End of Year 2
School is almost done.
I have mixed emotions. Part of me is screaming, "SUMMER!" But another part keeps reminding me that I only have a few days left with my sweet students. I need to savor these last few days because I really do have such great students - full of kindness, humor, intelligence.... mixed with hormones and sarcasm. They make my job rewarding and challenging. I truly love each one of them, and I hope they fully know that at this point. I am close to completing my second year as a teacher, and I have learned so much since my green beginnings. Yet it's hard to put all I have learned into a succinct statement. Teaching encompasses many tasks each day: presenting to small groups over and over, creating a positive classroom environment, adapting to situations that arise in the class, and ensuring students actually retain the new information.
This is an overwhelming experience when you first begin. You feel like you constantly have to be "on." It seems as if you can't make a mistake or have a bad day. If you do, about 160 kids will feel the effects. Teaching was the ideal career to mold me into what God wants for me. My perfectionist ways began at an early age. I always needed control. My loving Father knew these habits needed to be broken down. He wanted to teach me how to trust and rest in Him. My career is the perfect outlet for these loving lessons from my Daddy.
I still have moments where I feel anxiety creep in, but He is always there to remind me that I am not alone. Once he opened my eyes to this, I was able to let Him supply my needs. I've had so many lessons where the Holy Spirit just gave me a super cool idea spur of the moment. And suddenly my students understood everything much better! Or I've had situations where a student lashes out, but He allows me to be calm and hear how to respond. I have such a great Helper. I am so thankful for how God has used these past two years to bring me closer to Him. I look forward to the new and exciting ways He will continue to teach me in the years to come.
He is slowly showing me how to love the learning.