Ready, Set, LOVE!

For some time, I have been thinking about writing a blog more directed at the teacher side of my life, and that is what this is. As stated in the sidebar, the purpose of this blog is to support, encourage, and assist Christian educators, whether they work in a public or private setting. We have the exciting and sometimes overwhelming responsibility and joy of coming alongside young people and their families. As we traverse educational and spiritual journeys with these families, we can sometimes become depleted. It is my hope that this blog will refresh and restore us during those times. It will be a safe place to laugh and cry together. It will offer ideas and strategies that may make our paths easier to travel. As educators, we are all lifetime learners. Let’s set out on these “training tracks” together, as we learn what our Lord has planned for us! Here is my inspiration verse:

“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Timothy 4:8

What does godliness look like? That’s what I’m figuring out as I go along this journey called life. With the beginning of the school year comes my first blog.

There is so much joy in new beginnings! That is a fact, but if it is August and you are a teacher, it is easy to get distracted from the joy and caught up in the tasks at hand. This time of the year is FILLED with list upon list of tasks to be completed. We are setting up our rooms (sometimes after moving into a new room). We are learning our building’s rules during training days. We are communicating with students and families. We are putting up bulletin boards. We are writing lesson plans. We are absorbing information about our students from the moment we get those coveted class lists. As that first day of school approaches, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, and quite frankly, it is easy to lose our focus.

With that in mind, I decided to write a different kind of list, filled with my goals for myself and my students for the school year.

1.       I want to listen well, both to my students and to their parents. I want to let them know they have been heard and that their joys and their concerns are important to me.

2.       I want to encourage others, whether they are my coworkers, my administration, the maintenance staff, the parents, or the students. I want my words to bless and not encumber.

3.       I want to refrain from grumbling. There are bound to be times when things do not go the way I want them to go. There are bound to be times when something makes no sense to me, from my teacher perspective. There are bound to be times when I am tired and grumpy. I have already caught myself grumbling a few times this year, and I want it to stop. It leaves a nasty taste in my mouth and sound in my ears. I want to be upright in my thoughts and my actions and to let go of what I cannot change.

4.       I want to be the one who really does pray when she says, “I’ll be praying for you.” There are so many hurting hearts, longing for comfort. I want to represent Christ to others in my path as I come alongside them on their journey through life. If someone asks for prayer, I want to be their prayer warrior.

5.       I want my students to know they are loved. And that means ALL of my students – the ones who skip into the classroom every day with a smile on their face and the ones who come in with tears or scowls; the ones who learn easily and the ones who struggle; the ones with self-control and the ones who are not interested in self control; the ones who snuggle and the ones who fight. Each one is important to me. Each one needs to see LOVE in my eyes, to hear LOVE in my tone, and to feel LOVE in my actions.

That’s really not a long list, but if I can do those five things consistently throughout this school year, I know it will be a wonderful year. I encourage each of you teachers to write your own list. Print it and hang it someplace where you will see it often. Remind yourself of who you are and of Whose you are throughout this new school year. Every one of us will need to rely on Jesus to help us as we work toward the goals on our lists. I am so glad He is faithful in all circumstances and more than able to be our guide.