Tag Archives: Teaching

Simple Summer

homeschooling, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, teachers, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

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Simple Summer

Summer is almost officially upon us, although today feels as though it has arrived. Our morning walk was just a tad bit hotter than usual. But this family has always loved summer.

Baseball games, whiffle ball, fireflies, swimming, beaches, long days, short nights, back porches…well you get the general idea. I am sure you can add your favorite summer activities to make you own list! In fact, that might be a good idea. Or let your children journal what they see and learn!

There is something about summer that gives us permission to slow down a bit. No set bedtimes, no set wake up times. When the kids were little, summer just happened at a different pace. Continue reading Simple Summer →

Simple Teaching

Christianity, Grace, homeschooling, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, teachers, , , , , , ,

Simple Teaching                                 jesus

Now, before you get all excited, I know that teaching is never SIMPLE!  I have taught and really get that.  But there was a time in my life when I thought I knew it all!  Imagine that.  Funny thing, the older I get, the less I realize I really know.

When I was in college, I studied and gathered all the information I could about great teachers and philosophers.  There were many theories on learning and child psychology.  I was going to be an incredible educator.  After all, I had two teaching certificates, a college diploma and knowledge galore.

Ahem, then I entered the classroom.  I had a classroom full of junior high and senior high boys.  Somehow all that knowledge did not help.  I needed to love these kids.  My professors never told me that part.

Jesus.  Now there was our role model for teaching.  The professors never mentioned him either.  He taught in the temple when he was 12. He taught the disciples in parables…stories that they could relate to.  And how, because of the love of God.  I had to surrender to that love with those boys.

All teachers have a goal, a plan, a reason for teaching.  Jesus was indeed the Master Teacher.  His goal was salvation and the love of God for believers.  He met people right smack dab where they were in the middle of their life!

Matthew 7:9-12 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  

I can just see the face of that mother giving her little boy a bite of fish….thinking, “of course I would never give him a snake, are you kidding?”

Jesus was never patronizing, he always taught with love, compassion and tenderness. ( Although I sometimes wonder if when he was teaching the disciples he got a little tired of repeating!  Peter was probably one of those kids….)  Yet, He loved them passionately.

The ultimate teacher, Jesus.  He was our example.  We are all teachers of the love of God.  He met them where they were…He loved them unconditionally.

If we rest and abide in Him, we will give us the words, peace and love when we need it.  Being led by the Holy Spirit dwelling within!! Teacher or nurse, stay at home or bus driver…we are all teachers in one way or another. It is simple really…love.

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Simple Bubbles

Christianity, Grace, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, teachers, Uncategorized, , , , ,

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Simple Bubbles

I think I am into “simplification” right now.  I just believe with all my heart that is a message for us.  And what could be simpler than “bubbles?”

As a preschool teacher the word “bubbles” conjures up images of that soapy, messy stuff.  As a grade school teacher up it brings to mind…….standardized testing!!!!! ICK!  Those bubbles of the little kind that a student must fill in and darken with a number 2 pencil so that the computer can grade it.  It must not stray outside the bubble, and no extra erasures on the answer sheet!  I won’t even start on standardized testing…that another blog!!

As a special education teacher, I had to read the tests to my students (except the reading test, which even though not on their reading level, they had to “read” it alone..uh-hum)  For some, darkening the bubble into a certain pattern on the page proved to be the exciting part of the test.  Others simply were discouraged by having to be so “perfect”.

As I walked around the room reading, I had to encourage many of them to “fix” the bubbling.  One had the darkened image outside in the margin, one simply missed them completely.  Finally Marley decided he had to say something.  “Mrs. B. Why do these bubbles have to be so perfect?  You always tell us that we don’t have to be perfect in here.”  Whoa.  He was right.  Efforts are all that are required.

What if our Christian walk was like that?  What if we had to fill the bubble perfectly each and every time we did something?  Unfortunately, I believe some Christians believe that, thus they give up.  Then try to fill out the bubbles on their own.  That is simply not possible.  We cannot achieve perfection in and of ourselves.  Only Jesus did that.  He just expects us to surrender.  He wants to live His life through us.

Marley finally gave up.  “Mrs. B., I cannot do this right…it just won’t stay in the circle.  Will you shade inside the bubble for me? You can just do that work through me!” I was very thankful for his IEP accommodations at that point!

Then it hit me…. well said little one, well said.

Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV Bible*