Summertime

Well, it finally feels like summer, even though the kickoff was extremely anti-climactic in comparison this year.

Having been teaching from home since the middle of March, and feeling things wind down much quicker than normal, gliding into summer was just that: gliding.

So, officially for me, summer began the week of June 8th, but it's taken until about this past week (June 22-26th) to really feel that summer has kicked in.

This summer is the first one in several years that I haven't taken graduate classes, and with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging, I don't have a summer job this year either. So, after two weeks of no school work, no grad work, and no part-time work, I finally feel the "freedom" and openness of summer settling into my core. It is as if I hit the doldrums of the Phantom Tollbooth.

I realize in my time of stillness that I need to wake up each day with a purpose. Without one, I spend the day away, squandering opportunities for personal growth and accomplishment. I lay on the couch and waste the day, grumbling when the dogs ask to go out and counting down the moments until I have to make dinner and clean up the kitchen.

And that needs to change. I learned the hard lesson over the past few days/weeks that if I don't plan for the day and work toward completing that plan, I feel exhausted, lazy, and restless. So I'm crafting a list of goals that I can work toward daily, with hopes of by the end of the summer, I will be able to look back and see that, not only have I completed something, but I lived each day with purpose.

And that is the real challenge.

So here we go - no waiting until tomorrow; no waiting for the "right moment;" each second counts; every day matters; I want to make the most of each day.

Here's my creation for the day. A Summertime poem:

Summertime is 

sunshine and raindrops

sneak-attack puppy kisses

the smell of fresh basil and spearmint

clinging to my fingers.

It's squeaky toys 

and back-yard barks.

It's hazy days

and lazy afternoons

full of daydreams

and imagination creations.

It's playing for wins

and reading as many books as I can.

It's no schedule somedays

and crazy errand other days.

It's family game nights 

and backyard bbqs;

it's staying up way too late

and roasting marshmallows 

until they're gooey.

It's play dates with the little nuggie

and watching her grow.

It's rocking jean shorts

and saltwater curls,

flip flops

and flowy tank tops.

It's bright colors

and radiant sunshine

and hope as far 

as the eye can see.

It's days that never seem to end

and nights that last just as long.

It's the one moment 

when the world stands still

 and breathes in deep

just to smell the sunshine.

Challenge: accepted?

I've been fortunate enough to attend and present at several secondary technology conferences.

This year, I also presented, but then had the opportunity to sit in several sessions and learn from my colleagues.

I using blogging as a way to practice writing in my classroom, so I attended a session about blogging.  From the beginning of the session, I was challenged to blog - not just once in a while, but every.day.

I hummmmmed for a little bit and then thought that maybe I start with one.
I start with today.

So, I am blogging for today.

I don't know if it will continue every day, but today, I can check the box.




I'm always inspired at these conferences - always.
The problem comes when I walk away afterward and I think - "okay, how can I implement this into my classroom while also continuing to teach the curriculum?"
And despite my good intentions, I always end up hitting roadblocks and the passion and inspiration fizzle out.

So how do we do this? How do we incorporate all of these really cool technology resources that engage students, but take time to learn and implement them into my classroom, while also teaching them how to be good people (show empathy, etc)?

How does it work in this age of testing and scores and achievement and time is money, blah blah blah? How?

I don't know.


But I'm willing to find out.
Each day is a new opportunity. It starts today.

5 Days?!

So here I am - just 5 super short days before I will have students in my room for year 5 at Palmyra Area Middle School ...

... and I am FREAKING out.

Today is Wednesday (although my days are all sorts of crazy messed up right now), and I spent 10+ (voluntary) hours in my classroom both Monday and Tuesday with several items still living on my to do list. Today I spent the day in meetings and working on documents for the first day of school - completely ignoring my classroom. I anticipate tomorrow will be similar to today - leaving few precious minutes for work time in my room.

Please don't get me wrong - I LOVE this time of year - new school years bring new beginnings and new students with new personalities and interests. 

I remember when I was younger someone telling me that if I thought life was flying by then, just wait a few years and it would be even faster. Whelp, whoever that was certainly had their facts straight because I cannot tell you another summer that flew by as quickly as this one did. I am amazed to know that in five (yes, count them, FIVE) days I will be welcoming brand new classes of 7th graders into my language arts classroom.

The feeling is wonderful and nauseating all at the same time. I don't know if I want to laugh or puke, but either way, here we go.

Life has a funny way of giving you a gushing waterfall or a mirage in the desert - never just a steady babbling stream in the forest. The end of the summer has been a whirlwind of emotions with new friends, new adventures, new responsibilities and new classrooms - all crammed into the last 2 weeks before school starts. It is an interesting case to be sure. 

I am sure that looking back many years from now, I will have had several more weeks even crazier than these past few, but right now, in the moment, I can't imagine life getting any fuller or busier than it is right at this moment. 

As I sit here and write, with my comforting Star Wars blu-ray playing in the background (complete with the gorgeous Han Solo alive and well in his younger years), I finally find myself breathing normally and taking a second for myself. These past 3 days have felt like both an eternity as well as just a few fleeting moments, but all the same, they are here and gone and never coming back.

So here is to making the most of these last 5 days - getting the rest of my classroom organized and prepared for its coming inhabitants, spending time with my dear precious family, and adventuring with new friends - these days will never be here again, and as someone just recently told me, it's best to make the most out of life. Grab life by the horns and do all you can to hang on for the ride. 

Summer's eve and new beginnings

For years, I have spent the eve of summer in one place that is extremely special to my heart. It took me all 27 years to realize this tradition; as I lay here resting on this last day in my retreat - it finally dawned on me.

Most years, this last little trip before preparing for school coincided with the family reunion - a gathering of my grandmother's extended family to celebrate and reminisce together. Recently, attending the reunion has been hit or miss with busy schedules and changing dates, but I seem to always find a moment to escape here for a bit before the craziness of back to school begins.

My grandparents' have lived in the same house for my entire life - settled on who knows how many acres of land that makes up the church property. Wildlife unseen beyond mountain trails or bird books find its way to the back yard for spectacular shows of color and sound. Fruit trees on green grass and a perimeter of brush make up the landscape as we sit and swing on the back porch.

As the swing creaks back and forth, I hear the minutes of summer clicking down in their rhythmic daze. While the morning and afternoon of summer seem to lazily stroll by, the evening pace quickens - if only slightly at first. Each minute becomes slightly shorter, each day concludes fractionally quicker and the sun starts setting.

Despite the desire to relax and enjoy the last days, I feel my heart begin to quicken with the minute hand - my knee bouncing to the shortened rhythm of the day. While I relax, thoughts of schedules and lists begin creeping into my conscious thought, but the landscape provides a happy melding.

It's never really back to school until I've spent, even just one day out here, relaxing, taking in the sights of my childhood, adolescence, and now adulthood. It's the one location in my life that has remained standard. Moving houses, schools, changing churches, friends, whatever the difference may be, this place has always been my summer get away home. It has granted me the opportunity to transition in peace - not forcefully or all at once, but slowly, like the summer breeze.

Now as I lay here reflecting on all of the past summers' eves I have spent enjoying these last few lazy days, I look joyfully ahead to the new school year. Most people think years run January to December, but any teacher will tell you that they really run August to July. So, with the flip of the calendar, a new year is just beginning. Who knows what marvelous adventures await with this new beginning.

Day 4 - a little different

Instead of returning to our construction projects, today we vistited a local public school.

We spent time with each grade from 8:30am until after 4pm. Some of the time we spent playing with the kids during their recess time. The majority of the time was spent during a special program time. We had about forty minutes with each group of students - all of which were mixed age groups. With the younger students we spent time playing soccer, jump rope, bubbles, and face painting. With the older students we practiced English and Spanish in small groups. Then with both age groups we have a very short Bible lesson. We then finished our time by giving them a few pieces of candy.

We all seemed to have a great time playing with the kids today. Because I'm tired I know I'm not going to do justice to the experience but perhaps I'll write more about it later.

One event that I do want to highlight was getting to go into the classrooms of the school. As someone who has always been fascinated with education in different countries, it was great being able to walk in and see what not just the school building but also the classrooms look like. I loved our stroll through the open air hallways and our brief moments inside the classes. It was an experience I'll not soon forget.

This evening we ended our day sharing stories of our closest moments with God. It was a moving time getting to hear all that God has done in each of our lives. We grew together as a group tonight with an awesome thunderstorm storm as a soundtrack.

Day 3 - and God said "Let it Rain"

Today was a unique day with lots of wonderful experiences. 

We started the day back at the Pastor's house continuing our contruction. Five of us worked on the septic tank cisterns. After digging the five by five by five hole yesterday and putting the concrete  cisterns in place, today we had to dig out the dirt from the inside, fill in the dirt on the outside and mix cement for the bottom. It took a lot of effort but we got it done! One of our team members even hung upside down in the cisterns to smooth the cement! 

While that was going on the rest of the team began working on a sidewalk project for the church. After we finished with the cisterns we headed over to help them out as well. I got to be part of the concrete laying team. Three of us were in charge of smoothing out the concrete when it was poured. We only got about a third of the way down the path before lunch. 

During lunch the sprinkling rain turned into a complete downpour. We stretched out our meal as long as we could to see if the rain would taper off but it didn't. We ended up calling the day early. 

While we waited for the bus to come back and pick us up a few of us started kicking the soccer ball around. Now I don't typically like to play soccer but I think this was the most fun I had kicking a ball around in a long time. I laughed as my teammates kicked, tapped, and chased after the ball all while raindrops pelted my head. 

The rain was refreshing - to my body, to my soul, to my spirit. I love summer rain storms and that's exactly what we got today. During lunch I was looking for a reason to go out into the rain and was thrilled when I finally got the chance. At one point I just stopped in the middle of the field, stretched out my arms and turned my head up to the sky and just took it all in. The rain was like peace washing over me. I came back to the hotel feeling refreshed. 

After showers, a few of the girls and I spent some time just chatting. Andrea and I have known each other for years but I've only known Allyson and Angelica since I started working at 3J's two summers ago. It was wonderful to sit and talk to these girls - to get to know them and to laugh with them. We spent probably two hours just resting and chatting. My heart was full. 

Then I got my machete. 

I wanted an authentic machete to take back to the states so I bought one at the hardware store. t the hotel there are mango trees and we went on an adventure to get some mangos - with the machete in hand. I am happy to report that we got three mangos (which weren't ripe), all of our fingers and toes are still intact, and we had a great many laughs while doing it. 

We ended our day with a meeting to prepare for tomorrow's venture into a school. I'm looking forward to seeing this part of the Costa Rican culture. 

Day 2 - Hard Work and a Lesson

So day two brought along lots of sunshine ... and lots of bugs.
After breakfast we began working on a construction project for the Pastor's house. We dug out a two by twelve-ish feet trough to about two feet deep and then another hole that was five feet by five feet and probably about five feet dep as well. Additionally we mixed up concrete to stabilize some poles for the roof.
I have never seen a group of people work as hard as we did today. Everyone was sweating and working their tails off in the heat and the humidity.

And everyone had smiles on their faces.

I had the opportunity to practice more of my Spanish and to learn more words and remember others. I've really enjoyed refreshing my Spanish. It's been awesome to be able to talk to the pastor's wife. Between her broken English and my broken Spanish we manage to communicate. And it's all without the use of google translate!

We had the chance to walk into town this evening for dinner. I always enjoy getting to see the local community. It was fun walking around and seeing all of the signs for stores and advertisements.
As always the food today was incredible. I seriously want the recipe for the rice and beans we eat each morning.

At our team meeting this evening, Daniel asked us how we've seen God yesterday or today. He reminded us of the story of Moses and God after the Ten Commandments. God told the Israelites that he would send angels with them to the promise land but that he wouldn't go with them. Moses replied to God that if his presence wasn't with them then he didn't want to go.
This story reminded me of a song I sang at a YWAM worship service. The chorus basically reiterates that thought. "If your presence goes I don't want to stay. If your presence stays I don't want to go."
Daniel encouraged us to look for God during this trip - each day. He will show up!

Day One - Ministry and Laughter

So today was our first day of ministry in Cariari. We headed to the church to meet with the pastor and have breakfast with his family. Before the service began we had a meeting with Daniel, our translator/guide extraordinaire. He gave us some rules for our time in Costa Rica.

Number 1 rule of the trip? Don't die.

He went on to explain how to maintain rule number one and gave us a few more guidelines for our time in Costa Rica. As one of our team members, Shane, said, if Daniel ever desides to  stop being a missionary he could probably have a pretty successful career in stand up comedy.

Needless to say, we laughed today. A lot. It was so fun to just enjoy being with people who all have one goal in mind. We made new friends and practiced our Spanish.

-After some rest time this afternoon, we headed hack to the pastor's house and got ready for our first night of ministry. Splitting into two groups, we headed down the road to invite people to the church to watch God's Not Dead. With the help of one of our translators, Pablo, I was able to practice my Spanish and invite people to the church. I have to chuckle because I had the whole invitation down pat and would rattle it off and then the person would say something in response and I'd have no idea what they said. Thankfully Pablo helped me out with that.

I learned a new word today: palomitas. It means popcorn in Spanish. We had palomitas for the movie this evening.

A day of traveling and answered prayers

Today has been a whirlwind of a day. It began at 3:45am with a blaring alarm and an instant panic attack. Through prayer after prayer and some encouraging words from Andrea, I made it down to the shuttle and we headed to the airport.

Upon arrival, our group was waiting for us, having arrived early from Hershey. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe, but I was feeling much better. We got checked in and headed for security. It has been about 4 years since I had traveled via airplane, but the airport regulations quickly came back to me as we stood in the TSA line.

We got to our gate with about a half an hour until boarding. Having never flown Jet Blue before, I was unaware that we didn’t get our assigned seats until we got to the gate, and there was a very high chance we would all be scattered throughout the cabin. Our leaders took care of getting those for us and I was so very happy to see that Andrea was right across the aisle from me for our first flight to Fort Lauderdale. Once we got on the plane, to my pleasant surprise, we were also sitting with other members of our group. God couldn’t have planned it better. 

I took some Dramamine before take off, closed my eyes and prayed until I fell asleep. After a successful landing, we traipsed a few gates down for our next flight which was set to board shortly. I had been concerned that we would be rushing to our next flight since the layover was less than an hour, but we arrived at a gate in the same terminal, so there was no rushing needed!

The assigned seat situation was the same with this flight – we didn’t get them until we were at the gate. Andrea was sitting in the row in front of me this time, and I was with two other members of our group, completely putting me at ease for the flight. I slept most of the way to Costa Rica.

Upon arrival, everything went smooth through customs – we made it just in time before a large group of people entered the line. We waited for our last team member who was coming in from Kentucky, and then we met up with our contact outside of the airport.

Once our luggage was loaded onto the bus, he informed us that the road to Cariari (where we were headed for the week), was closed due to a mudslide. It was scheduled to reopen in the afternoon, but we couldn’t be sure. So, our plans changed a little bit and we headed to dinner. 

The restaurant we went to is one I have heard my team members rave about. It didn’t disappoint. I was able to eat a bit of rice and chicken – the first food I’d eaten since 6:30pm yesterday. We then headed to Wal-Mart (yes, they are very similar to the ones in the US) to pick up a few things and then headed down the road for the 3 hour journey to Cariari. If the road was still closed, that three hour journey would turn into a 7 or 8 hour journey. So, closing my eyes and praying while I was conscious, we headed down the road.

We came to the tunnel that was right before the closed section of road, and I just happened to be conscious for it – the road was open! I cannot tell you how relieved I was that we were able to continue our journey and not extend it too much longer.

We’ve now arrived at our hotel for the week and I’m just reflecting on all of the wonderful things God did for me/us today:

-       Made our flights with ease – no rushing around, no hiccups

-       Arranged our seating with favor

-       I made it through all the travel without having to take my anxiety medicine!

-       The road was open for us to travel the more direct route to Cariari

-       I didn’t get sick at all today, and after this morning, my anxiety was manageable all day

-       We made it safely to our hotel with plenty of time to settle in and rest up for tomorrow

God is so very good, and he listens to the prayers of his people!​

Anticipation and fading into the background

I created a to-do list this morning, and despite it being a mile long, I still feel the compelling urge to take a few moments out of the chaos to write a little.

Friday evening I head to Baltimore to board a plane Saturday morning to head to Costa Rica.

I've been planning for this trip since last summer and while I am extremely excited, I find myself experiencing a vast array of conflicting emotions.

Wednesday ends the 2016-2017 school year and with all of the excitement from the past few weeks and the few weeks forthcoming, I am finding this conclusion simply fading into the background. While I am ready for the "break" from work, I find that the end is not as full of anticipation as previous years. Tomorrow is just a Wednesday. I will see my students in the morning, send them off home before lunch and then wave to them in the hallways next year as eight graders.

And then Friday I leave.

Despite not experiencing a conscious feeling of anxiety, I can tell that my body is reacting to the stress and unknown of it all. My brain spins in constant motion as I work to complete my grad work before I leave as well as compile all of the supplies I could possibly need for a week in a foreign country. As I work I constantly have to remind myself that I have no more weekends in which to catch up before I head off on my venture. Balancing my time between school, grad work, my apartment (which is desperate need of a cleaning before I leave), and my hometown, I find the hours dwindling to minutes.

I'm spending a lot of time thinking about what needs to be done because I can't muster the energy to begin. So, with a firm deadline in sight and only a day and a half more with my students, it's time to embrace each minute - sucking as much life from the seconds ticking by as I can.
This week is short, but I am absolutely sure that next week will feel infinitely shorter and infinitely longer than the ones before it.

2 Friends, a New Country

Over the past two summers, I have had the opportunity to work at a local coffee shop called 3J's.
Being family run, the atmosphere is amazingly positive and the mangers/owners are fantastic. Every two years, the two owners take a trip to Costa Rica to work with a church plant that has been established. This year, they invited their employees to go on the 2017 summer trip.

Working with CiM (Churches in Missions), this trip aims to help and support, not only the church plant, but the local community of Cariari, Costa Rica as well. As a team, we may be completing construction projects, children's ministry, pastoral conferences, or other miscellaneous outreaches, but all will be acted out through the love of Jesus Christ.

In talking to my friends and family about this trip, my best friend (and soon to be sister-in-law) Andrea, expressed interest in going along as well. We haven't been on a missions trip together since 2002. In fact, I went on my very first missions trip with her in 2001. We are both very excited to be traveling together to share the love of Christ once again.

So why am I telling you this? Well, our team is in need of partners - partners in prayer and partners in finances. While yes, I am saving money and conducting fundraisers to aide in my funds for this trip, reaching out to others is a way to get more people involved.

If you are reading this I would ask you to consider partnering with us - either through prayer or finances (or both!). We need prayer partners to lift us up as we prepare and as we go next summer. By joining us in prayer, part of you goes with us as we minister to the people in Costa Rica. Even though you do not travel with us physically, you do travel with us spiritually. Your prayers go forth and prepare the way. Will you pray for us?

We are also looking for financial partners. Andrea and I have joined together to fund-raise. We are making crafts to sell, saving our pennies, and reaching out to our friends and family. We have created a GoFundMe account to help us collect funds. This site shares a bit about our story and our upcoming trip. To access the site, click here. Or you can copy and paste the follow address into your web browser: gofund.me/JandA2CR
*** If you are interested in giving a tax-deductible gift, email me at jgdancer89@comcast.net for information on how to do that.

We cannot do this alone. I mean literally we can't. There is so much going on behind the scenes that we don't even know about - the planning of flights, the organization of itineraries, the prayers of people who don't even know what they are praying for, but just know that something is coming. Will you be a part of our team by praying or giving?

Our deadlines are coming up fast. Our airfare is due in December with the rest of the funds due in February and April. We are believing together, not only for funds to come in, but for prayers to be answered and lives to be changed. As you pray and give to us, we want to pray and give to you as well! Please let us know of any prayer requests you have so we can join with you in prayer! We also want to give you updates periodically on our progress and on our outreach once the trip comes around. Look for information here and on the following social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (2 of them).

Shifting Focus

I first heard about Loveology at church. I'm not exactly sure what the circumstances were, or who else was around, but I remember begin very intrigued by the description my friend provided. I asked her if I could read it when she was finished and then shortly after, she put it in my hand with a "just get it back to me when you're done."


It took me a while to begin, but I remember being intrigued by the first few pages. Little did I know, this book would completely refocus my thoughts on love, marriage, relationships and sex.

In past months, I'd come to realize that my view on marriage, sex and relationships had been so skewed by pop culture and the media. I even found myself on certain occasions rooting for various situations on TV shows that I never would image condoning in my own life. I would catch myself and think why am I rooting in favor of this? I would listen to a song - I mean really listen to the lyrics and think, why am I putting this in my brain?

I began reading Loveology and found my perspective being turned back to where it all began - to who began it all: God. 

John Mark Comer presents 5 parts to help the reader better understand the origins of male-female relationships: Love, Marriage, Sex, Romance, and Male and female. Each chapter orients the reader in scripture and then dives into the difference between what our culture views as appropriate and "normal" and how God originally intended for it to be.

I found myself, not only shifting my focus, but also feeling better prepared for if/when God brings the right man into my life. I found that I have been viewing marriage through a set of fairy-tale glasses, and while I will probably never gain an accurate view of marriage until I'm in one, I think the rose-colored glasses have faded a few tints.

Comer goes on to talk about the calling of marriage and the calling of singleness and how we can be called to one or the other at different times throughout our lives. So often, I have been simply waiting until the right man comes along so that I can really start my life once we're together. This is such a blinded perspective! Right now, I am called to be single - so I am going to take advantage of all that comes with that calling. I have opportunities now that I may not have again once I am married and have children. Being single isn't a bad thing, or a disappointing thing - it is a gift and a calling that I have on my life right now. I am hopeful it will change (sooner rather than later), but if it doesn't, there is still so much I can do for the kingdom of God - which is why I'm here on earth to begin with.

There are so many little nuggets of awesomeness crammed into this book. I would be reading and come to think of 5 different people who would benefit from a particular passage. Usually, I am not a fan of books that aren't novels, BUT this one was worth the time to really dig deep. It fostered thoughts, conversations, and most importantly, it fostered my relationship with God. I found myself praying new prayers and new ways to the Lord as I was reading. While this book may not be for everyone, it certainly came at the right time for me.

Amazon: Loveology

Today I failed

It's day 7 of my 21-day fix 

and I failed today. 

I set my alarm nice and early so that I could get up and do my workout before church. From the moment it went off I grumbled. I decided to hit snooze one too many times and them contemplated not getting up at all. 

But I did get up. And I grumbled my way to my living room. And I grumbled my way through clearing a space for my workout because I forgot to do it the night before. And I grumbled my way through switching to the DVD player and switching the disc and reading through the warnings and blah blah blah. 

When the workout finally came on I was in no mindset to actually work. I set myself up for failure from the moment I decided that my laziness was more important. 

I went through the motions of the warm up - trying to cheat here and there, and then it was time for round one. 

I did my best through the first set - but it was hard. 

The second set came along and I tried, but then I felt like I was going to puke. 

Instead of pushing my way through it, I gave up. Immediately I turned the DVD off and went to lay down, grabbing a trash can in the process just in case. 

2 minutes later I was fine, but I had already given up so I stayed where I was. 

I failed. 

I failed because I forgot why I am doing this. 

I'm not doing this program to look good or feel better, although those are great side effects to it. 

I'm doing this program because I want to honor God with my body. 

I want to be able to do whatever he calls me to do and not have to worry about if my body can handle it. 

I don't want my body - or myself - to get in the way of what God is calling me to do with my life. 

THAT is why I'm doing this. 

And this morning I lost sight of that. 

Throughout this week, I've been reminded of the verses that talk about doing everything as if unto the Lord. 

That includes my day to day work; 

that includes my job; 

and yes, 

that includes my workouts. 

I did not work as if unto the Lord today, and that is why I failed.

But. The good news is that even though I failed, the day is not lost - the war hasn't been won. Every moment is a choice. I am choosing NOT to be defeated but rather to persevere onward to what God is calling me to do. 

Be encouraged. Even if you fail - it is not the end!

Coney Island Shenanigans

So, as part of my #beINTENTIONAL year, I want to begin taking steps out into new waters.
This last week, my adventures took me to Coney Island with some amazing friends/coworkers! :)

For the past couple of years, I have been struggling with anxiety. I saw a therapist and have meds as needed in case it gets out of control. I believe that most of it stems from some health issues I have had in the past, but I have been doing phenomenally better in recent months.

This summer, I have been spending awesome time with great people. This group decided to road trip to Coney Island this past Monday. In the past, trips over 30 minutes made me extremely nervous - especially trips that lasted for several hours. As the date approached, I felt my anxiety rising in a way it hadn't in months. Thankfully, I shared this with my friends, and they were gracious enough to help me through it. With just a minor hiccup on the way there, the day went swimmingly!

Upon arrival to Coney Island, the first stop had to be Nathan's Hot Dogs for a famous bite to eat. I was unimpressed, but to each his own. :)
We ventured around some stores - finding some interesting candy along the way - and continued down the boardwalk. I was pleased to find that yes, there are numerously different types of Pokemon in different geographical areas. :)

We then headed to the Ferris Wheel. Now, as I said - anxiety = awful and this Ferris Wheel looked like it might be a trigger. I went back and forth for a long time until finally something clicked.

I do NOT have let my anxiety control me! 

With that, I took a deep breath, said a prayer and bought my ticket. We waited in line for several minutes, watching the gondolas go round and round until it was finally our turn. We climbed in, two in the back and two in the front. We began to go up and the view was amazing. What we all happened to forget was that we opted for a swinging car - one that rolled down a track similar to a roller coaster at various points throughout the ride. After a bout of laughter, several explicatives from my riding partner, and two full cycles around the wheel, we made it safely back to the ground.

The rest of the time on Coney Island doesn't compare and I left feeling satisfied and proud of myself for taking the plunge and not giving in to the negative emotions that have controlled me for so long.

We made a rainy trip through the financial district and ended up soaking wet in Hoboken for Carlo's Bakery - home of the Cake Boss. We finished the trip with a pit stop at WaWa and Chickfila and headed home.

Another summer adventure came to a close and I am a better person for it. :)

Day One - a new day

Despite my past experiences and learnings, I found myself becoming a holiday and special occasion church goer. It started out as one or two weeks when I was too tired or anxious to get out of bed, but then each week I found a different excuse not to make the effort. When people would ask me about it, I shrugged it off - made it into lesser of a deal than it really was. I believed my comfort - my schedule - my laziness - was more important than coming together with other believers in the house of the Lord to worship. I started only remembering the last time I was at church by the holiday that called me there.

Over the past 2 weeks I've met some new friends and gotten to know a few a bit better, and through these relationships and conversations, I felt the Lord pressing this idea: be intentional! In the way only the Lord can, he showed me three areas of my life that He's calling me to be more intentional about.
The first area is my faith - being intentional about getting to church every Sunday and growing in my relationship with the Lord. This needs to transcend the rest of my life - especially the other 2 areas that God is calling me to rise up.

Today was day 1 of being intentional. I set my alarm, got up, showered and headed off to 9:30 service. My new friend, Caren, saved me a seat and I worshiped and learned about the Lord alongside other believers. I let God speak into my heart in a way that I haven't been open to in a long time.
I'm learning that throughout this journey of being intentional, I must find accountability. So, as I said, today is day 1. Not every day will be perfect and not every day will I be successful, but every day the Lord is good, and He loves me with an everlasting love, and He will help me get back up and try again.

Spring time poem

Bring Me the Horizon ...

The smell of hope

brims on the horizon.

Every breath

of damp spring air

refreshes my soul.

Car wheels

on wet pavement,

Drip drops

from the morning rain --

Each fills my head

with dizzying daydreams.

Fresh soil

and blooming flowers

unite

in a tantalizing aroma

that brings me

to the edge.

The only thing

left to do

is jump

into

the 

possibilities ...

Nostalgia

Summers gone by ...

As I walk down the hallway,

a particular scent whispers against my nose.

Immediately,

a wave of nostalgia

crashes into me.

I can’t seem to identify the scent

or the memory,

but it reminds me of summers gone by …

fresh morning showers,

dew on the green grass,

and joyful noises in every direction.

As quickly as it hits me,

it disappears.

But its shadow

lingers with me for hours after -

sentencing me to dream

of the summers

gone

by.

Technology in Education

In today's educational circles, there is such a push for incorporating technology, social media, and cool new gadgets. While I am all for this, it raises two questions in my mind:
1. What do you do when the technology is not readily available?
2. Are we using technology in the best interest of the students?

1. What do you do when the technology is not readily available?
I know that in my district, computers are at a premium and are not always readily available. Fortunately, we have some other alternatives to use and incorporate such as iPods and iPads. We've even incorporated some Chromebooks in a few classrooms.
We are some of the lucky ones -- although we are not 1-to-1, we still have a good amount of tech available -- unless it's testing week, but that is a different story.
What about the districts that do not have technology available? Those that have 1 computer cart for an entire grade level, or students that do not have internet access outside of school? What do you do then?
Well, A couple things. I just found out that students who qualify for free or reduced lunch have an at-home internet option for $10/month. Wow. That is a step in the right direction in making the internet readily available to all populations!

Second, there are ways to get students learning socially without technology -- and in reality, isn't that what we are using technology for anyway? Finding ways to get students engaged in conversation in ways and groupings that they may not normally accomplish in a traditional classroom.
There are several sites available (on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google, etc) that showcase how to incorporate social learning in a technology-poor classroom/environment. Although I haven't had a chance to peruse all of the different pins on this board, I am going to link to a colleague's Pinterest Board about Social Media in the classroom. This has options for not only using social media, but also alternatives to those who may not have access to it for some reasons.

2. Are we using technology in the best interest of the students?
Okay, so I know that I've been guilty of having students complete an assignment online only because it is online. We could accomplish the same task on paper, but in wanting to "engage the students" we slap it on a google doc or a blog post and have students go through the process of logging on and responding when it would just be simpler, quicker, and accomplish similar goals by just doing it on paper.
When using technology in the classroom, it is important to not only engage the students, but to extend their learning beyond the classroom -- to use the resources that come with technology -- network, explore, create in ways that are unique to the students in the classroom. 
I am being challenged in my own teaching to extend my technology use from just reminding students of assignments on twitter, to starting chats or using # conversations as formative assesments for reading or concepts. 
Pull in students or professionals from around the world to talk to classrooms on twitter or google talk to expand students' horizons and PLNs. Get students talking outside of the classroom -- applying what they are learning to their "real lives." 


I am challenging myself to go a little further with social media/technology this year. Each day is a new opportunity to try something new, to engage a student on a new level and incorporate technology for actual learning and not just for simply "doing it online."