lessons learned

What a wonderful semester this has been! I wish I had been more faithful in updating you in the good, the bad, & the ugly that I've experienced, but you'll just have to settle for this semester end overview. Here are a few lessons (serious & sarcastic) that I've learned over the last three months.

• God did not call me to teach elementary students. Now, don't get me wrong, I love working with younger students . . . for a short period of time. I have a growing respect for elementary teachers & I am jealous of their seemingly endless patience.
• Don't assign more than one major paper at a time. Due to my supervising teacher's schedule I had the privilege of recieving two literary analysis papers within 3 days of each other. I now understand why my English professors looked so tired the week that freshmen composition papers were due. I needed two & a half weeks to grade 30 papers; they grade twice that in half the time!
• Even teachers experience stage fright. Nerves attack everyone. No matter how prepared you are, nervous jitters will find you. Best defense: preparedness.
• So, there was this one time . . . I am easily distracted. Students have a remarkable ability to find the teacher's weakness & manipulate that weakness to their advantage. Put these two together & you get some hilarious stories that may have nothing at all to do with the lesson.
• I love English, but I still have much to learn. I may be the teacher, but I believe I've learned just as much about English this semester as my students have. In correcting my students' grammatical skills, I've found the errors in my own. I am nowhere near perfect, but I'm beginning to understand my weaknesses. No matter what the subject or experience, I always have something to learn.
• Be prepared (I hope you heard Scar singing that, because I definitely did).
  Now, preparedness is not something I usually struggle with, but, when I am ill prepared I become nervous & sick to my stomach. Prepare in advance.
• Without drama (the theatre kind) part of my soul is missing.The Lord has made it quite clear He intends to use drama (the theater kind) later in my life. For the first time in eight semesters I didn't attend play practices, cover people in stage make up, or offer input on theatrical direction. Yes, I designed, painted, & help raise a set, but I didn't get to direct. And I felt as though a huge portion of my life was missing.
• God answers prayer. My students & I have had the wonderful privilege to see God answer prayer in amazing ways. From little requests, like passing a test, to major requests, like seeing God heal my friend's mom, God deserves all praise & adoration.
• Everyone needs a break, including teachers.Too much of a good (or even favorite) thing can be a bad thing. Everyone needs a break; for me, that break can include reading a book just for fun, going to Bible study, chilling at a youth activity, or just sleeping in.
• Don't leave your camera on your desk--the students will photograph themselves & video you. I don't think this one needs much explanation. Hide your electronics.
• Surround yourself with experienced friends. I've learned more from the ladies I talk to during the lunch preperation time than anyone else. These wonderful women have been my cheerleaders & my shoulder to cry on, my confidants & my instructors.
• Morning devotions are not an option, they are a necessity. "Jesus Christ is made to me all I need." No matter how many times I sing that song, Christ continually reminds me that I cannot rely on myself for anything. My worst days have always started with the decision to ignore God & rely on myself. You'd think I would learn . . .

This is not, by any means, a complete list of the lessons the Lord has taught me. Time, & personal privacy restrictions, limit all of the experiences I could share with you. What I can share with you is that God deserves all the praise & glory for what I have been able to do. Without Him, everything is impossible.