!Feliz Navidad!

School was a trip today... in a really good way.

My Spanish 3 students are currently working on demonstrative adjectives and pronouns (aka "this, that, these, those") in Spanish. I placed three gift-wrapped boxes in the room and asked three volunteers to choose from this box, that box, or that box way over those.

I left the contents of the box a mystery. They could be empty, contain a million dollar, or a barbie. Who knew?

The first volunteer got an expired Spangles coupon and a sucker.

The second received a beautifully empty used picture frame.

The third - oh the third - received the best gift of all:

A two-foot tall fiberoptic Christmas tree complete with ornaments.

Oh yeah. She bragged about it the rest of the day.

In my Spanish 4 class I gave the students the chance to tell their teacher what to do for once! They were working on how to form commands in Spanish, so I decided to have some fun. Each student wrote two commands and threw them into "The Bossy Box." If the command was completely correct, I had to do what it said. If it was incorrect in any way, they had to do what it said.

Needless to say, I embarrassed myself a few times. I combed a student's hair, sang a riveting rendition of "Man in the Mirror," and ran around the room yelling, "I'm not intelligent."

I thought that was fun. But what was more fun was watching my students do the things that they thought I was going to have to do.

One girl has to bake me a fresh batch of cookies.

Another will speak in a southern accent the entire class period.

One of the fellas had to admit that he secretly loved K-State, which made him visibly sick. (ha!)

One student will perform "Part of Your World," from The Little Mermaid to begin class tomorrow.

I can't wait to eat my cookies, call on the Texan all class period for answers, and be serenaded by the sounds of The Little Mermaid.

Tomorrow is looking very, very bright.

Peace, Love, and Adventure, ya'll.

Seth

I see you.

Most people categorize high school students as unmotivated creatures with little creativity. Not the students at my high school. Oh no sir. They have an uncanny ability to take an everyday object and turn it into something really, really special...something their parents and the community would be proud of.

I see you, high school students. I'll forever be trying to "get on your level."

Peace, love and creativity, ya'll.

Seth

Oh, mother.

My mom is a saint. However, I haven't always believed so. As an meek and submissive middle child, mom always heaped the chores onto me instead of my rebellious older brother and mouthy and argumentative younger sister. Each time she did, my ears turned red with anger. I often imagine a cloud of steam rushing out of my ears and swirling in a cloud above my ten year old head.

I will say, though, that as I have gotten older, my mom has made viable attempts to become more hip and "with it." Her most recent endeavor was to master the art of texting so that she could reach her children when they didn't answer her 17th phone call of the day, which was probably just to ask them some trivial question like, "Did you remember to buy groceries this week?" or "Do you remember that your great-aunt's birthday is three weeks, two days, and 6 hours from right now?"

I appreciate her attempt. I really do. But, if calling her a master of texting was the truth, and the truth came in the shape of the popular 90's toy stretch armstrong, his arms would be helplessly stretched to the point where you can see the tiny beads that make up his malleable extremities.

I say all of this because I've noticed a pattern in my mom's texting. She has no idea how to turn the capitalization key on or off. She does it by accident. So, I consequently imagine her yelling these things at me. Recently, I've received messages like,

"Call me when you have a minute. NOTHING BIG. DON'T WORRY OR ANYTHING."

and, when I told her that a movie was good, she said,

"Is it? I BOUGHT THE MOVIE BUT HAVENT WATCHED IT YET," as if to tell me to get off her back for not having seen it.

Another favorite is when she inadvertently screams how she feels.

"That's nice. I MISS YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND I WANT YOU TO COME HOME SOON.

I secretly hope she never figures the caps key out. I also secretly hope that she doesn't even realize that she's doing it. In this case, her ignorance is truly my bliss.

Peace, love, and Paula Deen, ya'll

Seth

Cut and dry.

So, my friends, here's what I wrote this morning on my 21st birthday. A friend has recently been asking some questions regarding faith in Christ, and I think that posting this may answer questions that others may have! So, here is the question and my response!

1. Question (paraphrased): Gandhi and Bill Gates dedicated their lives to social justice, equality, and charity, and my Christian friends believe that just because they didn't believe the right thing that they are spending eternity in hell. Is getting into Heaven so cut and dry? Or do you think God chooses in a more sophisticated manner?

This is a question that some Christians would avoid trying to answer because they don’t want to step on people’s toes. I’ll try to answer this the best that I can. This is going to be a long answer! Brace yourself!

At the beginning of creation, Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and living in perfect unison with God. The Bible says that they walked in the garden with God and talked with him every day. They were literally best friends and companions. God created men in his image, which means that they were perfect and without sin. If God is a holy and perfect being (which I believe he is), he can only be in the presence of righteous, perfect people. After Eve disobeyed God by eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (and consequently offered it to Adam), humans lost their perfection. For that reason, God sent them from the Garden, which was his dwelling place on the earth. Since then, humanity has been imperfect. Because Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, humanity is now able to know what God has always known: the difference between good and evil. We had no idea that evil even existed! We were in perfect communion with the perfect creator!

Now, when we think of justice, we think of people working to correct their own misdeeds. When a prisoner is locked up, often he has the chance to redeem himself by working his way back to normalcy. If his behavior is good, he moves to a different prison with less strict rules, and eventually, he may earn his freedom. In this scenario, he is attempting to rectify his standing in society because of the malicious act that he perpetrated. Try applying this scenario to the paragraph above. If Adam and Eve are now prisoners because of their knowledge of good and evil, it is impossible for them to redeem their situation. In this case, they are not rectifying themselves in society because of an act that they committed; rather they would be trying to erase the knowledge that they gained from eating the fruit. They cannot “un-know” the knowledge that they have received. They cannot erase the knowledge that was implanted in them and undoubtedly passed on to their children (and their children, and their children, etc).

It was for this reason that Jesus came. We cannot in any possible “work” our way into heaven.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

God’s love is unconditional. You’ve probably heard that phrase many, many times, but let me explain it a little more than you may be used to. “Unconditional” means that God loves us all equally. When we think of “unconditional,” we tend to think on the negative side. For example, “Even if I mess up and sin, God still loves me because his love is unconditional.” While that is true, the other side is also true. “Even when I do something amazing and praiseworthy, God still loves me the same amount because his love is unconditional.” There is NOTHING that we can do to make God love us less. There is NOTHING that we could do to make God love us more. No misdeed or good deed will enhance our standing in the eyes of the Lord. He already loves us at his full capacity, which is much, much more than we can imagine.

With this in mind, look at Ephesians 2:8 and 9 – “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift from God – not by works so that no man can boast.” What we see here is that God does not base our salvation upon our deeds. Why? Because his love is unconditional. If we were all judged upon our good deeds, we would all be in trouble. I don’t know about you, but more often than not, by sinful thoughts and bad deeds out number my good deeds by far! I’m so thankful that I am not seen based on my deeds. Verse 8 says that we are saved by grace through faith. Odds are that you have heard this verse, too, so let me explain. Grace is unmerited favor. God has mercy on us, but we (even I!) don’t deserve it! However, the verse also says that this grace comes through faith! By adding “in Jesus Christ” at the end, the verse is a little more clear. By faith in Jesus Christ, I have been saved by God’s favor that I in no way earned. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”

Have you ever wondered why he said this? Seems quite exclusive, doesn’t it?

“God made him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” – 2 Corinthians 5:21.

“Him who had no sin” is Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible that documents life before Jesus’ birth, God required sacrifices of lambs to cleanse humanity of sin. By sacrificing these sinless creatures, man’s sin was covered temporarily; until the next time that a sacrifice was required. When Jesus arrived on the scene, all of that changed. Jesus, often called “The Lamb of God,” became our permanent sacrifice. No longer would humanity have to sacrifice animals to please God. They simply need to believe that Jesus “became sin for us” and cleansed us from all impurities.

Those who don’t believe that Christ became sin and took God’s wrath have not yet received Christ’s cover. Colossians 3:3 says this: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” When God looks at believers, he no longer sees them as sinful beings. He sees Christ. As a believer, I am literally hidden in Christ so that when I die and God pronounces his judgment on me, he sees Christ and not my “deeds.” It’s fascinating, isn’t it? I am so thankful for that.

So, with that said, I do believe that getting into heaven is cut and dry. BUT, I refuse to believe that God doesn’t grieve over the loss of a soul. The Bible says that God desires that EVERYONE come to know him. “The LORD is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God wishes that everyone come to accept Christ as savior.

So, referring back to the part where I said that God does not judge us based on our deeds, rather, he looks at whether we are hidden in Christ, let’s talk about Gates and Gandhi. I do believe that Bill Gates and Gandhi are amazing men. However, if they are not hidden in Christ, they will not be spending eternity with him. Gandhi specifically was raised in a country where Christianity was not the main religion. One could assume that he may have never had the opportunity to hear the message of Christ. That may be true, and it may not be. Either way, God says that he reveals himself to everyone and provides him or her opportunities to discover him. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” Romans 1:20. This means that even though Gandhi may not have been directly told of the power of Christ to save, he is without excuse because God has revealed himself through creation.

God is patient with YOU, not wanting you to perish, but to come to repentance. He wants you to accept Christ as your savior. I hope that this has answered your question and spurred something inside of you. Remember that there is NOTHING you could do to make God love you less (or more)! He LOVES you. He desires that you know him, and so do I.

Mr. Kangaroo and Mr. Emu

Well folks, I did it. I managed to complete my entire undergraduate coursework with a 4.0. It feels pretty good, and I'd say its a pretty redemptive experience because of the 3.96 I graduated high school with. (Yeah... one B... and it was in Driver's Ed.)

In just a few short weeks, my entire life will change drastically. This hot-off-the-press 21 year old Spanish teacher will be stepping into the three story building that houses the largest and most diverse population of students in Wichita (name omitted purposely) to student teach. There are issues with gangs, daily fights, and large numbers of students that don't graduate. This terrifies me.

Or, at least I guess it would. But, for the most part, I won't be dealing with those students. I'll be with the "advanced" students. These students are set apart from the rest of the school. They have a different schedule and different expectations. Part of me wants the real experience that I will surely have in the near future as a full-time teacher, part of me is excited to really push the students to grow and explore the language. I've promised myself to give this experience everything that I've got, and today, I've been dreaming.

My friend Megan recently told me of her wish to get an emu tattooed on her arm. I had no idea why anyone would want that horribly ugly bird permanently implanted into their skin, but after her explanation, I got it.

You see, the emu cannot walk backwards.

Fascinating isn't it?

With a little googleizing, I discovered that the kangaroo also has difficulty moving backwards.

This has sparked an idea in my head. The mascot of my classroom will be either and emu or a kangaroo.

It sounds stupid, but I think that the students will really take to the idea. As of now, I'm leaning towards the kangaroo for a couple of reasons. First, there are several species of kangaroos, from the giant leaping ones that are featured in movies to tiny ones that fit in your palm. Second, mother kangaroos house their "joeys" in their pouches until they are ready to face the world. Third, kangaroos are so apt to adapt that they have been known to live in the desert, near the icy peaks of mountains, and even on golf courses. Fourth, a large group of kangaroos is called a "mob." Fifth, much like cows, kangaroos have several stomach chambers that allow them to digest large amounts of food. And finally,like I mentioned, kangaroos do not move backwards easily. In fact, they can leap fantastic distances at high speeds.

The amount of species represents the diversity of the classroom. Each student in the room has a history. Each student is different. Each has struggled in some way or another to get to where they are now. However different they are, they are still kangaroos. And in the long run, they'll always be accepted as so.

The fact that mothers house their young in their pouch represents the family environment that I will promote in the classroom. My students will look out for each other, and when they feel they're ready, they will be free to step out on their own.

Third, the kangaroo's ability to adapt represents the flexibility that I will require of my students. The best way to reach each student is by making each week, each day, each lesson so drastically different from the last one that they are engaged and on their toes. My students will need to be flexible and willing to adapt to my teaching style.

Fourth, the name of the large group, a "mob", symbolizes the unity that I expect between my students. I wish to instill a sense of pride in them. I want them to be proud of their work and of their efforts. I want them to encourage the efforts of the rest of the "mob" and rally around them when they most need it.

Fifth, the kangaroo's stomach, as one could anticipate, represents the amount of work that students will successfully "digest." I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the majority of students desire to learn. My goal is to make learning so enjoyable that the students don't even realize that they are learning and digesting large amounts of information.

And finally, the kangaroo's inability to move backwards personifies the continual forward motion that will be characteristic of my classroom. I believe that a student should not only grow a student in knowledge, but that they should also help a student discover their true selves and pursue their passions. Yes, I expect my students to leap like kangaroos in knowledge, but more than that, I hope that they make huge gains as an individual and global citizen.

I don't know about you, but I definitely want to be a kangaroo.

( I sketched these today. It says, "The mascot of our classroom will be either a kangaroo or emu because they do not move backwards.")

An Autobiography of Sorts...

As a young child I loved school. My mother often reminds me of how I would beg to go to school, even on the weekends throughout the summer. Something about the collision of the social and academic aspects was extremely appealing to me then, and the same is true now. Many educators have inspired me to pursue a career in education.

My first exposure to an educational environment was in my home. My mother worked for several years as a childcare provider and was constantly teaching the children under her care, including my siblings and me. We constantly read together as a family and even had mini spelling bees between my brother, sister and I. Her time was well spent and her instruction translated to immediate success in the first years of my schooling. The first teacher to impact me was Mrs. Reutter, my first grade teacher. An elderly woman, Mrs. Reutter was sweet, genuine and caring. She used friendly competition to encourage us to read and treated me to a coke at the local burger shop when I read the most pages. Her personal interest in my success is etched into my mind.

Although my middle school years were mostly uneventful, one teacher inspired me to pursue my personal interests. After a school-wide photography contest, Mrs. Colborn, my sixth grade teacher, praised my work and asked that I work with her on the yearbook staff. A professional photographer herself, Mrs. Colborn taught me so much about pursuing my passions because she hired me as a part-time employee for her new business. I began by following her around on photo shoots and altering lighting, but soon graduated to taking candid photographs of weddings and senior picture sessions with her second camera. She was also the director of the sixth grade play and gave me a lead role in the show, spurring my passion for drama and theater. Mrs. Colborn would go on to be my high school theater director and forensics coach, guiding me to several lead roles and many league and state titles throughout my career. My personal interests in photography and theater spurred from her encouragement and personal interest in my life.

Unlike my time in middle school, my high school years were anything but uneventful. I enrolled in advanced placement courses and soon started an accelerated course in order to graduate a semester early. While I performed well in the sciences, fine arts, and language arts, I struggled to find a discipline that captivated me. All of that changed my sophomore year when I began taking Spanish classes with Mrs. Moore. While other students followed along with her instruction, I made leaps and bounds as was quickly at the top of the class. Mrs. Moore allocated extra work for me and encouraged any venture that I wanted to attempt. Because of the small size of my high school, only Spanish One and Spanish Two existed. After speaking with administration, Mrs. Moore fought to establish a Spanish Three, a class with one student: me. The fact that Mrs. Moore negotiated to begin a class for me meant the world. I will never forget that Mrs. Moore desired that I be successful, and for that reason, I was successful. She inspired me to study Spanish at the university level.

I would be a fool to say that I made it through my career at Friends University alone. One professor, Dr. Jerry Smartt, has been my biggest fan, greatest encourager, and most earnest advocate at Friends. Her passion for the Spanish language is infectious. As a junior in high school, I visited Friends and met with Dr. Smartt to find out about the Spanish department. She spoke with such conviction and urgency, convincing me of the need for more Spanish speakers in the country. Before I even left her office I had already decided to pursue a Spanish Education major. At one point in my education I became so frustrated with the education program that I abandoned my dream of being a teacher and settled for a bachelor of arts in Spanish. When Dr. Smartt found out, she called me into her office and begged me to reconsider. When I couldn’t see the teacher in myself, Dr. Smartt did. Upon her request, I picked the major back up. The next semester I had an independent study with Dr. Smartt for the Spanish Methods and Practicum for Grades Pre-k through 6. During this course, I thought I did not have what it took to become an educator. I called Dr. Smartt, a nervous wreck, and she met me on campus, on a Saturday, even. That morning she spoke to me with the same conviction and urgency as the first time I met her and convinced me again that I would undoubtedly succeed, and even more, be great. Dr. Smartt is one of my biggest fans, and she reminds me on a weekly basis. I would not be the person or the educator that I am without her influence.

Looking back at the life-changing educators that I mentioned, one might notice that all of them are women. There is a serious lack of men in the public school system today. Many men have assumed either the roles of a laborer or a businessman. The lack of a male presence in my educational career has also spurred me to become an educator. Children need a positive male role model in their lives on a daily basis, and I see myself filling that position for many children who may lack one.

I think I have learned something about the education field through each of the afore-mentioned teachers. From Mrs. Reutter, I learned that a genuine and caring demeanor wins the love and trust of students. From Mrs. Colborn, I learned that a teacher does more than just promote success in their own discipline; they inspire their students to pursue their passions. From Mrs. Moore, I learned that fighting for a student’s success is never a lost cause. And from Dr. Smartt, I learned to never let a student doubt himself or give up on his dreams. I know that by following the example of the most incredible educators that I know, I will, as Dr. Smartt said, do more than succeed. I will excel.

Getting to the Center of W.

He came in at just the wrong moment. President George W. Bush walked onto stage just two sentences too early to start his night off in Wichita. After confidently back-stepping behind the curtain, he successfully entered the stage five seconds later, waving and thanking the energetic crowd.

This was the first of many instances in which the former president caused the enormous crowd to burst into laughter. The former president seemed to let his guard down as he entertained and informed Wichitans last night. His humanness smacked the audience in the face right from the start. His speech began with an anecdote about the day he watched Barack Obama be sworn into the office of the president. He plopped down on his couch and started conversing with his wife.

"Thank goodness that's over." he said to Laura. "I'll finally have some free time on my hands."

"Yes, George," she replied, "Now you finally have the time to do your own dishes."

"Laura. You do realize you're talking to the former President of the United States?" he responded.

"Yes, I do. Just call this your new Domestic Policy Plan."

Wichitans were wooed by the President's southern charm and casual demeanor. Bush even managed to utilize the word "dude" in his speech. Most were disappointed that no "Bush-isms" were coined, but they were impressed with how frequently he made fun of himself. While talking about his book, he acknowledged that most people in D.C. didn't think that he could even read, let alone write. He also cracked jokes about the fateful day that he choked on a pretzel, passed out, and was resuscitated by the President's doctor.

All jokes aside, the former President spoke with incredible honesty about some of the decisions and events that shaped his presidency. At about the middle of his speech, he referenced his decision to send 15 billion dollars worth of aid to Africa to battle the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the time of this decision, many Americans were upset with his choice to send aid abroad when the U.S. had its own problems to deal with. In one heartfelt sentence, he justified his decision, saying, "As the President of the most powerful nation ever, you must have priorities."

Most audience members had to fight their way through protesters outside chanting, "ARREST GEORGE BUSH." And although they were causing a ruckus, the one word that George Bush yelled during his speech was volumes louder and better received. He spoke of the choice to use faith-based programs to implement the HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Africa and the controversy that it caused because of their conservative and traditional approach. "If you want to tick some people off," he said, "just go to the Lincoln Memorial and yell 'ABSTINENCE' at the top of your lungs."

After wrapping up his speech, the president transitioned into a one-on-one interview with a member of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce. The interviewer asked him several questions, including "What went through your mind on September 11, 2001 and what are your thoughts ten years later?" Bush answered with sincerity and expressed his surprising lack of emotion during the 10 year memorial service. "The service was impersonal," he said. "I was sitting in a bulletproof glass box and watching the service from a distance."

Whether Republican, Democrat, or other, each member of the audience left Century II with a better sense of who George W. Bush is and the rationale behind his decision making during his presidency. His Christian values permeated throughout the entire presentation, but really they really shone when he ended his speech saying, "God is Good," to which the Kansas crowd joyfully responded, "All the time!"