Teacher Tuesday: On Food & Gratitude

As a child, I was always surprised when I heard people say that Thanksgiving was their favorite holiday. “But there aren’t any presents!” I would say with bemusement to my siblings, and we would wonder at the oddness of adults.

Now I get it. 

I love the anticipation leading up to Thanksgiving. My kids start texting their travel plans early in the month. I begin my list making – Family Favorite Recipes to Make, New Recipes to Try, Grocery Shopping for the 1^st Week of November, Grocery Shopping for the 2^nd Week, Grocery Shopping for the 3^rd Week, Cooking Plans for the three days leading up to Thanksgiving, and Chores that Need to Get Done Before the Family Arrives. 

Every picture of a golden brown and glistening turkey makes my stomach rumble.  The aisles of the grocery stores are filled with amazing food items I want to try and incorporate into my Thanksgiving recipes.  Memories of the savory smells of sage, thyme, melted butter, and caramelized onions tantalize my mind as I try to stay focused on my daily responsibilities.

 My husband and I spend our evenings leading up to the family’s homecoming freshening up bedrooms and bathrooms, and shopping for new movies to watch late into the night with the kids. Prayers fill our quiet times – “God, please let all our loved ones stay healthy. Keep their cars running smoothly, and keep them safe as they’re driving home. Bless our time together with love and laughter and fun new memories. Teach us to be mindful of all Your blessings and let gratitude fill our home and hearts. Amen. And please don’t let the oven break down. Amen… again.”

A lot of the staff and students at Shepherds College share my love for this holiday, for all the delicious food shared with family & friends, and for a time set aside for purposeful gratitude.  

“Although I love the traditional turkey, stuffing, etc., the food I most look forward to is my wife Emilie’s sweet potato casserole. Her recipe isn’t topped with marshmallows, but is instead made with mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan and brown sugar topping. Yum!”  ~  Mr. Gaschke

 

“I’m so thankful for all the people at Shepherds College, the staff and students.”  ~ Kati, student

“I love a good stuffing. My father-in-law makes stuffing with Italian sausage and it is phenomenal. I also love gravy over everything!”  ~ Mr. DeCiccio

"My favorite food at Thanksgiving is green bean casserole. The thing I am thankful about at Shepherds College is that I am able to have the opportunity to grow in maturity and social skills. This school has made a huge positive impact on my life."  ~ Suzanne, student

“My FAVORITE food for Thanksgiving is my Grandma’s green bean casserole!! It’s a secret family recipe so I can’t share it… all I can tell you is that it is amazing!

I am thankful for the growth I have seen in the students this semester. They have worked very hard!”  ~ Mrs. Kolkman

 

“I love the devil’s food cake and apple cider. I’m thankful for all the friends and staff members who love me at Shepherds College.”  ~ Anthony, student

“My favorite Thanksgiving food is turkey, crock-pot stuffing and my aunt’s sweet potato casserole.

I have so much to be thankful for – my hard-working and creative staff, the opportunity to teach On and For a Purpose, and the students’ growth toward Appropriate Independence.”  ~ Miss Houk

 

“I love French Silk Pie! I’m thankful for the Academic Advisors.”  ~ Megan, student

 “The foods I look forward to the most on Thanksgiving – turkey, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs and pumpkin pie! I am so thankful that my students make me laugh!”  ~ Mrs. Luchterhand

 

“My favorite Thanksgiving food is homemade rolls. I am thankful for my friends.”  ~ Katherine, student

 

“I love mashed potatoes! I think they’re delicious!

I’m thankful for the great conversations I’ve had with the students while driving this semester. I love when they open up and feel comfortable sharing what is going on in their lives with me!”  ~ Mrs. Patton

 

“My favorite food is sweet potatoes. I’m thankful for friends who love me so much.”  ~ Andrew, student

 “I’m thankful for the students’ enthusiasm. It’s a great feeling to be greeted with so much joy and energy!”  ~ Mrs. Konopasek

“My favorite food is green bean casserole and I’m thankful for all the fun outings we go on at Shepherds College.”  ~ Krista, student

 

 “I’m looking forward to Elegant Farmer’s brown bag, caramel apple pie.

“I’m thankful that I work with such a high caliber, creative, passionate and caring group of people, and I’m thankful for the impact the students have made in my life.”  ~ Mr. Canright

"My favorite food is Pumpkin Cheesecake. I'm thankful for my Academic Advisor, Miss Pollard. She has helped steer me in the right direction of how I'm supposed to be acting and following the rules."  ~ Jonathan, student

“I am thankful for all my students and the joy, diversity, and energy they bring into my life!! They are all wonderful, and I’m thankful to have a small part in their lives.”  ~ Miss Pollard

 

“Turkey and pumpkin pie! I’m thankful I can be at Shepherds College.”  ~ Alex, student

“I love plain sweet potatoes without brown sugar or marshmallows on top. I think they are so delicious just the way they are. I like to savor the flavor, with maybe just a little butter, but it’s not required to enjoy!

I’m thankful coming in on Sunday evenings to be with the first-year ladies as the overnight person. It is so refreshing to see them outside of the academic arena and have time to just talk to them.”  ~ Mrs. Harvey

“My parents are coming for Thanksgiving so I’m hosting for the first time! I’m most looking forward to potatoes – mashed and sweet! My husband Matt is looking forward to the HUGE turkey my parents are lugging all the way from New York, and pumpkin cheesecake!

I am thankful for two things – the support of my supervisors and the way that God continually uses Shepherds College to sanctify me, to make me more like Him. I think I often forget that God has me here to accomplish His own will within me, not just so I can serve.”  ~ Mrs. Cyr

Mr. Wright's favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

From the Shepherds College family to yours –

We pray that you find love reflected in each face seated around your table, that you find joy in the memory of each precious face that is no longer there, and that each morsel of delicious food, each beloved family tradition, and each moment of shared happiness ultimately serves to bring you closer to the One who provided it all.

Have a Blessed & Happy Thanksgiving!

 



Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Friday's Top Five: Black Friday

Unless I’m going to the grocery store or book store, I don’t like shopping.

The idea of Black Friday is a nightmare for me – losing sleep, battling crowds, packed parking lots, insanely crabby people, spending money – all for shopping. Ugh. No thank you. 

Do others feel this way? I asked our students what their plans were for this big post-Thanksgiving event. Not everyone shares my feelings. Here are their Top Five responses:

1.       Shopping!!

2.       Going to Kenosha for the Christmas Tree Lighting

3.       Sleeping

4.       Visiting with family

5.       Spending time with people who didn’t get to go home for Thanksgiving

Some of the students also mentioned traveling around with friends, working, listening to their iPods all day, playing video games, and having another Thanksgiving dinner with extended family.

Whatever your plans, may this “official” start of the Christmas season bring joy as you prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth.

 


Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: Quotes from the Classroom

When Shepherds College was going through the accreditation process, our accreditation team from the North Central Association – Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, gave us the highest possible rating in the area of Teaching and Assessing for Learning. This achievement was pretty amazing and almost unheard of for a new school – especially one that had to create its own curriculum!

It also tells you something important about us – we take our teaching very seriously.

But, in spite of all the seriousness regarding the quality of our teaching, those goofy moments still manage to sneak into each classroom. Our students can be surprising! They bring us lots of smiles, giggles and laughter. We’d like to share some of the joy with you.  

Our students on Disability:

 

Student: “I’m not feeling well.”

Staff: “What are your symptoms?”

Student: “My mom calls it Down syndrome.”

(The student had the flu…)

“My leg hurts. I think I have ‘jet leg.’”

“The autism is flowing through me.”

Student during her demonstration speech conclusion: “Diabetes comes in handy in many ways.”

“I don’t have a real disability. I have a learning disability.”

“Yeah, I have OCD. That means I can be hot and cold at the same time.”

Our students on Food:

Student talking about the fruit in his refrigerator: “My life’s motto is ‘Squeeze it as hard as you can.’”

“Do you know what caviar is? It’s fish poop.”

“So the pretzels are glutton free?”

Our students on Education:

 

Student scoffing: “This test is not going to be wahooo, it’s only whoop de doo.”

Teacher: “What’s wahooo?”

Student: “Not whoop de doo.”

Teacher: “What’s whoop de doo?”

Student: “This test.”

Teacher: “… can we try to make it wahooo?”

Student: “I don’t think so.”

“I was thinking so hard that I started to sweat.”

Student on his research project of Maine:

“The wabanalis were the first people to welcome the dawn.

In different countries throughout the nations, meaning that we really need to learn different languages every day.

In North America, Christfer Cloumuse descuvered that America had tuns and tuns of gold to make things like watches, rings and even cars.

Many wepons were made from gold, but now we know that history is incredible to Imagene.

The state flag is also used in war.

The native Americans still have tribes that are still trading with the Europeans to day while we notice that we don’t have to take over all the states are being invaded by the other nations that we declare.”

“Mayans had the most precious art of facts.”

“The NIV is too hard to understand, so I’m going to have my mom send me my KJV.”

Our students on independent living:

 

“Shoot! I can lay in bed eating my Coco Puffs.”

“May I use you as a business card?”

“Work is murder.”

Our students who may have to retake their Communications class:

While talking to their teachers –

“You’re getting on my last nerd.”

“You can assign me more homework if you need to in order to boost your own ego.”

And what every woman wants to hear –

“You look nice for a change.”

“A merry heart does good, like medicine …” Proverbs 17:22

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.