Librarian/Teacher

I never really envisioned teaching 7th grade...I figured I would have to teach one of the grades sooner or later, but 7th wouldn't have been my first guess.  However, on Monday (August 22), I was just beginning the school day when the vice-principal asked to talk to me.  He wanted to know if I would be comfortable going in and teaching for the 7th grade teacher who couldn't come in that day.  I said I thought that with God's help, I could give it a try.  It helped that the lesson plans were available and hopefully the teacher would be back the next day.  So I went in and followed the lesson plan, and the kids were fairly cooperative.  It's easier when the kids understand what you're telling them and help you out by shushing each other ("Hey, she's trying to talk!  Be quiet!")

Then came Tuesday.  No 7th grade teacher again.  I went in and did the same thing.

Then Wednesday.  I knew the teacher had come to school, so things seemed fine.  But I was just working on something in the library when the principal asked if I could take over again since the teacher had to leave early (he still wasn't feeling well).  So I did...

Thursday was normal.  I had a quiet day working in the library.  It was nice to have had a little bit of substitute teaching practice.

Then the vice-principal appeared...

"Would you be willing to teach 7th grade history until another 7th grade teacher arrives?"

Sure, I guess so.

Fast-forward to the end of Friday.  We had just had a madcap Welcome Back party (I was in charge of the water balloon station where kids enjoyed getting wet--and getting me wet--on the hot day).  But then I went to talk to the 7th grade teacher.

"I'm teaching the history class, right?" I asked.

"Oh, you weren't told..."

It turned out there was more to the job.  The teacher was originally the math teacher for the older grades, and history isn't his forte.  So he was wondering if I would be willing to teach history to two 7th grades and 8th grade, plus do spelling, reading, music, and computer (the last two don't really exist right now though) for the original 7th grade class, while he went back to being the math teacher.  He said it would only be until the new 7th grade teacher arrives in a few weeks, and it would be a huge help to him and the students.

So I said all right....

Now I've just been through my first week of really teaching 7th grade.  It's a learning curve.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out how to get them interested in the subject (and wind and ocean currents was not an exciting topic anyway).  And it's a challenge to get them quiet without having
to shout.  But we're learning together, and it's actually a really good experience.  And it's also kind of nice to be in sync with the other SMs who are teaching.  We all sit around the apartment and grade and lesson plan and talk.  

Pray for me to have the wisdom, humility, kindness, and energy I need to teach the kids and be a good influence on them.  They come from all backgrounds, and it's not easy knowing how to teach them all (especially the one who can only say, "I no speak English").  Pray for the other teachers too, since we're all in the same boat.  We don't always know what we're doing, but we have a God who knows it all.

 For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly."  Proverbs 2:6-7