Lundi Lecon

It's no secret that almost all new teachers come in to teaching full of enthusiasm and idealistic.Many burn out within the first year and a certain-significant-percentage-I-cannot-recall don't make it past their 5th year.

Being in the midst of my 2nd year of teaching, I am in no way claiming to be an expert, just slightly more worse for wear. I had an interesting discussion today about a certain student (teachers, you know these students; the ones who you cheer for when they are absent...); now, I have had similar discussions with other teachers about other *lovely* teenagers, but for some reason, today's stuck in my mind and made me really sit down in my car on the way home (ha) and think.

The discussion went from the usual frustration and venting to the words, "She won't pass anyway, so I'm not going to bust my butt trying to get her to do the work," passing my lips. Ouch.

Am I so disillusioned from my ideals after only a year that I would completely give up on a kid? Yes, this student is a gift of frustrations galore, but how is it that I got to this state?!? Was it through some kind of weird ritual baptism students give teachers during their first year on the job? Is it simply me venting? Or is it exhaustion from a job I'm not meant to do? Hopefully, not the latter, I'd like to stick somewhere in the middle. And while I may be venting (and mathematically, this student is in no way going to pass my class), how could I let those words come out of my mouth? For words to pass my lips, I must have thought them at least once; words are telling of that upon which a person's mind dwells.

Ironic that I just finished studying James, no? I think I have to change my thought process a bit and then will not linger on the bad qualities of those students, but rather look for an opportunity to encourage them and hopefully make part of their day brighter, even if they don't consciously acknowledge it.

Taming the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, [1] and set on fire by hell. [2] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, [3] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

- James 3:1-12

P.S. I had my day made a little brighter by a student sending me a carnation through the student-council run flower exchange! Aw, gosh!