Food for Thought...

Okay, so while driving home this evening after hearing about our student teaching requirements and our Lesson 3 requirements, it dawned on me that I have been less than encouraging to myself and others.  I know that we all feel overwhelmed, but rather than indulge in negative talk that only makes us feel more overwhelmed, I have decided to be more encouraging to myself and all those I come in contact with. 

We all know people that shed light on the negatives in their lives, but forget to exalt the positives.  I don’t want to be that person…not as a wife, not as a mother, and definitely, not as a teacher.  We have all been “called” to be teachers.  There is something in each of us that has driven us to complete this journey.  Yes, it is hard, but aren’t the rewards worth it?  Yes, it is a huge commitment, but would you want your child’s teacher to be less committed to their success?  Yes, I miss my family, but they know and I know that this part of the journey does not last forever.   I will not always be in school, working full time, and interning.  One day soon, I will be Ms. Adams, teacher extraordinaire.  That is all of our goals, right?  So why not be excited about what lays ahead rather than worried, stressed, and scared?  We have each other to lean on through all of this.

I have asked myself over the last few weeks, “Why be a teacher?”  I have come to realize it is because I have something that I can give to others.  Something that I want to share with others.  Some days I know that I have knowledge that can be shared, other days it’s experience that I can share, and then there are those days when it is just a smile or kind word.  Regardless of what the gifts are that I might share, the most important thing is that I continue to share.

We will all have those students that no one seems to know how to reach.  They get pushed to the side as “behavior problems”, “unteachable”, and “just a bad kid.”  Well, guess what?  These are the very students that need our gifts the most.  They need our commitment, our time, and our encouragement.  Yes, they may be a challenge for us, but aren’t these the very children we think of when we think of making a difference? 

Just food for thought this week while we ponder the upcoming commitments and goals that we are setting for ourselves on our journey to become teachers.