Teaching...

Teaching is serious business. When you have 26 delicate lives in front of you, the stakes are high; the cost of failure is unimaginable. And sometimes, simply the thought of this just overwhelms me to the extent I think of giving up because I feel incompetent of handling them. What’s more frightening is when pictures of irate parents start popping into mind.

The last two weeks of prac had been pretty draining. Challenges, one after the other, just kept swarming my way, and what’s worst is that they came attached with many impending worries and emotional strains. I’ve felt scared, anxious, angry, annoyed and frustrated at different things, things which most of the times are simply extras. Yet, it does seem impossible to not be overwhelmed by these kinds of feelings, especially when you have kids who just blow you away with their ‘charming’ manners.

Nonetheless, this prac has also been the most enjoyable and fulfilling one I’ve had so far. The lessons that God has taught me through this class of children and teacher are absolutely priceless. He’s taught me how to view each as a good day despite the numerous sticky situations kids will put me into. They may drive me up the wall; they may turn my lessons upside-down, but instead of getting emotionally reactive, I can still choose to let God’s peace reign in my heart by focusing on all the good that is there as well.

Perhaps teaching isn’t so much about making sure children get the lesson content into their heads. Perhaps it’s more about the relationships I have with children- how I relate to them heart to heart; how I let God use me to guide and correct them with love and mercy. Every child that I meet is after all His, and I can’t control the way they behave. Thus, each day, I pray that the Lord will think with my mind, work with my hands, speak with my mouth and love with my heart, so that I may care for these children in the same manner He’s caring for me, that is with great patience and gentleness.

Indeed Lord, at the end of each day, whatever my lot, help me to be able to say, “It is well, it is well, with my soul”.