Getting to Know Each Other

CSK (Christian School Kandern) is experimenting with the "Responsive Classroom" teaching method this year, mainly in the morning intercultural time when the whole class is together. We found that as much as we wanted our first 20 minutes of the day to be a time when we learn about each other, about God, and use both languages equally, we weren't sure how to make effective use of that time. Responsive classroom is a teaching method that emphasizes effective communication, incorporation of learning topics, and helping each child to feel welcome and valued in the classroom community.

Hanna and I trade off each day running our morning time, and I've been spending a fair amount of my planning time finding fun activities for us to do on my days. I've been specifically searching for activities and ideas that will help my students get to know each other better. Many of them have been together since first or second grade, and since we only have one class per grade level, they're practically siblings. But we do have three new additions to our class, and I want to ensure that they feel welcomed into our class family. 

One activity that we did was a "mystery" activity where my students had to write down 5 things about themselves that most other people wouldn't know. Then I read them out loud and we tried to guess who belonged to each set of facts. I was impressed with how creative they were! I have to say, teaching fourth graders is way more fun than I thought it would be. :) Here are some of the ones written in English that I pulled:

Another activity we did (that I stole from this website) is based on a book entitled "The Best Part of Me, which was written by a photographer who wanted to teach children how to appreciate themselves physically, in a world where they are constantly bombarded with messages that tell them they aren't enough. She instructed students from several different schools she visited to choose one aspect of themselves, and write a poem about why they feel that part is the "best part of them". Then she took artistic black and white photos that displayed only that part of the child. I ordered the book online, read it to my students, we created our own poems, I took pictures of their chosen parts, and we discussed how God created each of us to be unique and special. How he has plans for us, and by appreciating aspects of our physical selves, we are acknowledging that God knew exactly what he was doing when he designed us. I didn't give them many guidelines for this assignment, because I wanted them to feel free to take it where they wanted. The results were astounding. Here are some samples:

 All that to say, I love my students. :) I'm excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for us.

Yard Sale!

We are having a yard sale (part 2)!

You know all that stuff just hanging out in your house that you don't want/don't use anymore? I would LOVE to take it off your hands! It's a fantastic way to clean out your house, and all the proceeds will go to help fund my ministry in Germany. Sounds great, right?

Here's what you do:
1) Look through your things! We certainly have been at our house. Know anyone else who might want to donate things? Let them know! :)
2) Call to arrange a drop off the week before- you can reach my mom at 510-579-0046.
3) Stay and look around- another man's treasure!
4) If you're available to stay and help, that's great too! It'll be fun!

The date: Saturday, October 18
The place: 42643 Isle Royal Street, Fremont
The time: 8am-5pm

The Cost is Real

This is an article I read recently about the cost of being a missionary, and leaving things behind. My heart has been struggling with this concept this year, being the third year that I have had to say goodbye to my family, dear friends, and now a new relationship. I've struggled to put this feeling into words, because it's mostly the little things; the day to day occurrences that add up to so much that I find myself missing. I'm a big "Gilmore Girls" fan, and this conversation came to mind from season seven:

Rory: It's just these transatlantic phone calls. I don't know if it's the "trans" or the "Atlantic" or the fact that it's 2:00 in the morning, but Helen Keller and Stephen Hawking could have a more connected conversation. 

Lorelai: Helen Keller's dead.

Rory: Yeah, well, even dead, she could do better. It's just so awkward and pausy. And I feel like the more I try to connect, the more disconnected I feel. And I just feel like I'm working so hard, but maybe I shouldn't be having to work so hard. And then I feel self-conscious, but I shouldn't feel self-conscious, so then I feel self-conscious about that. I don't know maybe it's just the salt in the ocean. It corrodes conversations or something. 

Lorelai: Yeah. It sounds like the salt.

I miss communicating with my sister on a daily basis- getting coffee or dinner and chatting about all the new things in her life as she opens up this "after college" chapter. She's amazing and doing an incredibly job, but I miss dialoging with her about it. 

I'm missing my very close friends, all of whom are starting families and experiencing so many "firsts". I'm missing my close friend Wendi's son, my nephew, grow and change in these early months. 

I'm missing my parents, and the day to day happenings in their lives. My dad is figuring out a new position at work, and finally reading my beloved Harry Potter books after years of prompting. I'm not there to discuss the characters and story lines with him as he reads. My mom is navigating what it means to be finished with full-time teaching, and I'm not there to talk to her about it. 

I'm missing the man I've chosen to begin a relationship with. After spending so little time together before I left, we are attempting to figure out what long distance (really long distance...) looks like for us. All that to say, he's wonderful and we're communicating well, but as I'm sure you know, being together in person is incredibly important. 

I don't want to paint a picture that life as a missionary is always cheery and pleasant. Of course there are wonderful, wonderful aspects to it! This has become my day to day life, and as life goes, there are good days and bad days. But there are also parts that are very hard. I'm working this year on being more honest about the shadowy places. I hope that's okay. 

Thank you as always for your support, your prayers, and your encouragement. You all mean so much to me, and I am so grateful for each of you. 

Here's the article: The cost is real.

Back Into the Swing of Things

Well, I've been back in Germany for a month now, and things are settling into their normal routine! Thanks to the generosity and prayers of so many back home, I was able to leave for Germany with plenty of time to get over jet lag, attend staff events with Black Forest Academy, set up my classroom, participate in staff meetings for my school (CSK), and other such things. As much as I miss home, it does feel good to be back and beginning my third year here.

And it was SO good to see the children come back to school on September 8th. I loved seeing the familiar faces of the students in 2nd and 3rd grade, and walking up the stairs with my own students to begin a new year with them as 4th graders! It's such a privilege to be able to teach these children again for another year, and to have the chance to continue to teach and love them as they grow and mature.

This year my class has grown by two students, so I now have 26! It's the largest class in the school, and Hanna and I had to rearrange our classroom setup to be able to accommodate all the desks! I have 11 English students and 15 German students, and they're already showing how much they have grown over the summer- in both mind and body. They all shot up like weeds! I just know that several of them will be as tall as I am by the end of the year.

My schedule has changed a bit this year as well. I'm teaching some of the same things: English language arts to my English speakers, English language development to my German students, science/social studies, and Bible. But this year I am also teaching two lessons of art to the 1st and 2nd graders. I have to admit, I was really excited about this opportunity, because I love art so much, and would most likely never have this opportunity back home because so many of the extra programs are being cut in the public schools. So that will be fun, and I'll definitely have some stories to tell. One of the biggest challenges with teaching the younger students is that their English isn't as developed yet, especially in regards to the 1st graders. Most of them come to our school with no English at all. It's going to be interesting!

Aside from school, I've been trying to get out and do some fun things. I've had some lovely and memorable times with friends, and have been enjoying the beginnings of the fall weather! As I type this, my bedroom window is cracked open and I'm listening to the pleasant sounds of rain hitting the pavement. The late summer storms are something I miss when I'm home in California.

My mind has already started to process the fact that this is my last year here in Germany, and that I need to enjoy the seasons and times with loved ones as they come. This weekend was the pottery market in town, which has always been one of the highlights of the fall season for me. One of the things I'm striving towards is being more intentional in spending time with people. I love this place, and my prayer is that God will help my heart in the transition even now, when it's just starting.

My roommate Rachel and I having some fun on a rainy day. I'm so thankful for her.

My partner teacher, Hanna, and I on the first day of school. :)

Dear friends at the pottery market. 

Some pictures from walks I've taken in the past few weeks.

So Close!

Update: Thanks to the very generous donations of several wonderful people, I have reached my 90% support goal, surpassed it at 92%, and will be flying to Germany on Friday! Thank you, everyone, for your support, your prayers, and your encouragement. 

While I have surpassed my 90% support goal, I am still $150 a month short of my full 100% goal. If you would still like to donate to help me with this, please click on the donate button in the upper right hand corner! 

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As the summer winds down, everything becomes a little more hectic. Trying to spend time with people I care about, get all the things I need to take back with me, and as always, make sure that my support levels are where they need to be so that I can return on time. I have been encouraged and uplifted by friends, family, and people that I have been able to see this summer while I have been home. God has shown me that I have a large group of people here that believe in what God is doing in Germany and are praying for me and my ministry at CSK.

The last time I had an update, I still needed $500 more a month, but now I'm thrilled to tell you that I only need $150! It's looking like a real possibility that I'll arrive on time! :)

Are you able to help me close the gap?

Just follow this link to give online: https://give.teachbeyond.org/usa/cc/

Updates

I must say, it's been quite a busy summer! I've had the opportunity to see many friends and supporters, catch up on life, and share about what God is doing in Germany through education. It's the longest continuous time I've been in the states since I left for Germany two years ago, and it's been lovely.

Updates

1) My garage sale was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who helped, either by bringing items, stopping by for a visit, or praying for us. The days we chose turned out to be the hottest we've had yet (upper 90s), but people still came, and we made a total of $880! I know...my mom and I had to count it twice because we didn't believe it at first. The highlight of the two days was when a German man, about my age, came with his girlfriend- they randomly decided to stop by on their drive up to Seattle when they saw my signs for the sale. They had been vacationing in California. It was so fun to talk to them about Germany, and to find common ground between us. God is most certainly our provider. Even in something as simple as a garage sale. :) 

2) I had the chance to talk about my ministry at my church, InRoads, two Sundays ago before both services. I was a little nervous to be up in front of everyone with all eyes on me (I prefer being in front of the little people I teach more) but God gave me the words to say and everything went smoothly! It was such an encouragement to talk to people from my church and share about what I'm doing in Germany. 

3) I had a lovely open house a few weeks ago! It was a smaller group, which I prefer because it gave me the chance to talk to everyone. I so appreciate everyone who came, and I'm so glad that we were able to catch up! 

4) I'm still making and selling mugs to help raise support! They're only $6 each, and I will design you anything you like! I've been having the best time making all of these- it's given me a creative outlet this summer. :) Just let me know what you'd like it to say or what you'd like me to attempt to draw! 

5) Support update: I've been blessed by all of the encouragement, prayers, and outpouring of financial support the past two years, and this summer has been no exception! While it's been a great summer, I am beginning to feel ready to get back and begin the new school year. I'm scheduled to leave on August 20th, but my missions organization will not allow me to do so until I have 90% of my necessary support. While this is difficult news to hear, as I'm anxious to get back to my other home, I appreciate their care and concern for my needs once I'm there. In order to reach 90%, I need $500 more a month in pledges, or enough one-time gifts to add up to that amount. As with each time I've had to raise funding, it seems like a lot, but I've learned that when God wants you to be somewhere or do something, the resources tend to come out of the woodwork and make everything possible. I've also learned that it tends to come together at the last minute. So I'm making an active choice not to worry, but to instead trust that He is mighty enough to take care of my needs.

So I invite you personally to help. My updated support chart below breaks down my monthly needs into manageable chunks. Are you able to help me return to Germany to live and teach there for one more year? Can you fill in a box on my chart? 

To put the amounts into perspective: 

$10 is less than the price of two grande lattes at Starbucks. 

$25 is less than the price of two movie tickets with popcorn.    
$50 is less than the cost of a dinner for two at a nicer restaurant.

$100 is the amount that's easily spent when you go to Target to purchase some hand soap. ;) 

I would love for you to join my support team! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at acollins@teachbeyond.org. I'd be happy to answer them! 

It's very easy to donate- just click on the link on the upper right hand corner, or I can send you a paper form that can be mailed to my missions organization. All gifts are tax deductible! 

Mugs for Sale!

I'm making and selling mugs to help earn money to send me back to Germany for my third year! These ones have the map outline of Germany, with a heart over the area I'm currently living-the Black Forest. 

I have two different mug shapes to choose from, and I'm selling them for just $6 each!

If you would like one, please let me know! If you live outside the Bay Area, I will be more than happy to mail you one, if you are able to cover the cost of shipping. 

Other designs coming soon! If you have any ideas, or would like me to make you a specific design, I'd love to hear about it! :) acollins@teachbeyond.org or call/text me at 510-449-2259.

Update: New designs available! 
1) Guten Morgen: Good morning!
2) Ich liebe Deutsch: I love German!
3) Ich liebe Deutschland: I love Germany!
4) Kaffe, Milch, Zucker: Coffee, Milk, Sugar