Galatians 5:22. These are the fruit of the Spirit. Love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, joy, peace and patience. These are God's words. This is how we should act on a day-to-day. Even more so, I take these words seriously when it comes to the classroom. I think if teachers practiced more of this, there would be many more success stories.
And so, it's summer. Not your 95 degrees in the shade summer but more like 120 degrees! Las Vegas style of summer. Instead of languishing around a pool, I chose to teach summer school. I was all set to start in my autism classroom for grades 3-5, but it seems God had other plans.
The day they were handing out teaching assignments, four teachers said they wanted to work in the self-contained autism rooms and although I always wanted resource, never signed up for it because I figured I'd be more marketable in autism. WRONG! I found myself assigned to a grade 4 resource classroom. Now, I was completely thrilled with this assignment until I started reading profiles on the children. Of the sixteen in my room, 25% had behavior plans. The criteria for being on a behavior plan is that the child's behavior must interfere with the learning of others. Two students were coming from self-contained classes and were basically, misplaced in my room. This, did not look good.
I must confess, although I'm a seasoned teacher, I didn't sleep well during our 3-day week-end before the start of school. But, I prayed. Prayed for my classroom and for God to be in the midst. And I continue to pray.
Monday came and frankly, I'm not sure I've ever had a better first day opening of summer school. Everything went like clockwork. Perhaps it's that I'm a veteran now, with this being my third year teaching summer school. Or maybe, it was that voice inside me that said, "Just treat the kids like you always do..." It might have been my prayers or the combination of all three.
All I know is that yesterday, I received a letter from one of my "behavior" students telling me how much she loved me and loved school. The first day, I got a hug from a different student -- another so-called "problem"--asking me if I would be there on Tuesday.
We have completed day 3 and students who were deemed unable to sit more than 1 minute (no, that's not a typo), are sitting 20-30 minutes to do the work I give them. I thank God for this kind of amazing behavior that I am seeing! I also thank God for allowing me to work with these students, as next fall, I will be moving into resource! It is almost as if God said, "Here Lisa -- give it a go...get some practice in before school starts in the fall!"
Believe me, each child has a story. I hope teachers out there will read this and understand why I never take too much to heart when I read what a report, another teacher or even a parent says. In my humble opinion, it is all about letting the kids know you care. To me, it's that simple. I am there to teach them and help them learn how to be successful, in their own right. Not because I hand it to them but because they have earned it.
God smiled on me this summer. He gave me a classroom of 12 incredible students; each with their own gifts and talents. It's going to be a great summer! It's going to be an even better fall!
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