Friends,
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. It’s a gray and soggy summer day. I woke up this morning with the urge to write. The rain inspired me.
At this time last year our school administrators prayerfully made the decision that we would be able to safely return to in person learning. We made it through the year with minimal disruptions. I remain grateful for a successful school year. It was different but worth it.
It’s mid summer and a quick stroll down the school supply aisle at Target makes my heart swell. The classroom is always the place where I’ve felt most content. This remained true even in the midst of pandemic teaching. In a time when many educators openly expressed stress I found that I grew the most. This doesn’t mean I wasn’t overwhelmed, it simply means I slowly learned how to manage what was in front of me. I learned to lead and care differently. The rules were the rules were the rules. Our health depended on it. Students and I worked together to talk about their emotions. You can be like flat soda but, try to tell me why. The phrase,” I don’t feel well” was rarely enough. This is to say, there’s a difference between: My stomach hurts because I forgot to study for this quiz and I think I have COVID symptoms. You can write it or speak it but please be honest. By the end of the year, I hoped that most students would trust me enough to tell me How they really were. I’ve always considered “How are you?” among the most valuable of questions. At the same time, I fully acknowledge that it can be a tough question to answer honestly. The year was filled with such BIG emotions. Every student and every staff member in every school likely felt a sense of anticipation, concern, loss, grief, worry , gratitude or joy. Some days these BIG emotions were connected to our classrooms and others days they extended beyond our comfortable classrooms. Then came the day when feelings from our personal lives intermingled with our classrooms --- even though we didn’t want to allow it or admit it. I was no exception to this rule.
In the spring semester a family member started conquering cancer treatment. My life was forever changed. The day treatment was set to begin my administrators knocked on my classroom door and began to pray with and for me. It's a common practice to pray for one another in our school. Our sense of care makes us an authentically Christian school. There’s an unforgettable part of this prayer that I don’t recall anyone else ever saying to me : “Lord, We are thankful for Ms. Lang’s life…” And yet more BIG emotions appeared: appreciation & value. Perhaps, the prayer is so memorable because it encompassed my feelings as a whole person rather than just a teacher. It demonstrates how we should strive to see others. I bring my whole heart to my classroom and the prayer was such a sincere acknowledgment of that.
Keeping our hearts whole helps create comfortable, creative , and caring spaces for students and teachers to thrive. This year strive to respond to BIG emotions in prayer and gratitude. It’s my prayer that as we recharge and prepare to step into the new year that we will help each other carry our woes and celebrate our wonders.
Joyful Blessings,
Teacher Julie
