Though summer vacation is something that monopolizes my mind, it is not the only thing on it. I also begin to wonder about the next school year....more importantly, who is going to be in my class?
If you're like me, around late spring, you start seriously scoping out the rising fifth graders. You begin paying more attention to what you see and hear in the halls. How are the students behaving with their teachers? Are they respectful, eager to follow instructions, or worst, are they defiant? Do they have behavior problems that are so serious that they have to be escorted to the office by several staff members? What will my class be like next year?
Does this sound familiar??
You may even create the PERFECT class roster in your head with a chunk of students from this class, a sprinkle from this class, a dab from this class, and a pinch from that class.
Wow! Wouldn't it be wonderful if teaching was that easy?
It's nice to daydream about the perfect roster, but both you and I know that the PERFECT roster does not exist!
This post isn't to remind you that none of us are in schools that let us pick our students, and that most of us will get the students that we probably would never have picked on our own. On the contrary, it is actually to encourage you in what I have come to find as a gem in my teaching career. It is something that can also impact your teaching career forever.
"What is it, you say???? Please tell me!!!! The gem is found in the statement below.
We ALWAYS get the students who need us the most.
When you come to this realization, teaching becomes a lot easier. You don't walk around pouting and saying, "Why did I get that kid that everyone knows is a terror? Why didn't Mrs. such and such get him?" You understand that you are the one that will best meet the needs of that child (more than anyone else), which is actually an HONOR.
(Of course, you know I did not come to this realization on my own. :) God opened my understanding to this precious gem!)
Several years ago, I was complaining to God about a child who was placed in my class when He transferred to our school. As I sat in church still upset about the situation, God told me something that I will never forget. He told me that He would never give me someone that I could not handle. You see, it wasn't the office staff or my principal who placed that child in my room, but it was divinely orchestrated by God. I realized that I could handle this child and anything that he did in the coming days. It was a relief. That changed my perspective because it showed me that God was divinely giving me students who needed ME the most.
Perspective is everything! Yes, I do believe that a teacher can get a student who was meant for him to have, but it can turn out to be a miserable experience for both of them. Was it a mistake? No! I believe our attitude plays a huge part in our experiences for the positive and negative.
There will always be challenges as teachers. We will never have the perfect class, but we should always make the best of every situation that we are given. I have found that some of my most difficult students are the ones that are the hardest for me to let go of at the end of the school year.
If we have this mindset, there does not have to be any fear in looking at our rosters at the beginning of the school year.
As I continue to grow as a teacher, I am beginning to see that I don't only get the students who need me the most, but also that I get students that I need the most. In some way, they help me to be a better teacher.....a better person.
Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com
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