Pages

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Five Years of Thankful

Last night marked the fifth and final annual Thanksgiving celebration with friends here in Kandern.  Brittany and I have so enjoyed the tradition of hosting each year.  I am deeply thankful for the different people God has brought to our table over the past five years.  In this transient place, I don't take for granted the many individuals that the Lord has provided to encourage and shape me in this season.  Our shared meal marks a moment in a year-round posture of gratitude.  What a wonderful opportunity to fix our eyes on Him, the giver of all good gifts!

I'm thankful for roommates who have also embraced our calling to open our home to others.

I'm thankful for friends who join me in sincere celebration.

I'm thankful for student teachers, whose short months at BFA impacted me significantly.

I'm thankful for countless supporters, whose prayer and sacrifice have made it possible for me to continue to serve at BFA for five years.

I'm thankful for my piano, which I've been able to play for worship each year.

I'm thankful for candle light, which sets the mood for meaningful conversation.

I'm thankful for cooler weather, so that we can store food outside while we await the delivery of our new refrigerator.

I'm thankful for Scripture, which reminds us of all that we have to be thankful for and leads us in giving thanks to our Maker.






Thanksgiving this year!




Although I'm not sure who will be around the table with me next year (or who will continue this tradition here in Kandern!), one thing I do know: There will always be so much to be thankful for!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen."  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

What's a Literacy Coach?

This school year, in addition to teaching sixth grade English, I have also taken on the role of Middle Level Literacy Coach.  So, what does that mean?  I have a much lighter teaching schedule this year so that I can accomplish literacy-related projects (like the ones described below) and work on curriculum development.  I also love the flexibility to invest more in people - mentoring teachers at the middle school, meeting with other BFA English teachers and our Curriculum Coordinator, connecting with friends to cultivate community here, and spending time with my mentor.


 Benchmark Assessments:
One by one, I'm meeting with each middle school student for a benchmark assessment conference. Students read part of a text aloud while I take notes.  Then, they finish the text independently and we have a conversation about what they read.  The assessment allows me to determine a "benchmark" reading level (based on the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system) which we can use as a guide for reading instruction.  More than that, talking with a student about their reading provides me with invaluable data about student strengths and weaknesses in reading, which will help us to provide individualized instruction to help meet their needs.  It is so interesting to see how each benchmark assessment is different - a great reminder of the uniqueness of our students.



VOICES Writing Instruction:
We are again using the Six Traits of Writing to guide writing instruction this year.  My fellow English teacher, Katie, and I are introducing these strategies to our students and encouraging them to implement the Six Traits into their own writing.  Katie and I had the opportunity to attend a Six Traits conference in Switzerland last month, which was a great springboard for new ideas for writing across the curriculum.



Resources:
This is the shelf above my desk.  Besides just loving the sight of a stack of good books (I'm a nerd!), I am grateful for these resources right at my fingertips.  Some of these books were gifts from friends this summer or resources included in the Literacy Coach training I attended in July, so I am still doing my own reading and reflection as part of my new role this year.



Building a Book Room:
This is still a work in progress...  As we incorporate more small-group literature study, there is a need for multiple copies of various types of texts on different reading levels.  I am developing this cabinet of book sets as a resource for the English teachers to be able to do more differentiated literacy instruction.



Teaching English:
In addition to literacy coaching, I am still teaching sixth grade English.  Although it is my third year teaching this class, each year is different!  This year, I am trying a number of new things (from Pinterest, a summer conference, and friends' suggestions) and am blessed with a class of students who are eager to learn.  

One of the new lessons to kick off the school year was a week-long genre study, which culminated in a book sort.  Students worked in small groups to determine the genre for each book in our classroom library, labeling each cover with a sticky note.



I love the way our book boxes turned out!  For the most part, the students labeled the books correctly, but some will need to be reevaluated.  As the sixth graders read books from our library over the course of the year, they will be able to verify the current genre identification or submit it to me for revision.  We're off to a great start in 6th grade English!



Sunday, November 16, 2014

'Tis the Season...

... for another Operation Christmas Child collection!  Each year that I've been at BFA, I have been involved in this project - and each year it grows a little bit bigger!  It has been a true joy to see middle schoolers lead this project and the whole school (all three campuses!) work together to share God's love through the tangible gift of a shoebox.  This year, a number of high school small groups wrapped shoeboxes, and many families helped to collect boxes and purchase items.

Middle schoolers trained to be "box checkers" doing their thing at the Packing Party!

Enthusiastic Christmas spirit!

I got to check some boxes, too!

Waiting in line to have their boxes checked!

Elementary, middle, and high school students - along with their parents and teachers - packed 116 shoeboxes this year!  

This sweet lady, Gerdi, collects shoebox items year-round and has turned her home into a local collection center!  This month, a Weihnachten im Schuhkarton truck will pick up over 600 shoeboxes from her house!  It has been a blessing to partner with Gerdi while planning the Packing Party for the past three years.

Who knows where I'll be at this time next year, but I'm sure that I'll be packing shoeboxes again... and  I hope that BFA will continue this tradition of generosity in years to come!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Month at a Glance: November

November 1:  TeachBeyond Games Night
November 5:  Operation Christmas Child collection ends
November 6-8:  School musical performances
November 10:  Operation Christmas Child Packing Party
November 14:  Middle school class parties
November 21-23:  Trip to London (visiting one of my small group girls!)
November 25:  Spaetjahrsmarkt (market in town)
November 29:  Celebrate Thanksgiving with friends