Who Do You Teach?

There have been years that after Meet the Teacher I am scared and already praying and saying Help Me Jesus.

One year I had a child that grabbed a pointer and hit his mom on the head numerous times.

Another year I had a child that chewed on a puzzle and ATE a piece....and mom even tried to pry his mouth open to  remove it and told me he likes to eat things and I might have to fish things out of his mouth....ummm, NO!!!!!

One of my favorite memories is the child who took of his shoe and started biting his toenails. Later in the year this child did lose his library book....on the roof!

As the year goes on, I see all different sides of my little one's personalities....as I am sure, they see mine. =)

There are so many of my kiddos that I worry about. I worry about the ones with severe anger issues and the ones who think that the rules don't apply to them. There have been little ones who know WAY MORE about certain things than I did even in college. There have been times when I can easily see one of my little girls getting pregnant as a teenager or wonder if a little one stays on their current path if jail is in their future.

I am often sad because it seems someone is robbing our kiddos of their childhood. They watch movies and tv shows often meant for adults. Some of the words in their vocabulary I didn't learn until way later in life...I might have heard it but I would have been terrified to utter it at school.

Many of our kiddos don't seem to know how to wonder, asks questions, or use their imagination.

I know I cannot change them but show them a better way to handle situations and their emotions.

In each of our classrooms is the future....that scares me at times. I have joked that when I am old and in the hospital and a certain child comes near me I want a DNR right then!

I know I will get frustrated with my kiddos but I know we are all given grace.....and we will need to embrace them with love AND patience.

One of my favorite chapters in Conscious Discipline is the chapter on Positive Intent...seeing the best in others and seeing those frustrating moments and behavior issues as teachable moments.

I think when we see our kiddos as the future we will look at those moments as chances to help them become  caring and helpful individuals.

I pray God can use me to make a difference in the lives of each little future in my class.

I actually wrote this poem in college. 

When I found this poem today, I realized that I needed to remember that a curriculum is important but so are the lessons our children learn by watching us. I know God is using us to leave heartprints on each kiddo in our class.

From My Heart to Yours,