Lessons Learned
Now that school is out, I finally have some time to catch up. On May 24th I ran the Alpine Half Marathon. A few Saturdays before the Half, I hurt my ankle during a run. I had a swollen tendon and it was really sore. I was nervous to run the race, fearing further injury. But I said a prayer. I thanked Him for my body and for the amazing things that our bodies can do. And then I asked that my body could be free of injury. I was seriously blessed that day. Not only did I remain free of injury, but that is probably the best that I have felt while running 13.1 miles. This race was different than any other race that I've run (besides the fact that the beginning only had 2 porta potties). This was the first time that I've seen pacing runners. Several different runners held up a sign showing their running pace and their finish time. And they carried the sign for the entire run! It was quite the visual to see your goal ahead of you, behind you, or pass you by (all of which happened to me).
I just finished up my 3rd year of teaching and I upgraded from a Provisional License to a Level 2 Professional Teaching License. It's official folks! These past three years have taught me SO MUCH. I quickly learned to love and care about children that I didn't know. I learned about anger, verbal and physical aggression. I learned how to teach children about acceptance and to face their problems. I learned that working more than your contract hours = unpaid, unbalanced and unhealthy. I learned how to teach 7 year old kids to believe in themselves. I learned that TEACHING IS HARD. I dove into the pressures of a 1st year teacher. I learned that no matter what, you can't please everyone. I learned that teachers cry. I learned what it's like to be questioned, criticised, entrusted and praised. I learned how to collaborate and lean on my team. I learned that testing is just as scary for the teacher as it is for the student. I learned how to teach Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade. I learned about forgiveness and second chances.
I guess that I could write a whole novel about the lessons that I've learned as a teacher. One of the most important lessons that sticks out to me is that He cares. He cares about the scraped knee, the mean words, the failing reader, the concerned parent. I know that our Heavenly Father cares, because I've seen it time and again. He cared about my Half Marathon and he cared about my success as a teacher. I'm excited to finally stay at home with Adriaan. But I am so grateful for the lessons that I have learned and the memories that I can look back on. And the next time you see a teacher, just say thank you. I'd say that 60℅ of that job is done after hours and behind the scenes.
I just finished up my 3rd year of teaching and I upgraded from a Provisional License to a Level 2 Professional Teaching License. It's official folks! These past three years have taught me SO MUCH. I quickly learned to love and care about children that I didn't know. I learned about anger, verbal and physical aggression. I learned how to teach children about acceptance and to face their problems. I learned that working more than your contract hours = unpaid, unbalanced and unhealthy. I learned how to teach 7 year old kids to believe in themselves. I learned that TEACHING IS HARD. I dove into the pressures of a 1st year teacher. I learned that no matter what, you can't please everyone. I learned that teachers cry. I learned what it's like to be questioned, criticised, entrusted and praised. I learned how to collaborate and lean on my team. I learned that testing is just as scary for the teacher as it is for the student. I learned how to teach Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade. I learned about forgiveness and second chances.
I guess that I could write a whole novel about the lessons that I've learned as a teacher. One of the most important lessons that sticks out to me is that He cares. He cares about the scraped knee, the mean words, the failing reader, the concerned parent. I know that our Heavenly Father cares, because I've seen it time and again. He cared about my Half Marathon and he cared about my success as a teacher. I'm excited to finally stay at home with Adriaan. But I am so grateful for the lessons that I have learned and the memories that I can look back on. And the next time you see a teacher, just say thank you. I'd say that 60℅ of that job is done after hours and behind the scenes.
I love your blog! You are such a great writer and a great teacher, and I am so excited that you get to stay home with Adrian! Congrats on your half! You are amazing. I truly look up to you. Hope all is well your way. We will have to get our boys together and play!
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