Hesterberg Spaghetti

If you are looking for a fast and easy dinner dish, this is a great one!  Often, when I am looking for a recipe, I skip long introductions to get to the main part:  the ingredients and preparation.  Thus, I am going to post that first, and the history behind this meal (which is really fun!) last.

You will need:

1-1 ½ lbs ground beef (I use lean*)
*½ or 1 whole onion (I use half)
2 large cans Hunt's tomato sauce (generic works fine)
*1 package of mushrooms
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp garlic
1 package spaghetti noodles
*Basil (preferably fresh)
Serves about 4-6 with some leftover

*denotes ingredients we have added to the original Hesterberg spaghetti recipe

The original Hesterberg spaghetti recipe, written and passed down to me by my mother-in-law, Kathy (Reyna) Hesterberg.

Prepare noodles according to package directions.  When done, pour some olive oil over them (so they don't stick to the pot), and mix them up with chopped up fresh basil.

The noodles tossed with olive oil and basil

Chop up onion and mushrooms, and brown them with the ground beef and garlic.  Finely break them all up over low-medium heat.  If you are not using lean ground beef, drain the fat.  Otherwise, proceed to add the oregano and tomato sauce and heat through.  Serve over spaghetti noodles.  Enjoy!

We enjoy picking fresh basil and oregano from our garden!

The marinara meat sauce really makes the dish!  My husband could literally eat this everyday and not grow tired of it.

Though I never had the privilege of meeting her, my father-in-law's mother, Cecilia (Jones) Hesterberg,  was the first to make this spaghetti.  She passed it on to my mother-in-law, Kathy (Reyna) Hesterberg, who then passed it on to me, Giana (Gallardo) Hesterberg.  It is a favorite that we have made for family and friends here in South Texas; Des Moines, Iowa; Seattle, Washington; and most recently, Littleton, Colorado.  

We have added to the recipe as the years have gone by.  In 2011, when we last visited Iowa, we made it for a dear friend, Amanda, who is vegetarian.  Since we couldn't use meat, we tried mushrooms.  We liked it so much we decided to keep them in our version!  A couple of years later, we were having supper at another sweet lady's house, Lily, and saw that she added basil to her spaghetti noodles.  And finally, our gardening mentor, Angela, inspired us to grow our own herbs.  

We hope that you enjoy Hesterberg spaghetti and would love to hear about how you make it your own!

Grandma Ceil, the originator of the recipe.

Keeper of the Grounds

His name is Sr. (Señor) Gallegos, and every couple of weeks for the past three years (as long as we have lived in our home), he has cut and trimmed our front yard—free of charge, without expecting anything in return.  A man in his sixties, he is the father of one of our neighbors, and also cares for his son's lawn.  If you're anything like me, or how I used to be, you're wondering, "What's the catch?" or "Why is he doing that?"

In the beginning, I asked myself the same questions.  Seeing him has been one of the highlights of my children's week.  "Hey, pretty boy!" he greets my son, with his limited English and big smile.

"Say, 'hola,'" I coach my three-year old.

Not to be left behind, my 18-month old daughter yells, "Hiiiiii..."

"Hey, bonita (pretty)!" he responds.

And we converse—about the weather, and life.  He asks the children how they are doing and gives them high-fives.  "Mira, el futuro presidente (look at the future president)," his favorite reference for my son.

We all smile, and I come inside with the little ones, while he gets to work on cutting the grass.  He wears a white shirt, with an opened button-up on top, jeans and a cap that protects his dark skin.  Sometimes, the highs are near 100 degrees while he works outside.  And he works without complaining, encouraging me to go inside because, "es muy caliente (it's very hot)."

He makes our house and our neighbor's look very good, like some of the best on the block.  He was very careful initially, asking me to check with my husband to see if he wouldn't mind Sr. Gallegos cutting our grass.  Of course, my husband didn't mind and welcomed the help.

When he first started serving us, I would cut up fruit for him and offer him water.  On other occasions I would bake diabetic friendly treats for him and his wife.  Eventually, my daughter was born and I was not able to do anything for him in return.  This sometimes bothered me.  I felt this obligation to repay him for all he had done, though I knew that was impossible.  I would often pray about it and felt like the Lord continually said, "Giana, let him serve you."  Let him serve you.  

The spiritual implications of observing him have been great and twofold.  First, I want to serve the way Sr. Gallegos does.  When I think of him, the verse, "Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people," (Ephesians 6:7, NLT) comes to mind.

His name will probably never be in a hall of fame, but my family and I will certainly remember his example.  I hope to be like him:  faithful and humble—not expecting recognition or praise, but simply doing what I am called to do.

Second, growing up in South Texas, I have been influenced by the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours," mentality.  I ran myself ragged as a single person through most of my twenties, constantly overextending myself by helping others, and trying to keep an "even score" with those who helped me.  It didn't work.  I was tired and could never keep up.

Now that I am more mature and in my thirties, I often reflect and wonder, how many of us do this in our relationship with the Lord?  Burnout because we are trying to repay Him for all He's done through our actions?  I am reminded of the verses that say, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV).

Is it bad to do good things?  Of course not.  And serving others is something we should always try to do, in one form or another.  But as for me, I am done with trying to repay others or somehow earn my way into Heaven.  That's not how it works.  And I'm glad it doesn't.  I would never be able to do enough.

When Sr. Gallegos is done loading his gas lawnmower, trimmer and weed eater into the bed of his truck, I thank him, wave and say, "Hasta luego (see you later)."

He waves back and always answers, "Si Dios quiere (if God wills it)."

And just like that, the Keeper of the Grounds gently reminds me, I still have much to learn.

The First Day of School

It's official!  I am the mother of a preschooler.  Our three-year old son just got home from his first half-day and is all smiles!  No tears were shed, from either side, when I dropped him off at 8:00 this morning.  And while I know we will all continue to transition these next few weeks, I could not have asked for a smoother experience for the very first day.

As a former classroom teacher, I know the first week sets the tone for the rest of the year.  Here are a few things we did that helped make the first day of school a positive one:

We did the research.  
Truly, I have been praying about where we would send our firstborn to school since he was roughly two years old.  Academically, he is very advanced.  Maturity-wise, he's three.

Over the years, I have spoken with public, private and homeschool parents.  I have asked many questions, including the hard ones.  I wanted to know what worked, what didn't and why they chose to educate their children the way they had.  I read articles in the newspaper and spoke with educators and administrators.  I knew there was no 100% ideal educational model that existed; we simply wanted to make the best choice for our son.  And we did.

With BISD's (Brownsville Independent School District) new open enrollment policy, you can send your child to any school of your choice, so long as you can provide the transportation.  We handpicked my sister-in-law to be our son's first school teacher.  Back in May, we visited her campus and spent half the day there, eating lunch with the students before leaving.  This gave us a very clear picture of what the day would look like.

The countdown on the calendar!

We are excited about it!  
All summer, we talked to our boy about how he would be starting school soon.  Growing up, the first day of school was always one of my favorite days of the year!  That enthusiasm is contagious.

When August rolled around, we started a countdown in our eldest's room.  We placed stickers on Monday-Friday of the first week he would attend preschool, and different stickers on his days of rest.  The night before, we had a pizza party in honor of school starting!

We treated everything, from shopping for school supplies to picking out his favorite backpack, like it was the best thing since sliced bread!  He began to feel that way, too.

We read books and watched shows about it!
One of our favorite series of books has been The Berenstain Bears.  In fact, I still own my childhood copy of The Berenstain Bears Go to School.  We read it multiple times over the summer.  There are many other books that also deal with school themes.

The Berenstain Bears Go to School

Our children are allowed to watch 1-2 educational programs per day, each about 20 minutes in length.  Right now, they enjoy Super Why and Leap Frog programs (which I highly recommend, but that is a different entry altogether!).  Leap Frog has a perfectly relevant one titled, "Let's Go to School."  Remember one of my earlier posts about making connections?  That's exactly what we did here.  Our son made plenty of text-to-self connections through these learning extensions, and it made him more familiar with attending school.


We have a reward system.  
Different seasons of our children's lives have called for different incentives.  We have done reward charts when potty training and encouraging independence with different tasks.  We told our son that if he did a great job at school, he could have one cookie when he got home.

Will we have this incentive the rest of the year?  Probably not.  But it will continue while we are transitioning.  After coming home and sharing his excitement about the morning with us, he asked for his cookie, and we gladly gave him one.

We kept calm and prayed about it.  
In my book, this was the most important thing we did.  Once it came time to make a decision, we were able to make one with supreme confidence.  It even made sense to us, though we had never considered this particular option before!  We were in agreement, and in complete and total peace as a family.

Speaking of prayer, we hope to make it a habit to pray the following over our son every morning (we started today): "The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  The Lord life His countenance upon you and give you His peace.  Amen." (Numbers 6:24-26).

We also pray, continually, for our son's teacher(s), administrators, classmates and staff at his new elementary school.  We also covet the prayers of those in our most intimate circles.

Does this mean we have all the answers and will never encounter obstacles in deciding the education of our children?  Absolutely not.  But we are so thankful for this current season of life, and are thrilled to come alongside this school in teaching our son!  Here's to a great year!

Presto Pesto Tart

It's a lovely, rainy day in south Texas!  This recipe is one of many given to me by my grandmother, who we affectionately refer to as Abuelita.

I would not categorize myself as a foodie, but I do love food!  Any sort of baking or cooking skills I possess are due, in large part, to having my grandmother's example growing up.  She showed me how to take joy in preparing meals, and especially in baking!  It still serves as a stress reliever for me.

Here is the recipe for her Presto Pesto Tart (one of my favorites):

You will need:

1 15 oz pie crust (I use Pillsbury)
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise (using them without the seeds is preferred)
½ c mayonnaise
2 tbsp Pesto
¼ c Parmesan cheese
½ tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

After allowing pie crust to thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes, place it on a pizza pan or other oven proof item where it will lay flat.  Pick the crust with a fork all over and bake it for 8 minutes. 

Here is the pie crust after it has baked for 8 minutes.

Sprinkle ½ c mozzarella cheese on the warm crust and let it cool 10 minutes.

Next, arrange the sliced tomatoes over the cheese.

In a bowl, mix the remaining mozzarella cheese with the rest of the ingredients until well combined.  Spread over the tomato slices (if a spoon does not work well, your fingers will do it justice!).

Presto Pesto Tart- a delicious and simple recipe (this is what it looks like before oven time)!

Reduce oven to 375 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Serves between 8-12, and goes really well with a salad!

Hesterberg Learning Fun, Lesson #1: Making Text-to-Text Connections

When I would meet with parents as a classroom teacher, I would always say to them, "You are your child's first teacher.  I may have them all day now, but by the time they get to me (any grade in school), you have already laid the foundation."  And several years later, as a parent myself, I stand by that statement.

The first year I taught, the importance of making connections with my students was constantly stressed, especially in the area of reading comprehension.  While reading aloud with sticky notes, I was trained to individually label them, "T-S, T-T and T-W."  T-S stood for a "text-to-self" connection, T-T represented a "text-to-text" connection, and T-W meant "text-to-world."  Soon, my students and I were making cross-curricular links, too!

As a mother who teaches her children, I constantly wear my "connection lenses."  Every day contains a plethora of teachable moments that you can engage your kids in.  Below, you will find a lesson I recently did with my son that deals with this topic (to give you a tangible example).  Feel free to use it!  I often get my best ideas from other teachers, parents and observing my offspring.  Let me know how you encourage making connections with your students!

Lesson #1:  Making Text-to-Text Connections through Phonics
(Note:  this lesson works best for children who know the alphabet and the individual letter sounds--emergent readers)

How much do I love Pinterest?!  One day, as I was browsing educational activities for little ones, I came across this Word-a-Pillar (follow that link to print a copy for yourself!):

Here is part of the Word-a-Pillar in my son's room.  There are a total of 28 sight words you can print (all FREE!).  My son can read them all (I introduced them, initially, in groups of 3-5 every few weeks).  He is an eager three-year old!

I would review these words with my son a couple of times a week.  If he was reluctant to read through them, I would encourage him to by providing some sort of an incentive (yes, I do bribe my children on occasion).  Eventually, he was jumping at the chance to do sight-word practice!  After one of our sessions he said, "I want the caterpillar to go all around my room!"  He then made an amazing text-to-text connection and said, "It's like The Very Hungry Caterpillar."  So naturally, we read that book next.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, a classic.  Don't own it?  Check it out from the library!  I have also found some quality books at thrift stores.

Once I knew that my son could read his sight words, I told him he could then play, "Spell that Word!" (which he loved).  Using magnetic letters on a cookie sheet, he proceeded to spell each of the words while looking at them.  He did this first with my help and then independently (which is always encouraged in our home!)

The first thing he wanted to do before playing the game was to put the letters in order.  We eventually found the Letter C.  Magnetic letters can be found at Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

My firstborn enjoys puzzles, so a few days after playing, "Spell that Word!" he wanted to work on his word puzzles (they were a gift from us to him last Christmas).  They work very well for emergent readers and spellers because of the great illustrations that accompany each word.

Some of the Match It! Spelling words

I highly recommend this game!  We found this one at Tuesday Morning.

My boy loves learning!  I am convinced that outside of us reading aloud to him (of utmost importance!), encouraging him to make connections has made the greatest difference!  I would love to hear about connections your children and/or students are making!

Celebrity Dining

Tonight, my husband and I joined three other couples for excellent dining at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, and we didn't pay a DIME!  We were given the royal treatment, with a variety of menu items to choose from, which included appetizers, the main course and dessert.  "How did you get to do that?" you ask.

It was a very fun evening!

A dear friend of mine, Briana, entered her recipe into a competition for the restaurant and WON!  As a prize (outside of her creation, Briana's Broccoli Salad, being featured in the menu!), she was allowed to invite three other couples to dine with her and her husband (that's where we came in!) for FREE, and also received a $250.00 gift card to use at a future date.  How neat is that?!?!

The beautiful, and now famous, Briana!

And let me tell you, no one is more deserving of a celebrity evening than this gal!  She is one of the greatest servants I have ever known.  She is the coordinator of our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Chapter—not a small feat.  There have been times in the past that I have been sick, or my children have not been feeling well, and she shows up on my doorstep with a homemade meal!  She is an incredible cook, wife, mother, friend and leader.

There it is in the menu—AHHH!!!  We were the first guests to try it.

The whole kitchen staff came out to greet our table and meet the special chef who had the winning concoction!  All evening, our party was made to feel extra special and we ate like kings.  So, the next time you dine at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, ask for Briana's Broccoli Salad (we affectionately shortened the name to Briana's BS).  You'll be glad you did. :)

Briana's Broccoli Salad- we all enjoyed a serving of it during debut night!

The Oak Tree

The steady Oak’s roots dig deep to the source of their strength

Its boughs provide shade to all who come near

The trunk holds up children and animals

To take a look at the horizon

The leaves of the tree are ever green, and do not fall,

In hard seasons

The thick roots destroy weak foundations

And trip any intruder

Even as a sapling it stood

Set apart from the rest

Growing closer to the sky

And towards the light

With its rough bark it hides

The broad rings within

From the farthest distance

It can be seen

The Mighty Oak

Sprawling in glory

My shade

My favorite Oak Tree

And my home

Dedicated to my husband

First Blog Giveaway Winners! Drum Roll please...

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my first blog giveaway!  I am especially grateful to Vannia Gonzalez with Just a Creative Type of Girl, and  Melissa Guerrero Rivera with Owl Design It!  Please go to their pages and "like" them on Facebook.  They are very talented and were so eager to donate to the cause!

And the winners are...Mrs. Irene Rodriguez, a teacher in Los Fresnos that I worked with many years ago, and Mrs. Jessica Aguilar, a dear friend who is a counselor in Laredo, Texas!  Please keep your eyes peeled for another giveaway I will have in the fall, and keep reading and sharing my blog.  Your support means the world to me!

The First Marathon

I'm not athletic.  At all.  In fact, I don't believe there is a single athletic bone in my body.  In elementary school, I was that little girl who dreaded recess.  When we had free time, I would often sit and chat it up with friends.  And I hated rough games like dodgeball.

As I became an adult, I started to realize the importance of things like physical activity and eating healthy.  At the age of 23, a friend in Iowa invited me to train for a 5k.  "Why not?" I thought.  What I didn't realize is that I would soon catch the running bug.  You know the kind... if you haven't been bit by it yet, you know someone who has.  I wanted to run all the time.  I found myself regularly running three miles for the fun of it!

The following year, I was working on my bucket list and decided that one day, I wanted to complete a full marathon.  And for the added timeline incentive, I wanted it to happen when I was 26 years old.  There was something significant about about each mile representing one year of my life.

If running a marathon (or ½ marathon) is on your to do list, I hope you find this list helpful.  This is based solely on my experience, and what worked for me many years ago:

1.  Follow a Running Plan
Looking up a marathon plan these days is so easy!  There are a plethora of them you can find online.  Back in 2007, I stumbled upon a book, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, by David Whitsett.  The book is written by professors from the University of Northern Iowa who offer a marathon class every semester.  The majority of their students (most novice runners, as I was) go on to successfully complete the 26.2 mile race.  This book was my lifesaver!

2.  Run with Friends
Accountability is key when preparing for such a big race!  Life happens while training, but you are less likely to skip practice if there are people waiting for you.  And take it from me, if you must miss, do not miss a long run.  Those are especially crucial.

3.  Cross-Train
It's important to get exercise other than running in when seriously preparing for a marathon.  Cycling is great cross-training for running.  Joining a gym and participating in their classes (yoga, body pump, etc.) will also prove very useful.  Because I wanted to run faster, for the six months leading up to Chicago, I worked with a personal trainer twice a week.  Once again, the accountability was great!

4.  Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

I HIGHLY recommend the Chicago Marathon!

Whether you run with a Camelbak, small bottles of water around your waist, or have other ways to access a drink on your route, drinking water is integral.  Rinse out your mouth and spit out the first sip, and continue taking small sips after that.  Don't chug your water.  Ideally, you want to replenish the same amount of liquid you lose on your run.

5.  Pick an Exciting (and realistic) Marathon Location
I chose to run the 2008 Chicago Marathon because I had heard, from other runners, that it is one of the greatest marathons in the country, with the best fan base!  I also knew that it was a flat course.  Training in South Texas wasn't going to prepare me to run a race through the mountains of California, for example.

Team St. Jude!

6.  Run for a Cause
Do you love children?  Consider raising money for the St. Jude's Children's Hospital (that was the fundraiser I chose).  Think about what you are passionate about and go from there.  If you would rather not raise money, that's okay, too.  Meditate on something that inspires you.  One of my closest friends had just given birth in 2007, and I got to witness most of it.  She inspired me because I knew no matter how uncomfortable I became, it was nothing compared to what it takes to bring life into this world.


7.  Pace Yourself
I remember when they played the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the 2008 Chicago Marathon.  Looking around at the thousands of other runners, I was overwhelmed by us being there with a shared goal and vision.  I got goosebumps!  It's a moment I'll never forget.  It's easy to take off like a bat out of you know where with all the enthusiasm and camaraderie in the air.  Don't do it.  If you have a finish time goal, look for the runner holding the sign with that particular time on it.  My goal was to finish, and try to finish in 4 hours and 30 minutes.  I finished in 4:33:27, so I was happy!  Find the pacer, and stick with them as best you can.  It's normal for your speed to fluctuate over such a long distance!

4:30 was my finish time goal.  I completed the race in 4:33:27. :)

8.  Eat Everything...Sort Of
Every few miles, there will be fruit available to snack on.  If you are hungry during the race, eat it.  Every couple of miles I would alternate drinking water and gatorade.  This system helped fuel me.  I also started eating "running goop" that they sell at athletic stores the last couple of months of my training, and on the day of the race.  Do not do anything different the morning of the race as far as your diet goes, and make sure that your body doesn't react poorly to the food that is available.

9.  Pray
Running such long distances gave me plenty of time to pray and reflect.  I prayed for others, for endurance, and for next steps in my life.  It was a very special season that I know I will never get back.  It helped me tremendously during the difficult transition of moving back home to Brownsville, Texas, from Des Moines, Iowa.

26.2 miles of Heart

10.  Enjoy the Moment!
Take in all the sights, sounds, smells and diverse group of runners during your race.  While training, I often jogged with headphones (unless I was running with others) and inspiring music (I currently enjoy the Eye of the Tiger station on Pandora).  Not so with race day!  I wanted to experience it all!  And I did.  And you will, too.  If I can run a marathon, most anyone can do it!

P.S.  I'm still not athletic.  But I do enjoy a nice run from time to time. ;)

And the answer to a massage afterwards is always, "Yes, please."  You'll need it. ;)

Storytime—Grab a Tissue

It was the first week of school during my very first teaching assignment.  I was assigned to a beautiful 5th grade classroom on the third story of a building that was built in the early 1900's in Des Moines, Iowa.  The room even had wooden floors, which are my absolute favorite.  I had only been with the children for four days, but I already loved them.

My first school picture as a teacher.  So young.  So thin.

Thursday morning had finally rolled around, and I had been anticipating it all week.  I was going to read aloud to my class.  A scene I had envisioned many times before, I had the perfect book for the occasion:  Thank You, Mr. Falker, by Patricia Polacco.  (Spoiler Alert) The author writes and illustrates her children's books, and this one is autobiographical.  The story tells of a little girl in elementary school that struggles with dyslexia, and the teacher that went the extra mile to help her.  You do not find out that the book is about Mrs. Polacco until the last page, when she is done telling her tale.

I sat reading the book in a rocking chair, with my students huddled around me on the carpet area.  I could tell they were completely taken by the story by the looks on their faces.  "Yes," I thought to myself, "I have arrived."  I turned the page for the exciting reveal, the part where I would read that the whole story was about Patricia Polacco herself!

As I got ready to share the part about her running into Mr. Falker and thanking him thirty years later, I looked into the audience of students who were now mine.  A small lump began forming at the back of my throat.  "Hold it together," I said in my mind.  I continued, "thank you, Mr. Fal..."  and then I lost it.  Not a "single tear down my cheek," kind of lost it.  But rather a, "heavy sobbing where your whole body weeps," sort while I finished what she said to him.  If there was ever an awkward classroom moment, this was it.  Complete silence.  I didn't know what to do!  No amount of training or education had prepared me for this.  In fact, we were often encouraged not to display such emotion in front of our pupils, especially during the first week of school!

Zach, who sat right in front of me at my feet with his head down, stifled a nasal laugh.  And then it happened.  I don't know who started it, but I heard a single hand clap at the back of the classroom.  And then another.  And another.  Before you knew it, the whole class had exploded into thunderclaps!  It was as if I had just won the Academy Award for reading aloud.  One of the children handed me a tissue, and we went on with our day.

Of course, it became the running joke the rest of the school year whenever we went to the carpet area for story time.  "Grab the tissue box," someone would say, "she might cry."

McKinley Elementary in Des Moines, Iowa, the first school I had the privilege of working at.
Pictures are in black and white because they are from the school's yearbook.  I didn't teach that long ago. ;)

On How I Became a Teacher

“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” –Mark Twain

During my childhood, like many little girls, I enjoyed playing teacher.  I loved the feel of the chalk on the small blackboard and imitating my instructors.  Growing up with a little sister who was eight years younger than me also gave way to many teachable moments.

In high school, I was often called upon to help my classmates with their assignments, especially in English.  It brought me great joy knowing I was helping others.  One of them even wrote in my yearbook senior year, “I will pray you do not end up a TEACHER!”  

“Don’t worry,” I thought, “that will never happen.”

My grandmother,
Rosario de la Paz Rios,
was a teacher.

Being a teacher seemed too easy.  Too predictable.  My mother and father were teachers, as well as my grandparents.  I was familiar with the good, bad and ugly of the profession and had no interest in taking part.

When I chose to attend Central College in Pella, Iowa, the state’s welcome sign read, “Welcome to Iowa:  Fields of Opportunities.”  The world was my oyster with infinite possibilities!

My grandfather, Rafael Rios,
is a retired teacher and coach.

The summer after my freshman year, I participated in a lingual cultural exchange in Yinchuan, China, for six weeks.  While there, we lived with Chinese university students.  During the day, they taught us about Chinese culture and language, and we in turn taught them about American life.  I was in charge of the lesson on American Literature, and checked out a few books from the library before going abroad.

The day of our English lesson, I talked about Dr. Seuss and his influence on children’s literature.  When I was done, I read his book, What Was I Scared Of?, aloud to the classroom.  In the style of my childhood educators, I would turn the book around and show the picture to the audience after every couple of pages.  About halfway through the book, I looked out into the audience and they were complete silent.  You could hear a pin drop.  They were completed captivated by this kids’ story!  I looked around and immediately thought, “This is it.  This is what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

I always enjoyed reading aloud to my classroom (2008).

And that was all it took.  My whole heart had been changed in one moment.  The international flight back to the States gave me much time to pray and reflect.  When the fall 2001 semester rolled around, I confidently declared my major to my advisor:  Elementary Education.

I believe sometimes we choose things, and other times, they choose us.  Teaching chose me.