Just as the many colors of leaves....

This season reminds me of thankfulness. I can't help but think of the many reasons why I am thankful for the people God has placed in my life for this very season. Here are some things that motivate my heart to nothing but thankfulness...

*random text messages of encouragement, joy, or that just make me smile
*time together, even if the only thing we are doing together is studying
* hugs
*laughter
*free coffee, such a blessing
*taking time out of their busy schedule to spend quality time together doing something we love
* making an effort to check up on me even when I haven't said a word to them in forever
*Enthusiasm
*taking pictures together, painting together, going for walks
*serving- asking if there's anything they can do to help


I feel like I could go on and on writing specific ways that make me feel so much gratitude. I have some of the best friends in the entire world.  Thank you Lord for placing them in my life right now for such a time as this :)

When it's hard to find the words...

Well, leaving camp and going into the "real world" always takes some adjusting. When people ask me how my summer was, I can never conjure up the right words to express my love for camp. But, every time people ask me about my summer it never fails that  as I talk up a storm, I realize I could try and explain all that camp is and they would never fully understand. Strong Rock does that- it's an experience that leaves you speechless and full of words at the same time. You know that unless someone has experienced it too, all of the explanations, crazy stories and random inside jokes will never make sense to them. That's why we're a family. Families have bonds that nobody else understands, so here is an ode to that incredible family, Strong Rock 2011..

I feel like this summer we got to know each other so well, and really took the time to invest in each other day in and day out. It made a difference. I don't think I could've gotten through some days without the love and support of so many fellow staff members. There were times when unity was shaken and our level of energy dwindled, but God remained the center and I could tell that Strong Rock's mission statement rung true in each and every staff member's hearts, the Lord was our motivation and nothing stands stronger.

From Ladies (wink) to the ocassional crazy costume (jk, I mean all the time) people from the outside world would definitely think we were crazy. I mean, we throw socks at people for fun. Just sayin.

My awesome Awahili tribe members hold a special place in my heart. I absolutely love their spirit and enthusiasm, and all around Pride for their Tribe :)  Things ended on such a wonderful note, and God got us through all of our rough patches. I know that without them I wouldn't be as thankful. I must say that "which field is my fav???" constantly is on replay in my head. Not to mention, never say never, all you need is blue, a waya no, and somewhere over the waya eagles fly (to name a few)....When I sing those outloud I know that people outside of the camp world look at me funny.

I'd like to give  a shout out to all of the girl cabin staff:
Thank you for accepting me as me and for being such incredible sisters in the Lord. Each and every one of you has helped me to grow in Him.

Willow, your incredible ability to talk to little girls and dedicate your all to them is inspiring, along with your willingness to got he extra mile even when it might be more difficult


Broadway, you love to listen, are filled with the Lord's joy and are not afraid to be yourself which I think made you an amazing role model to your Pebblebrookers.

Hugs, I love how you live each day dedicated to the Lord's truth and the power of His word, it is evident in the way you lead your campers to a relationship with God




Muggle, your constant enthusiasm for life was contagious and your spontaneity just made things fun and exciting all of the time, and I bet your Lakeside girls enjoyed that as much as we did as a staff :)

Apple, your gentle spirit, ability to listen and constant dedication to your girls made it easy for them to talk to you I'm sure.




Button, you are just full of life and are so full of wisdom for those Waters Edge girls, its beautiful to watch you discipling them

Pistol, your freedom in the Lord and openness are so helpful to me, and I absoutely love how dedicated you are to camp and what it means





**The shout outs will continue on camp post number 3, coming soon!

Camp, an experience that is hard to put in words

How do I start this epic entry series about the amazing Strong Rock Camp...
right now it's one of the hardest things to do...

...It seems too soon to be writing about my 2011 camp experience, because in writing about it that means it has come to an end. I hate it when camp comes to an end.
It's an experience that has the potential of captivating the essence of the butterfly effect, of changing the world.
An experience of being unaware in the moment, but pouring out in humility and even sometimes seeing the fruit that comes from abiding in the Lord.
An experience based on the simple yet complex ideas  of loving unconditionally and being loved in return.
An experience that doesn't compare to any other.

There  is no other place and group of people that I cry about leaving as much as when I leave camp. There is no other place where I have felt an immense amount of encouragement, joy, and freedom in the Lord.

Simply, Strong Rock is a place incomparable to any other....

This entry serves as an introduction...but just that, it will take many more days to write about all of camp, so stay tuned...

I'll be there for you...cause you're there for me too.

I can't believe that it's all coming to an end. The end means tears and crying, laughing and hugging, because of the blessing so many people have been to my life.Though I'm not graduating many of my dear friends are, many things are changing, and many people I love will be far away from here in the fall. Things will never be the same as they are right now. I've found out that I'm not really one for change, because change means people moving away, some people even moving out of the country- change means such a sweet season coming to an end.

 Time has gone by faster than ever, and I know that nothing else in life will compare to college and the many experiences that have shaped me to be who I am today.I don't know how I could ever summarize the many memories that I will never forget. So many things will never happen again, but I am so glad that they happened. I wouldn't change much about all of those incredible moments that I got the opportunity to be a part of. Change means cherishing the many moments that have made college what it's been, reliving the moments with friends, and desiring to always keep them close to my heart.

It's hard to think about it mostly because so many of my college memories have revolved around the amazing community of people I have been blessed to know. So many of my friends have helped me to grow in ways that I never thought possible when I was walking into the doors of Brumby Hall 4 years ago.If I were to articulate my love and appreciation for all of the incredible people I have had the opportunity to know in Athens, I don't think the words I could write would suffice. I do know that there are amazing, passionate people that I have been so blessed to get to know. I also know that I regret not getting to know some people better. There are some people that have never ceased to make me smile, and some people who always challenge me to be more adventurous. Some dear friends have challenged me spiritually and have shown me what it looks like to walk in the Lord's freedom.Others have helped me to see that there is no room for me to judge others because we are all in need of grace. Many friends have opened my eyes to what life is about, and what it means to be sporadic, but also what it means to rest and cherish moments. Some people have been placed in my life for me to love unconditionally and vice versa, even when my heart isn't in the right place. There are people that have only been in my life for a season, a moment, but aren't any less important than the ones I've known since the start. Change means saying goodbye for now to many people who I have known, but forever thanking the Lord for placing them in my path. Change is also keeping perspective that many people will not be leaving my life even if they are going far away. Sometimes when you are far away, keeping in touch becomes more of a priority as opposed to the chaos that can sometimes consume us in college.

This season of change is hard, but it's helping me to see the many amazing people I have been blessed to know. I have been thinking back to so many times I will always cherish. I sit here feeling undeserving of the many opportunities I have been given. I find it hard to say goodbye, but I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving for the time I've had here.

The Fall will be different- but I know it will be great. With this change, Athens won't be quite the same but it will be quite amazing as it always  is. With change comes tears, but with new seasons ahead adventure, growth, and more memories are sure to come.

Throughout this week I'm going to try to recap highlights of the past 4 years....get ready for flashbacks, crazy pictures and reliving  fall 2007-spring 2011 :)

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Passionate about writing

I think that this course has increased my passions about writing. It has helped me to see the importance of writing in the classroom, as well as the importance of writing in my own life. I have always leaned toward writing and journaling as a hobby, but I feel like I now have an even greater knowledge of different types of writing I can use to express myself. Beth, the passion that you express as you teach and share about writing has really motivated me to dig deeper. I really love the many ways we have learned to use writing to express our thoughts and feelings.

I have also loved learning about the many different writing resources that can be used in our classrooms. I have learned so many ways that writing really effects students learning. I have learned how writing can empower. Most importantly, I have learned how to engross each and every student in meaningful writing. I think that since my passion has grown for writing, I will be able to more effectively teach it. I will make writing workshop a consistent element of my classroom. i also think that home journals are a great way to interact with the students families and am strongly considering using that idea to make my classroom more of a community.  The students in my class will see themselves as writers, and I will make sure they know that their writing is wonderful! They will hopefully constantly want to write more, learn more, and express themselves in many ways!

I can't wait to be able to implement a writing workshop in my classroom, because it is something I have never really seen in actions. I know it can be done and I can't wait to see how my students respond to it's surprising uniqueness.

Writing Blog Comments

http://kidblog.org/Powell4thGrade/claireh10/if-i-could-move-some-where-new/#comment-780

http://kidblog.org/MrFillner2010-2011/ellie131/writing/#comment-201

http://kidblog.org/MrsHuebnersClass2/danielle69/who-i-would-skype-with/#comment-3623

the importance of writing

I think that it is important that students are able to relate what they read to themselves, in other words, to make text-to-self connections. When students are writing to express their feelings or opinions that means so much more than just meaningless writing assignments. They are able to truly express themselves. If their writing time is set up in a way where there aren't strict grading rules they feel free to experiment in their writing. I think too often classrooms take this approach. I have seen my mentor teachers use writing in this way. It can be quite frustrating because then the students don't write for anything besides an assignment. They feel constantly constrained and frustrated. They write for work, never for fun.

That is something I think i will be really important in my classroom. I don't want my students to see writing as a chore, but rather an adventure. I want them to experience and be constantly be exposed to many types of text, many types of writing. I want them to enjoy each step of writing, even if it sometimes is a challange. I cant my students to write outside of class, and learn to write to epress who they are and what they believe. One thing I loved growing up was having a writers notebook, and I think that every student should have one. Each student should feel comfortable writing without the consequences of getting a bad grade. I think tis a great way to get to know students and be able to constantly encourage them in who they are as people. They can make a difference and sometimes writing can help them realize that.

In the rush of life take time to smell the roses

I feel like too often we all rush, way too much.

Do you ever notice the sunset, it's beautiful as you drive into my apartment complex- perfect view of the horizon.

Spring time approaching brings many beautiful colors..If you live in athens, have you seen the blossoming tree on the corner of Milledge and Baxter that is so pink and vibrant? (I plan on taking a picture next week)

To ease the stress, take some time to rest in the presence of the Lord...

How about venturing to the Botans, going down the purple trail and laying on the rocks? You see a perfect view of the river, it's serene, peaceful... You could also take the white trail, walk for a bit and then find the huge rocks near the stream, perfect for reading on.

If you sit at Two Story coffeehouse on a warm day, upstairs, with the windows opened it can ease any studying.

But if its raining go to the prayer chapel , and listen to the rain fall from the secret window.

There is a bench in the founders garden near bushes full of magnificent flowers that start to bloom around this time. Take an afternoon to go there and explore.

If it's a Wednesday you should get an energy boost from Expresso Royale and enjoy a $2 latte :)

After that Tribe Issachar is another great place to go to rest, pray and just get away from things.

Take time to rest, enjoy life, dance, smile, read, pray....rejuvenate. God has so much in store for you this spring, you don't want to miss the simple blessings.

Chapter 12 WW and Field Experience

My 2nd graders have been learning about persuasive writing and about letter writing. They have gotten the opportunity to write letters to the other student teacher in Mrs. Clark's classroom while her dad was in the hospital. They also wrote persuasive letters to their parents trying to convince them of something fun they should get to do over spring break. They seem to really enjoy writing in letter form, and I have seen them grow as persuasive writers. It is interesting to see the many tactics that they use to convince their audience. They seem to realaly understand and fully grasp what it means to persuade and have gotten  many opportunities to practice being persuasive with real topics that they care about. They have also successfully learned the mechanics of letter writing through this in depth study. I think that this has been a great unit of study as it talks about in chapter 12 of the book., They get to do a lot of self selected writing while still learning major components of what good, effective writing is.

When I taught my science unit last week I had the students integrate their science knowledge and persuasive writing skills. The science unit was about temperature. The students were given the opportunity to make up a place, temperature for that place, clothing they would wear and activities that could be done there. After they had the opportunity to brainstorm those different components they then wrote a persuasive advertisement for that location. They were given the option of trying to persuade someone to come to their location. I think that they really enjoyed getting to be creative, use their science knowledge, and use their persuasive writing skills. They are almost finished with this project, and I can't wait to see how they all turn out.

My class loves to write and it's cool to see their creative ideas come to life on paper! I can't wait to continue to see them grow as writers throughout the rest of the semester! I think their teacher does a great job teaching writing and that writing is a really big focus in their classroom. It makes a difference!

Chapters 7,8,19 WW

The materials provided for a writing workshop can encourage creativity. It is true that when students are able to explore with materials in any subject area they are more prone to working hard. They are encouraged to be creative and to explore different ways to tailor their writing habits.  They are also more encouraged to make writing their own when the supplies are readily available to them.When students are allowed to move around the room the same creativity occurs. They are able to find an area where they will work best. They are able to choose from so many different options, whether they decide to move to the quiet corner or work alongside productive chatter. When it is planned out in a set fashion all of this moving doesn't encourage chaos, but it is a part of the rhythm of the day. Children need to make the space and environment their own and I think the things I mention help to shape that.

I think that writing workshops need to be chaotic in an organized way. I don't know how well my mentor teacher would do with this type of enviroment, but I believe that it could definitely be productive when given the correct structure. Students should be doing all different things and that is ok. I think it would be hard to know what each of my students are doing in order to keep tabs on their progress, but that's ok. That is when the classroom really isn't just owned by the teacher, but the students have the ownership too. They are able to work hard and are motivated to do so. This is whent he structure comes in. It would be hard to put a writing workshop in a box, that is true. I think that makes it exciting! I can't wait to see how the writing workshop in my classroom will shape up. I also can't wait to see how it will change and become better through the years.

Students need to make a goal with their writing. I agree that publlishing makes kids excited about what they can create. It makes them proud and encourages them in their writing. I remember that I always loved to get to share my published writing in school throughout elementary and high school. I can't wait to get my students encouraged in their writing. I want them to look foward to their writing, have goals for themselves and get to applaud their clssmates.

WW Chapters 14,15,17

During my field experience I have not yet seen a teacher conference with a student about their writing. In fact, I do not remember ever conferencing about my writing at such a young age. The only time I conferenced with my teacher about writing that I can remember was during English 1102 and during my AP Literature class. Other than that I have never seen the act of conferencing played out though I agree that it is quite essential in order for a teacher to build up a student and encourage them in their process of being a writer. I feel like it does not just help with the students learning of writing, but it deepens the teacher student relationship. It gives teachers an opportunity to make their student feel the importance they need to feel while still showing them how to improve. That is the best environment a student can be in to learn as we read about when studying classroom community for EDEC. It is important that conferencing is not just pointing out errors in students writing, but it is providing them a place to explore and develop their writing. Besides benefiting the students conferences allow teachers to evaluate their teaching along with their tactics for teaching certain methods. It is beneficial and will definitely be implemented in my classroom. I can't wait to have experiences with conferences, I know it will tell me a lot about my students.It will be hard with some students at times, but I think it will become easier with practice and as the students feel comfortable opening up to me and sharing.

Share time is an amazing part of  a writing workshop that can sometimes be imtemidating. I know that there are often way too many judgements surrounding a group of students which make sharing time difficult. Once the classroom community is already open to sharing during other aspects of the day I feel like this is not much of a burden. If the students are in a welcoming environment they will be open and excited about their work. Sharing is a great way for students to grow as writers and learn from each other. I love seeing students share what they know about any topic!  Sharing creates students who support each other in their writing. I think it also creates confidence for normally shy students who don't talk during whole group discussions. Sharing time needs to be structured but there are many ways that can be done, giving students an aboundance of opportunities to share!

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Chapters 9,10,13 of Writers Workshop

Something that really jumped out to me was a part of chapter 10 that talked about conventions. There are many conventions that students struggle with, but this chapter gave me great redirection regarding teaching these conventions to students. I agree that it is definitely better for students to be taught certain conventions that they are struggling with in a small group or during individual instruction. I will also remember after reading this chapter that it is often wrong to assume all of my students have the same need in regards to conventions that they need more instruction on. There are sometimes blanket conventional practices that can be directed towards the whole class. I saw this occur in my classroom as my 2nd graders were learning about transition words. They all needed to come to the understanding of what a transition word was, and it was helpful for all of them to try using them in their writing. I think that was a great choice of topic made by my mentor teacher, due to the fact that almost all of the students were being introduced to the topic of transitions for the first time.

I think another topic that really struck me was allowing students the opportunity to write outside of school. They are thus able to see writing apart from schoolwork. They are able to better see how writing can really become a part of their daily lives. I think that this is a great idea to encourage for all students in every grade level. It is a great way to really get to know your students and it is a great way to allow them to explore themselves while becoming writers. They will become more confident and will also have more constant writing practice that doesn't feel like a burden. Writing can put so much into prespective and I think that children can write in ways that can surprise us. We can begin to see their dreams, struggles, and the depths of who they are. I will definitely make sure that my students get constant opporutnities to just write, in the classroom and at home. I think it tells so much about a person.

Chapters 1-5 of The Writing Workshop

When I was observing in a 4th grade class last semester the writing time given to the students only consisted of writing to the standards on most days. They hardly ever got the opportunity to write for themselves or explore topics of choice on a regular basis. The classroom was not set up in a way where the students took  initiative for what they were writing. They were not confident in the process of becoming writers. I think that when the book describes being a writer as an identity to take on it is a very practical idea that most teachers don't embrace. It is true that teachers often don't feel confident in their own writing, as can be said about other subjects as well. I think it is necessary to embrace the topic and be enthusiastic about its implementation. It is vital for teachers to create an environment where students can grow as writers. At the end of a year in a classroom where a writers workshop is correctly implemented all of the students should feel much more confident in themselves as writers.

When reading the chapters I realized that there are so many things that are essential in making a writers workshop work. I think that the most essential element in making something like this successful is spending intentional time being engrossed in the workshop. I agree that in an ideal classroom it would be great to have a writers workshop each day, but am not quite sure that in reality that would happen. Thus, it is quite important to create your own writers workshop rhythm as a teacher. I am excited to continue to learn more about how to make the writers workshop that I implement my own, for my students to grow and learn to the best of their ability. I know it is necessary to spend time frequently writing, without integration of other subjects. I think that this book will open my eyes to many ways I can do this effectively!

Does my life make sense?

I was listening to the Passion 2011 live web stream @ live.passion2011.com/ and Francis Chan was speaking. His talk was convicting, challenging me in my walk with the Lord.

Do I live like I believe in Hell? Would somebody see the joy of the Lord radiating from me in the good times and bad? Do I act upon my faith and really live out loud, or am I passive about who I am in Lord? Does my life make sense in light the amazing truth that the gospel is? Do I live selectively in my faith, or can I praise my Father no matter the church scenery, fancy music, or other embellishments that seem to draw the crowds?

What does it truly look like to live my life devoting my all to the Lord? I don't think I know. I know I am far from living each moment for Him. I don't spend time with him because I am desperate for more of Him each day. I want to be desperate for the Lord. I too often think I can get by on my own with a little help from the Lord. That doesn't make sense to me, he should be my everything. I want to feel like I can not live each day to the fullest without spending time with Him, he should be my motivation in each decision, in each step.

Will my life "make sense in light of the gospel" in 2011? I sure hope it will make more sense, that I will grow so much closer to the Lord.