Ready For Summer School

Although the school year hasn't officially ended yet, I am already looking forward to summer school as well as the upcoming year. This was a rough year, no doubt. Yet I felled with the excite,ENT and promise of a new opportunity to effect students lives and teach.

I am hoping to keep my mind stayed on Christ this summer. I became a little taken with myself last year, forgetting that I teach children, young folks. I got the idea in my head that I was teaching math and that learning mathematics is the most important thing life has to offer. It is hard to find joy in teaching when the focus is on academics and not changing the lives of people in my community. I didn't think I would say this but I am actually sad that the year is ending. I can't say how much I learned from my homeroom students. Abigail's bright smile and laugh kept me going through all sorts of dilemmas and trifle tragedies. Her spirit is one of unquenchable joy. Even with a teacher standing over her, obviously upset and even more disappointed, she manages a smile and a joke. Thank you Father! But with a mind focused on doing His will, and being His hands and feet, I am sure I will do things differently. I know this because I've done so in the past. So I am trying very hard to remember to start each day on my knees and with a prayer in my heart. I am asking God to show me each day what it is that He would have me to do and say, that His might be done.

I also need to keep my practice clean and efficient. Too many times things don't get done in a timely manner because of the lack of organization that plagues our building. I am so guilty, though not nearly they only culprit, of waiting far too late to finish tasks that are much too important. Why you ask? I think it's a disease. In fact, I think I read about it somewhere. A chemical imbalance must be responsible. What else could explain that each quarter I am working way into the night, in fact, usually working until the systems kicks me out, to enter grades? There is no use pledging to do better next year. It's been twenty years now, it ain't gonna happen. If I can just enter at least one set of grades every week and grade tests no later than two days following the administration of said tested, then I am doing good.

Besides, Amy says anything you haven't graded at the end of the marking period can go in the trash.

How do you revive your heart each day?

I am up today as I am most days at 4:45 a.m.  I need the time with the Lord to get ready for the day.  I never know how things will go in my classroom.  I must say that the personalities of the four classes I teach are vastly different.  I haven't learned to work well with the quiet students.  I need feedback and activity.  Engagement.  I think I have come to a point where my some of my students are afraid to speak up.  I think that throughout the year I have focused more on trying to teach them math and less on teaching children to my own demise.   I have to turn this around because I will likely teach these kids again next year. 

So I return to the solution I have for every problem:  pray and work. 

I know that many of my fb friends are teachers or others who work with kids.  So I am asking, "What bible verses do you use to get you through the day?" 

I do so appreciate all of the feedback on the first blog post.  Thanks for joining my conversation.