It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I am a stay at home mom during this season of my life. And I am blessed to be able to do it. But I am also a teacher. And, even though I'm not currently in a classroom, I still feel it.

On Thursday, the public school teachers in our district go back to work. (Actually, many of them are already there, I'm sure.) But "officially", Thursday's the day. Just typing this gives me this feeling in my heart that is kind of hard to explain. When I was a classroom teacher, I got it every year at this time.

It was kind of a nervous feeling mixed with loads of excitement mixed with fears of the unknown mixed with the reality that in a few short days 20 kids were going to meet me and I was going to be the one guiding them to think, explore, create, write, read, discover, talk, solve, wonder, and question. For many of them, our classroom was going to be the only predictable part of their life. For many of them, lunch was going to be their only nutritions meal of the day. For some, the only hug or "I love you" they would get each day would be from me. For others, I would be the only one in their life establishing limits. For some, I would be the only person in their life that would read to them. But for all of them, I would be the one with them for 180 days. Learning with them. Talking with them. Loving on them. Laughing with them. Creating a family within a classroom. Embracing the incredible responsibility of meeting learners where they are and helping grow their love for learning.

To all the teachers, go for it! Go into your classroom. Close your door. And teach your kids. Put them first. Fight for them. Advocate for them. Do your best for them. Put THEIR long-term goals and needs on your radar screen. Not yours. Theirs. Encourage. Love. Guide. Talk less and listen more. Test less and teach more. Frown less and smile more. Stand less and sit beside them more. Say "but" less and say "what if" more. What a challenging, incredibly difficult, emotional, mind-boggling calling you have. Embrace it. You can do it. You were called to do it. Now go after it! I am praying for you as you touch and change lives.