God's Beauty

It's springtime in Oklahoma which means rain and lots of it. I don't like complaining about the rain because I feel like it is a double-edged sword--complain and it goes away then you need it. I try to take it in stride. The rain brings so much beauty to our land. Everything is green. The wheat loves it. The farmers love it, until they don't anymore! 

Reasons I wish it would take a break is so that we could play a softball game or two, oh heck, why not our whole season! It makes me sleepy and unmotivated. I need sunshine to get me moving. It makes me happy, just like softball. Softball makes me happy, too!  

Things that make my heart swell with the rain. It causes us to slow down. Games cancelled. Ground is too wet for anything else. We get to spend time just relaxing and enjoying the beauty in God's creation--from the land to our children.  We get to take walks or rides together. We get to hear our kids laugh and get mad at the mud slinging. We get to just enjoy the beautiful land and weather. 

Springtime in Oklahoma also means wheat harvest is coming. The wheat is turning. It's beautiful! The golden plains. It is one of my favorite times of the year. Farming is tumultuous. Late freezes threatened the crop again this year. Then on to storm season with the potential for your wheat to be damaged due to hail. I am sure there are many other things throughout the grow season that pose issues that I am not aware of, but I am certainly glad that I get to live in this state and enjoy the beautiful scenery daily on my drives. 

New Adventures

 Recently, I accepted a position with a summer tutoring program through a university in a nearby town to teach upper level Mathematics or 5-weeks this summer. I am excited to spread my wings and give something new a try. I have always enjoyed Math. As a student, Math was definitely my strong suit although I went to the Interscholastics meet in English one year, which was a total shock for me, but I do also enjoy reading and writing. 

I will be teaching three different classes, Algebra I/Geometry, Algebra II, and advanced Math (my choice on subject). I am a bit nervous just because I am unfamiliar with the content, but I am very confident in my ability to plan and (re)learn what I am about to teach. I am excited for this opportunity. 

Two of the three classes are very small with one class only having three students and the other just twelve. The advanced Math is the biggest class with twenty-one. This excites me because it is very similar to our class sizes in my current full-time teaching position. I think the smaller classes will keep my nerves down and allow me to teach more to my current style with these kiddos. 

I am currently working on a developing a syllabus, which makes me feel like I am a college professor! It's interesting but fun because I enjoy creating new documents and making things my own.

Who knows what doors this opportunity may open for me, but I am eager to take it on and get started. Check back later for updates to see if I'm doing okay! 

#secondarymath #hereicome #spreadthosewings            👀😁

End-of-the-Year Art

 About 5 years ago, I started an art project at the end-of-the-year with my class. It ties into our cultural studies of Mexico and South America. I have done it each year since, with the exception of last year (#thankscovid).

I have students who do phenomenal jobs while others do not even get one row of yarn put on (#itiswhatitis). My first year doing this I had a class of about 12. Two finished! But they are always the two I show off to my classes when I explain what we are doing. These two have always been my favorites! My class two years ago, however, runs a close raise to them. I had a group of girls who enjoyed this project so much that they completed more than one. Some of them doing 3! They did so good. 

First off, I only give a half sheet of poster board. Why? Because I am supplying it and the yarn. The bigger the picture the more yarn! (#broketeacherprobs)

Second, I have the students choose a picture they want to do. I let them do anything they want, school appropriate of course. The only guidance I give is if I feel the picture they choose will be way too difficult. I google coloring sheets for whatever they want to do.  

Once they have chosen their picture, I project it onto a board so they can trace it onto their poster board. I want the picture to be perfect! 

After they trace, they are ready to start working with yard. The key with the yarn is that it needs to be really tightly placed together row after row. For as long as possible, the yarn should be used in one long strand, not cut strand by strand and placed on the picture. There should not be any white showing when they are finished. They are not professionals, so there will be a little white, but there should not be big gaps in the yarn rows. Mr. Charlie Brown is one of my faves, but you can see some flaws. The student who did this one had way to much glue in some spaces, so it was hard to get the yarn in place, resulting in the bubbly areas. 

It is complicated trying to work with the yarn and Elmer's glue, but it takes patience. 

Charlie Brown and this warrior head are two pieces from the first class who did this project! They are still two of my favorites! 

Two years ago, I had a class that finished several. I had a few girls that fell in love and did two or three of these! They did a great job! 

This year, I had a group that really enjoyed it. Some of them managed to successfully finish FIVE pieces of art, and they did an amazing job on each one!!!