I wonder if Facebook will let me mark myself **SAFE BY THE POOL** after our first week of virtual learning. Kind of like when a person is safe from a hurricane or tornado that rolls through town. Virtual learning does not compare to in-person instruction. My personal stress and the stress of my teacher friends comes from trying to figure out all the moving pieces and wanting to do it all at a high standard. I have accepted and well documented that my technology skills like my cooking skills are sad. My brain has expanded in mighty ways this week. I learned just how many ways I can miscommunicate a simple idea- just how many mistakes I can make in a work day. I learned how many ways I can redo an instructional video while remembering to smile before I push record. I learned how many times I call on my best tech friends to help. I learned how many times I can encourage my kids, their families, and our team. I even discovered that our platform is not Google Meets – with an “s”- it is Google Meet (GM). Do you want to know how long it took me to go back through my online classrooms and correct that mistake? I did it because that is who I am. Tell me I made an embarrassing mistake, and I’ll do what I think I need to do to correct it- if I can. I can send out one of those little messages to all my google classes at once, but I must correct a mistake individually. I must go through classroom by classroom. I bet some brilliant person is about to message me and explain that I could in fact change it all at once… There were many beautiful GM moments this week as well, but the hands down the best moment occurred when a cute kid logged in, saw my face, and immediately said, “Hey My dam* Arnold. I’ve missed you!” My dam* Arnold. Madame Arnold... French class meets a Southern accent. I’m from Cordele, Georgia, so I know all about Southern accents and speaking French. I make a point to correct this mistake as quickly as possible when kids get it wrong, but it always makes me chuckle. Always. Especially, when one of my favorite administrators of all time said this over the intercom while I was teaching a class full of kids. It took me a while to get them to stop saying it too. In reality, it doesn’t happen much, but when it does, I remember Chris. Chris, the only student in my teaching career who ever got away with intentionally saying it to me. Chris- my 10th grade French student in Alabama- with his mischievous grin. As he was leaving my classroom headed out for the Labor Day holiday weekend, he stopped, turned around, and waved goodbye: “Have a good weekend, my dam* Robinson. See you later.” He was poised waiting on my reaction and ready to run from me. All I could do was laugh. Well, he was using his French- just with really bad pronunciation. Intentionally. I didn’t get to see Chris again. His family was in a terrible accident that Labor Day weekend. The morning he died, I woke up to the alarm playing the song, In The Arms of an Angel. Most folks think of this song and rescue animals. I think of Chris and his infectious grin. From My dam* Robinson to My dam* Arnold and all the dam* names I’ve had in between... JoJo Juanita, Johnna, Johannah or Joanne My first name is Marjorie. My maiden name is Powers and so my middle name literally became P- “pee”. I was Robinson for quite a while until Bob agreed to marry me and all my names. Thanks to good ole Bob for bringing me from the back of the alphabet straight to the front. No more waiting in line. I’m just Jo to my family. I love how each of my brothers in law call me this and it sounds so unique when they say it. My mom calls me Miss Jaws and has put it on all my cards since I was a baby. Blessings of a round face. On the other hand, Daddy uses all these names, but somehow it usually comes out “JoAmy”- a lovely combination of my name with my sister’s so that one of us is certain to respond. Sandra Cisneros wrote a beautiful vignette about the nuances of names. A girl can dream. Cisneros is one of my favorites. Yes, I think I can mark myself **SAFE** today. Safe according to God's word. This idea of God keeping me safe showed up in my devotion yesterday, in a book I’m reading this morning, and in a conversation last night. I’m safe – no matter what my name is - because that is what God promised me. Safe anywhere with Him, but today safe by the pool with Two cats An old dog A few blowing deer 4 angry green frogs (because I opened the umbrella) A fluttering hummingbird One beautiful orange butterfly and Cicadas in the trees Safe in His word-helping me remember to play after every virtual storm. His Word- helping me be willing to be willing to surrender to Him when I don’t feel safe.
1 Comment
Nichole
9/5/2020 12:22:23 pm
We are reading House on Mango Street right now, in tenth grade, and about to talk about Names. Love your teacher heart!❤️
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JoAnna Arnold
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