unsung heroes.

One of the great things you will learn about teaching is that no matter how many times you plan something, in one second your entire lesson and teaching methods can change. As a teacher, you must be able to adjust to the changes and continue with the status quo.

Today was one of those days. As a new teaching, I spend much of the previous night planning for the day ahead; last night was no exception. Today I come into class, get my materials ready for the day, papers copied, journal up, update the marker board, do everything I can before the bell rings.

My class usually goes pretty normal: come in, sit down, do your journal, and do not talk. I usually have the random students that have all the random questions as normal. Today, I had a special request.. A student asked to go to the health center today because she thought she was about to have a seizure. Now, usually I would have been informed about some type of health disorder; however, today I was not. Therefore, I went to get a health form pass to let her go; as a i was writing away, I noticed that she was getting worse.

Common sense told me to let her go, so I sent her with a student. As soon as she got up, it hit. There in the middle of my classroom she feel to the ground, shaking as if she was possessed. Poor, helpless girl was she. Scared, confused teacher was I.

What do you do in those seconds while emergencies happen? Throw all plans out the door.

I had two beautiful, strong young ladies help stay with the girl while I directed students to get help. Soon, two police officers, a teacher, two principals and those wonderful strong students were there helping. Finally, the nurses came and did their job.

As I watched them nurse her back to health as best as they could, I looked into my classroom at my students as they intently watched (some probably terrified). I looked at those two girls who were so brave to step forward. They sat there with the girl fanning her, holding her hand, helping her--as a friend; as a sister. As they were lifting the girl from the ground, one of my big, manly football players came over to help pick her up into the wheel chair. No one asked him to do that. The other students sat in their seats quietly, not saying a word. They were so well behaved, so respectful and understanding.

I was so impressed by those students. Today, they are unsung heros who will never receive recognition for what they did, but will always have a gold medal in my heart.  

Why & Some Amazing Happenings.

Finally, oh finally. I have decided to go through with this.

There is just way to much from the school day that could be missed in memory because it is not written down. Teens and kids are such a interesting topic. You never know what will come out of their mouth; everything thing is a surprise. Even through their randomness, there is a great heart in almost all of these students--a heart that many have never seen or care to see.

So, here is why I am writing the blog. To show the realities of teaching, the every day life that happens inside the school, and the show the great students that I have (even if the things I write about may not be so great... they sure are funny)!  I am also writing this so I will not annoy every single person with my stories, and you can just read them here :)


Week of 9/19

This week for a new, young teacher would have been the most challenging week yet. For any teacher, even veteran, this week would have proven trying emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

This week our school recently lost two precious girls (who I did not know) in a car accident last saturday night.  I did not know coming into school Monday morning what exactly be like for my students.

While the majority of students were caught up in hype (which is obvious to spot from hysterically crying one day to perfectly fine the next), there were a couple who sincerely lost a dear friend. These two boys came into my class every day this week with a downcast spirit that was not normally there. I felt for these two as though they were my child. My heart broke for them as I could see them mourning some days in class. Grown men were they facing this. I believe any teenage boy that can sit and cry in class in front of his classmates is a true man, and thats what these two gentlemen showed me.

From experiencing the loss of my own best friend, I could relate to what these two gentlemen were experiencing. My heart is torn in two for those that mourn and I would love to take their pain away: "But sorrow may last for the night, but JOY comes in the morning!" (From a song called: Trading My Sorrows). That was the song that kept playing through my head this week, and I longed to express it with them. Even today (9/24--the funerals are now) my thoughts and prayers are with these two students especially, but the families that have been affected from this event.


Despite the tragedy of this week, there was an amazing event that took place inside the classroom---one that ONLY God could orchestrate. In my classroom, next to the door to exit (and enter on second thought) I have a small sized marker board that I write positive quotes or something encouraging on for the students to look at every day. It may be something simple such as: "have a great day" or some quote by a famous person.

I have often wondered if students read what was on the board. I did not know if it was a waste of time or what but I continued in hopes that some may.

The first incident with the board:

One student left their binder in my class. I saw it after the bell rang at 3:00 to dismiss the students for the day as they rush out of into the hall in some mad rage that they will miss what will happen for the entire day if they do not get home by 3:01. I always look around my classroom for things students may have left behind and saw this binder.

As any teacher would, I opened the binder to identify who it belonged to.. As I was looking, I saw a tab in the binder labeled: "Encouraging Words." Curiosity did kill the cat that day because I went to see what that was about: It was not one of the tabs I requested for my class. Everyday this particular student had written down what was on that small marker board. It touched my heart to see that she enjoyed and notice the thoughtful words that were placed there, and also encouraged me to persevere with the quotes.

The second, most amazing incident with the marker board:
Because of the events of this week at school, I felt like sharing bible verses with the students. I KNOW i cannot do this in a direct way or in any way that may influence a student's religious belief, so I decide to write a small phrase from the bible on the marker board. It was a phrase that had run through my head all week long found in Ecclesiastes--There is a time to be born, a time to die.. etc.

So, on the small marker board who's location has been described: I simply put the beginning of that passage from the bible: "For everything there is a season..." I did not put any quotation from the bible stating where it was from, so that made it legal :)

I had many questions that day about the quote: "What does that mean?" "Isn't that suppose to say: 'For everything there is a reason.'" "Who said that?"

Things like this broke my heart that these students did not know about Solomon's words in this book; however, it allowed me the opportunity to answer these questions. It allowed me the opportunity to say this was found in the bible, it was spoken by Solomon, it means there is a time for everything to happen in our lives.

My fourth block class is probably my worst class (but by worst they are not even that bad), but this was the moment that God showed me: This is why you are here.

I had a student ask: "Where did you find that quote?" So, I shared with here: It came out of the bible. It talks about the different seasons in our lives such as there is a time to be born, a time to die.. a time to laugh, a time to cry.. etc.. Do you want me to show it to you? Student: Yeah! please...

I have a bible in my desk, and I honestly forgot it was there. Luckily, I could pull it out at any time that I need to and for this particular day I did. I had the opportunity to read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 to one of my students.

While I did not think much of it, after I read the passage the student asked me: Can I write that down?
The student took my bible, wrote down the scripture straight out of the bible in class, and kept it for her own personal use. I was blown away and in awe that the opportunity even presented itself to me.

But that, my friends, was an amazing end to a rough, long week.

<3 till next time.