Saturday, September 17, 2011

YOU could be writing equations in a snap!


Has this ever happened to you? You have to multiply the same thing by itself over and over. So you write it out and your hand cramps because it’s so much writing. Introducing exponents! The simpler way to write equations involving things multiplied over and over. Turn 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 x 12 x 12 x 12 into 45 x 123 in a snap! Call 1-800-expo-now and pay 3 easy payments (and 1 difficult) payments of 9.99 (plus shipping and handling), and YOU could be writing equations in a snap!

- by a pre-calc student; his infomercial for exponents in his warmup journal. 

Teaching is going well so far - I have spent a lot of time at the school, but I have been excited to wake up and get out of bed every day. No biting (yet). Last week was the first full week of school but I feel like I've been around for a while already. 

Grand Rapids is really nice too - I've found a couple different groups to run with and just today met a runner about my pace who lives very close, so we may try to run together outside of 'official run times' too. I had friends in town last weekend too, so we went to Grand Haven and rode bicycles, then to an apple orchard. I love fall and have been making applesauce every couple days. Tomorrow, it will be soup! Probably Carrot Ginger Coconut soup because I have fresh left over ginger and don't know what to do with it. Also, I have all the ingredients. Maybe some cornbread to go with it?

This week will be another 5 day week of school, but on Thursday, I will be escorting my freshmen advisory group (about 17 freshmen) off campus for a retreat. I have plans to watch a volleyball game for Potter's House, plans to run, and now that I have some free time on weekends - picking out some new books to read over the weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions? I started reading John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life but also want something a little more... brainless.

This was a very factual entry. My apologies! I will soon attempt a cleverly written expose on some cleverly-chosen topic... but it will probably come out as an ode to cornbread made in my cast-iron skillet in rhyming couplets. I might spare you, if that's the case!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

a grand week in grand rapids

I'm, like, official!

Before I moved, I ate brunch with some friends and their beautiful children. I ate ate other meals and met with more friends too... but I didn't take pictures of the food. I made a hashbrown quiche dish from More with Less that I thought was delicious. You could take any quiche recipe (I used eggs, evaporated milk, zucchini, ground meat, grated yellow squash, and grated cheese) and give it a hashbrown crust.
1. Grate/ shred raw potatoes and press them down into a well-greased pan - or into muffin cups... but still grease them really well!
 2. Bake the potatoes at 425 for 15-17 minutes or until crispy brown. Remove the pan from the oven.
3. Have the quiche ingredients pre-mixed, unless there was something you wanted on top only - like fresh basil or rosemary - and then bake it. Muffins were done by 15 minutes for me, the cast-iron skillet took 30-35.
 You didn't think I would make something without my cast-iron skillet, did you?

I moved and set my feet down! I am so excited to be teaching at the school where I am at. I have felt nothing but affirmed in my decision by the way God has worked everything out. You can pray for me to be confident around the students and around the teachers/ staff. I believe that my passions and enthusiasm will serve the school and the students well, and I will need God to work through me so that others can see it too.
This week, we had three days of professional development and I set up my classroom. Students start Tuesday. I will be teaching one section of geometry, two of Algebra II, and one of Precalculus. There is one other math teacher at the school. He'll be very helpful, as he's been teaching at the school since one semester into the beginning (12 years or so).
The above bulletin board is for student work. Not because it's silly, but because it's intelligent. Although, knowing me... the assignments might be a little silly. (Miss Wolfe, why are we reading "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"?) I do need an idea for a hall pass - something that can't make noise or be thrown/ bounced/etc. I was thinking my OSU pennant, but I don't really want that going into the bathroom with the students. The other math teacher uses a giant protractor. I had a teacher in high school who used a box fan for a hall pass - I thought that was hilarious, but I don't think I can really do that. 
This is the side/ back of my room - a thank you from my preschoolers/ preschool classroom teachers, books, maps of who we're praying for, and the drawers are full of papers/ binders/ crafty-things.

I am ready to start! I've met some students who have come to the school for volleyball practice, and I met some parents at a soccer game Thursday night. I feel very welcomed.

An excerpt from a beautiful song at church today that I hadn't heard or don't remember:

"Come, ye weary, heavy laden/
Lost and ruined by the fall/
If you tarry till you're better/
You will never come at all.

Let not conscience make you linger/
Nor of fitness fondly dream/
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him."

 - come ye sinners (ten thousand charms)