basically the self-study breaks the school into 10 different parts, such as instructional program, library and media resources, school personnel, school facilities, etc. there are several standards our school must meet in every area, as well as a series of questions that we must answer about our school. in order to answer these questions we must take a close look at our school and identify and evaluate our current practices in each area. after working on committees to research and answer the questions, the steering committee (of which i was a part) had to read and revise the entire document. this took place in 4 meetings over 4 school days, totaling about 24 hours in all. the document then went to the rest of the staff, to parents, and to the director's advisory council for approval. final changes were made and it was sent off to the team to read before their visit. the total number of pages of our document was well over 300, including data.
we then began to collect all the data that must supplied to the team while they are here. for me, this meant collecting samples of student work for every subject and at every grade level and setting up displays in the room where the team will be meeting. i also had to put together all the library data, which meant creating most of it, since our library is relatively new and we did not have most of what is required. for the past two weeks, i have stayed at school until 6:00 or 6:30 almost every day, working on putting all this data together. that might not seem like too late, but when you get to school at 7:00 in the morning and teach all day, and are technically allowed to leave at 3:45...staying almost 3 hours later is a big deal. not to mention that during this entire process we have all also been teaching full time and having to prepare for lessons. most nights i go home and work until 9:30 or 10:00, if not later, to make sure i am ready for those 15 little second graders that come into my class every day eager to learn.
now, i do not rattle off this list to complain or to get sympathy, but rather to bring glory to our heavenly father. looking back and seeing how far our little school has come in the three years that i have been here is a true testament to his faithfulness. not only has he doubled the size of our student population and provided the means to purchase much needed resources, materials, as well as the land the school sits on, he has proven his faithfulness to each of us on a personal level by providing the strength, energy, and determination to get all of this done. personally, i hit a wall in march. i was done. i didn't even want to get out of bed in the mornings. and i gave up. i finally told the Lord, "whatever gets done now is absolutely not from me, but from you, and you will get the credit." and it has gotten done. there are still a few loose ends to tie up, a few more posters to hang, a few more documents to type and print, a few more shelves to clean. but it's going to get done. and not because of me or anything i am doing.
not only has he given strength when it was needed, he has also given us the gift of beauty and majesty with the amazing sunsets that those of us who have being staying late have been privileged to witness. every night when i step out of my classroom or the library or the teachers' room, i am greeted with some of the most amazing sights i have ever seen. and although i know they are not just for me, i see each one a personal gift from my daddy in heaven, to encourage and inspire me to keep pushing on:
now i am not a photographer by any means, and these pictures don't even come close to capturing the magic that seems to creep up on the school each evening. however, i try my best to capture the beauty, in order to remind myself, that the God that designed this, the God that has created those mountains and that sky, is the same God who knows the number of hairs on my head, and desires nothing more than for me to crawl into his lap, call him Abba Father, and allow him to complete his work in me and through me. and that is surely a thing to rejoice in, no matter what stress and trials are in my life.
now i am not a photographer by any means, and these pictures don't even come close to capturing the magic that seems to creep up on the school each evening. however, i try my best to capture the beauty, in order to remind myself, that the God that designed this, the God that has created those mountains and that sky, is the same God who knows the number of hairs on my head, and desires nothing more than for me to crawl into his lap, call him Abba Father, and allow him to complete his work in me and through me. and that is surely a thing to rejoice in, no matter what stress and trials are in my life.
