Friday Fancies: in light of these times

Happy Friday, dear friends! Golly molly, as much as I appreciate sunshine, I couldn't believe the 90 degree weather we had this week. It has been scorching, and just has not felt like fall has engulfed our parts yet, even at the local pumpkin patch. We've two weeks to get to autumn. We've also two weeks until the general election. I have been striving to get informed on the issues, especially regarding public education via California's Propositions 30 and 38. They propose to, in short, provide funding for our public education system that desperately needs it. If you're interested in learning more, kindly click on the link for the propositions above, which shall take you to a brief summary of informational nuggets I've amassed. I may be biased due to my background in education, but please feel free to ask me for more information or to converse with me about the propositions via commenting. Funding is one of the predicaments drastically preventing our public education system from achieving what it ought, and providing more funding to our schools would indubitably help. However, it is not the fundamental answer. Though our teachers and schools are such an imperative mechanism in influencing the child, there is nothing more influential in the child's life than the family and home. The family and home is the central glue of society primarily responsible for the emotional, mental, and physical well-being and character of the child. There have been too many instances of heart-wrenching brokenness in my students' lives that transfer into the classroom. Unfortunately, the teacher's and school's influence ends when the bell dismisses for the day, or when the phone calls end in the evenings. This honest and insightful article expounds on this social ill beautifully, and reminds me why we must advocate for our kids beyond the classroom as well. And that I must pray for them and our government more fervently. Jeepers, thanks so much for reading my jumbled thoughts of late. Have a grand weekend, lovelies.

Won't Back Down

We were privileged to attend a screening of Won't Back Down at the Director's Guild of America a few weeks ago, thanks to StudentsFirst. Tales revolving around public education that hit the big screen always pique my interest because of mass media's ability to inform, educate, and encourage action (e.g. 2010 documentary Waiting For Superman, which I have found to be a powerful resource in and out of the classroom). Won't Back Down is different in that it is a fictional narrative inspired by actual events - the characters and plot are so incredibly real and reminiscent of similar communities nationwide that I cried through a third of the movie. I couldn't help but see the faces of my former students and their families in the characters. Maggie Gyllenhaal did a phenomenal job as the struggling mother in the film (but then again, she is admittedly one of my favorite actresses), along with the veteran teacher played by Viola Davis, who both embark on a relentless mission to turn around their kids' failing school. It was also a treat to to listen in on the panel discussion afterward that included the writer and director of the film, Daniel Barnz, public figure Michelle Rhee, and local education reform advocates on how the film could impact educational landscapes across the nation. It warms my heart to witness this genre hit the big screen - real, socially aware, family-friendly, and relevant. All in all, it was ultimately a compelling story about families and communities united in pursuit of excellent schools for their kids. It lands on my list of favorite flicks of the year; I highly recommend watching it, especially because it is slated for release tomorrow!

Friday Fancies: good things

Happy Friday, lovely friends! It is always a good thing that the weekend is here once again. The temperatures around these parts have been creeping steadily toward the 90s this past week even though it is nearly the end of September, and I rather like it. I am a sucker for gallivanting beneath translucent skies until they're overridden by semblances of fall, which shall be here before we know it. Some other good things:

• Have any of you Angelenos read the feature article in this month's LA Magazine on Superintendent John Deasy? The author followed Deasy throughout his first year in his superintendency over Los Angeles Unified School District last school year, and the article proves to be a fascinating read, for educators and non-educators alike, as it contemplates the precarious state of the second biggest school district in the nation and the dire state of public education in general, Deasy's lofty ambitions for total transformation of the district for the students within and the communities around, and what that entails for public education overall. For those who haven't, there is also a postscript with the author's commentary here.
• This week really seems to have flown by.  In all honesty, life has been a whirlwind these few years past, and in reflecting, I am hoping it was filled with good things - good works in the eyes of the Lord because of the abundant grace and mercy He constantly pours out, first via the cross. It's sobering to mull over that a godly woman is "devoted to every good work," because I am far from being devoted to every good work. I really want to be spending my energy, heart, and time serving others better - more intentionally, more diligently, more faithfully, more sacrificially, and more prayerfully - because such are the greatest testaments to our God who loved us first. Oh boy, I need lots of help. 

Friday Fancies: leaping for joy

(pictures taken during our trip here)

We are leaping for joy in our neck of woods. First of all, I am beaming with pride for my students from last year, because they contributed to the record number of sophomores in the Los Angeles Unified School District who passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)! Second, we have been so encouraged throughout this week by dear friends with whom we were able to have dinner dates. It is so refreshing to mull over our similar seasons of life. We are thoroughly thankful for the community God has granted to us. Third, it just came to our attention that it is Labor Day weekend. A symbolic end to summertime, and a tribute to all you hardworking folks (since we are supposedly the most overworked developed nation in the world), which equals an extra day of rest. We haven't out-of-town plans or anything, but I shall be making a pie, and we are cooking up other ways to make the most of the long weekend. Hoping you will all enjoy, dear friends!

Friday Fancies: teeny turning points

(pictures taken at Bolsa Chica during our trip here) 

There is much to dance and prance around about here on this blissful Friday. My love snapped the pictures above the last time we were at the beach here, and as I have divulged before, I am not a child of the water. The photographs sum up all the splash-filled action I encountered that day. Though I tried to outrun the billowing waves, they are just too speedy for me. I screamed and flailed my arms each time the waves smacked my body, but at least my giddiness and mirth are genuine, right? Some teeny turning points I am reveling over:

• My dear husband wrote an encouraging and convicting post about technology's pervasive influence on us in this day and age. I think his confessions within are exceedingly amusing, but then again, I think my husband is a hilarious dork most of the time. His post stirs up reflections from what I studied throughout my undergrad career in Mass Communications, and with the Mister's convictions of late, along with this amazing series on our hearts in regards to the Internet, we are attempting to limit our technology use to better glorify the Lord. Though we do not have television, I am guilty of spending too much time on the world wide web. Therefore, one of my resolutions is not to blog after 9:00pm.
• For the past year, we have been praying for a way for me to spend more time at home so I can better support my love in the ministry, and God is so kind in answering prayers and providing for us. I am not returning to the classroom this fall, and shall instead be transitioning into a new role where I get to help mobilize teachers into school leadership, district leadership, and political leadership for education reform, particularly in Los Angeles. I am thrilled about this opportunity to hopefully help impact our children beyond the lens of the classroom, especially because it is aligned to one of my future goals, as revealed here.
• And, of course, we are having a most lovely time up here in the Bay, and dear friend Irene gets married tomorrow! Cheers!

Have a grand time this weekend, cheery chums!

My awesome aeronauts

Last week's aviation-themed Vacation Bible School was an awe-inspiring blessing. Though I am a teacher, there is a world of difference teaching at VBS. There is much that I love and appreciate (as I divulge here), but nothing more than Jesus Christ. Being able to teach my students at VBS about the kindness and love of God through the gospel brings about an unparalleled joy. Not only that, but I was also graced with the sweetest group of 3rd-4th graders this year who impressed me with their thoughtful questions about Christ and their childlike faith. VBS holds a special place in my heart because it was through VBS in the summer of 2004 at the same church to which I am currently committed where I first heard the gospel that changed my life. And, well, it was all God's grace from there, as you can see here.

Lessons learned by a lifelong learner

The question intermittently pops up in conversations. "What have you learned as a teacher?"

I shall be brutally honest. Teaching has been the most challenging charge I have taken on (I heard mommahood is a close contender. Which is precisely why the Lord hasn't made me a momma yet). But it is also the most rewarding, and rife with daily epiphanies. Ever since I embarked on my teaching stint in inner city Los Angeles, I have learned exponentially more from my students than they have learned from me. I have learned about the need for consistent familial love and support in a developing human being's life. I have learned that my students need not only someone to teach them imperative reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills, but also someone who cares for them and invests time to know them as individuals. Someone who believes in their potential, no matter how poorly they may be behaving one day. Someone who perceives that they can achieve greatness, even when they don't believe it themselves and see no way out of their broken communities. Someone who perseveres in cultivating their growth, even if they may give up readily because it has been formidable for them their entire lives. I have learned that even if every young human creature bears unique life circumstances, at the bottom of it all, my students simply thirst for affirmation and love.

One of the most jolting lessons I've acquired thus far is that I cannot accomplish this daunting task on my own. I've been blessed by so many who have imparted a bounty of insight, positivity, and support because of their experience in the classroom themselves. One such source of encouragement is an all too amazing mentor who has invested her past two years into supporting teachers, but has missed the classroom so much that she's decided to go back this fall. I am exceedingly thrilled for how she shall continue to impact her students. Celebratory tokens of appreciation were in order. Numerical order, that is. 1. A card to say what a gift your guidance, support, encouragement, and positivity has been this year...(Contents: gift card for future classroom outfitting)


2. ...but I must chalk up the confession: (Contents: chalk in a vintage mason jar crowned with a feedsack fabric lid)
3. You are mint to be a teacher! (Contents: dark chocolate mints)

I had a ball concocting these puns and perky packaging for the teacher-inspired trifles. Can you tell?

Friday Fancies: my students' feedback

"I dedicate my CST results to Ms. Wong because she dedicated her time to being a good teacher and pushed me to do my best (: even though we did a lot of essays."

(picture taken at the Mason Street Schoolhouse during our trip here)

 
Today is one of those days where I am persuaded that there can be no more rewarding job than teaching. What a privilege to be able to impact our children - our nation's future leaders. To witness them develop and flourish as critical thinkers, speakers, and writers who connect academic content to culture. I wish I felt like this everyday, but everyday in the classroom is different, which this profound article sums up rather perfectly. Nevertheless, this roller coaster of a school year has been dotted with manifold ups thus far.

Today, my tenth-grade students are completing their CST testing. As a public schoolteacher in California, we work relentlessly to get our students to perform well on the CSTs all year. Now, I am nowhere near convinced that a multiple-choice, standardized test accurately measures a student's academic ability, particularly in English Language Arts. Unfortunately, we are mandated to, to a certain degree, "teach to the test" because, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, funding stems from our standardized test scores. And our schools desperately thirst for more funding, especially in urban La La Land (Fortunately, I work at a charter school where teachers get to design their own curriculum, so you can bet that my students also cultivate college-ready skills in my class. In other words, think until your brain hurts and write until you get callouses!). Nevertheless, this is a momentous moment every year, and I asked each of my students, "If you could dedicate your English CST results to one person, who would it be? Why?" And you can bet your bottom dollar that my flabbergasted heart got warm fuzzies when I perused some of their dedications to me - a testimony to His kindness, undoubtedly. 

I wonder if this is an inkling of how God feels when we acknowledge Him. We daily reject and rebel against Him, and yet He still advocates for us because of His unfathomable, great love for us through Christ. He never stops orchestrating every situation for our ultimate good and joy in Him. And He is glorified when we sporadically, by His grace, acknowledge His goodness. So thank you, Lord, for these little lessons that reflect Your insurmountable kindness.

Happy Friday, friendly folks! Many thanks for reading in the first week of this spankin'-new blog. Have a most lovely weekend.