Can I just say…?

Wow.

For those teachers out there, how many nights do we dream of a class who will come in classroom quietly, put their things away, and get right to work without being reminded… on the third day of school?! I don't know about you, but after 5 years of teaching, today was my first time of experiencing this blessing. My students have a LOVE for learning, an excitement for life, and are just a very willing group. I love it :)

I wish I could say the same about my geometry class. That one I'm not loving so much, but again, it was only the third day. High schoolers are SO different than middle schoolers/6th graders. And the ones I have do not have a love for learning, at least not geometry. This will definitely be my challenge class for the year. A challenge as I learn the content (ha!) and a challenge for the students to put up with me (haha!).

On a different note, I had a more difficult, but good conversation with a student after school today. When I first took this position 2 months ago, I was told that one of the students had just lost her mother. So today, this girl brought up during prayer requests that her mom had died. I asked her about it after school and she had a lot to say. It happened suddenly, at least for her. Her mom had been sick for awhile but had not let on to her children how sick she really was. Last June she went into the hospital and wasn't there many days before she was gone. There was a lot of travel that followed, going to their home country in Eritrea for the funeral, and then later trips to Europe to be with friends and family. She is still grieving and adjusting to this new way of life without mom. I can tell she's frustrated and just trying to understand life right now. I can't, nor do I want, to imagine. If and when you remember, please pray for her, her dad, her little brother (8), and her little sister (5). I'm not sure how to be there for her this year, but as with today, I know God will provide the right opportunities for us to have moments together, so I will wait on those.

The last few minutes of class are spent packing and cleaning up, and I go around and stamp everyone's 'good behavior' card. Today, as I did this, we all sang "Jesus Loves Me"

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so!

Little one to Him belong

They are weak, but He is Strong!

Yes! Jesus love me!