I live in the tropics.
And I sleep in leggings.
And a sweatshirt.
And socks.
This is why I can never move back to Indiana.
17 February 2015
15 February 2015
NYU and Postcards
One of my seniors applied to NYU Abu Dhabi last semester. It was a long shot. Not because of him or his academic record - he is an outstanding student and at the top of his class. It's just hard for students from our tiny school to get into colleges with such high standards and expectations. I wrote his recommendation letter last fall and sent it in with a whispered prayer.
He got his acceptance letter yesterday. And he wasn't just accepted - he was accepted with a full ride scholarship! I am so unspeakably proud of him and all of his hard work. I know how many hours he has put into his work (sometimes more than even I think he should!) and how much he wanted this. His hard work is paying off, and his dreams are coming true.
This morning, he dropped by my classroom and handed me a postcard. Written on the back were these words:
Miss, I just want to say thank you for everything! First of all, thank you for writing me a recommendation letter despite your busy schedule. Also, thank you for always helping me in math. Being in your class has taught me to never give up but always work hard. I carried on this valuable lesson while doing my college application and it worked! You are absolutely part of this unbelievable miracle. I have always said this to you, but I want to say it again. Thank you for serving here when you could be more successful (in the world's eye) in other places. I hope to become like you, to use everything to serve others, even if it is somewhere remote and unknown. Thank you very much.
This is why I'm here! Not to see students get into fantastic schools or to prod high schoolers along to 4.0s. Certainly not for the recognition. Because really, nobody becomes a teacher for THAT.
I'm here to be a part of the story. A part of their story. Sometimes their dreams come true. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes God gives them a new dream - something they never even imagined. Every May, they go off to places around the world. I stay here. And I get to be here 2 years or 5 years - or maybe someday even 10 years - later when they come back. And they sit in my classroom after school and tell me about the places they have been and the things they have accomplished and the ways that they have grown. They tell me the next chapter of the story. The chapter that I don't get to see. But the chapter that I got to be a part of.
He got his acceptance letter yesterday. And he wasn't just accepted - he was accepted with a full ride scholarship! I am so unspeakably proud of him and all of his hard work. I know how many hours he has put into his work (sometimes more than even I think he should!) and how much he wanted this. His hard work is paying off, and his dreams are coming true.
This morning, he dropped by my classroom and handed me a postcard. Written on the back were these words:
Miss, I just want to say thank you for everything! First of all, thank you for writing me a recommendation letter despite your busy schedule. Also, thank you for always helping me in math. Being in your class has taught me to never give up but always work hard. I carried on this valuable lesson while doing my college application and it worked! You are absolutely part of this unbelievable miracle. I have always said this to you, but I want to say it again. Thank you for serving here when you could be more successful (in the world's eye) in other places. I hope to become like you, to use everything to serve others, even if it is somewhere remote and unknown. Thank you very much.
This is why I'm here! Not to see students get into fantastic schools or to prod high schoolers along to 4.0s. Certainly not for the recognition. Because really, nobody becomes a teacher for THAT.
I'm here to be a part of the story. A part of their story. Sometimes their dreams come true. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes God gives them a new dream - something they never even imagined. Every May, they go off to places around the world. I stay here. And I get to be here 2 years or 5 years - or maybe someday even 10 years - later when they come back. And they sit in my classroom after school and tell me about the places they have been and the things they have accomplished and the ways that they have grown. They tell me the next chapter of the story. The chapter that I don't get to see. But the chapter that I got to be a part of.
03 February 2015
Reasons
My internet has not been working since Saturday. Well, that's kind of an exaggeration. It has been working for about 20 minutes at a time. And then not working for the following 2-3 hours. Then working for 20 more minutes. Then not working for 2-3 hours. You get the picture.
I had a technician come out yesterday. I hate having technicians come out. Because no matter how clearly I tell them what time intervals I will be at home during, they almost without fail come at a different time. And then they act like I am SUCH an inconvenience to them for, you know, being at work when they took the time to drive all the way to my house and THEN call me. When I already told them that they have to come AFTER 3 PM.
I also hate having technicians come because it so often seems like they really have no idea what they are doing. They fidget around with some stuff and try to offer up some helpful suggestions (which are actually accusations in disguise), such as these, which were all offered up by yesterday's technician:
Make sure you pay your internet bill. Maybe you forgot. I think that's why your internet isn't working.
(I had the receipt that I could show him. I paid my internet bill a whole day early.)
Maybe you need to get your phone repaired. That's probably why there's no internet connection.
(I used the phone earlier that day to make a call. It was working fine.)
You should turn the modem/router off when you leave home so that it won't overheat.
(I'm pretty sure this is not a thing. Also, it is currently "cold" season here.)
Make sure you pay your phone bill on time so that there's no problem with your connection.
(School pays my phone bill. On time. Every month.)
Have you turned your modem off recently? That could cause it to crash.
(Also not a thing. And if it was - then why does it even have a power button on it?!)
I've been noticing that this is a thing here. When you don't know what's wrong, you make up all kinds of reasons about what COULD be wrong. I generally have to try REALLY hard to not roll my eyes (or worse yet - laugh out loud) at these helpful suggestions. (I was going to put one of those last two words in quotes, but I just can't decide which one...)
One of my personal all-time favorites is that if you feel sick after riding in a vehicle, it is definitely not carsickness. It is because of the cold AC blowing on you. And if you want to stay healthy, you should tape your belly button shut before getting in a vehicle.
So just keep that in mind next time you get in a car.
I had a technician come out yesterday. I hate having technicians come out. Because no matter how clearly I tell them what time intervals I will be at home during, they almost without fail come at a different time. And then they act like I am SUCH an inconvenience to them for, you know, being at work when they took the time to drive all the way to my house and THEN call me. When I already told them that they have to come AFTER 3 PM.
I also hate having technicians come because it so often seems like they really have no idea what they are doing. They fidget around with some stuff and try to offer up some helpful suggestions (which are actually accusations in disguise), such as these, which were all offered up by yesterday's technician:
Make sure you pay your internet bill. Maybe you forgot. I think that's why your internet isn't working.
(I had the receipt that I could show him. I paid my internet bill a whole day early.)
Maybe you need to get your phone repaired. That's probably why there's no internet connection.
(I used the phone earlier that day to make a call. It was working fine.)
You should turn the modem/router off when you leave home so that it won't overheat.
(I'm pretty sure this is not a thing. Also, it is currently "cold" season here.)
Make sure you pay your phone bill on time so that there's no problem with your connection.
(School pays my phone bill. On time. Every month.)
Have you turned your modem off recently? That could cause it to crash.
(Also not a thing. And if it was - then why does it even have a power button on it?!)
I've been noticing that this is a thing here. When you don't know what's wrong, you make up all kinds of reasons about what COULD be wrong. I generally have to try REALLY hard to not roll my eyes (or worse yet - laugh out loud) at these helpful suggestions. (I was going to put one of those last two words in quotes, but I just can't decide which one...)
One of my personal all-time favorites is that if you feel sick after riding in a vehicle, it is definitely not carsickness. It is because of the cold AC blowing on you. And if you want to stay healthy, you should tape your belly button shut before getting in a vehicle.
So just keep that in mind next time you get in a car.
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