my first two weeks

      In the past two weeks, I have learned a lot: from how to arrange my new apartment to setting up an elementary classroom. I spent the first week here helping my mentor teacher set up her classroom. I never imagined all the things there are to organize and fit in a class. After each day of setting up, I began my adventure of exploring my new surroundings. I live quite close to the main roads so needless to say finding the mall was no problem. I am fortunate to have found a nice church to attend and a second family nearby to spend Sunday afternoons with. This Monday was an all day in-service at school. I learned about how the school functions and many of their policies as well as their three core expectations: be safe, be responsible, and be respectful. The principal and all the staff are very positive and motivated towards helping their students excel. 
      On the first day of school, students learned how to apply these expectations in various situations including walking in the hallway, sitting at your desk, lining up in the morning, playing at recess, and using the bathrooms. I was very impressed by the positive examples the school staff gave to the students. The school uses an incentive program called bear bucks and when a student is caught doing something good they receive one. Each class has a container for their bear bucks and each month there is a school wide bear buck drawing. The more bear bucks a student has the better chance they have of winning. I especially like that this program does not take away a students bear buck. Instead, they receive a warning and then may be asked to change their card from green to yellow or red based on the severity of the situation. I never knew how many things there are to teach elementary students. For example, how to use a locker, hang your backpack, how to sit on a carpet for whole class instruction, how to pass out materials when sitting in rows, how to respectfully play games, etc. 
      There is so much to learn this semester because this is my first opportunity to learn how a dual language classroom works. Thus far, I have learned so much more than I could have imagined after hearing the "textbook version" from the college classroom. One of my biggest struggles I think will be understanding how intervention works in the classroom. There are different groups of students and different types of intervention programs. Once I see the intervention programs in practice I will have a better understanding and be able to make more connections. 
      I'm excited about this next stage of my life, but I know that I will have my ups and downs as I transition. I have many things to adjust to between living on my own for the first time, meeting new people, and learning everything that is necessary for a successful learning environment. I would appreciate any prayers or words of encouragement. I must always remember that someone greater has already aligned my path, and it is my duty to follow where He leads.