Last night at Relief Society, one of my friends asked me how the kids are. At first I thought she meant my own children and then I realized she meant my class. She has subbed for me. (The secret to survival this year with lots of teachers training and unfilled sub jobs is to recruit people in your ward.) We chatted for a few minutes about my class. They were naughty when I wasn't there. They are naughty when I am there. This is by far my hardest class discipline-wise. I asked her if she wanted to sub again next month when I have training again. She said yes.
See? You need people like this.
How are the kids though? Not great.
Some of them have been absent so much that they are behind and frustrated. Some of them can't read well enough to do a lot of the assignments. Some of them have such hard home situations that they are struggling to be happy and seem to be on a quest to make everyone else unhappy. Some of them can't speak English very well.
Yesterday I was in the work room, making copies and chatting with a few other teachers. Emily newly has two of the hardest kids in the school at the same time now. I asked, "How are you going to do that?"
She said that another teacher gave her the idea of putting their names on the prayer roll at the temple.
These are the kinds of teachers I work with.
She said, "I need help. We need help."
The two little ones we were talking about are sweet and adorable and victims of bad parental decisions before they were even born. They are also really really hard to manage.
I love thinking of enlisting help to pray for them. I love thinking of help hovering about that dear little school, called down from heaven to assist us in loving and teaching these struggling children of a Heavenly Father who loves them.
There is a feeling in that school that other people notice too. Maybe it is the prayers of the teachers.
Sunday we had a devotional all about helping us parent adult children. It was fabulous. I keep thinking about one thing that was said, "There are no finalities. There is always a next step."
It applies to third graders too.
They aren't finished yet.
4 comments:
I love this so much!
Oh, Thelma, you made me cry again. That is so beautiful. I keep remembering what Elaine Swanson said once. She said, speaking of those with hard home lives, "I just try to make their time at school as happy as I can. I can't change their home life but I can make them happy at school." I know you do that. They are lucky to have you and the other teachers. Your mom
This is so beautiful, I agree completely. I teach 2nd grade and pray every day for my students, and for me to have love and patience with them. I love reading your thoughts about being a teacher, they are so similiar to mine.
Beautifully put!
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