A Whole New Blog

So this blog used to be solely dedicated to my experience in South Africa, but after revisiting the page several months after my trip, I have decided to reinvent my blog! I have decided that I want to share some of my teaching experiences with you.

I am currently completing my student teaching at a middle school in Lansing, MI teaching little 6th graders. Last semester I mainly taught special education math and science, and this upcoming semester I will be teaching special education langauge/arts and social studies. I had a great experience last semester and I can't wait for this new semester! I love the relationships that I continue to build with my teachers and the students and I have learned so much already! So stay tuned for future posts about my life as a teacher!

Hey Everyone :(

So there is a sad face in the title, but don't worry, everything is still good, I have just been having a tough time in my classroom so I am frustrated! The kids have no respect for me and it is really challenging for me to be with them all day, so please pray for me that I will have patience with them and that I will be able to show them love. I am also missing a lot of things from my life in the U.S. so I thought I would list them for you :) chocolate milk, pop made with high fructose corn syrup (mostly mountain dew), American fast food (including most kinds), my glorious queen size bed with 500 thread count sheets, freedom and independence, driving, showers (I can only take baths right now), my cat and dog, American candy, and all of YOU!!! there is more that I miss but that is all i can think of right now! Time to go, but I hope you are all doing well, I love you all!

Family, Teaching, and Friends

Hello Everyone!! I am sorry that I am not able to update my blog very often, but I was without internet for an entire week!!! AHHHH! I was definitely internet deprived! I hope everyone is well in the United States because everything here in South Africa is amazing! Last Monday I met my host family for the first time, so I have been with them for a little over a week and they are wonderful! My host mom spoils me and she is very nice and the kids are a lot of fun! I also had my first experience in the classroom last Tuesday and I love it! There are about fifteen kids in my classroom and there is a large range of disabilities. It is really interesting to see all of the similarities and differences between here and home. The school is great, but there is not heat and in the morning it is freezing! I have started to wear two pairs of pants and layers of shirts, just to stay warm enough! This past weekend I got to hang out with everyone in the Study Abroad group and it was so fun! It was so nice to see everyone and to spend time together! We went to a Rugby game on Friday night and on Saturday we went on a mountain hike! Then on Sunday my family took me to a Braai, which is actually just a barbeque, but it was really good and I enjoyed myself! Anyways, I have to be going now, but I will try to write again soon! I really appreciate all of the emails and FB posts, even though I am not always able to reply :( I love you all and I miss you, until next time...

Just Livin' Life in South Africa, Man!

Hey everybody! I still miss you all a lot! Today we woke up early this morning and we left the B&B to travel to Hermanus to spend the night. It was a pretty long drive, but it is so beautiful here. I know that I continually say that it is so beautiful here, but it really is everywhere we go! We are staying in a backpackers hostile and it is pretty sweet! We also went to a market today and I dropped some serious rand on some souveneirs and sweet African stuff! Tomorrow we travel back to the B&B to spend our last night there :( It has become our home and we are all sad to leave it and each other, but I am excited to meet my host family on Monday and to go live with them! But now it is time to go because I am tired and others need to use the internet! Sorry for the short posts and the lack of details, but when I get back there will be lots of picture viewing and storytelling! p.s. I have already taked over 800 pictures! night night everyone and I hope you are all enjoying your summer! Love you all and God Bless!

My First Week in Cape Town, South Africa

Hello everyone! So I have been in Africa for almost a week now and it has truly been a wonderful experience. On the first day that we arrived we went to dinner at one of the shopping malls and then we were all tired so we went back to our B & B and went to bed! After a long night (I woke up at 4:30am and was wide awake in my bed until it was time for breakfast at 7:30) we had a full day of activities! First we went to the Waterfront and went to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was in prison and then we went around some more of the city and in the evening we went to a barbque restaurant for dinner, and it was really good! The next day we made our way around the peninsula and stopped at several different sights. We saw baboons on the side of the road in many different places and we say ostrichs and penguins! Basically we have just been doing a lot of awesome traveling! Then on Monday we started our classes at University of Cape Town. I was nervous about a full day of classes but they have been extremely interesting and I have loved all of the great new things I have been learning! I have to go now though, so I will be updating again as soon as I can, sorry there aren't a lot of details! Please continue to pray for my trip, for my safety and health, and for all of the people I will come in contact with. Also pray for my cat, we found out she has cancer and she will not live much longer, so I just hope she is not in pain :( I love you all and I will be updating again soon! Bye!

I'm Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone!!! After a very long flight I am finally here. It is so amazing here and I love it so far. Today is only our second full day and it is great to be traveling and I am having such a wonderful time. Right now I am in an internet cafe in the second largest shopping center in the southern hemisphere! I have to go now, since I am paying for internet, but I will try to update again soon!!! I miss you all and I love you!!

Leaving in less than 12 hours!

So right now it is a little after midnight and in 12 short hours my flight takes off for Atlanta, and then from Atlanta we go to Cape Town, South Africa!!!! I am so excited and still a little nervous! I have been waiting for this trip for so long and now that it is finally here it seems so unreal, but I am certain it will be an amazing experience. I think that when I get there some things will seem so familiar, but then there will be so much that will be different and things will be like I have never seen before. I have never traveled abroad, so this is all such a new and exciting adventure for me.

I am really excited for the first few weeks because our days will be packed with traveling and learning all about the education system in South Africa. I think that I will learn so much while I am there about teaching and who I want to be as a teacher. I expect that this experience will be such an eye opening time in my life to gain great knowledge and to grow as a teacher and a person. It will definitely be hard to be away from my friends and family because they are such a huge part of my life, but being away from them is part of what will help me grow.

I think that the trip will definitely be challenging in so many ways. It will be difficult to be living and immersed in a brand new environment and also expected to actively participate in this environment. I also think that teaching will be difficult. I do not have a lot of experience lead teaching in a classroom, so I am definitely nervous. I am also nervous about what expectations my mentor teacher will have of me. I think that the hardest part of all of this is not really knowing what to expect; the unknown is really what makes everything seem scary, but it can also make things exciting. It will be interesting to learn all about a new education system in a short time and then to go teach in that environment and to be confident in what I am doing. I also really hope that I get along with my host family. They seem so wonderful and I am so excited to meet them,I just hope that I can become part of their family and blend well with who they are.

Overall, I know that the experience will be challenging, but it will also be very rewarding, and through all of it I can be confident because I know that God will be with me every step of the way, guiding me and supporting me. I just want to thank all of my friends and family for being so supportive of me through all of this, it means so much to me!!! But, time to go, next time I write I will be at my destination!!!

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 (Thanks Alicia!)