When God sends you reminders...

Man...have you ever had one of those days where you just can't seem to remember why you decided to teach? Maybe I am the only one that gets bogged down by the paperwork, daily duties, and endless repeating of directions, but probably not! I am typically one that tries to see the positives in all situations and genuinely loves to teach; however, it was NOT a wonderful start to the day. I was running late. I forgot my coffee. I wore a blue shirt that I was sure was black when I was dressing in the dark, and it was Valentine's Day in an elementary school. Enough said. As I was sprinting to my classroom to open the door for my students, I was already being bombarded with letters, money I needed to receipt, permission forms, papers to grade, behavior issues to fix, and unending questions about candy and cards.

As I put all of the papers to go through on my desk, one of my most quiet students handed me a card for Valentine's Day. I quickly said thank you, but didn't have time to open the card right then. I rushed through the morning duties, taught my morning math lesson, and walked my students to specials. I then had a meeting to go to that was held in my room. Great.

I got back to my room with a couple minutes to spare before the other members of my PLC made it to the meeting. I decided to open the card. What I saw stopped me in my tracks and made me whisper thanks to God. Thanks for the little reminders that even in the midst of chaos, I am exactly where I need to be and am making a difference in the lives of children. After all, what could be more important than influencing the future.

So take heart, teachers. You are making a difference. You do matter, and the most important part of your job will never be paperwork or duties. It is the sweet, quiet, little girl that prayed to be in your class. It is the bullied kid who now knows that someone cares. It is the no-longer-hungry student in your class that you stash extra snacks for, or the student that needs to learn that hard work beats IQ, every time. Take a moment and breathe in the blessings that this profession can bring.