Reflections from Week One.

I love being only a high school teacher.  I love having only one classroom that I can work to make beautiful and to focus on.  I love being upstairs at all time and being able to enforce high school expectations on our students.  After last year being a difficult year with students, I prayed a lot over summer for God to equip me to be the teacher the students needed.  I prayed I would be strong in discipline, and a strong teacher focused on lessons.  I prayed that this expectation would be placed at the beginning of the school year.  Well prayers have been answered, I have been firm and strict and the students have responded in a good way. This has not been in a desire for power and authority over the students.  But rather for them to grow to be respectful young adults.  Thus far, I am proud.  

The now seniors have been wonderful.  After filling my suitcases with bowties, suspenders, tuxedo shirts, and sweaters for their uniforms, they have looked "fresh" walking the halls of Sonlight Academy.  They are working hard and focusing on schoolwork.  We can only hope and pray it will continue!  Here they are on the first day of school.  The boys are shorter than the girls; oops you can barely see them.  Sorry!

Here is a picture of me with one of my favorite students Jean Gardy!  He is a senior this year, and I’m heart broken.  I am giving him his morning pep talk, and mainly embarrassing him.

Four of our graduates from last school year are now working at Sonlight.  Which, of course, over joys me because now I can see them everyday still.  Fiona is working in first grade, Evenson and Jethro are in high school, and Chnida is in sixth grade.

Here are Eliona and Elionise on their second day of kindergarten.  They were late on their first day and I didn’t get a chance to see them.  They are so cute with their backpacks!  And Eliona has lost a tooth.

Here are two more senior boys, Bob and Yves-Mary on their first Friday.  On Fridays the boys will wear a straight tie.  They look sharp!

 One of my biggest fears of teaching only high school was the junior class.  I had heard only horror stories of this class, not listening to the teachers, acting out.  I thought for sure they would kick me back to the States.  But, as it turns out, I love them.  I have truly enjoyed having them in class so far and we have already done a fun activity in class and they handled it well.  I think we will have lots of fun getting to know each other this year!  Can’t wait to start to get to know their families.

I miss you all very much!  I love and pray for you often!