Today, I prayer walked my classroom.
Yesterday, I sat in my classroom crying through the entire lunch.
Yesterday was a hard day. Not because it was tiring or I had a lot of extra work to do, but because, yesterday, I had to learn a hard lesson. Yesterday a student said something hurtful to me about my teaching and my teaching ability. My students were hyperactive and the definition of instigators. So, after my block, I sat in my room, crying and crying and crying. I was teacher-heart-broken for the first time.
So, I reached out to some wonderful teachers, including my dad, who encouraged me and told me that it was going to be okay and it was going to help me build up my "teacher thick skin." And I nodded, wiped some more tears, and went on (still brokenhearted) with my day.
And then.
As usual, I was journaling before I went to bed. Writing about how devastated I was about my day and how I did not know if I could face the class the following day (today). As I scribbled across the pages of my journal, praying that my students would know the love I have for them, praying that my students (past, present, and future) would all see how much I desire for them to succeed, praying that I could love like Jesus loved. And it hit me.
You see, I have been praying to love my students like Jesus loved. I have prayed to reach out to them, care for them, be kind to them, nonjudgemental, patient, et cetera. All with this idea that if I loved them this way, life would be easy. But I was wrong. Because guess what? If you love like Jesus, you will be responded to in the same way people responded to Him. Some will notice that you care in a different and passionate way, and others will fight you.
So, if I truly want to love my students like Jesus loves them, I have to be prepared.
Be prepared to suffer.
Be prepared to be ridiculed.
Be prepared to be outcasted.
Yet, if I truly want to love my students like Jesus loves them, all of that does not matter because, whether they know it or not, recognize it or not, I get to show God's love to my students (past, present, and future).
Today, I prayer walked my room and my students were the best behaved and kindest they have been since I started.
Today, I prayer walked my room and as I wished everyone a good rest of their day, a student wished me a good day.
Today, was a good day.
Yesterday, I sat in my classroom crying through the entire lunch.
Yesterday was a hard day. Not because it was tiring or I had a lot of extra work to do, but because, yesterday, I had to learn a hard lesson. Yesterday a student said something hurtful to me about my teaching and my teaching ability. My students were hyperactive and the definition of instigators. So, after my block, I sat in my room, crying and crying and crying. I was teacher-heart-broken for the first time.
So, I reached out to some wonderful teachers, including my dad, who encouraged me and told me that it was going to be okay and it was going to help me build up my "teacher thick skin." And I nodded, wiped some more tears, and went on (still brokenhearted) with my day.
And then.
As usual, I was journaling before I went to bed. Writing about how devastated I was about my day and how I did not know if I could face the class the following day (today). As I scribbled across the pages of my journal, praying that my students would know the love I have for them, praying that my students (past, present, and future) would all see how much I desire for them to succeed, praying that I could love like Jesus loved. And it hit me.
You see, I have been praying to love my students like Jesus loved. I have prayed to reach out to them, care for them, be kind to them, nonjudgemental, patient, et cetera. All with this idea that if I loved them this way, life would be easy. But I was wrong. Because guess what? If you love like Jesus, you will be responded to in the same way people responded to Him. Some will notice that you care in a different and passionate way, and others will fight you.
So, if I truly want to love my students like Jesus loves them, I have to be prepared.
Be prepared to suffer.
Be prepared to be ridiculed.
Be prepared to be outcasted.
Yet, if I truly want to love my students like Jesus loves them, all of that does not matter because, whether they know it or not, recognize it or not, I get to show God's love to my students (past, present, and future).
Today, I prayer walked my room and my students were the best behaved and kindest they have been since I started.
Today, I prayer walked my room and as I wished everyone a good rest of their day, a student wished me a good day.
Today, was a good day.