Lessons Learned from a Kindergartner

Hello Readers!

I spent most of my Wednesday doing what I love most about being an education major-- assisting and observing in a kindergarten classroom! The children are always so gracious in their offerings of hugs, drawings, and giggles. I usually leave feeling really relaxed and at peace that teaching young children is what I want to do with my life. Today, however, left me with a lot more to think about.

Am I actually prepared for the situations my students are going to present? Can I really handle a classroom full of energetic bodies that can't seem to stop bouncing from their seats and sliding down to play under the tables? Do I really have the patience for early childhood students who like to push boundaries and who are not quick to grasp concepts?

I had the opportunity to lead the writing time for a solid 45 minutes. Every time the teacher peeked into the room to get another student for an assessment, she complimented how quiet and focused they were. She saw what I was missing; the majority of the class was being productive and gaining great practice in writing. I was simply distracted by the few students who decided today was the day to test Miss Sara's patience! 

One student in particular made it so easy to become frustrated. The prompt was to write about what was played at recess. The student's dramatic and loud response..."I did nothing at recess!". Eventually, this led to the paper being thrown on the floor and a refusal to do any work. I had to raise my voice with the student, in addition to moving the student to a different table away from the others, plus moving down on the behavior chart. These are not aspects of classroom management I enjoy or am proud of doing, but there was no other option in this case!  

Keep in mind, all during this episode, there were a handful of students tattle-telling on each other for various reasons. There was also a student playing "hide under the table" instead of doing work. Then, a handful of gifted and talented students waved their hands frantically out of boredom because they were finished and wanted the teacher to give them more work to do. As if that wasn't enough, several other hands were held in the air because help was needed sounding out words and thinking of ideas. Good golly, talk about needing an extra set of eyes and hands!

Despite the tears from the student refusing to do work and the chaos that seemed to surround the incident, I managed to pull everyone through the assignment. All of them wrote at least one sentence and illustrated their recess activities. Overall, you could say the lesson was a success!

But the story doesn't stop there. The reason today will stick with me wasn't the struggle of classroom management. Those are skills that will be learned with more practice.

The true struggle from today's experience is feeling comfortable with my attitude towards the difficult student. The back story to all of this is that earlier in the day, the student shared with the class frustrations of not spending time with a father figure.

Here I am, losing my patience, with a child who clearly expressed he just needs to feel and experience some unconditional love.  

Do I even have the right mindset to be an effective, loving teacher?

That is a huge question that I can only pray God will answer. Maybe my doubts are unwarranted, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, and most likely my career choice will work out fine. I'm sticking with my choice for now in hopes that this is the circumstance. 

Nonetheless, I still think it is incredibly important to pray and reflect on having the right mindset in pursuit of any path we intend to take. Skills can be learned, but a mindset is a whole different ordeal. Only Christ can bless us with the perspective we need to see our roles on Earth in the way He sees them. I can try all I want to be a good teacher, but if I am not leaning on Christ to give me the perspective to truly love and help children with patience and compassion, the work is not going to be effective. 

Although teaching may not directly be a religiously-affiliated task, I learned today how important my faith will be in pursuing and maintaining a career as a teacher. In the next few years of preparation, I will be continually praying for God to show His intentions for my career, including the mindset He wants me to have in working with young children.

Waiting Wisely

Good evening, lovely readers!

I've been blessed with some spare time tonight and a title for a post came to me earlier today, so it looks like the perfect time to do some blogging! The idea of "waiting wisely" came to me as I read a few articles earlier in regards to what to do while you are a single Christian. As someone who is trying to purposefully be single until the end of Lent, I've hit a few roadblocks that make it oh-so-tempting to give up on that idea. Satan is really good at what he does, so it is a good thing Christ is a whole lot better at supporting us through those trials!

I had a post not too long ago about the "Forever Alone" lie (The Big Fat Lie aka Forever Alone- click here for a link), but once we realize that we will not be forever alone, what do we do about it? How do we effectively spend our time embracing what Christ has for us in our singleness, rather than wishing for a significant other all-day, everyday?

Even after doing my research, I still have moments where I wish I could just jump ahead, skip the singleness step, and be in a relationship. I think I'm ready to get back into the world of dating, but the reality is, I'm not. I might think my timing is all fine and dandy; however, Christ will never be delayed or early in His timing, so I really have no business deciding that timing on my own! I am constantly reminding myself that there is a reason I felt the push to challenge myself to this dating detox for Lent and that I should embrace the time to do God's will with no distractions. Nevertheless, easier said than done.

So what can be done? Whether you are purposefully taking a break on pursuing relationships or just haven't met "the one", what can you do with all of this time being single?

Here are a few ideas I brainstormed and/or tried:

1. Read, read, and read some more. I decided this is a great time to start soaking in God's word and began a one-year Bible challenge. While it is just a short bit of time spent each day, I am finding that I am learning so much about who God is and what He has in store for our lives with Him. Word of warning-- your mind may not-so-conveniently try to wander so be prepared to push through the distractions and re-focus!

2. Check out some new volunteer opportunities. I felt God was calling me to get more plugged in at church and took the plunge to start working with children's church every few weeks. Not only is it enjoyable, but also a great way to learn about your spiritual gifts and how to use them.

3. Spend time with new people. As a single person, we are free to do whatever we please, within reason, of course. There is no one tying us down with date nights and other relationship-related time commitments, which makes it the perfect opportunity to experiment with new social circles and to seek out new fellowship opportunities. Who knows, the friendships you make could lead someone to Christ or even strengthen your own faith! Word of caution-- focus on friendship as brothers and sisters in Christ, not on whether or not someone is a potential future mate! If it is meant to turn into more than friendship, let Jesus do the work and follow His guidance. 

4. Pray and journal. Devote a consistent time to prayer and/or writing in a journal everyday. Find a comfy spot where you can unwind and let God have your complete focus. God loves when we spend time with Him in prayer and writing about our thoughts can be an amazing way to watch how He works through our prayer life.

5. Learn to see yourself the way God sees you. Embrace who you are and where you are in life! This might be the most challenging idea of all, at least in my life. Mentally re-playing our mistakes in past relationships, whether it be with friends, a significant other, or family, can become a very detrimental habit and can wear down our image of who we are in Christ. Take this time to refocus on forgiving yourself the way God forgives you, unconditionally as though you are a blank slate. Isaiah 1:18 states, "'Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'" 

I pray that all of the other single ladies and gents out there have found some equally as effective ways to spend their time! Please comment with any ideas, I'd love to hear my readers' suggestions on how to wait wisely.

Take care and goodnight!

Where is the beauty in this corrupted college world?

It's so difficult to sit and watch. People streaming down the hallways, headed out for a night on the town. If I knew for a fact they'd all come back uninfluenced and unharmed, it would be so much easier. Yet all there is to lean on is a prayer for their well-being. I can't make those people, friends, and acquaintances make the choices I would make. I have to respect their differences in values, morals, and standards. It's a personal belief, it's a job commitment as a resident advisor, and it's an act of understanding and grace. Everyone has freedom to do as they wish. 

Feeling comfortable with the potential outcomes those differences in decisions could bring is immensely difficult. Thank goodness that little prayer, specifically directed for the safety and well-being of those headed into the college night-life scene, holds immense value in God's eyes.

Where, in that corrupt college world of excessive drinking and compromised morals, is the beauty? Where is the goodness, where is the unconditional love and acceptance? 

I see and hear stories of the corruption of God's beautiful world. Spring break stories, outings of the people in my building, and observations of the people roaming drunkenly across campus on weekend nights are plenty of examples to make one believe their is little hope. Sometimes, those stories make it really difficult to see beyond Satan's grasp on the college age bracket. He is placing so many temptations and people fall for them as part of the social norms. Go out. Go party. Get drunk. Where does God fit into all of that? And what can I do from my non-partying, atypical room?

There is no easy answer. Mostly, I have learned that I have to find reassurance in scripture that even the negative situations will be worked for the better. Underneath the misguiding and tempting atmosphere of the college night-life scene, God is at work. We might not always see Him and it might not be obvious that He is at work. But that is where faith does its wonders. 

In the Bible, Christ spent time with the poorest of the poor and the most corrupt of the corrupt. He did not discriminate and offered His healing, gracious influence on everyone's life. Even the least likely people and places were led to Him and were provided signs of His goodness. 

In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus did not judge a sinful woman, as another had recommended for Him to do. He forgave instead and recognized her faith.

In Mark 7:24-30, Jesus went secretly to a home and drove a demon out of a child.

Faith means we have to trust that in the corrupt college world, Christ is still working to make His way known. He will give us the words to speak, the actions to take, and the courage to do. Jesus provides His followers with all they need to engage in the spiritual turmoil and warfare necessary to overcome Satan's attempts to steal beauty from God's creations, we just might not always clearly see it. 

Faith being tested amid the college chaos is actually a beautiful thing in and of itself:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
-James 1:2-3

Keeping faith and hope when surroundings say otherwise can be incredibly difficult, but that does not mean it is impossible. Seek the beauty where you least expect it and know that Christ is always working for goodness. 

Say "Hi" to Si!

Meet my new roomie, Simon! He goes by "Si" for short (yes, this is a Duck Dynasty reference because Si is old, wise, and funny). He is a beautiful little betta fish, but I'd like to share him with you all as being my fun new therapy fish! 

As you may have read in some of my earlier posts, I've had some outbursts of anger out of disappointment and frustration over the past few weeks. Before that "rock bottom" hit, I was also dealing with anxiety and worry overtaking my life-- probably a problem more people have than they'd like to admit! Worry, anger, and frustration are not fun and are not what God intended for us so it has been my goal to eliminate those feelings as much as possible.

Even though those were really negative parts of my year, have no fear, I'm doing a lot better now! Nevertheless, I know it is going to take a lot of effort to keep using my energy in positive ways and Simon the therapy fish is going to be my reminder to keep my cool. 

I'm not normally a fish person, as many of my family members and friends know. Germs = gross, cleaning fish tanks = nasty, and pet maintenance = no fun. Little Simon, however, could not be passed up when the idea to get a fish popped in my head. Not only is a pet the perfect listener of this world, but Simon the fish is a nice peaceful shade of blue and a betta is a strong, hardy fish that can withstand a lot of trial and tribulation! Those are some traits I want in my life and having him on my desk just might be the reminder I need sometimes!

So from here forward, if I'm in a cranky, unholy, and just plain bitter mood, you are perfectly welcome to send me to have a "sit down and stare at Simon" session.

I hope and pray that when I have my "sit down and stare at Simon" moments, those are times that I realize I truly need to "sit down and chat with God". Because while Simon is a nice little fish and a great listener, the most perfect listener is Jesus!

Stay tuned for more Simon appearances (maybe the sit down and stare sessions will lead me to some new insight!), but more importantly, stay tuned for God to show you some nontraditional ways to connect with Him in your life!