Monday, September 30, 2013

The Teacher Is Now The Student

Adults tend to think that they know it all and that children are to learn from them. I've come to learn that, sometimes, they teach us our biggest lessons. 

In my first year of teaching, I had a set of twin girls in one of my classes. The other kids had nicknamed them Super Christians. Why? Because they were unashamed to tell the world how much they loved God, spent a lot of their free time in church, and used their BEAUTIFUL singing voices to glorify His name. I was in awe at their boldness. If you read my previous post, I said that I thought it was uncool to serve God during my teenage years, so I was in awe of the courage these 8th graders possessed. 

In my last year of teaching, I had a young lady in my class, who when faced with hard times, especially with her peers, would say, "I wasn't built to break."  Every time she said it, I'd be dumbfounded for a moment as I revered in her strength. I find myself thinking of her quote when I'm faced with my own troubles and struggles. 

There was another young lady who always professed, "I'm going somewhere in this world; I can't do that!" She always said that when her peers were pressuring her to do what they weren't supposed to be doing. I used to laugh, sometimes out loud, when it happened. The way she said it was so funny. I keep up with her to this day. She's still on track. ;-)

There have been many other young people, mainly my former students that have left lasting impressions on me. Some of them have seen so much heartache but have the tenacity of a 10-story brick building. Others have so much love and joy to spread around just because. I'm so glad to have met them and been able to take a piece of what they have to offer with me as I continue my journey. 

1 comment:

FullnessofLife said...

So true! The day you posted this, I met with a parent who is a recent domestic violence survivor. I heard her story and she taught be a lesson about strength and perseverance. Despite her challenges she is a full time student at SCTI and determined to have a better future. I stood in awe of her and was humbled.