God is Good

God is good.  There is no opportunity better than this to display that character of His.

The report cards are sent home.  The children are happy.  School is over.  And I'm officially nursing a cold.  Thanks God.  Thanks for waiting until the children are gone. 

This year has been quite fabulous.  I would say that for a first-year-teacher, I did quite an adequate job surviving.  I don't remember any times that I cried.  There was one instance I can remember where I almost cried, but God held it together for me.  This was in 2nd term.  Second term was really difficult for me.  I'm not sure why.  Perhaps it was the flu.  Perhaps my plate was too full.  Perhaps it was the winter doldrums.  Whatever it was, second term was a struggle.

But the children came back from Spring break fresh and renewed.  And so did I.  We persevered and ended off really great.  

I was blessed with an amazing group this year.  The children, in all honesty, were just perfect -- for me that is!  It was such a balance of behaviours, social development, emotional states, and "made-for-school" kids that I was able to develop and learn just a little more.  They were the perfect group for my personal zone of proximal development, I suppose.

And their parents were also amazing.  They were honest, friendly, supportive, and prayerful.  I love knowing that they're praying for their kids and for me too.  

Anyway, back to the children... I learned a lot this year.  One of the biggest lessons I've learned came from understanding the differences in children.  This fact has never been foreign to me, but I've never thought about how this fact affects my view of adults.  I realized that oftentimes when people share about their lives, or asked for advice, I viewed it through my Sharon lens.  I understood things through my eyes.  I advised through my perspective, based on my personality and thoughts.  But not everyone thinks like me.  And that's not wrong.  The children have taught me this, because I've actually had to simplify it to some kids who have trouble understanding each other.  It's o.k. that she does this.  Just because you don't do this (or eat this, or say this, or think this, etc.), it doesn't mean that so-and-so is the same.  

God made us different.  

And to an extent I understood this in the general sense.  But my lack of understanding and egocentrism comes into play when the others are fellow believers.  Of course, there is a standard that we adhere to that is exactly the same no matter who you are.  But there are individual standards, characteristics, personalities, that are different from mine and o.k.  Because God made us different. 

I never realized that I had this self-centred frame of mind.  But I'm not surprised.  I am, after all, just me.  

Over the weekend, we met Brad's kindergarten teacher.  Kindergarten was 23 years ago for my Brad.  hheheheeh.  His class was also her first class.  She had such fond memories of that first class.  And she never forgot them!  There were good memories, even after all those years.  I was encouraged to see and listen to her.  A glimpse into the future, of sorts.  And even now, only a week later, I smile and think of the good memories of my first 2 classes.  It's good to know that 20 something years later, I'll still have these good memories, great kids, and a big smile for them all.

I do want to post some pictures of our culminating field trips last week.  But I'll have to shrink them first so they don't take a million years to upload.  That will just have to wait until later.  Perhaps the weekend.  Perhaps in the morning.  We'll see.  I still have a huge walk in closet at school that I have to sort through.  It will take me a few hours, I'm sure.  So we'll see.

I'll post two pictures that are already shrunk.

This photo was taken on a students' camera.  He says to me, "Can we take a picture?  I brought my camera?"  

He hauls out his Nikon digital point and  shoot.  Turns it on, sets the timer "for 2 seconds or 10?", puts it on the right mode ("oops! heheheh it's on video!!")  Does any of this faze me?  No, because this boy is just like that.  It might have surprised me if it was any one else!

O.k. so his subjects aren't ideally placed, but he is only 6 years old.... this exceeds expectations.

Then he wants one with the class.... heheheh this is our third attempt.  You can even tell it's the third one from some of the kids' faces!! haha

The last day of school.  There you have it.