Bombardment

Senior year is an interesting one. Here I am on my last stretch of college, about to enter into the 'real world'. (Isn't that what they called high school from junior high and college from high school??) I have a lot of mixed feelings about his turn in my life. I love teaching and I'm excited to have my own classroom and teach on my own, but at the same time, I'm really gonna be sad to leave IWU and the comfort of having a few thousand other students who go through a lot of the same things I go through. I'm excited to go home and actually be a sister to Bethany and Joshua and really begin to build relationships with them, but it's gonna be hard to leave people here, knowing that our friendship may linger a bit. I'm dreading not having people to hang out with every weekend and stuff to do. A week or so ago, I found these articles on Relevant Magazine's online site and they spoke wonders to me. I'd encourage you to read them....especially if you're graduating or you're single.

This one's about being single...it's good: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/article.php?sid=5574

This one's about ending the so called 'best years of our lives' and how it doesn't end here....yet another good one: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/article.php?sid=5200

So read up. I'm beginning to get excited for what God has in store for me next and that lesson of trusting Him with everything keeps going and I'm sure it will my entire life as I continue to face new obstacles.

Words of Encouragement

Yesterday was a great day at school! I really enjoy teaching. It's exhausting but so fun! The 8th graders are a lot of fun. So during 2nd period, the aid, whose son is in my 4th period class, said that her son really enjoys my teaching and she told me I do a great job! I was so encouraged! Then during 4th period, a few of the kids told me they preferred me teaching over the other teacher and that they actually understand the material! Yea! Not only do they have fun but they get it! That's what every teacher wants to hear. :) Just more confirmation that this is where God wants me.

The Sagga Continues

So I was surfing the net and jumped on Relevant Magazine's website where I read an article on CNN about a recent case about putting stickers in textbooks that read something to the effect of: "this book contains material on evolution which is a theory not a fact." I see no harm there but obviously, someone did because the judge ruled that it was unconstitutional. bull crap. Last time I checked, evolution had not been proven. The judge claimed that it violated separation of church and state. "Due to the manner in which the sticker refers to evolution as a theory, the sticker also has the effect of undermining evolution education to the benefit of those Cobb County citizens who would prefer that students maintain their religious beliefs regarding the origin of life," Cooper wrote in his ruling. (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/13/evolution.textbooks.ruling/index.html) Parents wanted the stickers put on there because the book mentioned evolution but didn't mention any rivaling theories about the origins of life.

Education is meant to inform and to fully inform students, I need to teach all aspects of any subject or issue. That means teaching evolution, big bang, micro and macroevolution, and intelligent design. I CANNOT mention God in my class but I can talk about the research and more importantly, the results of that research and whether it supports or disproves any of the theories. None of these are completely proven. I don't think those stickers gave any inclination of a God or that evolution was wrong, but just that it is a theory, not a fact. In fact, there are very few concrete FACTS in science. There are a lot of laws and theories. Students need to be educated and not ignorant to any ideas or theories. At the high school age, they also need to learn to decide what they believe on their own.

If I ever get told I cannot teach all aspects to this issue at a school, I'm outta there. I don't think teaching one side is education at all.......it's allowing ignorance to seep into the classroom.

Welcome to the Real World

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. Christmas break came and went and it was great. Now I'm here at school and have been since the 2nd student teaching. Well, I haven't taught yet but I will next week. This week is their sex ed. Yesterday they went over the levels of a relationship. I even snickered when she got to 'underwear zone'. Anyways, to go on with the blog, this semester is quite different from the rest of my college experience because I'm not on campus. I went to Baldwin last night and then had Exalt and it felt weird to be there. I don't know if I'm ready for that. I don't know if I'm ready for the real world. Next fall I will probably be teaching my own class....wow. College has been my life for the past 4 years and I guess I can't imagine anything else. I'll be 22, graduating, teaching, and living at home. woo-hoo. But ya know, living here by myself for a week has made me ok with living at home next year. As long as I'm not by myself. That's all that matters. I don't think I've ever been so lonely. I guess this is a better way, though, to ease into the 'real world'. I'm at school 7 1/2 hours and then I go home to a house but go to dinner and meetings on campus.

Ya know what, though? Even though I've felt lonely, it's really made me turn to the true Comforter instead of to friends and busying myself. I'm learning to remember first and foremost that no matter how I'm feeling about graduating and leaving, God doesn't stay at the college,...He's coming with me.