Well, it sure has been a while good friends. I don’t know who will be reading this, but I hope that you find the update worth the time! We continue to enjoy the opportunities that present themselves all around us, and only wish that more of you were here to experience these things with us!
Teaching has been exciting, and very rewarding. Jewel is teaching 1st grade, and I am teaching 2nd. Now, it would be a lie to say that it wasn’t tiring every now and again, but I have found that there is a wonderful responsibility and perfect opportunity to train those who have been placed in my care. Teaching 2nd grade is, for me, mostly about reiteration and excitement. Every day “k” comes before “i” and “e” and “c” before the other three, “a”, “o”, “u”. But I have come to enjoy the challenge of making these things fun and memorable. (I just hope I am doing a good job of it!)
Second grade is not the only opportunity I have to teach. I have been given the privilege of teaching Geometry to our two high-school aged students. This takes a little more than reiteration and excitement. I have determined in to make this as painless as I can for my students. I know that the higher maths can be daunting, and certainly have a capability to drive the mind to consider digging ditches for a living to be the best option. (By the way, I highly appreciate those who dig ditches and did so for three years through college.) But, I ALSO know that Geometry is attainable if explained thoroughly and simply. Because of this desire, I have devoted much time to studying the Geometry book myself. I have enjoyed the journey so far and hope that the next unit (Proportional Qualities) won’t have my head!
Jewel thoroughly enjoys teaching first grade. I’d even venture to say that she loves it! Which isn’t too far of a stretch since, to quote my wife, “I love teaching first grade.” She always has awesome stories at the end of the day about something her students did or said. (These usually involve a young Chinese lad named Luke) She spends “Happy Friday” every week having a great time with her kids, and brings a baked treat for them. She really is a great teacher and is enjoying the experience.
