guess who got her ring back?!

I did!

I am one happy girl to have her ring back.  I was on the phone with mom (slightly panicking) asking "what do I do if they don't have it ready? That is simply not acceptable." when I got the beep in my ear of an incoming call.  After a squeal, I politely picked up the phone and was delighted to hear my ring was ready. In my defense, I did mention to her "I am working on keeping in mind that the day is not done yet, so they have not failed quite yet".  Unfortunetly, I was still freaking out a bit.  It was definitely a very long 2 and a half weeks.

For Friday night, my evening has been a bit dry.  I got on an academic kick and got a bunch done.  I have all my homework done for Monday through Friday with the exception of one assignment that is due on Friday.  I am feeling very good about that!  Hooray for a productive evening.  This will allow me to enjoy my time in VA all the more, wedding planning with my fiance and simply enjoying his presence.

One of my recent assignments has been to create a schedule.  It sounded fun and easy until she gave us the requirements and what has to be involved in our schedule. Such as: you have two students taking music lessons that will be out at such and such a time, you like to read aloud to your students every day, school ends one hour early on Fridays, you have lunch duty on Tuesday and Thursday and dismissal duty on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and so you will need to leave your class fifteen minutes early, this age group is required to have two recesses, and the list went on and on (a solid page).  I loved the thought of thinking practically, but quickly found myself severely intimidated.  This is really how it is.  Teaching is HARD work.  My heart goes out to the students with music lessons not wanting them to miss any important time, but that is simply not possible.  Reading and Math should be for longer then forty-five minutes, but that isn't possible when you are required to get everything else in.

if you have not yet noticed, if you click on the image, it will enlarge

I respect teachers, I respect them a lot.  Classroom  management is intense.  It is far more then your philosophy on discipline.  You have 5-30 little lives in your hands that parents have entrusted to you.  You are to teach them academics, while nurturing them spiritually, emotionally, socially, and all of the other -allys. It is such a huge role, and truly and honor.  I find myself feeling very inadequate and incapable, but I have to catch myself.  God has given me such a desire in my heart to love and teach children.  I wouldn't be able to settle for doing anything else.  This is God's call on my life, and I am to fulfill it.  Am I inadequate? yeah.  But God has called me to do this and therefore, He will carry me through it and help me every step of the way.  I am humbled to have been given such an awesome responsibility.

I ask two things of you...Number One: Think of the people you know in your lives that are teachers.  Think of your children's teachers.  Tell them thank you. Number Two: Pray for those teachers, and lift them up to the Lord because they have a huge (and awesome) task.