My Rabbi
Lessons of the week.
I learn so much during the week at school, but sometimes I don't take time to digest what I learn. I just fly to school, around school, from school, home to start/ finish house projects, cook and eat dinner, and on to sleep to do it all over again. So, I am digesting some thoughts I've had this week.
Teaching kids with disabilities can be both incredibly discouraging and incredibly encouraging for many reasons. Without going into too much detail for some reasons, I will simply say it is a hard job to do when you are a people pleaser. Sometimes I can feel so uplifted by someone's comment and other times I feel so attacked and discouraged. It is hard to please parents and staff, although at the end of the day, I am probably my worst critic.
After a particularly discouraging day this week I was reminded that I am not the judge. I cannot judge a parents actions, a staff members actions, or even my own actions. I must do the best I can and with the Lord's guidance and provision, trust in Him and do what He calls me to. A few months ago I heard the Lord say, "These are my children and I choose you to be over them." The Lord will judge all and I am thankful to have Christ as my righteousness, because on my own, I am so unworthy!
I was also reminded that our reward is in heaven. Ephesians 6:7-8 says, "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for the good he does, slave or free." I love my students. In teaching kids with disabilities, there are so many rewards, but they are different than the rewards of other professions or even regular ed teachers. I won't have students come to me in 10 years so thankful for my teaching because now they are graduating high school and going on to college. I don't have students who make me little cards or pictures for me to hang on my wall. Most won't remember me a year after they've been with me. But the rewards that I have had are wonderful- such as a non-verbal student reading a full sentence, an aggressive student being able to follow our classroom routine and participate, racing a student during field day and getting a big hug at the end, watching my children integrate into a regular classroom for an activity called "Book Buddies," in which regular ed students pair with mine and read to them, a student spelling a word on his own, a child who finally holds his pencil the correct way, the laughter when they are tickled, or their hugs when I remind myself to stop and love them. And still my reward in heaven will be so much greater than this- not because I have done well, but because He loves me and I am his child.
I have a great teacher. My Rabbi. My Jesus. I get to reflect Him everyday in what I do. I don't have to worry about being a "good" teacher because I am a student and a child of the ultimate teacher.
I learn so much during the week at school, but sometimes I don't take time to digest what I learn. I just fly to school, around school, from school, home to start/ finish house projects, cook and eat dinner, and on to sleep to do it all over again. So, I am digesting some thoughts I've had this week.
Teaching kids with disabilities can be both incredibly discouraging and incredibly encouraging for many reasons. Without going into too much detail for some reasons, I will simply say it is a hard job to do when you are a people pleaser. Sometimes I can feel so uplifted by someone's comment and other times I feel so attacked and discouraged. It is hard to please parents and staff, although at the end of the day, I am probably my worst critic.
After a particularly discouraging day this week I was reminded that I am not the judge. I cannot judge a parents actions, a staff members actions, or even my own actions. I must do the best I can and with the Lord's guidance and provision, trust in Him and do what He calls me to. A few months ago I heard the Lord say, "These are my children and I choose you to be over them." The Lord will judge all and I am thankful to have Christ as my righteousness, because on my own, I am so unworthy!
I was also reminded that our reward is in heaven. Ephesians 6:7-8 says, "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for the good he does, slave or free." I love my students. In teaching kids with disabilities, there are so many rewards, but they are different than the rewards of other professions or even regular ed teachers. I won't have students come to me in 10 years so thankful for my teaching because now they are graduating high school and going on to college. I don't have students who make me little cards or pictures for me to hang on my wall. Most won't remember me a year after they've been with me. But the rewards that I have had are wonderful- such as a non-verbal student reading a full sentence, an aggressive student being able to follow our classroom routine and participate, racing a student during field day and getting a big hug at the end, watching my children integrate into a regular classroom for an activity called "Book Buddies," in which regular ed students pair with mine and read to them, a student spelling a word on his own, a child who finally holds his pencil the correct way, the laughter when they are tickled, or their hugs when I remind myself to stop and love them. And still my reward in heaven will be so much greater than this- not because I have done well, but because He loves me and I am his child.
I have a great teacher. My Rabbi. My Jesus. I get to reflect Him everyday in what I do. I don't have to worry about being a "good" teacher because I am a student and a child of the ultimate teacher.
ohhhhh so beautifully written......
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