Another Transition

This Sunday I'll be moving to begin my new job. How do I feel about this? I'm actually still sorting that out. I should probably get it in my mind real soon that this is a reality - I will move down there, begin lesson planning again, start at a new church, meet new people, new students, new teachers, new pastors, etc. all while adjusting to a new room in a new home in an unknown land. Thankfully this unknown land is fairly small and nearby are people I do actually know.

The idea of having new students; however, has got me the most troubled. Tomorrow I get to teach roughly 14 of my old students how to make shrimp alfredo (I'm still learning it myself), and I am super excited for this. Why? Because I miss my former students. I miss their attitudes, their personalities, playing basketball with them, carrying on about life with them (what is good and bad in this world), etc. Most of all, I miss not being there to love them. It's hard to deal with a position that is temporary. And that is exactly the new position I will be in again. I don't want new students and I certainly don't want to grow attached to them only to leave them in the dust for a new position in a different area. It is so hard to leave the ones you love. It's even harder when you leave roughly one hundred of them all at the same time.

As I said before, this is my reality, and I need to adjust. Just because I know I will inevitably leave my students does not mean that I should withhold love from them. It makes the leaving tougher, but the experience all the better. I need to intentionally get ready and stop dilly-dallying around pretending it won't happen.

In other news, I don't want to play God by predicting/planning my future, but I think the next realistic step after this school year is over is to teach in America before moving on to some place else (such as T). There are reasons for this - such as having a fancier name for my certification and also obtaining a master's degree. Also, I know I'm called to teach, but I'm just not so sure about missions still. Teaching is clearly my passion. Missions are a desire, but just not as strong of a desire. What does it all mean? Am I resistant to going or is my participation in missions to be less of a "goer" and more of a sender/mobilizer? That, we shall find out as God reveals in the future.

A Short Compliation of Quotes from "Da Hill"

D: "I can't take off my hoodie! My house caught on fire and my shirt underneath as a huge hole in the back ... I swear."
Later...."What? You're just yelling at me cuz I'm light skinned."

C: "I'm gonna ax Mr. So-and-so for some help."
A: "Why you be actin like Miss D ain't a good teacher?"

A: "Yo, Miss D, that triangle you made is hype!"

S: "Miss D, are you a virgin?"

"Can I get extra credit for doing this worksheet?"
"No."

"How about this one?"
"No."

"Can I get extra credit for coming in at lunch?"
"No."

"Can I get extra credit for coming in after school?"
"No."

"Can I get extra credit for coming in for tutoring?"
"No."

"Can I get extra credit for doing community volunteer work?"
"No, you just get a good feeling inside." :-D

"I have an announcement to make!"
D: "You're pregnant?"
"NO!"

I wrote "W.T.S." on the projector.
A: "You be teachin us to swear, Miss D? Like, 'What the beep'?"
"No! It's 'Want to show'"
A: "Yeah, okay. I be tellin my mom you teachin us to swear in class!"

P: "Miss D, who makes more money - street pharmacists or strippers?"

P: "Miss D, you can't fight?"
"No"
J: "So, what would you do if someone hit you?"
"I'd pray. God's a lot more powerful than my scrawny muscles, dontcha think?"
K: "What would you do if we beat you up?" *smile

P: "Miss D, do you want to know how to get cell phones through metal detectors?"
"Sure."
P: "Well, you have to wrap it in three layers of thick leather. It works for cell phones, ipods, knives - anything!"
"So, that's what you do when you bring knives into school?"
P: "Not anymore." *smile

So, K, are you going to be this annoying sitting in the front row every day? *K shook his head yes. Here's an indication he was telling the truth:
K, give me my sunglasses back!
K, where's my transparency?
K, give me my marker back.
K, give me my teacher's edition back. Now.

C: "I'm actually kinda sad you're leavin."
"Why's that?"
C: "Because now class isn't going to be fun. We won't get to goof off at all! And, we're just going to get busy work now."

J singing a song: "I'm a lit-tle girl in a big, big world. My name is Miss Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"
(Note: she also wrote this on the top of the board and made me jump to erase it.)

Holla Back At Me (Alternative Names)

• Miss Day-Line!
• Put de line in the coconut! *singing
  
• Baby Dee!
• Sister D!
• Miss DeLingo, I mean, Miss DeLino...wait, what is it?
• Okay, Miss DeSquare
  
• Mz DeLizzle
• Mz DeLittle
  

Unfortunately not all of the best quotes are represented as it's hard to keep track in a school like da Hill, but it's a light taste of my life this fall. I hope you enjoyed it :-)