Month: April 2010

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You can do it

As I neared the finish line, I wondered: Why is it so easy to gain speed near the end, yet my legs feel like steel mallets in the midst of the race?
I ran a 5K on Saturday with my buddy, Maria. She’s a precious 4th grader who I was paired with for Girls on the Run. This is a race sponsored by New Balance to encourage young girls to get moving.

 

It made me realize that in the middle of the journey, it gets hard. Life is a race, but much slower than a 5K, and at times, I can question why is it so hard? Yet, I fully understand that I must continue to run, even though my legs feel like steel mallets. Slowing down, or speeding up..it is not the problem. The problem is stopping and staying put.

 

I thank God every day for the ability to run, and the where-with-all to continue even when I can’t. He can.

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He approved!

Dr. Wiley approved of my revisions. He officially is signing off on my dissertation. Now, I think…Chapter closed. But is it? The thought of what is next frightens me a bit. However, I am remember whose approval matters: Christ’s. But the good news is that I have it.

 

It hasn’t hit home until recently. All of this work and strife, is it all worth it? It “feels” good to be accomplished because I know I have what it takes to be a disciplined person. But the vehicle I use to be disciplined has been my work and school (or my body). Has my spiritual life experienced this same muscle building? It’s a matter of asking for HIM everyday. I long for his answers but the questions still seem fuzzy. What is next?

 

There is a song by Mercy Me which I cannot get enough:

 

Here with me:

 

I long for your embrace

Every single day

To meet you in this place

And see you face to face

 

Will you show me?

Reveal yourself to me

Because of your mercy

I fall down on my knees

 

And I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender to your love

 

You’re everywhere I go

I am not alone

You call me as your own

To know you and be known

 

You are holy

And I fall down on my knees

 

I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender to your love

 

I surrender to your grace

I surrender to the one who took my place

 

I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender:

 

I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender to your love

 

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Discovering Me

I haven’t been good to myself. Especially my body. I have reaped the consequences of too much on not enough. Becoming whole means not only taking care of the heart, but his temple as well.  What amazes me is how I got through all the schooling and work on only 1/2 brain power? I don’t think I fully realized I wasn’t feeding my brain.  The concept of eating right and taking care of the temple has been a misguided concept.  I am finally realizing that the body is the vehicle needed to do God’s work. Without this, I am ineffective.

 

I started a new workout regimen, and I think it’s pretty balanced. It feels good to not be a slave to the gym anymore. I want to find that “balance” in working out and staying fit. Doing a full body workout three times a week is much better than six! This way I can get outside and do more fun things.
I need to perfect my golf game! This is my next goal.

 

 

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Defending my Doctorate….I finished!

I made it!!

I defended on April 2nd and passed.

Graduation is May 12th, 2010. WOW, it’s finally here.

Here is my topic: Because Writing Counts! Discovering the Perceptions of Middle School Content Teachers About Writing in Their Classrooms

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to examine the factors of teachers’ perceptions and choices about writing across all disciplines in an urban, highly ELL populated middle school more closely. Four teachers were studied in depth, and data collected included in-depth interviews. Findings indicated three main assertions related to the research questions which sought to understand if teachers see a link to writing and learning, how teachers perceive and utilize writing in their content area classroom, as well as what factors influenced their implementation practices. These assertions are that: (a) Writing is both process and product providing proper evidence to be a mode of learning. They claim that it is helpful for processing, clarifying, reflecting, and also can solidify what has been learned. In some cases, it also provides a record or product of what has been learned providing confidence in the learner, which is significant for the ELL student. The research has unquestionably proven that the cognitive operations that students utilize during the writing process have helped illuminate the real power of writing;  (b) Teachers usage of writing (for literacy for ELL and English fluent students) depends on the goal or purpose, the timing, and the audience; This included writing to learn strategies that draw on past knowledge, prepare for new learning, review and/or fuse relevant knowledge, and to then extend knowledge; (c) Teachers are influenced by both internal and external factors which affects their implementation efforts. I found that staff development classes had the biggest influence on these teachers, but there were many areas of writing in content areas, especially the junior high areas of math and science, in which teachers could use more writing to learn strategies, and how to couple their already practicing cooperative learning strategies with writing through a staff development class or modeling. This study is in preparation for designing an intervention for staff development on teaching writing to learn strategies in any middle school; especially one with a high ELL population.