel sad.
  
• When the worst kid in class tells you he moved, you feel relieved.
• When the worst kid in class tells you he moved, you question his truthfulness (c'mon, you're standing on our school property kid--you haven't withdrawn yet...)
• In Las Vegas, a cold front=clouds.
• Las Vegas + clouds = best sunsets EVER. (The kind you draw in 4th grade)
  
• In Las Vegas, when children see overcast sky they go crazy thinking it will rain. I didn't have the heart to tell them those are the wrong types of clouds.
• It's snowing in Minnesota. (I almost forgot what November weather is like....)
• I don't know if I'll get to use my sweaters this year.
• I'm a good teacher.
  

That last one I'm still coming to terms with. This post is called LearningLasVegas and I don't know that I've officially explained all that it means to me. Clearly it's a play on words--I'm learning about Las Vegas, I'm teaching in Las Vegas--but I think it's more about learning who I am away from that which is comfortable. From the community atmosphere of the Midwest, from Fall and humidity and seeing my family on a regular basis. It's become learning about what God wants from me, trusting that relationship and trusting that while I don't get to talk to my students about Him, that they will get to see a glimpse through me. This week I have been relearning my calling to education. Through that pain, there has been grace and hope that God has given me abilities suited for this position and this is where I'm supposed to be. For now.

A





P.S. These are the approximate colors that we are painting our apartment. The living room is a tan color, the kitchen a light green, the dining room a darker green, my bedroom a dusty blue. Sigh. I think we miss the Midwest. Or Valpo or both.