half-way

It's spring break for Chicago Public Schools, which means I have completed half of my student teaching. Only five weeks to go!

This is one of the first projects that I led my third-graders in. They learned how to research and create biography books. Most of them really enjoyed it, as they got to choose who they included in the book. They all became very curious. The curriculum in Chicago Public Schools does not leave much room for social studies, because the state test is solely over language arts and math. It was very exciting to see them light up while reading about Amelia Earhart, to hear questions about racism when reading about Martin Luther King Jr, and connect to their own cultures while reading a biography of Benito Juarez. We all read a biography of Yo-yo Ma together, and most of them wrote to me that it was their favorite. Since many students at this school are a  

part of orchestra, I hope that they were inspired to continue in their art! (I know, I know, I should never have quit the violin! But my violin was donated to this school's orchestra last year, and it gives me joy to know that it is now in the hands of a more appreciative student!)

In other news, I am heavily in the midst of job-hunting. To be honest, I would love to teach at the school where I am student teaching now, but Chicago Public Schools is really only hiring from the 400 teachers it had to lay-off this year. I am told that hundreds will be retiring afer this upcoming year, including 14 from my school, and have been given the advice to ''hang in there one year'' numerous times. Which left me in the quandry of what to do in the meantime!

I have looked into charter schools, teacher aid positions, and suburban schools, and I am still not completely closed off to working in any one of those areas, but I have recently felt that I should go teach in Latin America.  Most Latin American schools require only a year's committment, and are not opposed to hiring new teachers, an issue that I have been running into with American schools.  I feel that this is a logical move for me to make, since I inevitably want to work in Latin America in the future.

 I also feel God moving throughout this process. I feel much like I felt when I was choosing a college, except only more uncertain and overwhelemed. God is really challenging me to trust him again. In my first post, I boldly claimed that to leave your comfort zone is to give yourself the opportunity to grow, and I could almost audibly hear God saying, ''All right Alyssa, put your money where your mouth is!''

I don't want to say too much yet, but I will say that I have an interview (video chat) with the superintendent from a bilingual school in Honduras this week. There is network of Christian bilingual schools who has some open positions. Taking a job there would mean a lot to my future, although it would definitely be a financial struggle. This school, along with most schools I have come across, can offer only a meager monthly stipend as well as living costs paid for. However, an opportunity like this is a great way to impress American schools! (and to grow, become better at Spanish, trust God, etc&etc).

 

Needless to say, the thing I am in most need of right now is prayer. Please pray that God will lead me to make the right decision. Pray that I can continue to juggle student teaching along with everything else going on.

I am always open to looking into other job opportunities; I have not decided 100% on going to Latin America, so if anyone has any leads, please do not hesitate to inform me!

Peace, y'all.