A Rockin' Good Time!

On Friday I took my seven 4th graders on an afternoon field trip!

First stop:  Miss Brown's Apartment!
Thanks to parent volunteers, we made the quick trip to my apartment for lunch and several activities.  It was cool having my class in my home -- like two different worlds colliding!  I surprised the kids by playing "Blessed Be Your Name" on the guitar, and they all gave me a sticker for my guitar learning sticker chart. :)  After that, we did a logic puzzle about rocks, read a story about a rock collection, and then looked around my yard for different types of stones.  Soon enough, it was time to head to our next destination!

Second stop:  Rock Shop!
We ran down the 100+ steps from our street to the next one down the hill, where the rock shop is located.  The kids (and I!) were amazed at the many crystals and fossils located inside the apartment.  After an informative presentation, the students were able to pick out some rocks for purchase at a really reasonable price.

Last stop:  Back to school!
Back in our classroom, the students shared their rocks with one another.  Their teacher was exhausted, but it had been a great afternoon of fun, learning, and adventure!

Happy Anniversary!

Today commemorates the one year anniversary of this blog, “Joy in the Journey.”  I think it’s worth remembering God’s leading, celebrating His faithfulness, and focusing on His glory in the coming year.

To those of you who have faithfully read this blog since March 11, 2010…  I am so grateful for your enthusiastic partnership and continued support of my ministry at BFA.  I couldn’t be here if it weren’t for my wonderful “home team”!  So, thanks for sticking with me.  For commenting on my posts.  For sending your love and encouragement halfway around the world!

To those of you who have joined me somewhere along the journey… I am so blessed to have you along for the ride!  Life here in Germany is a wild ride sometimes – but even more, life with Jesus in the driver’s seat is an unbelievable adventure!  Thanks for being a part of what God is doing at BFA and in my life.

To the Giver of the “joy in the journey”… I am indebted to You.  I am incapable of living and loving apart from You; there is no purpose without You.  But, I take great delight in what You have done for me, in me, and through me!  Thank You for filling me to overflowing with joy, even in the tough times.  You know when my heart feels free and when it is broken – and You “fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).

Somehow, I don’t think March 11 will be just another day on my calendar anymore.   Not that the advent of a blog is the only reason to celebrate.  No, today is just one day out of 365 days every year to remember that “He who began a good work” will continue to lead me moment by moment (Philippians 1:6).  Thanks for being a part of this journey with me!

That's What It's All About

My students never cease to amaze me with their creativity.  They have found a new way to sit on their chairs in the classroom...  It doesn't work when I'm teaching a lesson, but it works for silent reading time!  When they lined their chairs up in a row and began reading 5 minutes early, I smiled.  I was thoroughly amused to see them laying there in a row.  I sighed with contentment that they were all on task -- and excited to be reading.  This is what teaching is all about!  I pray that each of my students develops a love for studying, reading, and growing that will produce a lifelong love of  learning.

Girls' Night!

On Friday night I went to a worship service put on by some of the high schoolers.  I was so blessed by the talent of the worship team and the passionate worship of the students in attendance.  We spent two hours praising God through singing and prayer.

After the worship night, my small group girls came back to my apartment for a sleepover!  While I melted chocolate and some of the girls cut fruit, others played "Pit" (one of their favorite games) at the table.  We all indulged in a homemade chocolate fondue party with apple, pears, grapes, pretzels, marshmallows, crackers... mmm!

Soon it was time to transform the living room into a movie theater for a few films before bedtime.  In the morning, the girls awoke to the smells of homemade croissants.

The overnight was a great opportunity to give the girls some time away from their dorms to relax and enjoy one another.  Please pray for these students, as well as all of the high schoolers, as they go on their weekend retreat to Switzerland this weekend.  Pray that God would speak to their hearts in new ways and that I would know how to follow-up any issues that arise through the retreat.  Thanks for praying!

Pen Pal Connection

For the past few weeks, my fourth grade class has been reading Stone Fox concurrently with our pen pal class in western Pennsylvania.  The culmination of this collaborative reading unit was a Skype date yesterday afternoon.  My students and their pen pals presented final projects to one another via Skype.  It was so exciting to see the students interacting with one another and reflecting on what they had read!  We look forward to Skyping with our pen pals more this spring.

My students watching the pen pal presentations

Pen Pal Presentations projected on the wall

Best Day of School Ever!

That's quite a statement, isn't it?  I think so.  I've had good school days and bad school days, both as a student and teacher, but how could I pinpoint ONE best day of school EVER?

On Friday one of my students said, "Miss Brown, I think this is the best day of school EVER."  Well, great!  I thought.  I quickly reminded her that, amidst all of the fun activities of the day, we WERE still learning.  She was ok with that. :)

Friday morning began with a school assembly in the gym.  Then, after a short math lesson, we had some non-fiction book report presentations.  One student had written a hilarious play about skunks, while the other had her parents bring their German Shepherd to teach us about dog training.  It's not every day that we have a pet visit our classroom!

The rest of the morning was spent in the staff kitchen for our science lesson.  It was fun to have a change of scenery while reading about igneous rocks in the textbook.  Then, we created edible igneous rock rice krispy treats!  Igneous rock is formed when hot molten rock (like the warm marshmallow and rice krispy mixture) pours out of a volcano and cools on the ground.  We mixed chocolates and raisins into our rice krispy treats to represent the other rocks around the volcano that get hardened into the igneous rock.  Mmm yummy!

In the afternoon, the students had recess, lunch, and German class.  Back in my classroom, we finished student presentations and then watched a VeggieTales film to conclude our week-long study of Gideon.  My roommate, Brittany, surprised the students by making popcorn and joining us for the movie afternoon.  (It's great that my students love Brittany, too!)

Although my main goal isn't to entertain the students, it's fun to see their expressions of excitement in the learning process.  It wouldn't be all that bad if there were another "best day of school EVER" before the end of the year.

Celebrations of Love

Valentine's Day was on Monday... but I've been celebrating for the past week!  Last Friday was our fourth grade class party, with an exchange of paper valentines, sweet treats from parents, and poetry presentations.

My roommate and I had a special V-Day meal together on Monday night.  Brittany made a ground beef fold-over in the shape of a heart, and we ate by candlelight (typical for our dinners this time of year!).

This Wednesday, my small group girls and I celebrated Valentine's Day with a party at my apartment.  We created posters of our ideal man (some silly, some serious!) and the characteristics that God wants us to look for in a future husband.  Then we iced cupcakes, played a few games, and exchanged valentines.  Each girl left with a pink gerber daisy!

"This is love: Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."  1 John 4:10

Das Wochenede!

Weekends are wonderful.  Whether you live in Germany, America, or anywhere else in the world, weekends are a great break from the regular routine.  Sometimes they offer a chance to relax, while other times they are busier than the work week!  But there's just something about weekends that is different and special and exciting.  Some of my favorite moments here in Germany have been on the weekends.

Last Friday was one of those busy weekend nights...  My roommate Brittany and I spent the evening (from 4-9:30pm!) at the main campus of BFA!  There were four back-to-back basketball games with pep band performances throughout, which brought back some good memories from high school marching band.  The junior class put on a low-key coffeehouse in the auditorium, featuring student performers (some of whom were also basketball players later in the evening!).  I may have gotten hooked on the chocolate almond latte, too.  :)

On the other side of the auditorium was the annual book swap, with over 3,000 donated books available for purchase at only 50 cents each!  Needless to say I stocked up on my personal and classroom library collections.  It was so fun to spend time with friends, see some of my elementary schoolers and their families, and enjoy the amazing talents of the BFA students.

Even with many things to do in the BFA community, there is still plenty of time for rest.  We have enjoyed sunny, warm weather (over 50*F most days last week!) and unstructured Saturdays.

I'm thankful for the busy days -- full of friendships, adventure, productivity.  And I'm also thankful for the restful days -- full of peace, conversations, refreshment.  Every weekend, whether busy or slow-paced, is filled with purpose and blessing!  And I pray I live every day to the fullest.

One of my small group girls and her brother perform at the junior class coffeehouse fundraiser.

Facing My Fears: Science Class Volcano!

Most people are afraid of real volcanoes, with their hot lava and chunks of rock spewing into the air.  I don't blame them -- I am, too!  But, there's another type of volcano that scares me.

The science experiment volcano.

There's something about doing a demo or lab in science class that frightens me.  I guess I'd like to think that everything is under control in my classroom, but no matter how many times I practice an experiment at home, I wonder whether it will work in class!  It's like a lab-a-phobia or something.

So, this Tuesday was a big day for me.  It was the day of our class volcano lab!  I packed my baking soda, vinegar ("essig"), and red food coloring, hoping that the ingredients would form a volcano when I put them together! I prefaced the experiment with an honest confession: "Students, I am not sure if this is going to work!  But, sometimes things in science don't go quite as planned.  That's ok!  We can learn from those experiences, too."  I told them about a failed science experiment from my fourth grade student teaching class, and they reassured me that they would be okay if the volcano didn't erupt.  That took off some of the pressure!

The good news is that the volcano worked!  The kids loved it.  I think they may actually remember what "magma chamber," "lava," and "crater" are, too! :)  I'm thankful for a successful science experiment.  Maybe I'll be a little less nervous next time...

Narnia Day!

One of my favorite days of the school year so far was last Friday... NARNIA DAY!  After taking a sick day on Wednesday and slowly recovering on Thursday, I was glad for a planned fun Friday with the fourth graders!

During the morning, the students took a test on our Narnia unit, which evaluated their comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills about the novel.  It also included some of the Biblical connections we had discussed in class.  I was impressed with the students' interest in the unit and the knowledge they gleaned from the reading.

After the test, I set up my laptop with speakers and a projector, as I have for Skype dates in the past.  While we watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe together, the students enjoyed comparing the movie with the novel.  What a great way to end the week!