My Desire to Teach

Hi, Everyone!

So, yesterday evening in my Foundations of Education class, I was given an assignment… and it should be no surprise that it was another paper to write. I wonder if Grampa Clark, Uncle Anthony, and Mr. D had to this much writing when they were in college… hahaha!

In any event, I am to write a five-page paper explaining why I desire to be a teacher, which grade I would like to teach, and what I plan to bring to the table—in other words, I am to describe a unique attribute that no other teacher has. Well, judging only by the successful results of this past summer when I taught the Cradle Roll class for a couple of Sundays, I would say that my most unique attribute is the fact that I am a big kid at heart, and it’s because of this attribute that allows me to connect with the little kiddies. I don’t think I mentioned this before, but you can ask my St. Matthew Baptist Church Family—every Sunday, both before and after church, those little Cradle Roll kiddies made it their business to flock to me, as though I was their version of Mother Goose. I swear, it is just the cutest thing! Some of the kiddies even call me “Miss Natasha,” which is so sweet. And as far as which grade I would like to teach… well, I’ve already made it perfectly clear that I would love to teach kindergarten. However, if I had a second preference, then I would choose to teach either First Grade or Second Grade.

And while it’s fresh on my mind, I’m gonna tell y’all why I chose to teach the little kiddies: Mrs. Ingrid Martin. I may have mentioned her once or twice, but Mrs. Martin was my kindergarten teacher some many moons ago. From what I understand, she is still teaching the little ones up at my old elementary school. I was hoping to catch an interview with her, seeing as how my paper is due next Monday—and now that she’s been crossing my mind as of late, I reckon I’ll go ahead and write her a letter at least. Truth be told: Mrs. Martin was the greatest kindergarten teacher that I ever had; she was sweet but strict, hard-hitting but soft spoken. And I may have mentioned once upon a time that her youngest daughter had graduated kindergarten with me. Speaking of which, Mrs. Martin was even more so strict on her daughter than she was everyone else—she didn’t believe in special treatment or nepotism! I know this all sounds strange, considering that we were kindergarteners, but yet and still, this was the makeup of Mrs. Martin’s character.

Well, y’all—I guess I had better get started on this here paper. Here’s what’s funny: I haven’t written anything down yet, but judging by the brainstorms and research, I have at least three and a half pages already! With that said, I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow, but in the meantime, y’all take care and be good.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Gotta Get Back On It, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

Well, here we are—Tuesday, September 3, 2013… Wow—we are in September now, aren’t we?

I trust that everybody had a great weekend and a superfantastical Labor Day. I would like to thank the Hudspeth Family for welcoming me into their home one again. Here’s what’s funny: Mr. Hudspeth decided that he would not do any barbecuing, but he did make some mean burgers and hot dogs… and yes, y’all—Mrs. Hudspeth made her award-winning banana pudding. I don’t know what’s her secret with the bananas and the vanilla wafers, but… Lawd Ha’Mercy! Yes, it’s that damn good, and I also realize that I have had this very same conversation with y’all last Labor Day, but as y’all can see, ain’t nothin’ changed—Mrs. Hudspeth makes one mean banana pudding. I would love for her to go up against my Gramma Jewel’s strawberry seven-up cake… but then again, that would be the worse Catch-22 in history. I would have to sit back and be a spectator for that one; ain’t no way I would be a judge for that competition because I would not be fair. I would honestly have to call it a stalemate—I’m just sayin’!

Well, anyway, I had a great day in my classes today. Let’s kick this off correctly: Y’all would be thrilled to know that I got a perfect score on my paper about Abraham. My instructor said that I gave such an in-depth synopsis on the life of Abraham that he knows without a doubt I could be a great Sunday School teacher. It’s funny he made that statement, and of course I told him that I had the privilege of teaching the Cradle Roll class at my home church. Well, how about this, y’all: My instructor wants me to take one of the Psalms and write what I feel when I read it. For the record, my instructor did not give this assignment to anyone else—just me. As far as I’m concerned, I feel honored.

By the way, I have been given specific instructions not to write about Psalm 23… hahaha!

As for my Spanish I class… well, let me put it this way: Gracias en parte a las lecciones que aprendí cuando hice español en la escuela secundaria, estoy sobresaliendo más allá de mi imaginación más salvaje de esta clase. For the record, I used Google Translate to say what I wanted to say, but other than that, my Spanish I instructor says that I am doing quite well in her class. As far as I’m concerned, I only have one thing to say: ¡Muy bien para mí!

Okay, y’all—I had better get going on account of I’ve got a test in my Spanish class to study for, plus I’ve got to work on this paper on any of the Psalms except the twenty-third one. In order to write a good paper, I’ve got to study the book of Psalms.

Until tomorrow, take care and be good.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Still Passionate About What I Do!

Hey, Y’all!

So, check this out: Yesterday evening in my Foundations of Education class, we had an icebreaker session. My professor instructed us to give our name, our hometown, our main reason for attending Rust, and what we hope to do with our major after we graduate. Well, it should come as no surprise that I was primed and ready for this icebreaker session, so much so that I started forming everything all of my thoughts in my mind.

Well, I was the eighth individual to go up next, so when my professor called on me, I could literally feel every muscle in my face—that’s how hard I was smiling! And afterwards, I took a big deep breath, and this is what I said:

“Hello to you, all of my fellow teachers. My name is Natasha Renee Stewart, and I am a native Los Angeleno; that’s right, y’all—I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I have strong familial ties here at Rust, in that my great-grandparents graduated from Rust in the classes of 1927 and 1928, respectively; my grandmother and her best friend of 60 years graduated Class of 1957; and my great aunt graduated Class of 1959. Here we are, some fifty-four years later, and the tradition continues through me. Now, after I graduate and obtain my Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, I hope to return to Los Angeles and obtain a position as a loyal and devoted kindergarten teacher—the kinda teacher who is passionate about what she does, and certainly one who shows that she gives a damn about her students!”

Oh yeah, y’all—I was pumped up!  It’s kinda funny, though, because I didn’t realize what I said until after I sat down and took a breath. I ultimately apologized to my professor and the class for my outburst, to which my professor said: “Don’t worry about it, Miss Stewart—besides, you have already shown that you are extremely confident, fully responsible, and totally passionate!”

Like I’ve been tellin’ y’all: I makes it do what it do, because… THAT’S WHAT I DO!!!

Okay, y’all—it’s time for me to close this here blog post and get to studying on my first quiz in Spanish I. The test is not until Friday, but y’all oughta know me by now—I’m gettin’ a head start on studying as we speak. Me gustaría que cada uno de ustedes para decir una oración que me aplico a mí mismo y estudiar mucho para esta prueba, para que pueda obtener al menos una calificación bastante decente. Loosely translated, I am asking for y’all to pray that I study hard and apply the knowledge to memory, that I get at least a fairly decent grade.

Until tomorrow, y’all take care and be good.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

The Final Day of Vacation Bible School

Happy Friday Evening, Everybody!

Well, tonight marked the end of Vacation Bible School, and it was—as my Gramma Jewel would say—a real gooden! Personally, I had a lot of fun this week, not just in teaching the Cradle Roll class, but also in learning more about my passion for teaching.

Oh, and for the record: I was led to teach the Cradle Roll class about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection—and both Gramma Jewel and my sweetie pie Ray were there to see me in action. And just for such the occasion, Mom and Dad brought along my camcorder!

I taught the little kiddies that even Jesus Christ was obedient, even up to his crucifixion. Y’all should’ve seen how awestruck the little kiddies were as I told them the story—I mean, it really blew their minds. Quiet as it’s kept, I was blown away more than my students, and I was teaching this lesson! Nevertheless, it was a wonderful lesson that was filled with so many questions from the Cradle Roll. One question in particular (which I admit I have asked on more than one occasion): “Miss Natasha, since God is Jesus’ Father, why didn’t He help out His Son and get those Roman soldiers?”

I gotta tell y’all: I gave the answer so fast that it made my head spin—I simply said: “If Jesus had come down from that cross, then we would still be living in sin. And none of us want to live in sin, now do we?” And since it was the last day of Vacation Bible School, I gave the review along with my little kiddies. For the fifth straight day in a row, those little ones answered all of my questions with such strength, energy, and vitality—and of course, a little innocence. Oh, and just for the record: Beverly, my top star pupil, took it to a whole nutha level; she went on record and said, “Miss Natasha showed that she too is an obedient lady when she taught us the story of Jesus saving our souls on the cross. Miss Natasha admitted that she didn’t want to teach this lesson because she was kinda scared, but like Jesus said to God in the garden: ‘Nevertheless, not my will, but Thy Will be done!”

And of course, I gave Beverly one of those award-winning hugs, just to let her know that I was—and still am—so very proud of her.

When it was all said and done, I received so many compliments from my family, my friends, the elders, and finally my pastor. And check this out: Mrs. Helmsley, the original Cradle Roll teacher, made it perfectly and emphatically clear that I was truly born to teach. She then went on to tell me that when the time was right, I would most definitely be her successor, but until then, she would like for me to be her assistant, at least until I return to Rust in a couple of weeks.

What an endorsement! That right there is just phenomenal, and I am humbled and honored to receive such a compliment.

Well, that’s gonna do it for me this evening. I sure had fun at Vacation Bible School, and I’m very glad that both my grandmother and my sweetie pie were there to see me share my gift with the world.

Until tomorrow, y’all take care and God Bless!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Day #2 of Vacation Bible School

Hi, Everyone!

So, we had another great lesson on obedience in Vacation Bible School this evening. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I taught the Cradle Roll class the story of Jonah and the big fish… y’all read right—it was not a great whale! When I read the book of Jonah for myself, I read that The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. As an aspiring teacher, I made darn certain that I drove that point home to the little kiddies.

Hey, if I’m gonna be a good teacher, I gotsta know what I’m talkin’ about, and be sure that I have the facts to prove it!

But anyway, I also discussed with the Cradle Roll the important lesson in the book of Jonah: When The Lord tells you to do something, and you don’t do it, you will suffer the consequences. To drive my point home, I told the Cradle Roll how I had gotten into trouble when I was eight years old—nothing serious, but yet and still, I got in trouble. My dad had told me that I could not watch television unless I finished my homework. Well, I was not about to miss Powerpuff Girls for anything, so I watched one episode, then I did my homework. Now, while I did finish all of my homework completely and correctly, I still disobeyed my dad, and as a result, I couldn’t watch television for two weeks. Now, can someone explain to me why my Cradle Roll class told part of that story during the review? I actually had to wave at them to leave that part out of the review; however, they still did a great job.

On the way home, my mom and dad commended me for my great teaching skills, and for “actually having the boldness and temerity” for telling the Cradle Roll class that story about my disobedience—those were my dad’s words. My mom just basically said that I was born to teach, but then she that “to whom much is given, much is required.”

Now, I have heard that phrase practically all my life (all things considered), but I never knew what it meant, so naturally I asked the meaning of that statement. Mom and Dad basically told me that the phrase is an interpretation of Luke 12:48, and they used me as an example. Right now, I am teaching the Cradle Roll class in Sunday School, and I am loving every minute of it. I am also one of the teachers in Vacation Bible School, and I am just as passionate in that as I am in Sunday School. I’m tellin’ y’all—it’s only a matter of time before I’m teaching for a living, and when that day finally arrives, I’m gonna rejoice!

Heck, I’m already rejoicing right now!

Well, that’s it for today. I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow evening with another blog post… and yes, I said “tomorrow evening.” As you know, a teacher’s job is never done, but let me at least give y’all a preview of VBS #3: Tomorrow evening, I’m gonna teach the little kiddies the story of the wedding at Cana. What does that have to do with obedience? Well, there’s only one way to find out—come out to St. Matthew Baptist Church and sit in the Cradle Roll class if you like!

Until next time, take care, and have a good evening!


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

Blog Post #300, Tho!

Wow—three hundred blog posts within the year… THAT’S PHENOMENAL!!!

Yes indeed, y’all—we have reached Blog #300, and it’s Sunday on top of that!

So, here’s the update on my Cradle Roll Class: This morning in Sunday School, I taught the little kiddies Mark 10:46-52, where Blind Bartimeus boldly asked Jesus Christ to have mercy upon him. What I find amazing about this particular scripture is that the crowd tried to tell Bartimeaus to keep quiet, but such an admonition didn’t deter Bartimeus—in fact, the Bible says that Bartimeus cried louder for Jesus. Once again, y’all, I was so proud of my little kiddies; they really brought the lesson. At the risk of showing favoritism, little six-year-old Beverly did the Sunday School review all by herself—she really made me proud to be her teacher. I especially liked when she said: “Miss Natasha taught us that when this dark world tries to shut us up, we should continue to call on the name of Jesus, because he will look out for those who trust in him!”

No lie, y’all—I ran up to the front and gave her a big hug and kiss, as though she was my very own daughter… and I don’t have any kids!

After Sunday School ended, Beverly’s mother (Mrs. Woods) paid me a great compliment.

“My daughter loves your class,” she said with a grin. “All Beverly talks about is ‘Miss Natasha and her fun class’, and from what I can see, you are definitely born to teach, my love!”

More confirmation, y’all! I know I say this all the time—and I mean it everytime I say it—I may only be nineteen years old, but this is what I love to do. I truly believe that God has put me in this position to see how truly devoted I am to my dream. Well, as y’all can tell, I am truly devoted to being a dedicated teacher.

Of course, Vacation Bible School starts tomorrow at my church, and per the directive of Pastor Clark and the Sunday School superintendent, I have been given the green light to teach the Cradle Roll class all this week. I’ve already mentioned that I’m gonna teach them about obedience; it’s just a matter of putting a lesson together and having it make sense, and as usual I’m gonna need The Lord to help me. Not to sound cocky, but lately the Cradle Roll class has been on fire… and now I have to humble myself, because I know I didn’t do it all by myself.

Well, that’s gonna do it for today’s blog. By the way, didn’t y’all find it quite apropos that this 300^th blog post fell on a Sunday, and was also focused mainly on the Cradle Roll class and how well they’re doing? Now that I think about it, I’m not doing this all by myself—I’ve got more backup than reverse in this situation. The Cradle Roll thinks I’m a great teacher, but I can’t take any—let alone all—of the credit; as I read in Psalm 121, my help cometh from The One who made the heavens and the earth.

And with that said, it’s time for me to close this blog post and get back to studying some more on the lesson that I will teach the kiddies for Vacation Bible School this week. Oh, but don’t worry—I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow! Peace Out!


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

Preparing for Sunday, Tho!

Happy Saturday Afternoon, Everyone!

Sorry that I’m just now getting to y’all, but I had a very busy morning. It all began when I woke up around six o’clock this morning, and that is not like me at all. I couldn’t get back to sleep at all, and then I realized the reason why: I’m like, overly excited about teaching the Cradle Roll class in Sunday School tomorrow!

I just lay in the bed, looking at the ceiling and grinning every thirty seconds or so. Heck, I even did a bit of a happy dance. Lemme tell y’all—I was so excited that I eventually got up out of bed and turned my desk lamp on. I figured that since I couldn’t go back to sleep, I would at least take advantage of the opportunity and work some more on the lesson that I’m gonna teach those little kiddies. I was very careful not to wake up my mom and dad, so I treated my books and papers as though they were crystal Ming vases. As I was looking over my lesson plan, I had another brilliant idea: I could record myself looking over my lesson plan. So, I carefully and quietly set my camcorder on my tripod, and got to recording.

And believe it or not, after I filmed my footage—not to mention looking over my lesson plan and brainstorming some extra ideas—I was able to go back to sleep.

I guess y’all can tell that I’m very excited about my teaching career… and I forgot to mention this in one of my recent blogs, but when I attended the retirement party of one Mr. Hal Arthur, I spoke to Principal Wilson and asked her if it would be possible for me to do an internship at Sapp Elementary. Now, check this out: I just knew she was gonna say yes—my faith was that strong. That scripture about “ask and ye shall receive” really rang true, because Principal Wilson said emphatically, “Yes, my dear—just get all the necessary paperwork, and keep reminding me every chance you get!”

Principal Wilson ain’t got to tell me twice!

As a matter of fact, as soon as I return to Rust next month, I’m gonna take care of my internship right then and there. I will not be caught slippin’ on this one—yes, I’m gonna use my Grampa Clark words of wisdom and use my full ass! Besides, the earlier I get this taken care of, the better.

Well, y’all—it’s time to close today’s blog and get ready for my date with my sweetie-pie… I can hear some of you already: “Damn, Natasha—ever since your return last month, you and Ray have been datin’ something serious!” Well, the last time I checked, when a guy and a girl like each other, they date. Now, unless I’m missin’ something, tell me so that Ray and I can fix it; otherwise I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow after church. Peace Out!


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

A Real Passion For Teaching, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

Today’s blog is a real simple one, but I’m sure y’all figured that out by reading the title.

I just got a call this morning from the Sunday School superintendent at my church, and she says that she put in a good word for me with Pastor Clark. I’m gonna just cut right to the chase: From now until I return to Rust next month, I’m gonna teach the Cradle Roll class at church. This is just the type of training that I need if I am to ever become a kindergarten teacher. I gladly welcome this responsibility, but I am curious as to what happened to Sister Helmsley—I mean, she is an excellent teacher; she’s been teaching the Cradle Roll class since… I just thought about it: I was in her class when I was a little Cradle Roller. I wonder if she mentioned my name or something. Oh, well—the bottom line is that I have a chance to show off my skills as a teacher, and what better way to start than at Sunday School. That means I gotta get a lesson plan together, as well as a syllabus, and some goodies and treats for when my students show that they’ve learned something!

Oh, yes—the wheel are indeed a-turnin’ in my head, y’all! I’m very excited about this news!

And then too, I am reminded about a conversation I had earlier this year with Ruby and Theo about being tough enough. You know, there’s an old saying that has been modified six ways from Sunday, but it goes: “Actions speak a helluva lot louder than words.” Nowadays, this generation says: “There are those who talk about it, and there are those who be about it.” Well, I stand firmly in great faith to let the world know that I, Natasha Renee Stewart, truly beez about it! It’s one thing to dream it, but now I’ve got to prove that I’ve got what it takes. I’ve wanted to be a kindergarten teacher ever since I was in kindergarten. Granted, my Grampa Clark was the inspiration behind my decision, but lately I’ve noticed that children have more or less flocked to me. I could be at church, in the grocery store, at the mall, or on a date with Ray—some child is gonna approach me some kinda way, and my inner teacher/nurturer will start activating.

Now, that right there is passion—I don’t think it can get any more passionate than that. Then again, I’ve just been told that I’m gonna be the Cradle Roll teacher for the next six Sundays, and I’m already talking about a lesson plan and some goodies for the little ones. If that don’t show that I’m ready, then I don’t know what will!

Well, speaking of my passion, I had best get to working on my lesson plan right now. I do not want to be caught slippin’. After all, Jesus did tell us to be ye also ready! Yes, I am aware that the scripture speaks more than what I see, but I’m just merely expressing that I’d rather be overly prepared than not prepared at all. So, with that said, y’all take care, and I shall holla at y’all tomorrow.


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

The Inevitable in Speech Class

Hi, Everyone!

Well, the inevitable has finally happened—I was called on this afternoon in my Fundamentals of Speech class to talk about why I have chosen to work on obtaining my Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. I was the third one called on, and I was ever-so-ready.

I want to state for the record that I had on my plum purple dress suit and matching shoes, my hair was pinned in a bun (which is very rare), and I had on fake eyeglasses which I purposely pushed to my nose. Oh, yeah—I wanted to look the part as I was giving my speech. Anyway, for the first time since I’ve been in this class, I did not use my notes at all! I merely started speaking from the heart. Outside of the aforementioned, I spoke about the influences in my life, such as my Grampa Clark, Mr. D, and my Fifth Grade teacher Mrs. Peterson. I also discussed at length about how a teacher’s job is never officially over. When my Grampa Clark retired, he still taught life lessons. Even though I was two years old, I still remember how he would gather up me and my cousins, and tell us all about the importance of a good education.

And incidentally, I even mentioned my conversation with Mr. D in regards to the loyalty and dedication of being a teacher. I still remember Mr. D’s comments: “It’s not about the money—it’s all about shaping the lives of those little ones. And when you have at least one student come back and thank you for being their teacher, you have done a great service, don’tcha know.”

Needless to say, my instructor gave me a good grade on my speech. She said that it was informative and inspiring, and it made her proud to be a teacher.

Well, whaddaya know—that is a compliment and a half!




Photo Credit: childrensacademiclearningcenter.com

 

Incidentally, a couple of the boys in my class said that I was “lookin’ rather sexy” with my hair in a bun and the glasses. I think they were hinting at some teacher’s fantasy. I hate to burst those boys’ bubbles, but I’m already taken—I’ve got a guy back in Cali who is willing to wait for me.

Until tomorrow, y’all have a good rest-of-the-day!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Tough Enough!



Credit: wwe.com

Hi, Everyone!

Before I begin with today’s blog post, I want to wish a Happy 49^th birthday to my eldest uncle, Anthony Thomas Jones. I trust that Auntie Stephie and Cousin Candace treat you someplace, Uncle Tony—love ya lots!

 

So, this afternoon in the cafeteria, I was chattin’ it up with Ruby and Theo about our dreams and goals. Y’all already know that I’m studying to be a teacher, but I never told y’all (until now) that Ruby is studying business administration with an emphasis in business management, and Theo is studying broadcast journalism. In the midst of our conversation, Ruby brought up Season One of a reality show called Tough Enough, where these young kids wanted to be future wrestlers. In the first fifteen minutes of the show, some quit because they were only in it for the bright lights and the roar of the crowd. Ruby then asked a damn good question:

“Are y’all tough enough to stick with your major?”

 

While Theo boldly declared that he knew he had the passion, the drive, and the charisma to be a broadcast journalist, I thought about how my Grampa Clark didn’t see his dream come true until he was 43 years old, yet he still had a desire for teaching. As a matter of fact, Grampa Clark taught Sunday School, Bible Study, and Vacation Bible School until he finally became a kindergarten teacher. Suddenly, a smile ran across my face—I pretended that Ruby and Theo were rowdy children, and I just stood up and said: “Campbell! Hudspeth! Hush up all that talkin’!”

 

Believe it or not, Ruby and Theo both sat up straight and looked at me with such attentiveness, and then Ruby raised her hand. I decided to play along, so I acknowledged her. Ruby pointed at me and said, “Miss Stewart, pardon my language, but you are damn sure tough enough to be a kindergarten teacher.”

 

“Amen!” Theo declared, only to give me an expression where he realized that he was “talking out of turn.”

 

I want to state for the record that Ruby, Theo, and I do not plan on becoming professional wrestlers anytime soon, but when it comes to being the best journalists, entrepreneurs, and teachers that we can be, we do have the drive and the passion. We both agreed that if we do not have the desire to reach our dreams and goals, then obviously we’re in the wrong damn field.

 

As I close today’s blog post, I just want to say: Yes, I am indeed tough enough!


Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha