Practicum + School Lunch (breakfast)

We are going to start week 4 of our practicum for methods block B and so far it is going really well. Steven and I have been placed in a 6th grade self-contained dual-language classroom. Yes, we are working with the same class, but we really love it for a few reasons: we get to team teach our lesson plans for our classes, we get to discuss the same students after class, and we are both getting to work with upper elementary, bilingual students, which is what our first choice was for the semester. :) So far we have watched writing and math in our 2 hours/day in the classroom, and we have really learned a lot. Our cooperating teacher is an amazing teacher and we have really lucked out getting someone who truly cares about our future careers as teachers. Classes are going well, although some are more helpful and educational than others right now. Please pray we get as much knowledge as possible and retain as much as we can. We start student teaching next semester, and could use as much information and experience as possible to help things run smoothly. We turn in STOP packets in the next 3-4 weeks and go through a student teaching orientation, which will be the final meeting about student teaching before we actually begin in the spring. Be praying for us as we finish school and begin our experience as teachers in the next year.

Since last semester, I have been reading Mrs. Q's blog: Fed Up with School Lunch, watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and boy, has my perspective changed on both what I eat and what my future students will eat! School lunch has taken a turn for the worst, and this past week I had an opportunity to see in person what the students are eating for breakfast. Unfortunately, like Mrs. Q, what I saw was disappointing. This particular morning, the menu included a Chicken Biscuit, fruit juice and milk. I didn't taste it, because A) it looked disgusting - this can't be "real chicken" - it is probably processed chicken patty and B) I had already eaten breakfast, but was seriously bothered by this meal. Meals like this make kids tired within a few hours and the lack of fresh food or fruit doesn't really make this healthy. Here is a picture of the super amazing breakfast I was offered:

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a health nut and still eat my share of Taco Bell and Burger King, but I have become more educated when it comes to food and we are slowly making changes with the food we buy and cook. It truly makes a difference in how the food tastes and how you feel after you eat it. Without trying to sound like a fatty, food is an important part of everyone's life. I love cooking, and we eat lots of homemade meals, but lots of kids don't have that chance and depend on school for their meals. I know I'm only one person with a super small blog following, but something needs to be done to meals to make them better for these kids. I remember having cooked meals from a tray with real silverware, and the majority of these meals being good!

I will step down from my soap box now...lots going on in schools aside from school meals. Be thinking of Los Morgans as we take on our final year (for now) of school!

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)