Summer is the best. I love summer. It is more than just time off, it is refreshment, renewal, giving time for those things you wish you could do during the school year. Summer is always my time, and I joke that this is the reason I teach. If I had a "real" job, I would still have to get up and decide what to wear and face the world on its terms every day in June, July, and August. But as a teacher, it doesn't matter, to some degree, what I decide to wear and what time I get up. Dare I say a "yippee"?
This summer has been an exceptional one, however. I have been to see my family in Iowa (oh, don't bother to go there...not beautiful at all...), and have regained myself because of time spent with people I love and who love me and are EXACTLY like me. There is no other real affirmation from the world to equal time spent with those who share the same genetic input, the same history, the same viewpoints on many things. I thank God for that time, and ask for more.
The one better affirmation and validation comes from our Father. He is there whenever I need Him. He understands me better than I do. He has translated me from the kingdom of darkness to His glorious Kingdom of Light. I love Him because He first loved me. I will seek His face more diligently every day.
My beautiful sister Jan said she is going to try to do ten little things each day to reinforce her idea of self-worth. I think that is a great idea, though I can't think of ten. I can think of five, though!
Anyway, I thank my beautiful family for time well spent. I'll be back.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Giving this a whirl
Being new to blogging, I hesitate to say anything of much import. I am just trying my hand at getting this going. I tell my sixth grade beginning writers that when you have nothing to say, just put pen to paper and start writing, and see what comes out. Okay. Put my money where my mouth is...
Sometimes it is hard to keep going when the world focuses its attention on me and what I am trying to do. It is very true you can't please everyone. This week brought a storm of criticism around me, and it cuts to the quick. When my work brings me to put myself out there one hundred percent, and someone slices out a meaty chunk of my heart and self, it is very difficult to not just quit and go home. Fooey on them.
Parenthetically, it was one parent of twenty sets who expressed her dislike of my teaching style and personality. Not exactly a storm. Affirmation abounds from the rest of the group. Many times I hear thanks and hurrahs from different directions, but one good lambasting from one stressed-out, protecting-her-cub-mom brings me to tears in a heap on the floor. What a wimp. Maybe the lesson I must learn from this should carry over to my classroom and my interactions with 12-year-olds. No matter how many times a child (or mature :P adult) hears praise, one careless misspoken word can bring all of them crashing down.
Okay. Good for the first post.
Sometimes it is hard to keep going when the world focuses its attention on me and what I am trying to do. It is very true you can't please everyone. This week brought a storm of criticism around me, and it cuts to the quick. When my work brings me to put myself out there one hundred percent, and someone slices out a meaty chunk of my heart and self, it is very difficult to not just quit and go home. Fooey on them.
Parenthetically, it was one parent of twenty sets who expressed her dislike of my teaching style and personality. Not exactly a storm. Affirmation abounds from the rest of the group. Many times I hear thanks and hurrahs from different directions, but one good lambasting from one stressed-out, protecting-her-cub-mom brings me to tears in a heap on the floor. What a wimp. Maybe the lesson I must learn from this should carry over to my classroom and my interactions with 12-year-olds. No matter how many times a child (or mature :P adult) hears praise, one careless misspoken word can bring all of them crashing down.
Okay. Good for the first post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
