180 Days

It's been about a week since I closed the door on my first teaching experience. To say I learned a lot would be an understatement.

I'll start with saying that although student teaching and four years of education classes were a crucial asset in the process of becoming an educator, there were plenty of aspects that I couldn't have prepared for if I tried. Thus many personal lessons ensued.

1. Be patient

In the profession of teaching this may seem like an obvious one. When you work with kids (of any age) you need to have some level of patience (preferably a high one). But good grief does that patience get tested. From behavior to simple things like having multiple students coming up to your desk asking the same question over...and over...and over...I'm surprised I still have chunks of my hair left. Regardless, there is no excuse for a snappy teacher. Just take a deep breath. Bite your tongue if you have to. Then move on. How your students react to you can often depend on how you react to your students.

2. You have a spine. Use it.

Let's face it, as a teacher criticism is inescapable. You are constantly being watched. Whether it's by parents, fellow teachers, your principal, or even the students themselves...there is no safe place to hide. In such cases you will more than likely get comments (both negative and positive) about how you perform things in your classroom. It's good to take such advice into consideration, yet it's ok to explain why you do the things you do and stand up for yourself. Say a parent is upset that little Jonny got an F on his homework assignment because he or she didn't turn it in and wants him to have the chance to redo it. Yet you have a strict turn in policy, thus making it so he gets a zero for a missing assignment. It's ok to stand your ground.

3. Be lenient when necessary.
On the other side of the spectrum, there will be chances when you'll need to give students some leeway. Life at home can really affect how a student performs. If mom and dad are getting a divorce, the last thing on little Sally's mind is going to be studying for her Spelling test. It's always important to keep the well being of the student in mind. If you're unsure, just look at how he or she is performing in class.

4. Be encouraging.
As much as I hate to admit it, this is one I struggled with. Not to say I never encouraged my students, believe me I did. Yet sometimes it's just so easy to get caught up in what students need to improve on instead of focusing on the great things they've already accomplished. When you're a teacher you should be one of your students' biggest cheerleaders. Be positive. Celebrate small victories. Show your students you're proud of them. It might to farther than you expect.

...Onward to year two...

Eye See

Out of all the quirks and imperfections I have, I've found my perfectionist knack to be one of my biggest downfalls.

Now, when it comes to organization, projects, etc...this trait can be a plus. In school it was actually kind of a God-send.

Yet in the world of real life, it can become more of a hindrance than a help. Especially when it comes to people. I will be the first to admit that I hold high expectations of my friends, family, and people whom I care about in general. Now you may be thinking "...and this is a problem because?" Well in some aspects it's not. It's always good to have standards when it comes to relationships with others. On the flip side, when it gets to the point that I'm mentally picking out what's wrong with those around me and thinking of all the ways THEY need to change, well...then changes with ME need to start. (Now, I'm not saying I go around looking for people's problems or am constantly eyeing people up and down...I just find myself sometimes focusing more on other's imperfections rather than my own.)

Hiding in the book of Matthew is a verse (Ch. 7:5 to be exact) that goes like this:
"Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye."

Now, is it implying that we have round tree trunks sticking out of our pupils? No...don't be ridiculous. (Though, the imagery of such a thing is rather laughable.)

What this verse is trying to show us is, to put it in modern terms, we need to stop being nit-picky of other's issues and focus on how we can fix ourselves first.

I'm trying to create a new habit of this. When I find myself thinking of something that someone else needs to change I pause my brain. I flip through the files of my mental lobes and think of times that I've done that same thing or something similar. Instead of pointing a finger of judgment, I try to focus on the root why of said person might be doing that. There might be an underlying issue that is causing said actions. It's not an easy habit to form, but I've got my whole life to continue to work on it and improve.

Now if you'll excuse me...I'm off to pull a pretty hefty log out of my optical region.

What My Mom Taught Me

In honor of Mother's Day I thought I would share 10 things that my mom has taught me over the years.

Here we go...

What my mom taught me:

1. Trust God. Follow His ways. Depend fully on Him and know that He has everything under control
2. Love. Love everyone. No matter where they're from or what they've done. Love.
3. Don't judge. It's not our place to judge people. The only person who can judge is God.
4. Have grace. No one is perfect. People will make mistakes. Give them grace, they're only human.
5. Be willing to listen. No matter if the person is your best friend or worst enemy. Listen.
6. Try to look for the good in people. Even when it's hard.
7. Breathe. Getting stressed over insignificant things is a waste of energy.
8. Always take your vitamins. Turns out they do actually make you feel better.
9. Some of what might seem like the world's biggest problems at the time can be solved by eating ice cream or taking a trip to a coffee shop.
10. Pray. Always pray.

Thank you Mama, I love you!