Books

Lately I have been thinking a lot about books. I love books so much. That may be a nerdy, teacher-y thing to say, but I don't much care. They are just so wonderful.
In my current classroom I spend the first 15 minutes after the kids come in from recess with the kids gathered around me, reading a chapter book. We are fully in Kate Decamillo's gorgeous Newberry winner, "The Tale of Despereaux." I have read it perhaps 6 times to different classrooms by now; I just adore sharing it with kids. In some teacher circles this 'old fashion' simple read aloud is falling out of popularity, but I don't care. I read to them a 300 page chapter book with perhaps 12 books, without a clearly explained learning target, far above their own reading levels, with complex themes such as forgiveness, empathy, and heroism. I try to really do it justice as I read it a loud- bringing as much emphasis and voices to the complex characters. Truthfully I am pretty bad at a french accent, but the kids don't seem to notice.
One of my uncles on my dad's side- now he could do voices. When we were little he used to read to us. One of the clearest and more formative books Uncle Rich read to us was "The BFG" by Roald Dahl. My mind is fussy about how this really happened. He didn't live with us and I don't remember if being a weekly thing, but he must have come over multiple times and read us this great chapter book with the best voices. I remember being so captivated by it. It shaped me. There is this line is "You've Got Mail," that I love: "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." This is true for me of Sophie and her Big Friendly Giant; they became a part of who I am, how I see and treat people. They are joined by "Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel," "The Babysitter Club" girls, Tock and Milo from "The Phantom Tollbooth," and hundreds of other books that were read to me until I could read them for myself.
We usually buy our books from Amazon, but for Christmas I got a gift certificate for the local bookstore fantastically 4 blocks from my house, and I just love going in there. There is something fabulous about a huge room full of books. I love browsing and perusing. To touch the spines, read the backs, smell the edges (tell no one I do this): it awakens the imagination, opens my eyes to the possibilities, broadens my perspectives- and all of this even before I have actually chosen one to read. That is when the transformation takes place.
And this is one of the greatest gifts that I cherish about my job. I love teaching reading. Don't get me wrong, the wonder that science brings to a child, the safety and predictability of math- all good stuff, but reading! The way a book can teach a child that they are not alone- someone else has felt the way you feel- and simultaneous teach them that there are things that other people have seen, experienced, felt that they never knew about: these are the things of value. How a boy in my class, who struggles reading on his own, follows very clearly the deep and implied plot points in the chapter book he listens to for 1/24 of his school day. I love trying to find that story or author or series that will change things for kid; that story that will shape them. I love helping them find the story they will read over and over again and then in 15 or 20 years reach for it to read to their own child.
I just love books.

A drop in the web

There are days when I am just in awe of all things human. It amazes me that despite the finite options of notes or cords- the music that people can create and are creating seems infinite. The creativity of people is amazing. The inventions/innovations that pop up all around me or that I use everyday that came from the mind of human is spectacular. So much of what I depend on was engineered by some brilliant and non-conforming mind. As a teacher, this is valuable to remember for me, I am lucky enough to sub so when I am not doing a long term job like I am now, I get to meet as many as 210 elementary students in a week. Spend a day with them, 30 at a time for about 6 hours, and let me tell you it doesn't take long to see their little personalities. And the tough ones, the non-conforming ones, I have to remind myself are likely going to be the ones inventing the next great thing, or creating music in a way that it has never been done before, or discovering cures for things, or performing on stage. This summer, for my friends bachelorette party, a group of us went to magic show. This guy was super odd and could do mostly math magic tricks. The whole time I was thinking- "I bet he drove his teacher nuts." I wanna be the type of teacher who really helps those kids- keeps them out of jail, or from medicating their creativity away, or help them realize their differences are important to us.

However, there are other days, when I feel like I have a great idea something to write about and then I look on Facebook and someone else has already written all about that thing I was gonna say, but they did it way better. Could it be possible that I might have something original to say in a time and place where I am surrounded by books, blogs, music, art, photography, plays, and movies crafted by millions of brilliant people? Is my voice worth adding to the deep, wide ocean of knowledge? To contrast my days of seeing all things as inventive, I also just think so many things are just being said over and over again- and sometimes just loosing their potency. In a shallow way, I have discovered just how unoriginal I can really be when I have use a hashtag on instagram thinking it is "like totally an original Bethany-ism" only to discover that thousands of other people must say that everyday. How can it be that the largest library in the world has 170 million items in it (British Library) and yet in America last year nearly 300,000 new books were published?! I am sure there are a percent of those publications that are saying the same thing, but even in writing my Master's thesis, I wrote some 100 pages, but so much of that was writing what other people had written in a slightly different way. But there is something great about creativity and humans that makes me think it really could be true that each new voice is worth the speaking, if not worth the listening to. And I so I will keep adding my drops to the big bucket that is the internet.

The year in numbers

I started a long and reflective post, but I've changed my mind- instead I give you 2013 remembered in numbers:

493 Instagram pictures or videos taken many of the hammock in my back yard where I relaxed my way into summer- lots of my two beautiful and fantastic kids- plenty of fabulous feasts

13 interviews half of which I really thought I had the job.

8 years anniversary of being a mom- Abby turned 8 in April. A crazy concept since 4 seconds ago I was wondering what she was going to be like when she was born.

3 schools I taught long term in- Scott 2nd grade- so difficult! Hammond 2nd grade- so easy! Hoover 4th grade- so fun!

48 tomatoes harvested- my first ever raised veggie garden in our beautiful backyard was so wonderful.

7 seats in our new minivan- taking us up to a 2 car family for the first time in 4 years. It has transformed our lives and was a gift!

10 years of marriage- a decade growing more and more amazed and in love with my dear husband. Celebrated with super fun trip to Vancouver.

5k I "ran" for The Church on the Run- such a fun thing to see come from idea in my living room to fruition. 

6 years of being a mom to a boy- the sweetest, most clever little toddler has grown into the sweetest, creative little boy. He tells me at least once a day that he loves me.

30 people in our house at one time- this was the year of "Johnson hangouts." A house packed full of people talking and laughing and sharing and praying. Although the season has come to an end for that, it was a big part of this year.

3 sister dates- getting away with my two sisters who know me more truthfully than anyone else and can do fun in ways no one else may understand heals my soul.

52+ youth events/retreats/meetings- I've certainly lost track, but oh how I love these teenagers and the team that gives their lives for them.

3 weddings- got to be in 3 fantastic events of love this year. The couples and their personality shone through in each one and they were delightful.

1 911 call- our house was broken into in June. All that was lost was that that could be replaced.

10,000+ blessings- minute by minute God was providing for us in ways known and unknown. Healthy kids, financial provision, wise council, mountains of forgiveness and grace, strengthened marriage, rich friendships, comfort and compassion.

My 2013 has been 1 for the record books.