back to school... back to school... to prove to daddy I'm not a fool

It seems that every night I have big plans to go to sleep early but somehow I still end up staying up way too late and dreading that alarm at 5:20am. Mornings have never really been my thing. Needless to say, I'm a bit tired. The first few weeks back to school are always interesting. It takes awhile for me to get back into the routine of waking up early and being at school for a long time. By long time I mean that I got to work yesterday at 7:30am and didn't leave until 9:30pm. Now, am I tired? Yes. But, I love my job. There is nothing else I could imagine doing. It's not that I love history and want to teach kids every important date ever, (which ps ever is a real long time) but because I have the opportunity to build relationships with kids. I do love history but the most important thing I want is for a kid to walk out of my class on that final day with not a thousand dates they'll remember for the rest of their lives, but I want them to walk out knowing more about themselves and growing as a person. It makes me sad to see kids that don't have a single adult figure in their life that smiles at them, asks them how their day is, and tells them that they are good at something. That is who I want to be. It takes tons of patience I'll tell you that! But, when they come back to visit the next year to tell you about their summer and how they went to church camp and have their life on track, or they come to you on the last day and ask you to pray for a friend who is sick just because they 'knew you would', that's when it's worth it. That is the reason I want to be in public schools. I want to be a positive Christian influence in a place where its 'not ok'. My mom bought me a bracelet before school started this year. I wear it pretty much everyday. It is silver and has engraved in it: Teacher's Prayer   Lord, let me be a teacher of knowledge who will guide our youth and grant them the necessary understanding. I love it. It is a constant reminder to me of why I am there. Our kids need prayer. Please pray for them in this time of searching as they figure out who they are. Please pray that they stay strong in who God has made for them to be. Please pray for me, and all teachers as we spend more time with some of these kids than any other adult does. Please pray that we will be positive influences in their lives, provide a positive atmosphere, and that their lives are touched and blessed from being in our classroom. I hope that you feel God's love today. Sometimes, the only thing we need is to feel God's arms wrapped around us and his love overflowing onto our lives. I know that today, I do.