Willkommen!

It's hard to believe that I already have one week down of Student Teaching II!!  I arrived in Frankenmuth, Michigan (Michigans little Bavaria...hence the "Willkommen!" meaning "Welcome!" in German) last Monday at 1:30 p.m. to meet my new family for the next 8 weeks that include 1 cooperating teacher, 21 first grade students, who I might add are pretty darn cute, and a host mom who is a retired teacher who has never been married.  The first couple days I was just observing but on Thursday and Friday I started to pick up Math and help with Language Arts and will be teaching Math every day for the remaining time and then tomorrow I will be picking up Spelling as well. Eventually I'll be teaching half days and then full days by the 4th/5th week.

Teaching Language Arts with Mr. Lion

Teaching Math

However, I'm going to be brutally honest. It's definitely been a challenge being here in Michigan.  Don't get me wrong, there's been some great moments, but mostly challenging. On Friday after staff devotion and before the kids arrived I went into the bathroom and cried.  It was bad.  I haven't had the best attitude about being in a first grade classroom. Some of you know this but others don't...but going into college I wanted to teach upper elementary (3rd-5th) but my student teaching assignments have been Kindergarten and First grade.  I tried to change it but it was too late.  That's been the biggest struggle because there are thoughts that go through my head of, "I don't even want to teach
this grade. This is a waste of time and I don't want to be here." The other part of why I was crying was because I feel so inadequate.  I just got off of a great experience in a Kindergarten English Language Learners pull-out classroom and absolutely loved it.  By the end I was very confident in teaching in an ELL setting.  But now, a regular classroom, having the same group of kids, and teaching all subjects is VERY different.  I feel like I'm starting back at square one and have had thoughts of how, "maybe I'm not meant to teach in a regular classroom setting...it's so overwhelming and hard to adjust to."  Granted, it is only the first week and will take some time to get used to.  Thankfully the Lord rminded me, "Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Cor. 15:58)  I have not been "walking in love" and living up to the title of my blog.  My selfishness has gotten the best of me at times but all in all I know that this is all for the Lord and whether I am fit for this position or not,  if I do it for Him, it will not be in vain.

This first week has been filled with unexpected challenges and yet undeserved blessings:

Unexpected Challenges:

• The transition from a pull-out program classroom to a regular classroom with the same kids all day.
• Living in a community where there's no one your own age. (besides Wendy but we hardly ever see each other because we live in different host homes)
• Lack of independence:  Having a host home has been hard because I feel like I have to tell her every little detail of what I'm doing and I'm just not used to having that person over me.
• Being away from friends and family back home has been harder than I thought it would be and sometimes lonely.

Undeserved Blessings:

• I get to talk about Jesus at school!! I didn't grow up going to any type Christian school (other than sunday school and concordia) so it's been wonderful being able to teach kids about Jesus and bring Christ into their learning experience.
• Every Wednesday is Chapel and the 8th graders put it on. The "Girls of Grace" a liturgical dance group, danced to a song about how God has resurrected our hearts through Christ.  Oh man, Jesus was glorified. I was moved.  It was great. 
• The Sievert family has been really welcoming!! (Some of their children go to Concordia, Seward that I know) 
• Brenda runs and asked if I wanted to go on a run so last Wednesday she took me on a nice 5 mile route around Frankenmuth.
• David is letting me play in the church wind ensemble so I will be playing alto saxophone for Reformation Sunday, Thanksgiving service, and the Christmas Concert (which I heard is like Christmas at Concordia!) 

Here's a picture of the front of the church.
It's HUGE and very beauitful inside.

• I have been able to run more than 3 miles just about everyday!
• One of my routes is next to a river and there's a countless number of WILLOW TREES! (my favorite) Ah, it's so beautiful!
• Also next to the river is a tree that's wonderful to climb and sit in and that has been a great place to ponder and pray.

• Jennette Morrison came up to hang out!! Wendy, Jennette and I went to the local coffee shop and hung out, went around the shopping area, and met up with Chas Chaveriat at a local restaurant for supper.  It was SO good to see familiar faces and reconnect with concordia friends around my age!

hanging out at the local coffee shop

• Of course we had to hit up Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, the largest Christmas store in the United States. 

Bronner's....largest Christmas shop in the U.S.
probably even bigger than a Sam's Club

Wendy and I by the ginormous CHRISTmas ornament
that Jennette was SO excited about. :) 

God is definitely breaking me down up here and I pray that these pieces will then grow in the ground and produce fruit for His Glory.  

Please pray for: 

• God to keep teaching me whatever He wants me to learn and that I would be open to challenges and face them with confidence in Christ and not with fear.
• FOCUS and DILIGENCE when writing lesson plans.
• Change of the tude!! I really need an attitude change...
• That I would WALK IN LOVE.  My feet are in a first grade classroom right now. Pray that these feet would carry a heart full of LOVE.
• I have noticed my selfishness surfice through this so prayers that He would empty me of all my selfishness inside and focus more on Him!