Phase Out Time

Today marks the first official day of “phasing out” for student teaching. This basically means that instead of teaching all day, I will only be teaching science.  I figured that since I only would teach two classes, I would have PLENTY of time to work on items for school. Nope! I ended up working on a million other things. It happens. I will continue “phasing out” until next Tuesday or Wednesday and then will be observing until the end of student teaching the following week.

My workload has lightened up quite a bit and now I have more time to get things done around my dorm and work on sewing projects.  As the semester comes to a close, I am starting my to-do list of everything that needs to be done either before the semester ends or before Christmas:

1.     Finish portfolio for student teaching. This is due next Monday and is my top priority for the next few days!

2.     Finish the unit plan for science. I developed a unit for science and would like to have it completely finished before I leave.

3.     Sew cooperating teacher her present.  My cooperating teacher has been absolutely wonderful this semester. Very supportive and encouraging. I am working on a little something for her to show my appreciation. I would love to have it complete before I finish, but we will see how it goes.

4.     Finish the last two programs for College Lodge (Mr. College Lodge and the Lodge T-Shirts).

5.       Figure out what to get/do for my students. I want to do a little something special for my students before I leave, but I am still not sure. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

6.       Pack and move home. For good. Ahh! That is crazy to think that I won’t be returning to C of C in January.

7.       Finalize everything for my job starting in January. Yes! That’s right! I have a job lined up starting in January. I have not mentioned it very much because I wanted to keep it on the down low. Until I sign everything, which should be in the next week, I am not going to announce the school or position.

These are the main items I can think of off the top of my head. I am sure there are little things that I am forgetting.  I am still feeling really confident and comfortable about the rest of the semester and the start of the New Year.  I am trying to enjoy what time I have left and make the most of every opportunity.  Three more weeks of the semester. Let’s make it great!

Have a wonderful and blessed week!

Until next time,

K

This Chapter is About to Close

December 16^th marks my last day of my college life. It feels like it just started and now it is about to end. The next month is going to fly by without stopping to give me a chance to breathe.  This Tuesday is the last day of full time teaching for me, and then I begin to “phase out” next week.  It feels like I just started full time teaching. Actually, I started full time teaching seven weeks ago.  It’s all a blur of excitement, joy, tears, struggles, and many accomplishments.  I can’t believe it’s almost over.  It’s a bittersweet feeling.  I know this time would come, but I didn’t realize it would be here so soon.

My semester will be pretty much complete after December 5^th, which is the day my portfolio for student teaching is due.  Once I turn all of this in, I will be done with the schoolwork portion of this semester.  After this, I will be spending a lot of time observing and making the most out of the last few days I have with my sixth grade students.

At this point in time, I am experiencing a lot of emotions. I am a little sad to be graduating and to be moving on, but I KNOW I am ready for it. It’s time. This semester has been more than wonderful, and I am thankful for every minute. But I know, it is time to move on. I can’t hold on my college life. This semester has been completely different than all my other semesters with student teaching.  I am looking forward to graduating and starting something new.  Actually, I can’t wait!! I am ready for a fresh start and new experiences.

I feel like I should be nervous and really stressed about graduating, but I am not at all. I know God has my life in His Hands and will guide me in the direction He sees fit.  If He wants me to be somewhere or some situation, then He will make that happen. God is so good and provides so much. I can’t wait for what life throws at me and to see how God is going to mold me in the future.

I hope you have a wonderful week. God bless!

Until next time,

K

A Special Kind of Love

There is a special kind of love when you teach. At least for me there is.

I love my students so much when:

1. The lightbulb goes off when they understand a topic
2. They give you hugs in the hallway
3. They want to tell you about what is going on in their life
4. They write you sweet cards
5. They participate in class
6. They try to act so tough and mature, but underneath that image is a sweet and innocent child still.
7. I don't want to get up in the mornings, but I picture their faces and immediately get up
8. I get to hang out and talk with them at lunch.
9. They say they have missed me
10. They genuinely try at their assignments and end up being so successful
11. They still respect me at the end of the day because they know I respect them
12. I can get so frustrated, but yet still love each and every one of them at the end of the day
13. They do kind things for others and don't realize that I noticed it
14. They aren't afraid to be vulnerable and open up to me
15. They come into school with a positive and optimistic attitude

I have grown to love my students so much! They have a special place in my heart. They always will be the students that I taught first. This group of students will have that title.

Yes, there are days where I get so frustrated and easily worn down. There are moments when I need to walk away for a moment because I am annoyed. It happens. It is not the end of the world. I realized that it is okay to step away for a few moments to gather yourself back together and continue guiding and leading the students. I try to make sure to constantly show love to my students. They might not always see it, but it's there. It's tough love. If they don't see it, I make sure to tell them I love them on a regularly basis. Some of them may have not ever heard those words being directed towards them. They all need to hear it.

This has always been my mission statement: To love others unconditionally.  I want to continue this mission into my classroom and into the future. It is this kind of passion and care that keeps the fire burning for teaching.

Until next time,
K

Going with the flow.

One of my life mottos: Go with the flow.

In student teaching, I have to just go with the flow. I have to be flexible. One thing at a time. I am human. I am not superwoman.

Most days I am wishing there were an extra two hours so I was able to get more accomplished. I finally don't feel completely far behind from what I need to do during student teaching. Things are slowly fitting into place. Mind you, I still have plenty of things I need to do on a regularly basis like grade papers, formulate tests/quizzes/rubrics/powerpoints and other odds and ends, I am at least trying to stay on top of planning for the coming weeks. I am doing this for my kids. Yes, they are MY kids. I have grown to become soo protective of them. Like a mother hen and her chicks. Sure, during the day, some of them drive me a little crazy with their random outbursts and side-conversations, but at the end of the day, I would still keep all of them.

Last Thursday, I participated in the Running Club with my students. Had such a fabulous time. I ended up walking with six of my students for about thirty minutes. I really enjoyed seeing them outside the classroom. On Friday, one of the students that participated in the Running Club with me raised her hand and said, "Ms. Griffin, I had fun yesterday with you in Running Club." That made me feel good :)

Life outside of student teaching is going well. Three weeks ago, my mother came to visit and we had a WONDERFUL time together relaxing and shopping. Last weekend, I went to visit Benjamin and we had a great time going to a football game and spending time together. This weekend, I worked the desk a bunch, worked on halloween decorations, worked on lesson plans, and slept. It has been very low key weekends, which is exactly what my body needs after long weeks at school.

Looking forward to another four-day week! I hope you have a great week as well.

Much love,
K

FULL TIME

It's official!

As of last Wednesday, I am teaching FULL TIME. This means when the students come in at the beginning of the day until students leave at the end of the day, I will be the lead teacher. One Literature class. Two mathematics classes. Two science classes. Wow!

I am starting to find my pace for everything. It is the preparation that is the most tedious part of it all. I know when I have been teaching for a couple of years, I will be spending less time on this. I want to make it as fun as possible for the students. One of my students always asks me, "Ms. Griffin, are we going to do something fun today in science?" My response to him: "We always do something fun in science!"

I can't decide what subject area I like more: Math or science. My cooperating teacher says I am stronger in math, but I am really enjoying science, because there is more to do with it. There are more ways to make it engaging. I am glad I was blessed with the opportunity to teach both subject areas to get a taste of both.

The students have been great for the most part. The typical chattiness happens here and there, but overall, I love my students. I wish I was able to spend more one on one time with each of them to get to know them more.  I think once I get the hang of everything and become more comfortable, I will be able to do that.

Now for the real, deep honesty: I am constantly feeling tired and worn down.  I don't feel like I ever get caught up to where I need to be. If I do get caught up then I end up not getting enough sleep or something else ends up getting cut out of my life. "Me" time is pretty much NONEXISTENT.  I feel like I am constantly on the verge of having a melt down. I feel like alot of the times what I do is sub-par and not good enough. I have never felt this drained: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

In the midst of all this. I am learning so much and being challenged so much. I am learning so much about my own teaching styles. Who I am as a person, a friend, a teacher, and more.  This is a very tough experience for me, but I would never give it back. I am thankful for every second of it. For every tear of frustration. For every excited face of a student. For every late night staying up to plan for a 50 minute lesson. For every conversation with a student. For every feeling of accomplishment. I wouldn't give it back for a second.

Praise God for how He is challenging me and making me ever so more dependable on Him. Are you allowing Him to lead your life right now? Are you allow the challenges you are being faced with to be an opportunity to lean more on Him? Think about it.

Until next time,
K

Student Teaching Adventure Continues...

I have been in my middle school for three whole weeks now. Wow! It’s crazy. Time is zooming by, but each day is jammed packed with excitement and challenges.

Rewarding/Wonderful times:

·         Receiving a sweet card/drawing from one of my students

·         Having my students say “Good morning, Ms. Griffin”

·         Hanging out with my students at lunch

·         When my students are actively engaged in the lesson

·         When the students saw the example of an activity for science and they were excited about it

·         Reading my students writing journals because it gives me a chance to get to know them

·         Driving to and from school because the drive is absolutely beautiful

·         Re-explaining information and seeing the students have an “A-Ha” moment

Challenging times:

·         Chatting students and getting them to follow the expectations

·         Writing and developing lesson plans

·         Lacking in sleep…every night

·         Being flexible with scheduling

·         Not being around in College Lodge especially for my residents

·         Not exercising at much because any free time I have, I want to sleep

This past week, I taught for three full days. My cooperating teacher had family issues to handle, so I took over the class.  It was overwhelming at times, but a learning experience at the same time. While the students drive me crazy sometimes, I really love them. Each of them are so unique and already have a special place in my heart.

Today, we had testing, so the schedule was all crazy. The time that we had for teaching, we ended up letting the students have free period/watching educational videos. This week, I will be working through The Westing Game during literature time.  In science, I will be making clouds out of cotton rounds (I can’t say “balls” in class, but the students will lose it). We will also be reviewing material on the atmosphere, water cycle, and clouds. I plan on teaching them study strategies, playing a review game, and hopefully give a test at the end of the week.

A goal that I have for myself is to work on classroom management especially with the chatting and talkativeness. It can get pretty tough at the end of the day and that is when my patience is low.

God has really been challenging me the past few weeks. I need to make an effort to make time for Him every day. My days need to be God-centered in order for me to have a spirit-filled life. I noticed my spirit not being the same, when I don’t make time for Him. I am thankful that I have a relationship with such a faithful and loving God that hasn’t given up on me.

Have a great week everyone. I hope you are able to make time for God and allow Him to fill up your life.

Until next time,

K

You know you are student teaching when...

You know you are student teaching when....

1. You have to make 55 copies of a 15-page paper and forgot to push the SORT button on the copier.
2. You only want to sleep when you have free time.
3. You accidentally wear the school uniforms' colors and blend in with the students.
4. You freaked out the first time you taught a lesson and was "in charge" of the class.
5. You feel like you should be walking in the line with the students because for the last 18 years or so you have been called a "student"
6. You only want to sleep when you have free time.
7. Some of the students still have a tendency to call you Ms. and then your first name (Ex: Ms. Kacey)
8. You wonder how you will ever be able to write lesson plans for 3 or four different classes, when it takes you at least an hour or so to write them for one class.
9. You spend more time getting ready in the morning than while you were in classes because now you can't just roll out of bed and put whatever on.
10. You panic at least once a week wondering if this is the career you are supposed to be doing because it feels so overwhelming right now.
11. You sometimes get mistaken for being a student (I think this has more to do with me looking so young. Oops!)
12. You only want to sleep when you have free time.

I know there has been more things that have occurred this past week during student teaching. Last week was my first full week of school. I was still doing alot of observing, but still interacting with the students. It has been great so far! I am realizing that sleep deprivation is in the fine print of the job description. O well! I will catch up on that during the weekends.

This week is shorter due to Labor Day and an unexpected trip home. However, I started teaching the literature class and a science class this week. I am planning the literature class lessons. We are working through The Westing Game. Yesterday we made a character analysis chart and discussed the main events going on in the story. It's an excellent book, and I am hoping to get through at much as possible before the next unit starts. In science, we are learning about the water cycle. I am teaching this class at the end of the day, so I have a lot of chatty students, but most of them seem really engaged with whats going on.

I hope you have a great day! God bless!

Until next time,
K

Student Teaching: Day 1

Today was my first official day of STUDENT TEACHING.
It really felt like the first day of middle school or high school for me. Back then the first day of school was always a challenge for me. Well, more like the night before was a challenge, because I would be so excited and anxious, I could not sleep at all. This happened last night. I kept tossing and turning and was afraid I would over sleep on my first day. Thankfully I did not over sleep and even had enough time this morning to go to the cafeteria for a delicious breakfast. (Sidenote: People hate on our cafeteria, but the breakfast is always great and is the most consistently good meal they have besides the salad bar).

I was not nervous at all today. I visited the school last Tuesday (first day of school for the students), so I felt comfortable with the school and my cooperating teacher. At this stage, I am still in mainly observation mood. I try to help my teacher out as much as possible without getting in her way. I am learning her system for how she does thing so the transition from her teaching to my teaching runs smoothly for the students. I want to be involved with the students as much as possible so they feel comfortable interacting with me. I am feeling a little hesitant because I don't know how much is OKAY for me at this point. I don't want to interfere with what the teacher is doing. I am still trying to step out of my comfort level and be a little bolder.

The students seem wonderful. Each one of them with their own set of challenges. At this point, I think most of them still see me as just an observer of the classroom and don't realize I will be eventually teaching them. I would like for them to start seeing me as a teacher in the next week or so and get a better understanding of why I am there.

Today was a LONG day, but it was a good one. It was REAL. All of the education classes and even general education classes have lead up to this point. It is all finally coming together to be one amazing and challenging and rewarding semester.

Goals for myself for the next few days for student teaching:
1. Learn all 46(ish) students names.
2. Learn behavior policies and procedures
3. Help the students get organized and stay organized
4. Make effort to get to know the students in some way or another.

Until next time,
K

Last Chapter of the Book?

This passed week, I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. (Sidenote: It was an excellent book, and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good read.). As I got to the last page, I wasn't ready for the book to end, but like any good book, it must come to an end.
I realized this coming semester of college like the last chapter of a really good book. I want to know what's going to happen, so it will eventually come to an end. I am excited to experience it. To meet people. To grow. To be challenged. But in order for me to do all these things, I have to go through.  When I think about this semester, I am constantly reminded of how fast it is going to fly by. The past three years have flown by, which means this last semester is going to go by fast if not faster.

At times, I am a little scared of what the future holds after college. I have grown accustomed to this life in college, and it has become so comfortable for me. It's scary to think about the new life I will be in with having a job, etc. I am not worried about where I will end or what kind of job I will have because I know God will be revealing that to me every step of the way.

So here is to my last semester of college: Let's make it a great one filled with memories that will be lasting! Let's make these last pages in the book of our college years a great one. Let's be bold in everything we do and give what ever I do one hundred percent of my effort. Let's enjoy the blessings God gives us and work through the challenges we face. Above all else, let's love unconditionally towards our Father and others.

Until next time,
K

Argentina Summer Project - Final Week

Reality really set in this week when I realized this was the last full week in Argentina. Very sad! The last part of my trip consisted of being on campus for a few days, having a going away party, and going on a retreat to Colonia, Uruguay. This post will probably be a little longer than the rest, because I will be writing about a 1 ½ weeks of activities.

Monday (Day 36) – Today, Argentina celebrated a national holiday, Flag Day, therefore the campuses were all close.  My team took a trip to La Plata, which is a small city outside of Buenos Aires. It was about a hour bus ride to get there. It was a beautiful and quiet town. By the time we arrived and had lunch, we didn’t have much time to site-see unfortunately. It was nice to hang out with everyone and to have a relaxing day.

Wednesday (Day 38) – Today was our last “work” day for painting at the Ag Project. There was a lot to still be painted so a group of us went to campus at 8:30 AM to paint. We worked until 12ish, and took a little break and continued painting until 6PM. It was a lot of work, but we got a good bit completed! This was also the last time we saw our friends Carolina, Angie, Noelia, and Vale. It was hard saying goodbye to them! Jessie and I wrote them cards and I gave them some headbands I made.

Thursday (Day 39) – Today was our last day on campus. It was weird that we wouldn’t be coming back to this campus anymore. It had become another home for me. I was actually a little nervous about today because I felt lead to giving my friend Maria Sol my English Bible. A few weeks before she had mentioned wanting an English Bible to read and to practice her English, but was having a hard time finding one in Argentina. I will never forget the joy on her face when I gave her my Bible. She is an amazing sister in Christ, and I am glad to been impacted by her and her love for God. We had English Club at 12, which is a chance for the Argentine students to practice their English. My friend, Melisa got ready to leave a few hours later and could not find her bag anywhere! Someone had stolen it :( She was more concerned about her school supplies than anything else because she had a test a few days later. She was able to get a study guide from one of her classmates, and Jessie and I helped her out too.  Melisa was pretty stressed out by the situation (I would be too), but she handled herself very well and I admire her for that.

Friday (Day 40) – I took this day to pack and do some last minute shopping. That evening, we had a going away party and some of my friends from campus came to it! It was really hard saying goodbye to everyone.

Saturday (Day 41) – Today, my team left for a retreat in Colonia, Uruguay. We took a 45 minute ferry ride to this small town. It was right on the water. It kind of reminded me of a smaller version of Charleston. We stayed in a Hostel (http://www.elviajerohostels.com/) here. I was expecting a run-down building, but it was very nice! That night, the hostel owners made us an asado. It was delicious! A guy came in and played some flamenco music for us.

Sunday (Day 42) – This morning we had some praise and worship time. For lunch, I had fajitas. That was the first time since I left the US that I had fajitas. I explored Colonia with some people and even got to go in a little lighthouse. That night, I shared my testimony with the group (everyone on my team shared their testimony). I was very nervous, but I just let the Holy Spirit do the talking :) Later that night, a group of us went star gazing. O my gosh! Absolutely gorgeous. I saw a few shooting stars and even saw the Southern Cross, which is only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Monday (Day 43) – Today was even more of a chill day than the other two days in Uruguay. I forgot to mention, but I took a LONG nap each day in Uruguay. They said this was our free time and we could relax and that’s how I wanted to relax. The lack of sleep from the past six weeks finally caught up to me in Uruguay. I did a little more sight-seeing today, and ended the night with dinner at this nice restaurant. I ate teriyaki chicken with peppers and rice. One of the best meals of the entire trip and probably the best service of the entire trip.

Tuesday/Wednesday (Day 44 & 45) – Today, we packed up and said goodbye to Uruguay and hello again to Argentina. Today I did the most traveling I have ever done before. We took a ferry back to Buenos Aires. We then took the subway to Vida Estundiantil’s office where our extra luggage was kept. We then got on a bus to take us to the airport. It ended up taking a really long time to get our tickets and go through customs. Our plane was supposed to take off at 8:25 PM, and I didn’t get to the terminal gate until 8:10. Let’s just say I was little on edge for awhile there for fear we would all miss the plane. However, we all made it! I tried napping on the plane, but I was too excited to return home. We arrived in Miami at 4:30 AM. I felt like I had just been here a few days before to leave for Argentina. My first meal back in the States was a Cinnabun. Not the best choice, but was the only thing open and close by to my terminal. I flew to Atlanta with a small layover and was back in Charlotte in the early afternoon. I was home.

I could probably go on and on about my adventures and stories in Argentina. So many amazing things happened. This just a little taste of what I experienced and saw. Please feel free to ask any questions :)

Until next time,

K

Argentina Summer Project - Week 5

By Week 5, our time in Argentina was coming to a close. We still had another week after this one, but it was becoming more real by this point that we would be going home soon. June 14th marked ONE MONTH since I had left for Argentina. The time seemed to fly by. This was a tougher week because one minute I would be homesick and so ready to be home with my family and friends and then the next minute I didn't want to leave Argentina.
Monday (Day 29) - One of the conversations I had on campus today really impacted me. I talked with three girls sitting together: one believed in the Bible and knew a lot of the basic fundamentals. One believed in God, but not Jeus. And one girl did not believe in God at all, but believed in energy. I mean, these are very different viewpoints, and they all feel "correct" in their beliefs. When I tried to present the Gospel to them, they were opened and willing to listen, until I asked about sin and if they believed they sinned. They shut off after this point. We need Jesus to wipe away our sins, but if you don't believe in Jesus or that you have sin...well, it goes against the Gospel. Once I returned to the hotel, we had a dance party and learned some salsa! It was absolutely wonderful and sparked my interest in ballroom and latin style dancing.

Tuesday (Day 30) - We began our service project for the Ag Campus today. Basically everything you see that is red is what needed to be painted. And there are TWO buildings on the Ag Campus that needed to be painted. Lets just say we stayed pretty busy on the days we painted. It was awesome way for us to be able to give back to the students and to advertise Vida Estudiantial.

Thursday (Day 32) - We went to campus as usual this morning, but another campus joined along to help us paint the Ag Campus. It was wonderful having more friends with us on our campus. We had a great time working together and being silly. That night, we had our group Bible Study. Our sweet sweet Bible Study leaders, Shannon and Rene made us sphagetti, broccoli, and peanut butter brownies.

Friday (Day 33) - Another campus joined us again today for painting. Today was pretty special because a group of girls we (Jessie and I) have been meeting with regularly gave us a gift. It was a box of Alfahores and a deck of Spanish playing cards. I am so thankful for our friendships with them and being able to spend so much time with them over the six weeks we were there.



Saturday (Day 34) - This day would be one of the most memorable days of the entire trip. We went to an orphanage that was outside the city. We helped paint the orphanage, put on a skit for the children, and playing with the children. During "play" time, I got EXTREMELY attacked to a little girl named Augustina. She kind of reminded me of myself when I was a little girl. Even though she couldn't understand English and didn't really talk much herself, she was so full of love and would constantly chase after me and give me hugs. I would point to my cheek and ask her: "Un besito, por favor" ...Which means "A little kiss, please". I didn't think I was saying it right, but then she gave me a "besito". It was the sweetest thing. This service project was difficult for me, because I realized how many children are orphaned, and I wonder what will happen to these children in the future. I pray that each of these children in the orphanage will be able to experience God's love and know that they are HIS children. This project also sparked a desire in me to work with orphaned children and to figure out how God can use me in this situation.

Until next time,

K

Argentina Summer Project - Week 4

I will try to recap as much as possible in this post and the ones to follow about Argentina. I should have posted much sooner about my adventures, so hopefully I can piece together from my memory and my journal.

By Week 4, I really felt like I was finally settled in and felt like Argentina was other home for me (besides Fort Mill and Charleston). I was in a routine and kind of felt like I knew what I was doing over there. Of course, it was still challenging at times, especially when I would present the Gospel to the students on campus. Each encounter would present its own challenges, and I had to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead me through those conversations.

Monday - When I went to campus, I encountered two different girls that went I started to present the Gospel, they completely shut off from the conversation. I knew this would eventually happen at some point, but it was extremely disheartening when people would not listen at all. Later that day on campus, I encountered Atheist, which was my first time having conversations with people that didn't believe there was any god. Monday night was team fun time and we watched "Despicable Me". It is such a kids movie, but adorable none the less!

Friday - When I went to campus, I got to hang out with four girls I met during Week 2:  Vale, Caro, Angie, and Noelia. I had been meeting with them once a week with my teammate, Jessie. These four girls are awesome and have such a fun and loving spirit. This day in particular, they invited us to their Accounting class. Of course, I would not pass up an opportunity to go to Argentine class! It was VERY interesting, and I have NO idea was going on. Haha. Friday evening, Vida Estudiantial (its the Campus Crusade for Christ of Argentina) had an event at our hotel. The topic was "Why bad things happen?" This is a topic that is hard for people to grasp...Non-Christians and Christians. It is a tough subject for me to handle at times. The turn out was great to the event, and there were alot of great responses to it.

Saturday - The Evangelism team spent the afternoon preparing for the skit we would be doing for the children in the poorer part of the city. We had visited this area the previous Saturday. I was excited to see the children again and to put on a skit for them! It was so awesome that the children remembered us and would run up to us and give us all hugs. The Gospel was presented to their parents later that night. We didn't find out until later, but many of the parents were interested in joining a Bible study and one man even became a believer. It was hard saying goodbye to the children and to the church people we worked with. It is amazing how fast we formed friendships with them all. After working with these children for two Saturdays, it really gave me a passion even more for working with children but also to work with less fortunate ones.
This week, I experienced alot of challenges, but experienced many blessings as well.

Until next time,
K

Argentina Summer Project - Week Three is almost Complete!

Wow...It is crazy that I have been living in a different country for almost three weeks. It has become a slight blur with what all has occurred. I journal every night about the events that occur. Thank goodness for that because otherwise I would not remember what happened. Oops! This is what my week looked like last week. This is what my schedule typically looks like:

Monday - We went to campus at 10 PM. We shared the Gospel with a handful of people today. It is challenging each time, because each person has a different story or background. That night, we had womens time and talked about friendships.

Tuesday - We had a long quiet time this morning, followed by a large amount of free time. We went to campus around 4, where we did surveys and talked with some students. The last girl I did the survey with was a Christian! It was great hearing what she thought about life and God. That night, I went to a vegetarian buffet and had broccoli for the first time since I got here. Yayy!

Wednesday - We have the mornings off, which is wonderful. I usually take that time to sleep, work out, and work on school work. We had a meeting from 1 until 3, and then go to campus from 4 until 8. My campus team got invited over by an Argentine for an asado. Think of an BBQ, but ten times better! It was delicious! I am thankful I got to experience this part of the culture.

Thursday - My team had group prayer at 8:30 AM. We then went to campus at 10. At 1 pm, we helped with English Club, which is a way the students can practice their english. Thursday night, my team split off into their Bible study group and hung out. I LOVE my group. We always have great conversations. We are discussing a book by John Piper called "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" and the Seven "I Am´s" of Jesus Christ.

Friday - We went to campus around 11. My friend, Jesse and I, met up with some girls we had met the previous week. These four girls are all Christians, so it was awesome hanging out with them again. I showed them my English Bible and they went crazy over it! They loved how the names of each book was different like Matthew for Matteo. They invited us to come sit in one of their classes some time this coming week, so I am looking forward to that. Afterwards, my team went to the Vida Estudantil meeting (it is the Campus Crusade of Argentina). It was about the different religions and if they are all the same. Yes it was all in Castellano, but it was cool to be a part of that. That night, we went over to a leader´s house for dinner. There were Argentine students there. It was great because we got to share an American meal together which consisted of fried chicken and mac&cheese.

Saturday - Thankfully, I got to sleep in this morning! I got breakfast and worked out for a little bit. (Sidenote - there is a gym in the hotel). At three, a group of us got together and took two different buses to an impoverished area of town to hang out with the children and to tell people about the event going on next Saturday (presenting the Gospel to the people of the area). The children were loud and crazy, but I loved it!!! They were all speaking in Castellano, so I have NO idea what they were saying the majority of the time. We played a sing along game with some of them, and they loved it. We would speed up the song, and they would always tell me if I messed up, which I usually did since the song was in Spanish. Haha. We got back from that around 9:30.

Sunday - Today we went to a church service. It was about a 40 minute bus ride. One of the guys that works at Cru goes to this church as well. It was God´s plan that we went to that church because there was a visiting pastor and he happened to speak Castellano (spanish) and English. He did the entire sermon in both languages. He would say something in one language and repeat it in the other language. What blessing! After the serivce, I grabbed a bite to eat and took a VERY long nap. Tonight, we have team meetings about the upcoming week.

Until next time,
K

Argentina Summer Project: Day 13

Hola!


It is the weekend for me here in Argentina. The weather is beautiful and we have been enjoying it as much as we can.


This past week was amazing!!! We spent just about every day on campus for about four or five hours with the exception of Wednesday because it was Argentina's Independence Day.


The schedule for each day is completely different than the rest. For instance, on Monday I go on the college campus at 10 but on Wednesday, I don't go on campus until 4. Even though we go at different times each day, we usually are there for about five hours.


In those five hours that I am on campus, I work with my team. My team consists of five other people. We start off by just praying for our day on campus and the students we will encounter. Next, we pair off either girl-girl, boy-boy, or girl-boy. We then walk around seeing if any students are available to chat. The first question I ask anyone is 'Hables ingles' which is 'Do you speak English'? If there answer is yes, then I ask them if they would take a picture survey about life, their beliefs, and God. (Sidenote: This picture survey we use is called Soularium. It is an AMAZING tool to use to get to know someone before presenting the Gospel to them. It is also a great way to understand a person's background and thoughts on God). Throughout the survey, I try to ask more questions than just the five questions listed for the survey to get to know the person better. At the end of the survey, it will go a couple of different ways: the person has to go to class so I will get their contact information and try to meet up with them again, I will share my testimony and beliefs, they are not interested in the Gospel but are willing to listen to what I have to say, OR they are interested in the Gospel and are willing to hear about it. I have seen all of these scenarios already. For me personally, it is important to not get bogged down if someone does not want to hear the Gospel. The important thing is to remember that God is using me as His vessel to do His Work. It is all about planting the seed and allowing Him to sow it.

I do alot of walking around asking people if they would like to take the survey or if they speak English. It can be draining at times, but there is no hurry through it. If I am tired, then I stop, rest, and pray. If I am hungry, I go get a quick bite to eat. Whenever I do meet someone, I try to make sure I am engaged in the conversation as much as possible, so the time in between conversations is very valuable for getting re-energized. The amazing thing about the people in Argentina is that they care soo much for relationship and value them greatly, which is why it is so easy to talk to people here. They would rather talk and hang out with us than go to class (I think this would apply in the States too Haha).

So far, after only being here in Argentina for 2 weeks, we have seen almost TEN people come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. God is doing some amazing things already here! I can't wait to see what else He is going to do while we are here!

Until next time,
K

Argentina Summer Project: The Culture, The City, The Life

I have gotten a few emails asking different questions about the culture and some of the experiences while I am here in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I would love to share this information with you!

Weather
The first week we were here, the weather was very warm. We even slept with our hotel window open because it was so warm outside. However, last Sunday it rained ALL day and the temperature has dropped dramatically since then. I hope I have brought enough warm clothes! It is not humid here and there really is not much of a breeze, but it is still a little chilly.

Language
Yes the people here speak Spanish, but it is a little different. They speak Catallano. Its a mixture of Spanish and Italian influences. Normally when you say, 'Me llamo Kacey' (my name is Kacey), the double L's would make a 'ya' sound. However, here, the double L's make a 'shh' sound. It was a little different at first, but I was able to catch on to it pretty quickly.

I wish I could say I am able to have a full conversation with people in Catallano, but I can't. I am slowly picking up the language, but it is not coming easily. I can understand people pretty well, but I am struggling to articulate something back to them. Ordering food is still a little challenging, but I am slowly catching on with it.

Food
The first question I would like to answer is: Do I drink the water? Yes. When we arrived, our staff leaders told us it was okay to drink the water. I prepared myself for the worst when I drank the water for the first time thinking I would become really sick, but thankfully I did not. When I go out to eat, all the drinks are served out of glass bottles, even the water. In this country, water is NOT free. I went to one restaurant and my water was 12 pesos, which comes out to about three American dollars. When I go out to eat, I usually do not get a drink just to save some money. We are alotted around 50 pesos every day (13 American dollars), so I do not want to a large chuck of that on a drink. A random and interesting fact about the glass bottled drinks is that people use straws to drink out of them instead of just sipping from them. I love that!

I have eaten a variety of food since I have been here. One thing I have noticed is that while Argentina may have something that is called the same thing in the US, it tastes different. The french fries taste different. The sodas taste different. The ketchup tastes different. The pizza tastes different. Some of the foods I have eaten are: lots of empanadas, pizza, chicken, milanesa (think of a flattened piece of country fried steak), medialunas (croissants with sugar and honey), alfahores (layers of chocolate and creme and amazingness), beef/steak (this country is known for its beef and it is delicious!), Subway (they have Subway!!), Burger King (Whooper), and more. When I go out to eat, there is not much vegetable options so I usually get vegetables from the grocery store.

Cultural Differences
There are a few things that are different. Whenever we meet someone or say goodbye, we 'beso', or kiss. Two people touch their right checks together and that is a beso. Meals are a little different too. The people here eat breakfast and lunch the same time we do, but they have a La Merienda (snack) at the time we would normally have dinner. Here, it is uncommon for people to eat dinner before 9 PM. I still have not caught on to this! I love eating my dinner earlier. Haha. People share alot here. Food. Drinks. Everything. I love sharing, but I don't like sharing germs. I am still getting used to this as well :)

My next post, I will talk more about what we are doing on campus and what we are seeing God do through us.

Until next time,
K

Argentina Summer Project: Day 7

Tomorrow will mark one week since I left for my trip! I can't believe one week has already gone by. It has been a busy week getting adjusted and familiar with Buenos Aires. I was not on any kind of schedule last week. A phrase that was used multiple times each day was "Go with the flow". We really had to be flexible because pretty much everyday, something was bound to change in our schedule.

Last Wednesday, we split off into our campus teams and headed to our different campuses. There are abot five campuses we work with...Architecture, Medicine, Economics, Law, and Agronomia (general education classes). I am working at Agronomia! It is about a forty minute bus ride there. Many of the students wanting to pursue a degree in Economics take there general education courses here. The first day on the campus was mainly to get our bearings on where everything was and what we were doing. On Thursday, we headed back to campus and spent more time talking with students.

We got into a conversation with two girls. They could only speak Spanish so one of the interns that lives in Buenos Aires translated for us. One of the tools we use to help get to know the students as well as a way to lead to the Gospel is called Soularium. Basically it is a bunch of pictures, and when we ask questions, the studnts can pick pictures that relate to their response. One of the questions I asked the girl was "Who is Jesus Chris"? She picked a picture with a path going into a forest and said to us, "Jesus Cristo es el solemento cambio" which translates to Jesus Christ is the only way. Wow!!! It is encouraging to have conversations like this.

On Friday, we did a Prayer Walk around all of the campuses. This was a great way tosee where all the other people on my team do ministry and to just encourage their work through prayer. That night was our first free night!!! We got to experience the city on our own. I went to the mallwith a bunch of people and then we walked around the city for a bit.

On Saturday, we did an AMAZING RACE throughout the city. I definitely feel like I understand the city alot more after doing that. Today (Sunday), we went to Mass. The entire service was in Spanish so I really don't know what was going on. However, the music was absolutely gorgeous! As we were walking out, there was a bulletin board with announcements and it turns out there was a 10 AM service in English. Oops!!! After mass, we headed to a "farmers market". Basically it was like the market in Charleston so I felt a little at home. There were a lot of interesting items being sold in the market. Actually, there were some Americans selling hot sauce at one of the stands. It always throws me off when I hear someone talking in English because it does not happen very often.

Tomorrow starts a new week! Iam looking forward to being on a schedule and a routine. I am excited to see what God is going to do this week and how He will use me on the campus.

Until next time,
K

Argentina Summer Project: Day 1

Today starts a new adventure for me!
Today I leave for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Today I step out of my world here in South Carolina and into a completely different one.

I am so thankful for this trip. I am thankful for everyone that has made this opportunity possible through prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support. You are all a blessing to me. I am forever grateful for it.

Today will be a day of travel. I am traveling from Charlotte to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Miami. I will be meeting the rest of my team in Miami and from there we will all travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina together.

Please pray for:

1. Safe travel for all my teammates
2. Everyone's baggage/suitcases make it safely to Argentina
3. Adjust fast to the culture in Argentina
4. Walk in the Spirt

Much love and until next time,
K

First Day of Summer

Maybe today is actually my second day of summer since I moved home yesterday. Well, either way, it's THE SUMMER!

I am thankful it is May and the summer is here. The last few weeks seemed to drag on and on. I stayed pretty busy the last few weeks with projects, papers, and exams. Thankfully I only had ONE in-class exam. Unfortunately, it was Physics and it just happened to fall on Saturday night. I survived the exams 3 and 1/2 hours later and even passed the class with a B+. I have NO idea how that happened, but I am pleased with it none the less. I got all A's in the rest of my classes. This semester marks the end of classes for my undergraduate degree because next semester I will be student teaching. Speaking of student teaching, I found out where I will be teaching. Yayy!

This semester has been a learning opportunity. I have walked away from it with many lessons. Below are some that I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Patience. Patience. Patience. I was done with classes back in February. I was ready to be in a classroom and working with students. Then at the beginning of March, I found out I was going to Argentina and I was then ready to go then. God has taught me to be patient with His Timing and to appreaciate what I have now.
2. Support Raising for Argentina. I have seen some amazing and indescribable things done during my support raising. When I first got accepted, I had to have at least $2,500 raised three weeks later. Right then, I didn't think I would be able to get it. I realize now that I was relying on my own doing and not His doing. I learned how to NOT worry about money and to trust that God will provide.
3. Friendships and relationships. God has brought some amazing people in my life. I am thankful for each and every one of them.
4. Course Load. I might have overdone it this semester by taking 19 hours (again), but I made it through. It was tough, but once again, it is possible to take that many hours and do well.

There is so much more I have learned about God, life, and my self this semester. Thank You, God for life's challenges and blessings. They are all opportunities to see Your Glory revealed.

I leave for Argentina in NINE days. What?!?! I am sooo excited! As I am unpacking my belongings from school, I am slowly packing for my trip. This upcoming week will consist of packing, hanging out with my family, hanging out with friends, taking some dance lessons (Swing, Mumba, Tango, Salsa), working out, and wherever the road takes me!

I hope you have a great and blessed day tomorrow. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there!

Until next time,
K

Lent Challenge: Day 44 (Maybe??)

O my goodness! I don't know what has happened! I didn't realize how long ago it was since I last posted something for Lent Challenge, well actually, posted anything at all! This calls for a MAJOR OOPS on my part. Sunday I will be able to post pictures up of what's been going on in my life. Unfortunately I haven't taken as many pictures as i would like. I go through these phases where I take alot of photos and then I don't take much at all. I could make this a super long post about what has happened in the last few weeks but I will try to focus on the main points:

1. My dad and older brother came to visit last weekend. It was great to be able to hang out with family!

2. This past week I had FOUR projects due. Got them all done and turned in on time!

3. The week before, I gave a speech in Public Speaking on BRAIN FREEZES. I will post my speech at a later time. My teacher said she never heard a speech on brain freezes and seemed to really enjoy it. Yayyy for hopefully an "A"!

4. This past week was my last full week of classes...EVER. (Until I go back for graduate school).

5. I FINALLY finished Girls Gone Wise. I will write a post about it later on (just realized I already sent the book home), but it is an AMAZING book.

6. Right now, I am reading The Case for Faith (Student Edition) by Lee Strobel and Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. Both of them I have started before but never actually finished them entirely. I am hoping to get through them before my trip.

7. I have recently been a little "down in the dumps". I don't know what this negative attitude and thoughts are due to, but it needs to change ASAP. I am praying that God softens my heart to whatever it is that is causing this.

8. I go to Argentina in about THREE weeks. I don't feel completely prepared for it, but I don't think I will completely feel ready until I get there. So thankful for this opportunity!

I hope you are doing well. I hope you have had a chance to rest and enjoy God's love this week. Take time these next few days to really look at what God has done for you. For me. For everyone. What God has done through Jesus Christ.

Until next time,
K

Lent Challenge: Day 29 - D.E.C.I.D.E

So I was going through papers from previous semesters to help me write my candidate work sample. Basically, a candidate work sample this HUGE assignment where I given a student with a learning "challenge" and I talk about how I would accomodate them in my classroom and in the lesson/activities. Anyways, I came across one of my papers from Spring 2009 about my decision to pursue a degree in Middle School Education. Everything still rings true up until this point, where I am about to finish classes and will be student teaching in the fall. It is not too terribly long!

Here it is: (keep in mind that I wrote it a year ago!)

As I make the transition from the first semester of education to the second semester of education, I realize I have to make a significant decision. This decision is what field I will get my degree in. Throughout the course of the semester, I have been leaning towards middle school education. When I was finally able to observe a middle school classroom, I knew that this environment was where I am supposed to be once I graduate from college. According to Brighton (2007), “every life stage has its challenges, but most adults would agree that early adolescence is perhaps the most difficult one to successfully navigate” (p. xi). As I continue towards becoming a middle school education teacher, I need to keep in mind my strengths and needs as a potential teacher, understand the demands of this particular teaching level, and be able to delineate my goals.



What are my strengths and needs as a potential teacher? My strengths are desire for learning and teaching as well as believing that all students can succeed. An area that I need to work on is not being too hard on myself when a student falls behind or doesn't understand the information. “Teachers may face particular challenges because of the pressures on them to narrow achievement gaps and improve the academic performance of all children” (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p.258). I hope that I am able to balance the demands of meeting the students’ needs as well as creating an enjoyable, learning atmosphere.


What are the demands of my selected teaching level? Middle School is a time of socialization and independence. It is also a time where they care less about pleasing their teachers and parents and care more about finding acceptance within their peers. “In comparing my strengths with the demands of middle school, my ability to stay organized and staying on top of things will be beneficial for me in this role. Children prosper with warm and sensitive teaching… [and] a blend of child-guided and teacher-guided activities” (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p.257). I will also be assertive and semi-demanding, while allowing my students to explore mathematics to their own liking. My desire for all students will be helpful because I will continue to make sure each student has a successful school year. I would also like to continue furthering my education and knowledge by taking additional courses while I am teaching. I want to influence the students' desire to learn about mathematics and science in a positive way and keep up-to-date with information as much as possible.


So, why do I choose middle school education? These students need me. Throughout all the observations in each level, I felt like I fit in the best in the middle school atmosphere. This age group is one group that changes greatly throughout the course of three or four years. They change socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. “Through [all the] experiences, teenagers develop the cognitive, social-emotional, and moral strength they will need for the years ahead” (Wood, 2007, p.159). It is important for these students to have a teacher who makes the most out of the students’ time in the classroom. “Young adolescents need and deserve parents and teachers who fully understand them and can help them successfully negotiate the challenges that accompany this transition stage” (Brighton, 2007, p. xi). Adolescence is a very challenging age, but must occur for development. I look forward to challenges and I know these will be challenges that will pay off in the end in the developments that the students will make in the course of a school year and in the ways I am able to make their school experience even better.

Until next time,
K

Lent Challenge: Day 27 - Dear....

Dear Ms. Cindy,

How are you? How are things in Heaven? Is it as beautiful as they say it is?
Can you believe that I will be student teaching in the Fall?? I love it. I am so excited for it. Okay, so I might be a little nervous and scared about it.  I know it is going to be extremely challenging and probably overwhelming at times. It's during times like these, that I realize how much I miss you. I think I miss you even more when I am faced with teaching and education things. I know you would be so helpful during these times. I reminded of how nice it would be to be able to call you up when I am stressed or needing a little guidance or wanting to talk to someone about something one of my students said because it was completely ridiculous.

I got a "teacher" bag for Christmas and the first thing my dad said to me was that the bag looked like something you would have and that I reminded him of you. What a compliment. That really meant something to me. I wish you were still around. You were such an encouragement to my life. You are my second mother. You always will be. I have one of the letters you wrote to me posted on my wall. This letter came along with the blanket you gave to me for high school graduation.  In the letter you said that whenever I used the blanket that I should be reminded of your love wrapped around me. I never thought I would be able to still be able to experience your love, but recently, you proved me otherwise. Words can not experience how thankful I am for your love still being there.


It's been two years since you and Mackie joined God's choir of angels. Two years. The pain and impact of you leaving this world will always be with me. I am thankful that I got to experience your kindness and love for such a large portion of my life. Even though you aren't here now, you are still impacting my life. Thank you for your gifts. Thank you for being my angel and taking care of me.


I miss you. I love you. Continue filling up Heaven with your beautiful voice. I will see you again some day.

Love forever,
K

Lent Challenge: Day 26 - Sunday Songs

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend so far. The Cooper River Bridge Run was this weekend. I wish I could have participated, but it was awesome to have such a great view from my room to watch the participants coming by. There were SOO many people downtown on Saturday, but it was a great experience. Hopefully I can participate in it next year!

This week's edition of Sunday Songs will be on my de-stresser music.

With the end-of-year craziness beginning to pile up with papers, project, exams, speeches, and everything in between, I need music to help relax and get refocused.

The following are a few songs that I enjoy listening to when I am feeling a little stressed:

1. David Crowder Band: Come and Listen

2. Shane & Shane: Yearn

3. Sara Barielles - Kaleidoscope Heart

4. Lifehouse - Broken

5. Tenth Avenue North - Times

Do you have any songs that help you de-stress??

Until next time,
K

Lent Challenge: Day 23 - Too Cute :)

I found this video today. Some of you probably have already seen it, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share it and hopefully brighten your day. I hope you have an amazing Thursday. Love you!