if you can read this, consider yourself lucky.

I love classes at ACU because at their very core, they are about our spiritual relationship to what we're studying. And that's amazing to have that integrated into the classroom on a daily basis.. So with that in mind.. let me tell you a story.




In one of my amazing education classes, our teacher read us an excerpt from Thirty Two Third Graders and One Class Bunny by Phillip Done. Now, I actually haven't read this book. But I'm ordering it from Amazon (unless someone has a copy and would let me borrow it!?), and I've had a lot of friends who have read it and loved it. And the story she read to us was about a teacher (the author of the book) who had a student in his class, Ronny, who was struggling with reading. To improve his reading skills, the teacher suggested reading at home with his parents. But Ronny's mom seemed uncooperative. The teacher sent home articles about why reading with your children at home is important, made countless phone calls to Ronny's mother asking her to read with him, and lent him books from his class library to read with his mother. Well weeks and weeks went by, and Ronny still reported that his Mother wasn't reading with him at home. She was just "too busy" or was rushing off to a night class.


Well long story short, the teacher showed up to school one evening to help with registration for adult-night classes. And there is Ronny's mom. The teacher assumes she is taking a pottery class or something along those lines. Ronny's mom asked the teacher for help with filling out the registration forms because she had "forgotten her glasses at home." After she leaves for her class, the other lady helping with registration points out that actually, Ronny's mom is there for a beginning reading class, and she is just one of many parents who had also "forgotten their glasses at home."

That just makes me hurt. Like the kind of hurt that really gets me down in the pit of my stomach. And makes my eyes get all blurry.

And it just makes me realize, how truly blessed I am that I grew up in a family that values education. That I've gotten to go to school since age 4. That I can read. Women in our country haven't always been this fortunate. And yet I sit and complain and tweet about how annoying school is, and how I'm "soooo overrr" school, and how I just can't wait to graduate- when I should be so truly thankful for the opportunity I'm presented with.


I don't know. Maybe it's just the teacher in me that has such high regard for the education system. But imagine trying to get by in this world without the ability to read.



In completely separate news: I'm HOME. And taking a summer school class- and I'm really trying to work on the no complaining thing when it comes to that! Work starts in a couple weeks and I couldn't be more excited!


..And I just got done watching the Grey's Season finale. So many tears. I won't spoil it for anyone.. but it was good.


xoxo

the show goes on

This is my last blog coming to you from Morris 111! I'm DONE with finals, the storage unit is packed for the most part- just a little bit more to do tomorrow. And then I'm headed HOME. It's been such an amazing, hectic, stressful, overwhelming, blessed semester, and I can't believe it's already over.

The thing about writing this blog is that I wrote a post (here) from the first week of school, and now I can look back at it and see how much I've grown this semester. I remember calling my mom that first week of school and being SO completely stressed out. I wanted to drop out right then and there. And I'm not denying the fact that I've had many, MANY, more of those moments this semester. But, somehow it's nearly DONE! And I couldn't be more relieved.

I'm so ready for everything this summer holds. I miss the office at Bammel and all of my kiddos so much. I'm so ready to be back there doing the stuff I love. I know that God has such amazing plans in store for this summer, and I can't wait to see what unfolds!

I don't really have much else to say. I just wanted to post a little blog saying this semester is ending.

xoxo

Abraham Lincoln had it right.

as abraham lincoln once said, "all that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." he had it right.

So this weeks blog is about my sweet Mom. Bet ya didn't see that one coming, did you? I know I post a lot about how I have the best mom in the world, but it's because I do. So since it's Mother's day, I thought I'd share a little more about her with the world.

My mom is..

my editor.

I don't know how you people without super human english teachers for mothers got by in life. I have learned so much more about grammar and the english language from being around her than I ever did in school. Even to this day she lets me send her my papers and she edits them. And it's not that I can't edit a paper myself, because I can, but it's just that she's still willing to do it even when I'm 400 miles away that means so much.

my inspiration.

oh gosh, that's really cheesy to say. and I know she's rolling her eye's reading this. but there's not another word that means 'she's-one-of-the-reasons-i-want-to-be-a-teacher' yes, the reason I'm going into teaching is because I feel truly called to it, and I love being able to teach children. But I wouldn't know that if I didn't have that modeled for me my whole life. I remember my mom telling someone once that, she didn't know why I was becoming a teacher since I watched her do it my whole life. But that's just the reason I am. She's an amazing teacher, both in her classroom and at home. If I become half of the teacher she is today, my students would be lucky.

my advice-giver.

Growing up, I didn't always take time to appreciate all of her wisdom and advice (like: Necco candy hearts at valentines day- the Brach's ones taste like soap) But I think now that I'm older I'm able to appreciate her a lot more. She's beautiful and brilliant, and somehow still loves me after almost 20 years.

my best friend.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- my mom is the best friend I can ask for. She listens to me when I'm upset, hurting, stressed (and goodness knows, thats all the time), joyful, or just bored. I don't know how my days would go by if I couldn't e-mail her constantly.

In Between the Trees' song "She Is" -which still makes me cry because it's completely the sweetest song about moms- he sings:

Love is an action that she shows me often.

Even when it's not in her kisses

Blessed with a mom who puts herself after her children.

It dosen't get much better than priceless

And that's so true. Love you, Mom! I hope you have a wonderful Mother's day! I hope you realize just how much of a blessing you to me and so many others. If I grow up to be half of the woman you are, I would be so grateful. I wish I was home to spend the day with you- but I can't wait to see you in a few days! Love you!!