What a wonderful world
So teachers everywhere are losing their jobs. (no, this is not the part that makes the world so wonderful) And while I am trying to trust that God has always taken care of me and will always take care of me, there is a part of me that is somewhat nervous about the gloom and doom reports. After 223 teachers were pink slipped in a local district yesterday - one that is five minutes from my home - I began to really think about my job.
Sometimes my job is just tiring. There are days when I can hardly wake myself up to get ready for working with 140+ students. Especially when being woken up by our child (or children) in the middle of the night and only taken what should be considered a "nap" as opposed to a night of sleep. And days when I just miss my girls like crazy and wish I was the one feeding them, playing with them and going to the park.
Then there are days when I just want to stay in my pj's and watch a movie with Riley while Julia naps. Or not have to plan lessons and wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the best way to explain how to hold a half note or read a four beat measure. Or think of how to deal with students who don't want to learn the information at all.
And of course, I think about the benefits of having health insurance, savings, mortgage payments and how we would figure our budget out without my income. And how we could scrimp when we're already fairly frugal and do our best to make wise decisions in every area. And how many other jobs I could take on to make it work.
But today none of these thoughts crossed my mind. The thing I thought of most were the children I had in front of me in each class. How I could make their lives better. How I could say something positive that would make them smile and give me a hug. How they call my name when I open their car door in the morning and wave to me. How a student who is having a tough time at home calls me "Mom" and asks if they can live with me. Where would these kids be without me to help them? Who will these kids go to if there are more of them and less of us?
It really struck me how great my job is when my first grade students were singing the song "What a Wonderful World." They'll be performing it for the PTA meeting in a few weeks. And their voices are sweet, their hearts were in it and several of them could hardly make it through without crying. And I was truly thankful for my job today. Thankful to be where I am.
Sometimes my job is just tiring. There are days when I can hardly wake myself up to get ready for working with 140+ students. Especially when being woken up by our child (or children) in the middle of the night and only taken what should be considered a "nap" as opposed to a night of sleep. And days when I just miss my girls like crazy and wish I was the one feeding them, playing with them and going to the park.
Then there are days when I just want to stay in my pj's and watch a movie with Riley while Julia naps. Or not have to plan lessons and wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the best way to explain how to hold a half note or read a four beat measure. Or think of how to deal with students who don't want to learn the information at all.
And of course, I think about the benefits of having health insurance, savings, mortgage payments and how we would figure our budget out without my income. And how we could scrimp when we're already fairly frugal and do our best to make wise decisions in every area. And how many other jobs I could take on to make it work.
But today none of these thoughts crossed my mind. The thing I thought of most were the children I had in front of me in each class. How I could make their lives better. How I could say something positive that would make them smile and give me a hug. How they call my name when I open their car door in the morning and wave to me. How a student who is having a tough time at home calls me "Mom" and asks if they can live with me. Where would these kids be without me to help them? Who will these kids go to if there are more of them and less of us?
It really struck me how great my job is when my first grade students were singing the song "What a Wonderful World." They'll be performing it for the PTA meeting in a few weeks. And their voices are sweet, their hearts were in it and several of them could hardly make it through without crying. And I was truly thankful for my job today. Thankful to be where I am.
I know your job is one of the hardest in the world. The job of "Mommy" is also one of the hardest, so you're doing double duty! It probably feels like nobody appreciates what you do, sometimes. But there are hundreds of kids who will look back fondly on their elementary music teacher, Mrs. Grant.
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