Diversity? in Brainard Nebraska? Really!?!?

I have been thinking a lot about this lately, so i figured it was time to blog it before i forgot it!
One of my first impressions about East Butler Elementary School was:
       -Wow! all these kids are WHITE
       -I'm like the darkest person in this school!
       -talk about NO diversity
       -how is this going to get be ready to teach in the "real world?"
I thought a farm town, a farm school, all these kids probably come from little "Leave it to Beaver" families.
  But i've come to already realize some things in my second week,
             I am learning that the term DIVERSITY can vary and be applied in many ways. Yes, all the kids in my class are white, and yes a lot of them come from farms or other small little towns. BUT i am learning that even though I don't have a mix of different cultures...I do have a class of 18 very unique individuals, who all have come from very different backgrounds and upbringings.
In just the short 2 weeks that I have been there I have learned this about some of my students:
     -One girls mom was just diagnosed with breast cancer
     -Another girl is in a foster home, and her biological parents just gave up their rights for her
     -One boys mom is a recovering Meth Attic and has no teeth
    -A set of twins were adopted by their great Aunt & Uncle because their parents are in and out of     prison for drugs
   -One girls parents expect nothing but perfection on all the papers she brings home, she is constantly worried that nothing is ever good enough
   -Another girl talks about the different boyfriends her mom has, and how they stay the night at her house
I think often times we get caught up in the whole idea that Diversity requires different skin colors, or at least i did anyways. But I am slowly starting to realize that essentially, every classroom is Diverse. I have also realized that unfortunately, no matter where you are (small town of 350 people), there is still sin there. There are still people that struggle with things like drugs, abuse, broken families, ext. But it has been neat to see that the classroom can really be a place that they are able to escape all the stuff  going on at home. It feels good knowing that you are able to provide a positive environment for them.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
    -"Mrs. Krieger, why do you get here everyday at 10 and not when school starts?"
     "Because I have to take a class in Seward at the College in the morning before I come."
     "Ooooh, I thought it was because you had to drive here everyday from your home in Arizona."
     "No, Arizona is where I am from, but I live in Seward right now to go to college."
     "Ooooooh."
    -Today I was semi BS-ing my way through a science lesson that i was thrown into, and in the middle of teaching the fire alarm goes off, the kids rush to the door, I follow, not realizing till we are almost out the door that when the fire alarm goes off there is no time to grab your coat, and we are now going to stand outside in 15 degree weather! AWESOME.
     -I need to build up my teacher immune system! Yesterday I came home with a 101.5 fever, cough and body aches. Luckily it was only one of those 24 hour type things...but its going around so WATCH OUT!

And although I just wrote about how this place is more then a little perfect farm town, here is a picture I took as we were pulling up for school the other morning!!!