Honor your....?

Today one of my second graders came to me after recess to explain a problem he was having with a friend. He explained that they were having a disagreement and he tried to tell his friend, "Listen, the Bible says you have to honor those who are bigger than you..." I stopped him right there and told him that the Bible actually says honor your father and your mother (the 5th commandment, which we just finished learning about in chapel) and we should also obey those who are older than us (and that doesn't mean our friend who is a few days or months younger has to do what we say) or those who are in charge...but NOT necessarily those who are bigger than us!

I love being in the kid business! :)

This Just In...

Farc leader 'dead' says military

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7418820.stm

Profile: Farc commander Mono Jojoy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11400265

mi casa

mi casa

Enjoy this virtual tour of my house!

the house I share with two other teachers

entrance to house

future garden!

dining room

living room
(we are staying in a missionary family's house while they are back home for the year...so it came to us completely furnished!)

hallway leading to kitchen straight ahead, bathroom off to the left, and staircase to the right

kitchen (and laundry/storage room beyond)

my room
(notice: I have a spare bed, visitors welcome! :)

Second floor consists of three bedrooms and a second bathroom

My little piece of home away from home:
look closely and notice how the lights from the houses on the mountainside facing my house form the U.S.!

mi aula

mi aula

my classroom

view from the door

Welcome to second grade!

view from the back of the classroom
Don't you love our fruit of the spirit tree with Jesus' name hidden in it?!
(it was made out of wood from the wall of the second grade classroom in the old building--
they moved into the new building about two years ago)

view from the front of the classroom
Mrs. Pinzon's desk is along the back wall.

view from the front corner of the room
I'm blessed with wonderful storage cabinets behind my desk!

view from the carpet beside my desk
Our lovely wall of windows and door leading outside.

Meet Sofia

Meet Sofia!

Sofia’s birthday was on Friday. Some of her favorites are: color-yellow, food-spaghetti and beans, game-capture the flag, book-Miss Nelson is Missing, people to visit-her cousins. She has an older sister. Her mom works at the school as a Spanish teacher. Her classmates appreciate her because she is smart, nice, and a good friend. Sofi has a warm smile and is a friend to all.

Sofi is quick to follow directions and helps to keep her classmates on track with following directions. Pray that she will continue to lead by example. Also pray for her relationships with the girls in our classroom, that she can use her kind, easy-going spirit to help build congruency among the girls, helping each girl to feel equally welcome and loved, and to avoid strong cliques from developing.

Meet Samuel

Birthdays are huge here in Colombia! In second grade we do these things to make the day special for the birthday boy/girl: I put a balloon in their pencil cup and crown them birthday boy/girl, with a special birthday cake hat; we sing to them in English and Spanish; I eat lunch with them; the student presents a poster with pictures growing up, their family, and things they like to do; I interview them about their favorite things; and finally we put together a birthday book with little birthday messages from their classmates and teachers.

So, I had the idea to use birthdays as a way to give you a chance to learn a little about each of my students individually. So, after a student's birthday, I will post a picture along with a little bit about them and some ways you can pray for them!

Meet Samuel!

Sam's birthday was on Friday. Some of his favorites are: color-blue, food-pasta, sport-soccer, book-Dr. Seuss, game-cards and Chess. He has two older sisters. His classmates appreciate him because he is nice, a good friend, good at soccer, and funny! Sam has a big, warm smile, a good sense of humor, and lots of energy!

I see Sam as a leader among his friends and peers....pray that he will use this gift in a God-honoring way and will be a positive example in the classroom and school.

How Great is Our God!

Today was Open House at school and I can not even begin to put into words how awesome of an experience it was! Even though I went into it with the nervous jitters, everything about today made me fall more in love with my school, my job, and my life! What a blessing and joy it is to work in a Christ-centered school...and a unique privilege to be apart of ECA's multi-cultural and bilingual community! My students' parents brought me to tears as they prayed together for me and my class (in Spanish, French, Korean, Dutch, and English)! It was awesome having a parent present for every child, and in many cases two...and unlike the states, both moms and dads attended (possibly even more dads than moms)! All the parents were so welcoming and encouraging....warm Colombian greetings and hugs (one or two when entering the room another one or two when leaving) and kind words from every parent (each made a point to share a few words with me)...invitations from families to go along to church, visit their homes, watch their son/daughter's musical performances or attend their sporting events, tour the city together, take a day trip together, or come eat at their family's restaurant! I love how ECA mixes and balances professionalism and quality education with strong family-like teacher-student-parent relationships!

How great is our God!

Classroom Reflections

Funniest moment of the week so far:
Yesterday giggles building on one side of my classroom, and quickly spreading across the whole classroom, caught and brought my attention to one of my students (male) whose desk is along the outside and faces in towards the middle of the classroom. I could only see his shoulders and head from where I stood in the front, middle of the classroom, but something about his face and body posture seemed strange. As I walked around to the back of his desk I noticed that he wasn't sitting on his chair but rather it was like his chair had swallowed him (I don't know how to describe it other than it's like the picture below, only a 7-year-old boy, not a cat, and the chair and boy were much more equal in proportion). I had to tell the whole class to put their heads down while the boy pulled (he was almost stuck) the chair off his stomach and down over his legs before climbing out of it. I just knew if everyone else kept looking and laughing I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. So, I got my own private show and boy was it entertaining, just watching him try to stand up and back away from his desk with the chair attached to him! (Let's just say, this wouldn't have happened if he had 6 feet on the floor like I always tell the class!) PRAISE the Lord for good humor and for the different personalities of all his sons and daughters!

Proudest moment of the week so far:

This moment didn't start off proud, but rather disappointing and frustrating. I had a student who chose to lie about something that happened in class. I didn't know for sure that it was a lie at first, but after talking with my aide, I realized that we had both been told different stories by the student. But, the Lord gave me wisdom in seeing the situation for what it was and knowing how to handle it...what to do and what to say. After several repeats of silent contemplation, followed by conversation, followed by frustration and tears, the student eventually broke down and told the truth. I was so proud of him and I could tell he was proud of himself too! It was a true moment of character growth on his part and teacher/shepherding learning on my part. We ended up having a nice lunch together, just the two of us, talking and laughing and getting to know one another better. PRAISE the Lord for his marvelous ways and PRAISE the Lord that I am free to speak His name and truths and teach from His book at my school!

Looking forward to and anxious for...
Open House this Friday! On Friday morning my students will leave the room for about 45 minutes and their parents will take their places at their desks. I will share with parents a little about how the classroom runs, rules and expectations, and curriculum. We will also have the opportunity to pray together. My students' parents have been nothing but warm, welcoming, and encouraging, but I am still anxious about open house as it is all new for me.
If you think of it, say a little prayer for...confidence and calmness for me as I meet with parents and for good communication.