Independent Studies

What do you love to do?  What are your passions?  What motivates you to want to know more?  

These were the questions we discussed three months ago as my LINK students (grades 6-8) embarked on their Independent Study research, the beginning of a pilot project integrating literacy skills, community involvement, and personally motivated learning.  Based on the Genius Hour model, students were given some structure and a lot of freedom to research a topic and present their findings.

Step 1: Brainstorm and select a research question.  Their topics ranged from fashion to legos, sports teams to interior design.  Some were predictable based on what I knew about the student, while others took me by surprise and gave me a new window into the student's interests!

Step 2:  Connect with a coach.  Some students had a coach in mind, such as another BFA teacher or a family friend, while others were stumped by this step.  I assured them that every student would have a coach - primarily because I knew I couldn't manage 50+ independent studies on my own!  The coach would act as a primary communicator, a resource for finding sources, a potential sounding board for ideas, and most of all, an encourager throughout the process.

So who were these coaches?  Many of YOU!  You shared your gifts, abilities, and interests in cooking, travel, psychology, theater, architecture... a diverse list of topics!  Our students enjoyed emailing with you and having your support at various stages throughout the process.  Personally, it was really exciting to see the connections made across many miles and, in many cases, bringing my two "worlds" together!  I'm grateful for your part in the success of the first-ever Independent Study project.

Step 3:  Gather sources and research!  This step clearly took the longest, as students dove into finding information to answer their research questions.  With only two short periods each week, we found that it took longer to research than expected.  So, we extended the research time to allow students to "go deeper."  The EasyBib Add-On in Google Docs was an invaluable tool for students to keep track of their sources in MLA format.

Step 4:  Share results.  Students could choose to display their findings or present to the class in our Share Celebration.  We even had some special guests in the audience - our principal, dean, director, and some of the local coaches, as well as two of my college friends who were visiting!

"Why I think the Spurs are great" - which, of course, was followed with supporting research!

Surprise coach visit from Pennsylvania!

Displaying information about the NFL

Sharing research on secret passageways

"The Creation of a Soccer Ball" display

This student hopes to own a Bookshop/Cafe someday!

Month at a Glance: May 2015

May 1:  Welcome college friends to Europe for a visit!
May 4 and 6:  LINK Class Individual Study Project Presentations
May 8:  Help with middle school "Freedom Run" fundraiser
May 9:  Home soccer games
May 10:  Happy Mother's Day!
May 11-15:  Middle School Experiential Learning Week
May 14:  No school
May 17:  Baptism Sunday and Church Picnic
May 18:  Lead staff devotions
May 25:  No school
May 26:  Middle School Talent Show
May 27:  All-Staff Appreciation Dinner
May 29:  Middle School Spring Party
May 31:  Spring concert

Birthday of Memories

Each of my birthdays has been filled with memories.  It's fun to think about the well-kept secrets, special notes, and meaningful gifts that are tied to past birthdays.  As I celebrate with family and friends, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness throughout that past year of life.

This year, a beautifully simple birthday scavenger hunt took me to some of the places that have been special to me during my time in Germany.  I even got to do chalkboard lettering and mini photo shoots!  What a wonderful way to make new birthday memories - by revisiting the memories of the past.

Bonus points if you can correctly identify all of the places in this post!  :)

Two Months and Next Steps

Two months.

It's hard to believe, but I will be flying back to Pennsylvania in two short months!  Between now and then?  I'm sure there will be to-do lists, last-minute cleaning, packing and repacking, plenty of paperwork... But I'm also hoping for lots of memory-making and hugs and conversations and soaking it all in.

It's bittersweet to leave this place that I've called home for the past five years.  However, I'm very much looking forward to what lies ahead!

The where.  I will be living with my parents in PA for the summer - enjoying family time and reconnecting with friends.  In late August, I will officially move to the Washington, D.C. area!

The who.  I'll be living with Alyssa, a close college friend.  We haven't lived together since our suite-mate days of senior year, but we have kept in touch across the miles over the past five years.  It was also really fun to have Alyssa visit me in Germany last month to meet my friends and see my life here, and I'm looking forward to beginning this new season with Alyssa as my roommate.

The what.  After serving with TeachBeyond at BFA for the past five years, I will be transitioning into a new role with TeachBeyond: Mobilization Coach!  This position includes recruiting on college campuses, sharing TeachBeyond's vision with people interested in serving abroad, and encouraging candidates as they apply, fundraise, and prepare to move overseas.  As a Mobilization Coach, I get to walk alongside people who are in the place I was five years ago - preparing to go, willing to serve, facing the unknowns of the future.  I'm thrilled that this role combines my love for connecting with people and my passion for quality international education!

The what else.  I will also be pursuing an online master's degree in Educational Leadership.  I'm already praying that I would find a good balance between my mobilization role and grad school, especially without the built-in rhythm of a school schedule (which is what I've known since I began Kindergarten!).

There are many changes coming, and I appreciate the grace and encouragement that so many of you have already extended to me in this season.  May this new adventure bring glory to God, and may I continue to find joy in the journey.

"I know Who goes before me,

I know Who stands behind,

The God of angel armies is always by my side"

In my new role as Mobilization Coach, I will continue as a full-time support-based TeachBeyond member.  Click here to make a financial contribution.  Your gift will have multiplied impact as I interact with new TeachBeyond members joining the global work of transformational education.  Thanks for your generosity!

Blessings in Budapest

Somehow it seems more challenging to sit and focus and type these days.

Maybe it's the chaos of transition that already seems to swirl around me.  I'm living in two worlds - leaving and arriving, excitement and dread, known and unknown.

Or, maybe it's the wave of grief as my college friends and I mourn the tragic death of our dear friend, Erica, on Good Friday.  Sometimes it's in the forefront of my thoughts - as I look through old photos and read friends' emails full of memories - while other times, it's just lingering in the back of my mind.  I'm so grateful for the ways that Jesus has provided just what I have needed, even when I didn't know what to ask Him for.

One of those precious provisions was a life-giving trip to Hungary last week.  Just two days after learning of Erica's death, I found myself boarding a plane to Budapest.  I knew little of my plans for the week, but I felt a peace in the unknown, the Spirit's whisper reminding me of His promises.

The primary purpose for my visit to Budapest was to see the International Christian School of Budapest, one of TeachBeyond's partner schools.  I will be a TeachBeyond recruiter next year (more on that coming soon!), so I was excited to have this opportunity to experience another school.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the staff and students at ICSB.

Another blessing of this trip was the opportunity to reconnect with people I'd met in the past.  The first reconnection happened in the form of a surprise lunch visit during my day at ICSB.  This middle schooler had been a part of my TeachBeyond orientation group of "ten girls" this past summer, and it was a joy to see her again!  She introduced me to her classmates and gave me a tour of the middle school floor.  (I felt right at home!)  Dinner with their family was also a treat as we talked about transition and community and leadership.

The next day (after exploring Budapest on my own!), I met up with Erin, who is a friend of a friend (and now my friend!).  We met at my college friend's bridal shower a few years ago and have remained in touch since then via Instagram and periodic e-mail updates.  Erin and her husband teach at a school outside of Budapest, so we share some common experiences with teaching overseas.  Two hours easily passed, and there was so much more we could have said!  I'm grateful for God's presence in our conversation and His faithfulness evident in our stories of overseas service.

I knew I wanted to tour ICSB, see this middle school student and her family, explore the city, and meet up with Erin.  God orchestrated the schedule for all of that to happen!

What I didn't know was how He would work in the in-between moments at the house where I was staying.  My good friend at BFA was visiting her relatives in Budapest, so I was also able to stay with them for my brief Hungarian adventure.  I was overwhelmed by the ways that Jesus showed me His care and provision through these generous hosts.  They lovingly asked about what Erica had been like and listened as I contemplated heaven.  They invited me into intentional conversation around the dinner table and treated me as part of the family in their daily routines.  Their authentic faith in Christ inspired me to want to grow and know Him more (Hebrews 10:24).

I wasn't the only one who benefited from this family's gracious hospitality.  They were hosting eight overnight guests - no big deal! - including four of their daughter's friends from Capernwray Bible School.  I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations with these young women as we toured the area and relaxed in the living room at our home away from home.  It was clear that this, too, was part of God's plan for my week in Hungary.

Although blogging through the fog of transition and grief is challenging, it's worth it.  God is good, no matter what my circumstances, and I want to have my eyes wide open to praise Him for His provision.  Like unexpected blessings in Budapest.

Month at a Glance: April 2015

April 5:  Happy Easter!
April 6-9:  Trip to Hungary to visit the International Christian School of Budapest
April 13:  Staff Breakfast
April 14:  Classes resume (and my 27th birthday!)
April 15:  Cohorts begin (I'm leading professional development about literacy)
April 24:  BFA's Got Talent
April 25:  Home track and soccer
April 26:  High school service trip reports
April 27-30:  Music festival week

Month at a Glance: March 2015

They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb...  I'm hope that our 50-degree temperatures and rain showers in these first few days of March don't indicate a "lion" ending to the month!

March 5-10:  Standardized testing
March 6:  Walking Together Movie Night
March 11-18:  Visit from a college friend!
March 14:  Home soccer games
March 17:  Frühjahrsmarkt (last time for the traveling market in Kandern!)
March 20:  End of the Third Quarter
March 21:  Walking Together Coffee House
March 23:  The Gathering shared meal for young adults
March 27:  Spring break begins!

A Different Day!

In the past, this weekend has usually looked like this... surrounded by the beautiful snow-covered Alps, singing and laughing and making memories as a small group on High School Retreat.

Again, the high schoolers and their leaders headed to Switzerland on Friday.  Instead of joining them, my Friday looked like this:  Middle School Activity Day!

Although it was strange to see the retreat buses pull up and not head off with my small group, I had a blast bowling and playing games at Activity Day instead!  It was a different day - and a great one at that!  

The 6th grade boys got creative!

What a joy to spend the day with the 6th grade girls!

Walking Together Events

Back in October, over sixty ladies gathered at Elemenz Cafe for an opportunity to connect and begin to build intentional relationships.  Gathered around tables covered with coffee cups and crumbs, huddled in conversations punctuated by laughter, faces illuminated by candlelight... we knew that was only the beginning of the vision for Walking Together.

It's not easy planning events when the calendar is already packed full with a dizzying amount of worthwhile activities!  But over the past month, we've had two different events - a Movie Night and a Coffee (and Tea!) House.  It has been delightful to relax with other women in the community in these different settings.

I hosted "Moms' Night Out" movie night at my apartment, while four other women showed different movies in their homes. 

The Coffee (and Tea!) House was held in a large classroom at the school, which we transformed into a cozy, relaxing space.

There was a beautiful spread of desserts!

Determined to provide quality tea for avid tea drinkers, Ellen found these fun loose-leaf teas!

My Pinterest project for the evening!  I made decorative garland from old book pages.

This cozy corner in the library was soon claimed for reading, journaling, and conversation.

As I've been dreaming about these events, setting up and cleaning up, meeting new people and going deeper with close friends, I've been struck by why I'm so passionate about making it all happen.  It's not about how many women attend an event, where we end up meeting, or how good the food tastes (okay, that matters a little bit!).  Ultimately, what matters is that Christ is glorified.  May Walking Together continue to connect women to the glory of God.

Thank You, Jesus, that You care about relationships and desire relationship with us.  It's all for You!

Month at a Glance: February 2015

The new month began with flurries today and just a thin blanket of snow on the ground.  Things I love about this season: snow-dusted rooftops, candlelight, warm blankets, and the hush of the gentle snow fall.

February 1:  Skype with GCC students interested in serving overseas
February 4:  Laura's "Better Than a Super Bowl" birthday
February 6:  6th Grade First Semester Writing Portfolio Share
February 6-7:  Home basketball games
February 7:  Walking Together Coffee House
February 13:  Middle School basketball game  
February 16:  No school!
February 27:  Middle School Activity Day (bowling and games)