a bit of self-reflection

For the first two days of summer school, I have tried to get my students to work as independently as possible. I do have one child who is incredibly demanding of my attention, but she's quick to say things like, "You know, I hated you, but now I love you!"

Seriously...that's a verbatim quote of hers from this morning.

As a teacher, I always want to be in control of every situation. I do not want behaviors to become so wild that no one listens. On the other hand, I'd like the kids to enjoy themselves while they learn. It's a delicate balance, but I think I've got this class where I want them. I'm lenient, though; it's difficult for folks to focus for six hours on one subject (especially if it was failed during the regular school year).

So far, every single kid has a C or better! (Thank you, Lord! Please help them to keep it up!) One young man said, "Man, you're really nice, and I understand this (persuasive essay assignment) now."

As I sit here reflecting on the day, I am pleased that I let God control everything. He helped me deal effectively with some classroom conflicts without resorting to discipline tickets (which remove them from the classroom).

I have tried to let the same thing (allowing God to be in control of me) happen in my church life, but sometimes transitions are hardly smooth. I find myself longing for the peace and excitement for "church" that I had two weeks ago. Now I am bracing for an uphill battle that won't be pretty.

I asked for some advice from you here on my blog. Since I haven't gotten any responses, I suspect that I'm not the only one who may have reservations about giving advice on how to deal with difficult people.

I have exasperated my arsenal of witty, endearing comments for those giving me grief at the moment. Sometimes I can use humor in the classroom to totally diffuse a situation, but that hasn't gotten me anywhere at church.

You know, I'm just plain weary of getting emotionally beaten up by the very folks I have tried so hard to support and love. God is calling me to continue, though, so I will...

On a happy note: Tomorrow should be fun! A couple of friends are going out of town, so they'll miss a graduation party for their son's buddy. I was asked to take pictures, so I will try my best. My less-than-professional snapshots will have to do.

Hmmm....on second thought, perhaps I should give my camera to someone else for the afternoon!

:o)

Enjoy your Friday evening!