Year 1.

Year 1. 

It is finished. 

I found a few pictures on my phone from throughout the year. Confidentiality is key so there aren't any pictures of my kids, but there are still a few other gems I can share. 

 

     This comes from a book I read as I prepared my classroom, Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. I identified with Miss Bindergarten. We were in it together. We were allies. She made me believe. It's cute how I thought it was possible to be ready. Just remember this naiveté and how adorable I was last August.

     Here is a picture of math test. I was more concerned with this student learning how to touch and count each apple, but part of the unit also focused on greater than/more, less than/less, and equal. After convincing my kids to count the apples, I had to go back and convince them to compare the amounts. The top one had more. The middle one had more. And the bottom tree had chicken. 

     Welcome to my world. One step forward, two steps into an alternate universe. 

     In the fall I did a lot of comparing prices of school supplies in real-life and mail-away life. I rarely ordered anything, but the browsing made an impact. My Amazon recommendations suddenly became a much more accurate depiction of me. 50% of my books are about spiritual formation, 50% of my books are about bodily functions. 

     I turned it sideways so our math activity would be slightly less offensive. Sorry, guys. If you teach people with tiny fingers that don't maneuver so well, I highly recommend letting them make hands to introduce addition. It was a hit. I also highly recommend learning how to snicker discreetly so your kids don't realize that you can't handle them all putting the middle finger up for 1. In my experience, if they discover your weakness, they pounce. 

     We may or may not have appalled our co-workers from time to time with our class motto of Tough Love. I want the world for my kids. But I also want to teach the learned helplessness out of them. I think it's important for all kids, but especially my kids with disabilities. This spoke to me deeply. 

     Now this, this is from Miss Bindergarten's Wild Day in Kindergarten. I had 172 of those days. Expectation did not equal reality. Miss Bindergarten should have led with this one. Also, during the last week of school, all three of these things happened in my classroom. We know how to party in Room 153. 

     The last day of school marked one year since I left Tanzania. In Tanzania orange Fanta haunted me, always being given to me as a special treat by some well-intention soul. Fanta to me meant stretching myself beyond my boundaries... probably well beyond comfort. As someone who hadn't had Cokes for years prior to TZ, I remember more than one time getting sick from the stuff.

     In May I was gifted a Fanta at work. I saved it to celebrate my last day of Year 1 and one year of missing Geita. The past year I was stretched well beyond what I had in me. Celebrating with a room temperature Fanta was only fitting.

     While I discovered this during the school year, this one is just for free because I still can't believe this was approved by real humans (and because I was already uploading pictures). As one who for years didn't realize people could be Christians AND intelligent, I struggle with the wording of this one. I mean, I wouldn't brag about it. Bless their hearts.