More about Andrew

I know I am posting a lot in one day, but today my boyfriend told me that he checked my blog and didn't see anything new and it kind of shocked me into how little I had been writing. The blog is so therapeutic for me (I don't even know how many people even read it). So here is another blog entry and update on Andrew, my student with cancer.
Andrew is back at school now!! Praise God!! He is still having chemo treatments but seems to be doing much better. He has had a blood transfusion to get his white cell count back up and that seems to have re-energized him. It's hard on some weeks when the chemo is particularly tough, but he seems to really be gaining strength. If you are praying for him, keep praying!! God is good... All the time!

How I Feel About Home Schooling

Well, I have often gone back and forth about how I feel about homeschooling. I remember as a new teacher, I felt indignant that some untrained parent thought they could do better than people who took YEARS to learn about and train in the craft of teaching. Then as I gained experience and age (hopefully wisdom came in there somewhere), I began to see how beneficial home school could be for some kids and for some families. One of my best friends home schools her child and is so active in it. She has always made sure that her children are exposed to the best things that life and the community have to offer. She takes them to community centre groups, to swimming lessons, to library story times and all kinds of educational events that students in public and private schools simply don't have the time to do. But she is also a trained teacher and nutritionist. She is exactly what home schooling should look like, but as I've come to find out, often doesn't. Recently a received a new student. She had been partially home schooled and partially in school. She is in Kindergarten and I don' t know what the standards were for where she was from or for home school, but mid way through April she can only write her first name, doesn't know the names of most of the letters or their sounds. She has no sight words, no math skills, no understanding in science or social studies. Basically, she came in like she had NEVER been exposed to school at all before. At first I excused it as being in Kindergarten but her grade one and grade three brothers and her grade 5 sister are in nearly the same boat. And so my pendulum of thoughts on home school is swinging back into the negative.
I know that home school is really in the hands of the parents who avail of their right to home school but it makes me nervous. I almost wish that there was some evaluation of those parents and if they couldn't meet state/province/national standards, then they would not be allowed to home school or that they would be put on probation for a time period.
Okay... I am getting off my high and mighty teacher soap box now. Thanks for reading/listening. It feels good to vent it out.

Tornado--WHAT?!?!

Don't panic yet folks, because I kow I did and there wasn't a real need for me to. I never knew that this area of the US was in a tornado area. But, surprise surprise, it is! About a week or so ago we were warned that there would be a lot of storming in the area. Lately it has become quite warm (up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) and the air has been dry. Well, I guess conditions were ripe for a tornado, but I wasn't worried... yet anyway! hahaha
Later on the evening, I checked the news and they began by saying that a tornado watch was in effect (big black clouds, wind and rain had moved in). A tornado watch simply means that conditions are ripe for a tornado... I had heard that before and still wasn't worried. I was getting used to this sort of weather. And then the Emergency Weather System went off on my TV... now a tornado warning was being issued (this means that a funnel cloud was seen in the area)!! Yikes! I pretty much panicked at this point and began searching online to see what I needed to do in event of an actual tornado. hehe. It was pretty silly when I look back on it, but it was the first time I had ever heard the Emergency Weather System go off.
So yea... If I don't live in a place that is technically a war zone (Korea) or close to a war zone (Oman when the second Gulf War started), I guess it is my lot to live where hurricanes and tornados can happen. *sigh* No rest for the wicked as they say ;) hehe

Update on Andrew

Things were going well until about 2 weeks ago. Andrew stopped eating due to huge blisters in his mouth and down his throat (a side effect of the chemo). He has returned to the hospital so I am not working with him at the moment but his mother texts me almost daily with updates and pictures... I hope to post one on here soon. He has lost a lot of weight and is hooked up to all kinds of things but he finds a way to put a smile on his face. I don't know where he finds the strength or courage, but it sure affirms in my mind and heart that God is holding Andrew gently in His hands so that Andrew can smile and joke from time to time. His mom says that he charms all the nurses and keeps them on their toes with his slick remarks and sweet smile.
Today Andrew is getting a blood transfusion because his body isn't producing enough white blood cells. Andrew's mom asked me to pray and to reach out to others to pray, so that is what I am doing... that is the one support I can offer her for sure.



Thanks for reading and for praying. Please feel free to ask others to join you in praying for this also.

Running, running, running....

I feel like a Forest Gump but I am hooked on running! I really tried to push myself on the treadmill this morning (at 5 am, mind you) and was able to meet one of my goals of running 3 miles in 45 minutes!! Super exciting. I am going to see if I can knock of a minute a week!! So look for a 30 minute time in 15 weeks!! hehehe

Blogging for Andrew

This blog entry is dedicated to one of my students: Andrew G. I am his homebound teacher. Andrew is currently homebound because he has cancer and is fighting it with all his might. Andrew found out about his cancer when it was fairly far advanced... in fact, the doctors think he may have had the tumor for years but this year it became big enough to cause him some severe stomach pain. Finally he was diagnosed and the tumor was removed or mostly removed. I believe it was stage 3 or 4... From what I understand, if the chemo and radiation works the way that the doctors hope it will, Andrew won't have to have organ transplants... but if not, then he will be put on the lists.

Andrew is just 10 years old and is a wonderful boy. He is sweet, smart, funny and loving. I've only known him for a few weeks but he has my heart... hook, line and sinker. He has talked to me a time or two about his cancer and has said that he didn't ask for it, but it's here so... just fight!

But that isn't all. Andrew is also fighting the US medical and welfare system. His mother, who I have also grown to love, is a hard working single mom who is fortunate enough to have a great mother to support her somewhat and a boyfriend who is by her side, helping all he can. But because of her situation with Andrew, she is unable to work very much and isn't getting much help. Her other half works his tail off just to pay their rent (they share a 2 bedroom apartment with another couple and Andrew, just to make ends meet... while his older brother lives with the grandmother). Andrew just got approved for medicare well after his treatments had started. I don't know if medicare is going to back pay for his surgeries, radiation and LONG hospital stay or not but regardless, the bills are piling up. Andrew's family is doing what they can, even applying for food stamps (which they were denied because his mother "chose" not to work).

Anyway, I just wanted to share this story with you all... whoever you are. If you are a believer, please pray and if you aren't send your positive thoughts to Andrew and his family. They are struggling with a lot, but they smile a lot too. They inspire me.

My First 5 K

So today I ran my first 5 K (3.2 miles) race. I wasn't looking to win anything, just to make it there and finish it. I didn't want to be last, that was for sure. I am new to this running game and I am a slow learner for the most part. But the best thing that I am learning is that I love this and I can push my body much further than I think I can. Today Kelvin ran with me and was a great coach. I am not ready to run the whole thing yet but I am getting closer to that. Kelvin has this neat GPS runner's watch thingy (for lack of a better term) and it tracks your pace, calories, direction, miles etc. When I was walking it was at a 16 minute mile pace... but when I ran, it was at a 11 minute mile pace. So I know that once I begin to run solid, I am going to be a contender!! hahaha. Can't wait for that. Today I finished it in 46 minutes... I was shooting for 45 but the 2 hills killed me!! :) Watch out world, this chubby chick is running now!!