God's Precious Gifts

Recently I was reminded just how much God cares for me...


On Monday I was assigned to a middle school. You can understand my apprehension about retreating back into a middle school classroom after my last experience, but I went into the school telling myself this will be different. I started at the office, where I learned that there was no substitute plans left by the teacher at all. So now I am teaching 7th grade and have no plans, great, I thought to myself, they are really leading me towards failure, but I simply looked at the secretary and said, "I will figure something out". Appearing to have confidence has always been something I am very good at to strangers, while on the inside my mind is racing as to what I, a Language Arts major, am going to do for 4 blocks of 7th grade science. I entered the loud and crazy classroom to find another teacher that was holding the fort until I arrived. He quickly suggested a game plan that I hated and quickly said, "Thank you". I was determined to choose what I wanted to do since nothing was left for me. Trying to gain authority over the students who seemed to be shouting out, ignoring me and I believe I heard some "meowing" I did manage to calm them down. It was a breath of relief that I never remember having at my other job.

I put the students right to work seeing if they would actually do it, and for the most part they did. I told myself that I would start with authority and power when the next class walked in, I was determined to get it off on the right foot. I remember middle school, they see a sub and starting cheering with joy and the torturous things they could do to them. However to my dismay in walks a few familiar faces, my old students that I taught during my student teaching. They even recognized me. What joy overcame me to have conversations and hug students that I taught 3 years ago. God truly does care for me and wanted to show me by placing these students paths in my life. Word spread that I was in this classroom and several more came to say hi, and God granted me the ability to remember all of their names.