June *Blink* October!!!!
Summer Goings On
I always enjoy my Prague summers as things usually slow down, and I get to take some time to get some rest and enjoy what the Czech Republic has to offer.
Myth - Teachers get 2 month holiday
If you have ever lived life close to a teacher you know that the statement that teachers get two months off in the summer is not exactly true. Although we may not be in the classroom and we may not be teaching this does not mean we stop working, especially for missionary teachers. Throughout the summer we are already gearing up for the next school year. Doing all the things we don't have time to do during the teaching year.
Each summer I pick a project. Something I never have time to work on during the school year. This summer's project was our elementary supply closet. Our supply closet is a space where supplies that our elementary teachers need is stored. Now sometimes this becomes a dumping ground for things people don't want to get rid of but don't want stored in their classroom. I am kicking myself that I didn't take pictures of what it looked like at the very beginning but it was a mess. I had the help of one of my co-workers and her sons and it took me a month of slogging through buckets boxes and bins to purge what was no longer needed and to nicely store what was still useful. It was a labour of love.
Sorting through posters and craft supplies and even sprinkles
Random finds - who knew our closet could hold so many random things
Final Product
Summer adventures and fun
My summer wasn't all work. I took some time for play including a 5hr canoe trip, an exploration with our summer interns to a nearby town, and celebrating Canada day, Independence day and my birthday with brunch with friends.
My summer was a staycation where I took care of friends' dogs and also moved into my new flat.
Getting ready for Back to School
Inservice was a time of reconnecting as a staff, getting to know new members and preparing for the school year.
First days of school were great as we welcomed just over 160 students to the new school year.
What are you doing this year?
I have taken on many different hats this year and it will be a balancing act. My jobs include:
TeachBeyond co-team leader
TeachBeyond Europe Member Support Coordinator
CISP Elementary Coordinator
AND
CISP Grade 2 Social Studies and Science teacher
We came into this school year without a fulltime grade two teacher so we have a Grade 2 teaching team that consists of 3 of us. We have two teachers that teach together in the mornings and I teach with another assistant in the afternoons. There are 14 students in the class and they are a lively bunch that keeps us very busy.
Taking on some new roles required me to have my own office space. Since office space is limited in the school, and I wanted to stay in the elementary wing, I planned to set up shop in the curriculum closet. It is a room inside our grade 4 classroom. It is a cosy space with large windows so it doesn't feel like a closet. I was content with a small student desk and bookshelf. However, knowing I was to spend a lot of time in this space our lovely office ladies took to interior decorating my office into a home.
Before
After
It is an adjustment getting used to doing more office work. We are a little short staffed this semester since a few of our teachers are away until January. So our principal has taken on teaching a few classes so I took on some more administrative duties including taking care of our substitute sub roster. It made for a very busy fall. We now have hired another staff support member who will help me with some of these duties.
School Events - Day in the Woods
The school year has taken off and it has been a whirl wind. We took a day to take the elementary to the nearby woods to do some community building activities and games. It was the first time in 3 years that this day was not rained out! We had a fun time exploring the forest and playing a variety of tag games.
Already Thanksgiving!
It is hard to believe we are already halfway through October and are celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada. I celebrated with a houseful where we gave thanks for the Lord's many blessings.
Giving Thanks
I am thankful for the Lord's many blessings. I have a wonderful new flat (I will post photos of it soon) but it isn't quite fully settled into yet as we have been quite busy and are still making it home. I ended up moving next door, taking the place of a teammate who moved back to the States. Moving in with my new flatmate was kind of like a marriage as we sort through her belongings and mine finding what we have two of that we don't need and making the flat our own.
My New Hat - Europe Member Support Coordinator
It has been a whirlwind of a Fall as I adjust to new jobs and responsibilities. I am thankful that I still get to teach a class of students but that I also get to be there for our TeachBeyond team members in a new way.
What is a Member Support Coordinator? I have officially entered into the role as Europe Member Support Coordinator for TeachBeyond. Simply put I get to make sure that left hand knows what right hand is doing. TeachBeyond has grown a lot over the past 15 years I have served with them and is requiring more help making sure our members are supported on the field. Part of my job is sharing information from our TeachBeyond offices with our team leaders and project managers. I update records, communicate with members, send out regional newsletters and I get to read members updates and pray for them. It is amazing to hear all the wonderful things our members are doing across Europe. Sometimes being on the mission field can be a lonely business, especially for our members who may be the only ones serving at their project location. I get to walk alongside our Europe members, praying for them, and sharing their stories. I am excited for this new role and how I can be there to help support our members on a global scale. For them to know they are not alone.
Thank you for all your continued prayers and support as we continue to build the kingdom for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment