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I WAS IN PRISON DOCUMENTARY

What Every Teacher Wishes They Could Say to Parents

With a new school year quickly approaching, I wanted to share some things that I believe every teacher would want a parent to know. So often there is a parent vs. teacher mentality that is unproductive and frustrating for both sides. Here is a little perspective from the teacher side of the fence.....


Dear Parent,

Lovely to meet you, thank you for trusting me with your child. I am so excited for this new year, but also just as nervous as your little (or not so little) one. As we begin this journey through the year, you should know a little bit about me. It takes more than just a quick visit at Open House to know what is most important.

I want you to know that I spend lots of time thinking of ways I can teach your child a new thing. I lay in bed at night trying to come up with ideas that will make them laugh. I research the best ways to impact your child for the rest of their life. This is not just my job, it's my passion. I often wonder if I am truly making a difference in these little lives. Will they remember me as one of their favorite teachers? Will they love the subject I teach them more than anything else? Nothing is more rewarding than seeing them change and progress over the course of the year. It makes me so proud of what I do.

I want to make you happy, parent. Your approval means the world to me. I want you to be blown away at how much your child has changed this year. In a year, five or even ten years I want to hear all about how they are doing. I want you to know how much I care. I love your child, and I want them to love me too. If I had to, I would give my life for them, as many teachers have in the past.

I wish you would tell me when you think I am doing a good job, and not just leave communication for issues that arise. I see you over there chatting with the other parents, I wonder what you are saying? Are you talking about all the things you love about me, or are you complaining that it isn't good enough?

I hope you know that I will always do my very best. There will be times I fail, and I ask for your grace to forgive me. I only want the best. Lets work together, not against each other.

Here is to a great new school year!

Blessings,
Teacher




Greater Love

The other day I read an article focusing on the idea that people who take a bunch of "selfies" actually have some sort of mental disorder. I don't know if there is any truth to that, but one definite truth is the fact that people in our society are becoming increasingly more self centered and narcissistic. Taking selfies constantly is just a symptom of that, not the problem.

People are so obsessed with themselves, but instead of becoming obsessed with making themselves better spiritually, and emotionally they get stuck on the physical and blame everyone else when their life is falling apart.  While we can't control other people, and we can't control bad things happening, we CAN control our reactions to those things. If you let your emotions run your life, you will always be a victim. Are you spending more time improving your physical body and taking selfies, than you are on your spiritual and emotional health? If so, you probably often feel defeated and sad. 

God created us with a need for love. If you are a human being you need to be loved, but the ultimate love can only come from getting to know Him. Most people don't know how much God loves them so instead of seeking Him, they turn to other things to fill up that spot. Drugs, alcohol and the need for lots of "likes" on their selfies, are just a few of those ways. The "Jesus love you" saying is something we all have gotten used to hearing, but it does not impact very many people, because they don't understand it. 

There is not much better of a sound than hearing your child laugh uncontrollably. I love hearing the hard, belly laughs of my kids, and even my husband. I love hearing the people I love, laugh. That is how God feels about you. He loves it when you laugh uncontrollably. He doesn't care if you have done all the worst things a human can do, He doesn't care if you have never entered a church in your whole life. He doesn't care if you know nothing about the bible or have ever read a single bible verse.You could be the best Christian around or an Atheist, it doesn't matter. His love won't ever change for you, no matter what you do or don't do. He died for you. 

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."
John 15:13

What would happen if we replaced the time that we spent working on our physical bodies, and spent half that time learning how much God loves us? I challenge you to give it a try, it will change your life :)



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