A few years ago, I asked my friend and fellow teacher how her school year was going so far. She smiled and told me, "You know, you have some years where the students mesh well together and you love aiming to work in the morning. And then you have other years where you drink a lot. Well, I'm drinking a lot this year." That struck me as one of funniest and most accurate descriptions of my job!
You may remember this post from the beginning of the school year, and at that point, I thought, "Boy, I'm gonna be drinking a lot this year!" Fortunately, my students have gotten into a good groove and some of the issues have worked themselves out.
Case in point, one student in particular exhibited disruptive and impulsive behaviors at the start of the year. He argued with me when he received consequences and tried to protest disliked activities. He was quite a stinker, but I knew there was more to him.
I remained firm when handing out natural consequences and consistent with pouring out love. Gradually, I saw a shift in attitude with this student. He put forth more effort to control his impulses, volunteered to help out in the classroom, and encouraged other students who needed some extra support. When he did slip up and make a mistake, he was quick to apologize, ask for forgiveness, and make amends. It was an amazing transition that took lots of personal strength on his part, and lots of prayers on my part.
Just last week, he told me, "Mrs. Raleigh, I know I gave you lots of trouble at the beginning of the year. I just wanted to apolgize for that, and to thank you for being so patient with me." As my tears welled in my eyes, I smiled and told him that's what you do for the people you love.
Later that night I was reflecting on what he had said. I thought about how much self-awareness it had taken to recognize his faults and ask for forgiveness, how much empathy he showed with his gratitude for patience. I realized that this is exactly why Jesus tells us to become like children in our faith. We adults often become so wrapped up in the day to day that we seldom thank God for His continuing patience with us.
I am #grateful that our Lord is ever-present and always loving. And I'm #supergrateful to my students, who never cease to amaze me with their kind hearts!
You may remember this post from the beginning of the school year, and at that point, I thought, "Boy, I'm gonna be drinking a lot this year!" Fortunately, my students have gotten into a good groove and some of the issues have worked themselves out.
Case in point, one student in particular exhibited disruptive and impulsive behaviors at the start of the year. He argued with me when he received consequences and tried to protest disliked activities. He was quite a stinker, but I knew there was more to him.
I remained firm when handing out natural consequences and consistent with pouring out love. Gradually, I saw a shift in attitude with this student. He put forth more effort to control his impulses, volunteered to help out in the classroom, and encouraged other students who needed some extra support. When he did slip up and make a mistake, he was quick to apologize, ask for forgiveness, and make amends. It was an amazing transition that took lots of personal strength on his part, and lots of prayers on my part.
Just last week, he told me, "Mrs. Raleigh, I know I gave you lots of trouble at the beginning of the year. I just wanted to apolgize for that, and to thank you for being so patient with me." As my tears welled in my eyes, I smiled and told him that's what you do for the people you love.
Later that night I was reflecting on what he had said. I thought about how much self-awareness it had taken to recognize his faults and ask for forgiveness, how much empathy he showed with his gratitude for patience. I realized that this is exactly why Jesus tells us to become like children in our faith. We adults often become so wrapped up in the day to day that we seldom thank God for His continuing patience with us.
I am #grateful that our Lord is ever-present and always loving. And I'm #supergrateful to my students, who never cease to amaze me with their kind hearts!