Oh, children.

That's what I say when they're being naughty. "Oh, children." Because they're acting like children.

Yesterday I had two students acting out a skit while I read it. I promise the skit was perfectly innocuous. They don't KNOW enough Spanish for anything else. But the male actor decided to make an inappropriate gesture. The entire class erupted in someone-just-did-something-related-to-sex laughter. To be honest, I was putting my camera down and missed it altogether. I pretended. I asked the actors to sit down and walked to the front. Sadly and seriously I said, "Class?" They responded (as I'm trying to train them), "Si." I said, "Raise your right hand. Now, repeat after me: I solomnly swear.... I will always.... be appropriate.... in Spanish class.... because I like my teacher.... and I do not want.... her to die of shame... because she is very impressionable."

It seemed to work for now. I got a panicked and heartfelt apology after class.

Then, to make the Thursday complete, we had open house. So I was at work for 13 hours, the final 3 fielding questions like, "This is your first year teaching, isn't it sweetie?"

Welcome, Hosea Bruce!

You have been eagerly awaited and much prayed for from around the world. Your parents are amazing and you are surprisingly good-looking for a newborn. Hurray!

Week One

Sorry this wasn't posted sooner - blogger was not cooperating.

Week One was fabulous.

Fabulous.

I love teaching. My students are mostly just really fun and excited (which may change in a week or two), and I genuinely enjoy teaching them! Hurray!

I'm absolutely exhausted, though. Every day I've come home about to collapse and famished. That first night I came home and cried myself to sleep - not for sadness, just because I was so tired and emotional. It's been better since.

I'm off to a retreat now, so I'll post more later.

Ack!

It's the first day of school! I've been dreaming about this day!

(well, nightmares, anyway)

I'm off in my new dress to form young minds. 150 of them. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully I don't fall down dead from exhaustion (my body woke up at 2:08 a.m. and stayed mostly awake for 3 hours), vomit, or cry.

Little girl, I say to you, get up.

I believe that prayer is effective. I believe that God always hears, always answers, always moves in the hearts of his children. Sometimes God Speaks.

Maybe he always speaks, and only sometimes I hear.

Sometimes his voice is so loud and unexpectedly clear that I'm startled. Overwhelmed. Convicted. Revived from a stupor.