Today I taught Elementary School PE. I had to make up the lesson plan to start the basketball unit. The first and second graders came in ready to play and it was really fun teaching them how to maneuver a ball. I told them to "Hold their balls in their lap" and some of them had a hard time doing that so I told them if they couldn't "Hold their balls" that they would have to put their ball away and watch everyone else. I felt like the strictest teacher but I had to say that in order to get them to listen and stop bouncing all over. We sat down and they lined up on a line so they could learn to control their balls. After throwing the ball in the air three times and bouncing the balls I took them to the wall and they had to bounce their balls off the wall. Some of the kids were quite good at doing so but there were some that couldn't control their balls. We had to practice several times before they could catch their ball. Afterwards I lined them up and we did a dribbling relay. The kids really had a hard time bouncing their balls and walking when they did. I think they can do it with a little practice though. The really amazing part was when I showed them the proper form to shoot a basket. Wow. The kids who followed the directions all were able to shoot their balls into the basket. It was an awesome experience.
The third, fourth, and fifth graders had another lesson plan. I am thankful that I was given time in the morning to develop these plans or I would have been unprepared. I got some cones and basketballs out of the closet and made 8 stations around the room. Each station had a different learning goal. In one station the goal was to shoot baskets, in another students had to dribble the ball in figure 8's around the cones. In other stations students had to pass the ball using different methods. It looked like sheer chaos but all the kids were working to learn new skills. I would cup my hands around my mouth every few minutes and say, "Drop your balls and move to the next station." The kids did a pretty good job for the most part and I had to patiently give direction to students at other times. Yes. I love teaching elementary PE. I think I love the ordered chaos of that learning environment because the kids are having fun.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Opera
Jonathan works for the Utah Opera and Symphony and asked us to stop by his work after we flew into Salt Lake on Friday. Kerry and I made that our first stop. We had the grand tour of the costume shop and place where the sets are built. We met the people in charge and found out that one of the big money makers for the costume shop is renting to other Operas in western Canada and the United States. We were able to see some wonderful creations and meet the artistic director who puts together the shows. After lunch Kerry and I headed over to the Conference Center where my Dad is a missionary. We had the grand tour with Albert, his girls, and Lilo, his new Canadian girlfriend.
That night was the Opera Regina. The Opera is based on the movie "The Little Foxes" with Bette Davis. Before going, we prepared by looking at some clips of the movie. Jonathan told me the story at Christmastime so that I would know a little bit about the Opera. John Miles, Kerry, I, and Kristen enjoyed the show, which was well done. We, along with the audience, felt like booing the bad guys and felt sorry for the good ones. I am looking forward to going again.
That night was the Opera Regina. The Opera is based on the movie "The Little Foxes" with Bette Davis. Before going, we prepared by looking at some clips of the movie. Jonathan told me the story at Christmastime so that I would know a little bit about the Opera. John Miles, Kerry, I, and Kristen enjoyed the show, which was well done. We, along with the audience, felt like booing the bad guys and felt sorry for the good ones. I am looking forward to going again.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Dream
Sometimes I have funny dreams...like last night I dreamt my whole family was flying around in white ankle length robes like angels and then we were sitting on a snow covered roof of a house singing Christmas Carols. We sounded really beautiful, not like our normal hodgepodge of off key voices. I felt it was a very sober occasion when we were singing about Christ and his birth. My heart was full of emotion for the love of our Savior.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day
Today I went to teach at Cascade Middle School and the plan for the day was to watch the Inauguration on tv. One of the amazing things that I noticed was that the schools wanted all the students to watch the inauguration today. In the past they never have. I think that it was a great educational experience for the students and that it really promoted patriotism in the schools. The students had a spirit of reverence in the classroom as the prayers were said at the ceremony and were intent on listening to the music and speeches. However, after the oath of office ceremony the students began chatting and were not as interested. Perhaps it was because we watched it all day long. They were most excited to see their friends and relatives in the band at Evergreen High School in the parade.
The day began for the Obamas at the Episcopal church, a traditional service is held on election day in the morning before the President elect goes to the White House to meet with the current President. January 20th is the day that the Constitution defines as the day that the President takes office and even though Obama became President at noon he didn't take the oath of office until a few minutes after noon. I was very impressed by the speech that was given and the connection with history. There was an emphasis on the civil rights movement with the Lincoln Bible being used and the Rosa Parks bus in the parade. I loved to watch history being made.
The day began for the Obamas at the Episcopal church, a traditional service is held on election day in the morning before the President elect goes to the White House to meet with the current President. January 20th is the day that the Constitution defines as the day that the President takes office and even though Obama became President at noon he didn't take the oath of office until a few minutes after noon. I was very impressed by the speech that was given and the connection with history. There was an emphasis on the civil rights movement with the Lincoln Bible being used and the Rosa Parks bus in the parade. I loved to watch history being made.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Oh, The Places You'll Go...The People You'll See
I have been thinking a lot lately about my missionaries and the life experiences they had. I found so much joy in the letters that they wrote to me and the pictures that they sent home. I love being a missionary Mom. I especially like reading about the experiences that my children had on their missions.
Jonathan went to Germany. Years later he and I went back to experience some of the places that he went. I could see him with his missionary board in the ancient little town of Stade, going to the little branch in Branschweigen and strengthening the members, attending the ward in Hamburg with the wonderful friendly members there, and experiencing the awesome German culture. He would meet people on the street, live in buildings that dated 400 years back, and share his musical abilities with members and nonmembers alike. When we moved from the Hazel Dell Ward the choir sung one of his arrangements that he wrote on his mission. I was in tears because of the gratitude that I had for their tribute to my family.
Cherie and Kent were in the MTC together in the same branch. The Branch President told them that they were not allowed to hug each other so that they other people in the ward would not be offended. Yep. My kids do hug each other. I felt that it was not a coincidence that they were together there. Cherie was studying Spanish to go to Uruguay and Kent was on his way to the Phillipines and learning Tagalog. They both were wonderful missionaries. It was the first time that Kent was away from home and Cherie was an experienced traveler.
Letters from the Phillipines told us of how Kent got off the plane in the Phillipines and had left his scriptures in Hong Kong. The tropical heat and humidity was practically unbearable for him and he was sweating bullets. His white shirt was soaked and he left his suit at the mission home. No need for hot suit jackets there because all the missionaries wore short sleeve shirts and ties with their pants. Maybe someday they will have missionary shorts for the tropics...maybe not because of the bug problem. His first area was in a remote area called Dingalong Bay where he lived in a store front. He experienced the bugs, the lizards, climbing coconut trees for food, bathing in a bucket, baptizing in the local creek, going to church in a mobile home, no phones, no mail service, traveling over an hour to zone conference every month, the monsoon rains, the typhoons, the floods, the insurgents in the hills, crazy companions, the strange culture and food, the swamps, being the only white person around and towering heads over the people, and learning a new language. He also experienced the great power of prayer and learning to love people in poverty. Wow, what an experience.
Cherie had a different experience in every place she went. She had tender moments of learning about the power of fasting and prayer when her love for a part member family brought the father into the church. Later she had the experience of going to the temple with them to see them sealed as a family. She had an outstanding missionary experience but had her trials too. In one place it was the cockroaches, another the slugs, then another place the frogs coming up through the sewer. I must have sent her three umbrellas that either got lost or stolen. The mud was so deep in the streets that one time she lost her shoes. The pictures she sent home showed how much she loved and experienced the culture. Her Spanish improved over time but at first she had her trials. One time she got up to bear her testimony in Fast meeting in Spanish and a Primary child came up to ask her if she had spoken in English. Another time she bore a powerful testimony to a lady that she was teaching and the lady turned to her and said, "I didn't understand a word you said." Cherie learned through experiencing the culture too. She would go to the grocery store and every time a man would follow her around and sing to her. Such is the life!!!
Kristen's experience in Norway was an experience in strengthening the members. She loved meeting with the members and giving service. In Drammen her first area she met, taught, and attended the baptism of Stephan. She still communicates with him and learns about how his powerful testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has grown. Learning the language was also a challenge for Kristen and she came home so quiet that I was wondering what happened. She told me that for the first six months of her mission she did not talk very much because she was did not know the language. By the time she left for college she was back to her old self. Kristen lived above the Arctic Circle and in the cold. She bundled up with scarves, boots, winter coat, and mittens. She watched the kids ski to school and stoked the fire in her apartment to keep warm. Kristen went to Hell Norway for Zone Conference and then back to her town Bodo named aptly "living death" in Norwegian. Her experience with the elderly women in her mission gave her memories that she will never forget. She loved her companions and enjoyed naming her bike.
Jenessa is ready to go to Rome and is looking for the missionary stuff that she will need for her mission. Shoes, dresses, backpacks, and other essentials are on her list. I'm sure that when she finishes with the material things she needs and the spiritual preparation she will become just as wonderful a missionary as her brothers and sisters. She leaves on February 18th.
Jonathan went to Germany. Years later he and I went back to experience some of the places that he went. I could see him with his missionary board in the ancient little town of Stade, going to the little branch in Branschweigen and strengthening the members, attending the ward in Hamburg with the wonderful friendly members there, and experiencing the awesome German culture. He would meet people on the street, live in buildings that dated 400 years back, and share his musical abilities with members and nonmembers alike. When we moved from the Hazel Dell Ward the choir sung one of his arrangements that he wrote on his mission. I was in tears because of the gratitude that I had for their tribute to my family.
Cherie and Kent were in the MTC together in the same branch. The Branch President told them that they were not allowed to hug each other so that they other people in the ward would not be offended. Yep. My kids do hug each other. I felt that it was not a coincidence that they were together there. Cherie was studying Spanish to go to Uruguay and Kent was on his way to the Phillipines and learning Tagalog. They both were wonderful missionaries. It was the first time that Kent was away from home and Cherie was an experienced traveler.
Letters from the Phillipines told us of how Kent got off the plane in the Phillipines and had left his scriptures in Hong Kong. The tropical heat and humidity was practically unbearable for him and he was sweating bullets. His white shirt was soaked and he left his suit at the mission home. No need for hot suit jackets there because all the missionaries wore short sleeve shirts and ties with their pants. Maybe someday they will have missionary shorts for the tropics...maybe not because of the bug problem. His first area was in a remote area called Dingalong Bay where he lived in a store front. He experienced the bugs, the lizards, climbing coconut trees for food, bathing in a bucket, baptizing in the local creek, going to church in a mobile home, no phones, no mail service, traveling over an hour to zone conference every month, the monsoon rains, the typhoons, the floods, the insurgents in the hills, crazy companions, the strange culture and food, the swamps, being the only white person around and towering heads over the people, and learning a new language. He also experienced the great power of prayer and learning to love people in poverty. Wow, what an experience.
Cherie had a different experience in every place she went. She had tender moments of learning about the power of fasting and prayer when her love for a part member family brought the father into the church. Later she had the experience of going to the temple with them to see them sealed as a family. She had an outstanding missionary experience but had her trials too. In one place it was the cockroaches, another the slugs, then another place the frogs coming up through the sewer. I must have sent her three umbrellas that either got lost or stolen. The mud was so deep in the streets that one time she lost her shoes. The pictures she sent home showed how much she loved and experienced the culture. Her Spanish improved over time but at first she had her trials. One time she got up to bear her testimony in Fast meeting in Spanish and a Primary child came up to ask her if she had spoken in English. Another time she bore a powerful testimony to a lady that she was teaching and the lady turned to her and said, "I didn't understand a word you said." Cherie learned through experiencing the culture too. She would go to the grocery store and every time a man would follow her around and sing to her. Such is the life!!!
Kristen's experience in Norway was an experience in strengthening the members. She loved meeting with the members and giving service. In Drammen her first area she met, taught, and attended the baptism of Stephan. She still communicates with him and learns about how his powerful testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has grown. Learning the language was also a challenge for Kristen and she came home so quiet that I was wondering what happened. She told me that for the first six months of her mission she did not talk very much because she was did not know the language. By the time she left for college she was back to her old self. Kristen lived above the Arctic Circle and in the cold. She bundled up with scarves, boots, winter coat, and mittens. She watched the kids ski to school and stoked the fire in her apartment to keep warm. Kristen went to Hell Norway for Zone Conference and then back to her town Bodo named aptly "living death" in Norwegian. Her experience with the elderly women in her mission gave her memories that she will never forget. She loved her companions and enjoyed naming her bike.
Jenessa is ready to go to Rome and is looking for the missionary stuff that she will need for her mission. Shoes, dresses, backpacks, and other essentials are on her list. I'm sure that when she finishes with the material things she needs and the spiritual preparation she will become just as wonderful a missionary as her brothers and sisters. She leaves on February 18th.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Lily
I was so excited to see Lily and Cherie on Friday and had anticipated this meeting for weeks. I knew that Lily probably wouldn't remember her visit but Cherie and I would. I wondered how she would react to the new situation of being away from her Dad and go on a new adventure and I was soon enlightened. Kerry grabbed her first from Cherie and she was delighted to be in the care of a man. Lily loves men and so it was great to see that relationship grow. She also loves her Mom and gives her loves and hugs.
It is really cute to see her little smile as she chases after the "at" as she calls Romeo and Sophie. They are running as fast as they can the other way. Lily even crawled all the way up the stairs to catch Romeo at the top but he quickly took off when he saw her coming. The cats have figured out that Lily can't crawl under the bed (her head gets stuck at the rail) and so they disappear under our bed. She calls to them in her high pitched little voice, "itty at" but they disappear fast. Funny, she is afraid to touch the cats on her own so they both live within this little boundary.
Being a grandma is highly recommended because the Mom is in charge of the baby and Grandma's can spoil the grandchildren and give them back. For example today I gave Lily a cookie. She was thoroughly enjoying it, chocolate chips and oatmeal dripping down her front. What a mess! Then Cherie came along and cleaned her up. Nice. Grandma's can also give the baby to Mom to clean up messy diapers and then get them back all refreshed. Hmm. I think I love being a grandma.
It is really cute to see her little smile as she chases after the "at" as she calls Romeo and Sophie. They are running as fast as they can the other way. Lily even crawled all the way up the stairs to catch Romeo at the top but he quickly took off when he saw her coming. The cats have figured out that Lily can't crawl under the bed (her head gets stuck at the rail) and so they disappear under our bed. She calls to them in her high pitched little voice, "itty at" but they disappear fast. Funny, she is afraid to touch the cats on her own so they both live within this little boundary.
Being a grandma is highly recommended because the Mom is in charge of the baby and Grandma's can spoil the grandchildren and give them back. For example today I gave Lily a cookie. She was thoroughly enjoying it, chocolate chips and oatmeal dripping down her front. What a mess! Then Cherie came along and cleaned her up. Nice. Grandma's can also give the baby to Mom to clean up messy diapers and then get them back all refreshed. Hmm. I think I love being a grandma.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Chronicles of a Substitute Teacher
I love working with kids. In fact I thoroughly enjoy my job. For example today I taught choral music and the students were preparing for a concert next week. I played the piano while they sang their Christmas songs. (The Christmas concert was cancelled due to the snowy weather last month so they are doing it in January). It was really refreshing to keep Christmas going. I really loved the way they were singing and working so hard. The students wanted to go through their music and had not sang for two weeks so they were a little rusty, but in the end they sounded really great. I wore my BYU lanyard and got a few comments on it by students who love BYU. Go Cougs!!! During lunch a few kids came in to play the piano and I taught them something new.
Yesterday, I taught AP English. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the AP kids. However, it was movie day in which they were watching an old black and white movie. The movie was good and it was about a book that they were reading so it was relevant to the class. It was a really great day because I had wonderful kids to work with. Tomorrow I will be teaching PE. Fun and Games!!!
Yesterday, I taught AP English. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the AP kids. However, it was movie day in which they were watching an old black and white movie. The movie was good and it was about a book that they were reading so it was relevant to the class. It was a really great day because I had wonderful kids to work with. Tomorrow I will be teaching PE. Fun and Games!!!
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