My daughter down the hall – music in the class.

An Exciting Year for me

This is an exciting year for me. My daughter is now the teacher of her own class at the same preschool as me. This has been her dream and her goal since she was a little girl and attended this school herself as a four-year-old. I take delight watching her as she plans and figures out how to run her days.

She sends me texts asking questions. My girl calls me or comes over to the house to show me an innovative approach she found. She asks my opinions and wants to work on projects or lesson plans together. We share Pinterest boards with each other. At the finish of the workday, she always stops by my classroom and we have a chat. It is so neat seeing that first-year excitement in her eyes! But, something surprising has happened as well. My girl has finally brought my music into the twenty-first century! I love the music in my class! This is something I have been trying to figure out for a few years now.

Technology

One of the issues about working at a church preschool is technology. Most of the time it has been a blessing for us to let the children have a few hours “unplugged” to just play. I have a CD player and a drawer full of CD’s, many that skip and have scratches, which I didn’t use to the best of its ability.

Well, my sweet girl saved the day! I gave her my favorite CD’s and she put them all into her music collection. She paired her iPhone with her old Ipad so we both have access to our music and it has been so nice. She set up different playlists for both of us to use throughout the day. We have morning worship songs to play while setting up our rooms; circle time songs, letter songs, Bible songs that coordinate with our Bible stories, indoor recess songs, lunchtime songs, and songs to use while the kids are waiting to be picked up. My music is organized and the kids love it.

However, one child didn’t realize that adults have Ipads too, they were wondering what games I play (um, none!). My music doesn’t skip anymore, I can move my Ipad around the classroom and I have the names of all the songs listed right in front of me. Thanks in part to Covid, I discovered some of my old ways were antiquated. Now, I have incorporated music to help while transitioning from one activity to another. I am looking forward to the many other current trends my daughter will bring to my classroom.

With all of the changes this school year has required this is by far the best. I feel truly blessed that my daughter wants to follow in her ol’ mom’s footsteps to teach young children. I have been given the gift of having my sweet daughter down the hall (and up the stairs and down another hall). You can meet her here.

Bring it Back to Jesus

Bring it back to Jesus In my Sunday school class, at the end of each lesson, there is a Christ Connection. When I am done reading the lesson I say to the class “Now we…” and they bring their one hand to the other, clap, and say “bring it back to Jesus!” So, I will end each story by bringing it back to Jesus.

Proverbs 23:22-25

²² Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.
²³ Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction, and insight as well.
²⁴ The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
²⁵ May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!

I was molded from my parent’s love and support and in their love, I learned how to be a nurturing mother myself. (Truth; each time I write a blog post, I call my mom and she acts as my editor in chief). My dear Catalina, I carried you in my body for nine months. As a baby, I took care of your every need. When you were a toddler, I fed you and read to you. I sang you your special song every night to help you fall asleep. When you were a teenager, I helped you with your homework and drove you to your boyfriend’s house. I watched you grow and mature into a wonderful young woman and this summer I watched you walk down the aisle to your high school sweetheart.

And now that I am old, you don’t despise me. You have bought the truth of the love of Jesus and you are sharing it with the little children in your class. You now have wisdom, instruction, and insight and I get a front-row seat to see you using the gifts that God has given you. Godspeed my precious girl.

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