From One Home to Another: 20 Blessings from Year 2 of Teaching
Last week, a student reminded me that I have a blog.
"Ms Brown," he started,
YUCHEN •
Said student found my blog via my instagram public caption via a tag from another friend whom he follows. All of that to say that YES, I correct my earlier statement. The escalator is not magnetic.
P.S. Yes, I did say Lol in a Google chat.
P.P.S. All of my students had bizarre sleep schedules during finals week??
Once the student reminded me that I have a blog, I started that same process of reflection over the year as I had done this time in 2018. Right now, I'm sitting in LAX with a long layover; I've got the time.
If there was a theme for this 2018-2019 school year, it was BLESSINGS.
Below are some BLESSINGS from this year:
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| 1. When your students are reading Romeo & Juliet and find a shirt with the iconic Leonardo DiCaprio movie poster on it and email this to you, you have to go out and buy the shirt the next day. |
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| 2. I got to be in a student film! Check out "Owl," a thriller directed by William Peng |
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| 4. The editor of the Sharkpost for the last two years, Katherine, held her second benefit cello concert for Lightbridge International in Cambodia! She's one of the most generous and compassionate people I know. |
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| 5. “Ms. Brown! Look!” “... Can I take a picture of you and post it on my Instagram?” “...Yes.” |
6. This year, I taught Language Arts 8, English Literature 1, and English Literature 2. I was also the Head Advisor for the 10th grade class, an ASA leader (go 4th & 5th grade Crochet!), a Chinese student (barely a beginner with only 2 or 3 times a month of class for the spring semester), a prayer partner to Carly Cherry (yummy Thai food weekly), and a Professional Learning group leader (I brought snacks to meetings).
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| 7. The LA8 class had a Q&A to Yin Chang Compestine, author of Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, in the library! |
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| 8. A parting prank gift to the HS Staff room from the HS Bible teacher, Melissa (I'm so glad Jesus has a sense of humor!) |
9. I taught 58 students; teaching at a small school continues to be a huge blessing as I can see my kids in all sorts of contexts. I can see how amazing that one student is at something totally outside of what I would see naturally in HS1.
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| 10. My brother gave me *those* for Christmas :) |
11. I got to stay in one classroom for all of my classes, sharing the space with the amazing Wade West, historian and orator extraordinaire.
12. The involvements I had this year felt less like obligatory FTE requirements and more like opportunities for me to step out of the English teacher box. How many high school English teachers do I know that get to knit and crochet with elementary kids once a week?
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| Shout out to Kate Shaffner and the Yearbook staff for the INCREDIBLE design for the yearbook this year! Every page featured Sharks drawn to represent the many activities and memorable moments with students. My main question: how do you knit without opposable thumbs? |
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| What about getting paid to hike a beautiful mountain in southern Taiwan? |
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| To match the theme of the Impact trip, students had to "Lead with Courage" in this section with little visibility (but also EXTREME CARE) |
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| 13. Griffin made me laugh pretty much the entire trip up Bei Da Wu! |
14. While this year was loads of fun, I realized that I needed more help with my mental health and took steps to improve.
School was going swimmingly but I was feeling like I was barely staying afloat.
I've been struggling for years with a debilitating fear of throwing up; this fear then festered into panic attacks during flu season, obsessive hand-washing, and racing heart-rate. When the students started to notice, I knew it was time to get help. I turned to Kim and Kathy, the nurses at MAK, who gave me wisdom, direction, and guidance on my next steps. I'm seeking EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) psychotherapy in Arkansas for trauma-based anxiety this summer.
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| Dr. Lin wanted to take the picture so that she wouldn't be seen :( |
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| On the following Sunday, Mckenzie tricked me into "a dinner date" with her which turned out to be a SECOND birthday party at Arkansas Diner complete with ice cream and giant cookie (NOTE: do NOT eat Chile ice cream) |
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| TBH my favorite picture of Mckenzie that exists currently. "That is the largest milkshake I've ever seen." |
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| The LaPiana's baby shower! |
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| On the way to prom with Mel and a lengthy discussion on earthquakes |
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| The last Ladies Bible Study gathering of the year over a few bowls of delicious mango bing/shaved ice (unpictured)! |
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| Kate Shaffner, my colleague/source of so much inspiration & hope in teaching/ an incredible friend! |
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| Dear Kelly! |
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| Dear Abigail! (at the Anping Treefort, Tainan) |
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| Any day a student would be held back in her class and be late to mine, Carly would send a note to "Dorothy" and sign it "Toto." |
17. I kept a notebook this year of hilarious things my students said. While I don't have the notebook with me, I do remember a few of the golden ones:
"Ms. Brown, what about peeing?" (a bathroom request)
"Ms. Brrrrrrrrrrrrown!" (roll the rs)
"Ms. Brown, my copy of Johnny Tremain is Gone with the Wind."
and my personal favorite...
"Ms. Brown, can I open the Chamber of Secrets?" (another bathroom request, after a few minutes of deliberation)
The things students say without thinking= sheer BLESSINGS. It was a common occurrence for me to stop what I was doing to run over to my notebook and write down a student's "Quote of the Day!"
18. Above it all, I watched as the Lord used random interactions with students to give comfort. I watched as he turned crying breakdowns into sitting in his presence. I was awed by the hearts of the Christian students who served where they saw need, who prayed for revival at the school without any adults prompting them to use that word. I watched as non-Christian students with the homeless at Co-Life praying out loud for the first time. I was amazed at his steady provision of peace in batches from His Word, His Spirit, and the life-giving words of sisters in Christ.
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| 19. The FliPped club (modeled after First Priority with the FP capitalized as a nod to it) leading worship at Co-Life, the homeless shelter 20 minutes from MAK. |
This year was a different season from the last yet still the same in many ways. I couldn't have survived the year if it weren't for living daily in Christ's presence and Word. I grew in my teaching abilities (I hope?), and it would have been a waste had it not been for the love of Christ. My prayer for next year is that I will be more like Christ in my smaller interactions where patience is needed through a deeper relationship with him. I pray also that I'll continue to explore more avenues of peace and self-care.
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| One of my favorite meals in Taiwan on one of my days off. |
20. This summer, I'm back in Arkansas to help my family prepare for Brittany's wedding(!) with Drew!
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| Look at this BEAUTY on the day we bought her wedding dress! |
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| #DreamComeDrew |
I'm praying that I'll be of use and discerning of how I can help; I'm also asking for rest and renewal both through quality time with my family/close friends and the EMDR therapy I'll begin receiving this week.
Until next time,
Candace
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| Talent Show. The Big Chin. Major cool points earned. |
P.P.P.S. To my loving family- I am FINE; I promise! :) I am excited to see you in a few hours! I love you!
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