Why?

Ok... so here is a video clip that will make you think about suffering.  And for me, it is a reminder why I love the field of special education so much.  My students taught me more about suffering and pain than any pastor or sermon.  I often found them teaching more than I taught them -

Click this link - A Man with No Arms or Legs

Charlotte's Web

So, if you look at my last blog I was contemplating the meaning of suffering and how to share some thoughts and ideas on this.  Since this time, we lost one of our professors, Dr. Jill Jones.  She was killed in a car accident along with her 16 year old son.   For those who may be hearing about this for the first time, you can find the story on LU's news page and we have created a facebook page in her honor.  Please join us there.

So, this morning I took my kids to see "Charlotte's Web".  It was one of the weekly morning kids showing for the summer.  I wasn't ready for a movie with so many questions about death... not only because of the passing of our colleague, but also because I wasn't ready or equipped for the questions on death from my four year old son.  "what happened to the spider?  Why did she say good-bye?  When is she coming back?  Are her babies going to save her?  Do the babies have a father?  Who's going to take care of the babies?"  on and on the questions came.  After all my attempts to explain things to him, it ended with "I don't want to watch a movie where a spider dies ever again".  And then I knew - he actually got it. 

I spend my life trying to think of ways to protect my kids from pain.  Ways they won't fall, ways they won't scratch up their bodies, bump their heads... and there is something so amazingly helpless about realizing that I can't protect them from life.  That at some point in their life they are going to have to deal with death, pain and heartache.  It has to be the most challenging thing about being a Mommy.   I pray I can guide them through the pain and find simple ways to share life's beauties while preparing them and teaching them about suffering...

Too Much To Say?

So, I actually feel I have too much I want to say and I can't figure out how to articulate it all.  This week we are offering an intensive in partnership with Joni and Friends (Joni Earkson Tada's ministry).  The course is the Theology of Suffering and Disability.  The course is very thought and spiritually provoking.   A few days ago I had the awesome opportunity to eat lunch with the professor of this course from the Christian Institute on Disability (Dr. McReynolds), the Director of LU's Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (Dr. Nemitz), and our vice-provost (Dr. Hawkins)... where we discussed putting this course on-line.   This discussion carried into a vision for what Christians AND our churches can do for those who are suffering.  .

(Joni Earkson Tada was to attend the course but is now being treated for breast cancer.)

And then I just now returned from dinner with my foster son who is now 21 and recently released from prison.  Hearing about his rejection from his family and his struggle to not return to the streets and criminal activity...  in relationship to thinking about the theology of suffering... I just feel there is too much to say about all of this.  But I'm trying to process it all so that sharing my thoughts would be meaningful.

So until I can figure this all out... I will probably have to write some mundane articles about my summer.  :)

Dr. McReynolds teaching her intensive...

Intensives Are Over

What a crazy few weeks!!  I'm watching my last class take their final exams and then I'm done with my intensive marathon of teaching three back to back.   EDUC 623, Behavior Management is my absolute favorite class.  But Intensives are so intense that you can describe the emotions and feelings in so many ways. I'm sure the students can relate to these feelings as well.  Here are just a few - entertained, exhausted, grateful, busy, regretful, thankful, honored, blessed, forgetful :)...But what an amazing few weeks!! 

I had an opportunity to teach students from all over the WORLD.  It was truly an awesome experience!  And to just think about the many children they represent...all over the world.  So my biggest word to describe this experience is humbled.  I had represented in my three classes - Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Canada, Haiti, South Africa, Egypt, Korea, India, and quite frankly, I'm probably forgetting some.  And then so many states coming as far as CA.  What a neat experience for all of us to be blessed by such diversity.  I truly learned so much from all of them. 

So now we will all go home and spend some time with family.  I know my family has been quite neglected the past few weeks.  We discovered this week that my oldest son, Johnny has Asthma that resulted in Pneumonia. He's healing fine.  But it was hard to not want to stay home with him and help him heal.  And for the students - I also pray safe trips home for all of them and lots of hugs from their families and friends.   I pray that they all go back and "let their lights shine" in their various work, home, church and civic settings.  And though we are all exhausted... we shared a unique experience that will remain with all of us forever...Intensives 2010...  :)

Teaching EDUC 623 Intensives

I had my first class of 53 students for EDUC 623 - Behavior Management last week.  Now I'm gearing up for week 2 and 3 of intensives for the summer - 45 students each of these weeks.  This is why I've been so quiet in here.  Busy grading, planning, teaching, answering emails, grading, planning, teaching, answering emails...   :)   And then of course the family, spending time with friends, building a house, and just enjoying the summer.  

I do absolutely LOVE teaching this class!   It is my favorite topic and it is something I feel so passionate about.  So, my prayer is that I can share that passion in each lesson I teach and then I pray my students can go back to their schools and classrooms and pass it along.... the passion for the "difficult" and "challenging" student.  

So, students... if you are out there.  Please feel free to share your stories too.  You can email me or post them here.  I'd love to hear from you.

Off to grading, planning, etc... 

ACSI Guidebook Proposal Accepted

Just in case anyone out there is following these blogs... :)  I shared a few weeks ago that I had another proposal to ACSI (Association for Christian Schools International) for a guidebook on Differentiated Instruction.  I just received an email saying that the idea was accepted!  :)  So now I need to work on writing the guidebook for Christian schools and teachers.  :)  

Here is the overview -

Book Title  - GUIDE for Differentiated Instruction

Great Commission - Our Christian mission in reaching ALL students

Understanding Differentiation - The nature of the learner and an overview of Differentiated Instruction

Instruction and Assessment  - Learning Styles, Rubrics, project based assignments

Delivery Methods - High/ Low preparation & Learning Strategies

Educating for Success - Scaffolding, Tiered Assignments, and Powerful Products

Kick off of Summer Intensives

It is an exciting time of the year when we have thousands of our students travel to Lynchburg and to Liberty University to take intensives.  For those who don't know about our intensives, it is when students complete a course in one, very intense week.  They sit and participate in class from 8-4:30.  And then they do the assignments for the class in the evening.  Some of our very brave students come and do three weeks of this in a row.  Below is a picture of this weeks group at our Monday luncheon following our SOE Orientation.  They are listening to a welcome from the Provost of Liberty University. 

I love this time.  Because it is an opportunity to see our students that are all over the states and the world.  In the intensives that I am teaching in July, I have students from China and Afghanistan and other interesting places.  It is an incredible privilege to be part of this phenomena.

And as if this isn't enough, LU's SOE was also ranked number 7 among the Top 10 Online Colleges for Teacher Education - (http://www.thebestcolleges.org/2010/the-top-10-online-colleges-for-teaching-degrees/).  I really do just love this place!  :)

Graduation and Mom

So, the last few weeks have been quite busy, exciting, and challenging.  First of all, Graduation was awesome!   I wish I could share more pictures... but here is just one.  You can find me on facebook if you want to see others.  :)  But one of the great things about the pictures is the reminder of all the types of students we have... undergraduate, residential students who are leaving the dorm life and heading to their first classrooms... on-line undergraduate students who are committing to school during their many other commitments, as well as graduate students - young and old who brought various family members... often their own children.  Then we had our doctoral candidates, who were hooded in a special ceremony and our representing LU's SOE forever as "Dr".  I personally had the privilege of hooding five students where I was their dissertation chair.  The School of Education graduated 1000 students in 2010 with about 400 participating in the ceremonies!!  And what an honor to play any part in the hard work and accomplishment of these students!!!!

But there was also some excitement happening behind the scenes that day.  My Mom, who is also the SOE Dean, Dr. Parker, had been feeling very ill and we had tried to get her a stool so that she can sit while handing out the diplomas.  But the stool was too high, so she was leaning on this or the table while doing the photos with our student.  She stuck it out though.  The following Monday she had an appointment to see why she still wasn't feeling well.  At this appointment they suspected from an EKG that she had suffered a heart attack.  Then we had a week (last week) of visiting doctors and performing tests.  They now suspect that she has a heart disease HOCM.  Further testing (an ECHO) is needed to confirm this diagnosis and to determine the treatment.

Wow!!! - what a whirlwind of emotions the past couple of weeks.  But it is also why I have been quiet here lately.  I'm sure there will be much more to come about this.  But it was still an awesome time of celebration with the students and also celebrating my family, realizing the possible brevity of it all!  So, this week... and through it all.. I just praise Him for all of our gifts that He allows us to enjoy!!

I Guess I'll just Brag

So, I've been quiet lately (I know that is very hard for some folks to imagine :).  But I honestly just don't want to share if I don't have anything worth sharing.  I figured I'd wait until after graduation.  Then I'll have some pictures to share of our awesome students... the amazing celebration for the accomplishments of many.  I LOVE graduation time!!!!!   Just a couple of days away!

But until then, I just wanted to share that I was asked to do another translation of my PRAISE book.  They are already working on a Russian translation and they asked this week to begin a Spanish translation for Guatemala.  How awesome is that?!?!  My vision for that book was to equip Christian schools to help the struggling student.  It's what I often talk about when I travel.  So I'm thrilled to see it become global!!!!   Also, I have a proposal that is being considered later this month for a publication that focuses more on the learning aspects, differentiated instruction, rather than the behavioral aspects of the struggling student.  Pray that is well received!!!

The Plight of Women and Children

Yesterday I had the privilege of seeing Dr. Diane Langberg (http://www.dianelangberg.com/) speak in Graduate School Convocation.  She spoke on the abuse and violence against women world wide, in our country and in our own churches.  It was a very passionate speech on how we can represent the character of Christ by trying to help the afflicted.  I've talked much about this with special education.  But perhaps if you're reading this blog, your calling towards the afflicted is a bit different.  Perhaps you are interested in working with the abused and those that are victims of domestic violence, both woman and children. 

The charge is the same.  She said that as Christians we must leave our "comforts" and represent Christ in a broken and hurting world.  I wish it was possible for everyone to hear what she shared with us.  Her heart has been burdened by the plight of woman all of the world (where 1 in 3 experiences violence or abuse).  She spoke about how everyone is somehow affected by this and we have to get involved towards ending it and helping those that are hurting.

So, once again, pray about what you can do to help the least of these.   Liberty University's professor in our Law School as an organization for helping the church body deal with some of this crisis called GRACE - Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environments (http://www.netgrace.org/index.asp?str_string=About%20Us~The%20Need%20for%20GRACE~none). 

Another opportunity for Christians to volunteer is through CASA (http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5301295/k.BE9A/Home.htm).  This is where you are a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused children.  I had the privilege of doing this for a few years.  It is an awesome opportunity to help children through a difficult time and to advise the court on the best needs for the child.

But continue to pray - where can God use you and your gifts to show the broken world the love and compassion of our Christ?  Try starting small, just being aware of the women around you and their hurts and then grow to a larger commitment towards making it a life mission.  Dr. Langberg shared that when we live to emulate Christ, then we are to be with the women, children, the broken, the afflicted, the imprisoned.  Please continue to pray about how God can use you.