Teacher appreciation...

Man I cannot believe I am wrapping up my 2nd year of teaching! I feel like I should still be teaching my sweet little MawMaw how to spell and add;) I will say MawMaw was as much a handful as some of these kiddos I have now...haha jk...well kind of kidding at least :).

These first years of teaching have definitely been quite the challenge! I come home exhausted most days! There have been some rough days and some beautiful days! Thankfully most days, even the bad ones, I still come away saying that I have the best job!

Teacher appreciation week is this week, so I would like to take a moment to share why I appreciate the privilege God has given me of being a teacher...

* I get to see the sweetest smiles every day. I love 2nd grade! They just love to love and laugh!

* I love their innocence! You know that child like faith we are supposed to have. If you aren't quite sure what that looks like, spend sometime with some young ones! They aren't afraid to ask God for the big and small. They don't try to figure God out. I mean sure, they have questions, curiosity, but not really doubt. They just believe! They haven't been tainted by the world.

* I have grown quite a bit in my fear of confrontation. I cannot tell you how scared I was of parents when I first started. I panicked at the thought of dealing with parents. Sweaty palms, mushy brain, heart racing, word scramble, the works! But confrontation has actually become something I encourage now not only when dealing with my students' parents, but with my personal relationships as well. I have seen how much it helps to just talk about things, even if it may be awkward or uncomfortable or scary at first! And trust me it isn't always the most fun thing to do! But it often times helps in most situations. Even though I have grown a bit in this area...I still have a LONG way to go:) LONG LONG WAY!

*I love seeing students learning and wanting to learn. I teach reading and English. So to see students reading for fun is the best! They will come to my desk to show me something "cool" that they have read about. Or when they are writing an assignment that is supposed to be 5 sentences, they ask if they can write more. It is so exciting!

* I have the privilege of being apart of their little lives! I can't express this one in words, but it is just an awesome joy and privilege!

* I won't ever be working my way up any corporate ladder, which for me is wonderful because I am not competitive!  But I have a job that is constantly challenging me and teaching me and growing me in so many ways! One of MANY is that I am daily challenged in the area of patience. Compassion. Love. Joy. Choosing my battles. Communication. Organization. Oh man. Sorry, I couldn't stop myself...there are so many others!

* I have a job where I must pray everyday... all throughout the day! Trust me days where I get too distracted for this are never good. It is an incredible place to be...God has placed these children in my love and care, and I want to honor and glorify Him.

I still have a lot to learn and many challenges ahead, but I welcome them! I see every challenge as an opportunity to grow, to be stronger, to learn more... or I try to at least...sometimes thats hard to see!

These are only a few of the many reasons I appreciate being a teacher...most you just have to experience!There is never a dull moment:)

Don't you see that children are God's best gift? Psalm 127:3 (The Message)