Why do I love my job?
Because my students are fantastic.
I enjoy going to school each day and we laugh (a lot) and learn together. They have really blessed me. Some of you may remember how last year I was struggling with the first year teacher syndrome of not feeling good enough and comparing myself to other teachers and falling short in my own eyes. My students this year have told me numerous times how much they love learning with me and that they love that they can laugh with me. They even had a surprise birthday party for me and then washed dishes to pay for the cake that the cook at school made for it!
So what does a typical day look like?
Morning work on the board, kids coming in and taking care of their bags. Starting (at their own pace) their morning work. I take attendance and they order lunch. The personal assistant for the week waters our pet plants, Bob and Tom (tomato plants). Morning devotions. As soon as my pink and green Bible comes out the hands shoot up to read the verse of the day. Occasionally further discussion arises after we read the devotion book and then someone prays. (Always for the sick people all over the world, that they wouldn't die. I love kids' prayers!)
Language Arts and read aloud.
Break
Math Class
Lunch and Recess
Spanish(sometimes 2 periods of Spanish and with a different teacher)
Science or Social Studies
I love Social Studies and trying to find more hands on ways to dive into history like when we made our classroom a map and the desks formed the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains and the big open space in the middle was the Great Plains then we re-enacted Louis and Clark. So fun! Or when we created the Sistine Chapel in our classroom and the kids drew Bible scenes under their desks and then we put them on the ceiling. Always a favorite. (They can sympathize with Michelangelo now!)
Bible
We get into all kinds of discussions in Bible like what is the difference in a sacrifice in the Old Testament and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. (Thanks BK for teaching us the 2 cliffs diagram in the Student Leadership Team back in high school...definitely was used in this explanation!)
Or, how do we respond when people treat us unfairly...Joseph, well timed to go with our Thanksgiving story and the Legend of Squanto (one of my personal heroes). Revenge is never the answer and somehow God works things together for good and his glory.
In the middle of these conversations as years of Sunday School lessons come flooding to my mind I am asking God, why me? Why did you send me here to show the truth to these precious kids, eager to learn? I am so blessed. I would not trade this for anything in the world. They are 75% of the reason why I am staying in Argentina longer.
God is good and I love my students.
-Miss (pronounced meess)
1 comment:
This is great.
I understand what you are talking about, the feeling of not being good enough, the desire to be better, the temptation of wanting to compare yourself to others, and the best of them all, the being able to laugh with the kiddos.
It's nice to see you enjoy it all so much.
Andrew
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