What is it worth?

We seem to measure everything by it's worth...is it valuable?  Does it serve a purpose?  How much does it cost?  But some of the most important things can not have a price tag attached to them.  I teach six year olds.  Every morning my day starts with hugs.  Those hugs do not have a price tag on them, but their value is incredible.  There are days I could crawl back into bed and cover my head, but those hugs make it better.  Then there are those "AW, HA"  moments!  That moment in time when it all clicks for that child.  If you are a lucky teacher, those moments happen everyday.  When a child understands a concept for the first time and they look at you with total understand, that is the most incredible moment in teaching.

Recently I discovered some hidden pictures of my family.  These pictures are of a generation that is no longer with us.  While to some those pictures are worthless, to me they tell the story of my family.  They are invaluable to me.  I hope that I teach my children to respect their history and that these pictures will someday mean something to them.  And they don't ask "How much is it worth?"

My Students

I teach 6 year olds.  They fill my days with laughter and frustration.  I enjoy listening to their conversations.  Today a little girl was discussing a little boy that is a character.  The little boy is fascinated with Barbies.  He will bring one to school on Fridays for free choice centers.  The little girl was explaining the little girls that play with little boys is a "tomboy." So she decided that a little boy that plays with dolls must be a "tomgirl."  She was so cute in her reasoning.  I just had to laugh. 

Another little girl was telling me that her momma had celebrated a birthday the day before.  I asked her what she had gotten her mother as a present.  She told me that had not gotten her anything.  She then started talking about her mother's age and how she was super old...I laughed and said, "Was she 22?"  She said, "Oh, no, Mrs. M...she looks forty or sixty years old."  I love that to a six year old everyone over the age of 21 is the same "old person."

I love the honesty of this age of children...not enough sleep?  They tell you about the bags under your eyes.  Change your hair color?  Why, it looks bad.  They are very honest.  To bad we teach them to lie.

Praying for Patience

Praying for patience is a scary thought.  I have discovered that each year God places a child in my path that gets on my last nerve.  I use to pray for patience, but I have decided that only makes things worse.  So now I pray for God to show me one thing a day to love about that child.  Collin is a little boy that is my room.  He is larger than the other children.  He lacks the ability to whisper, to control his hands, or to stop and think before talking.  But he makes up for it in having a big heart.  As I started praying for Collin, I noticed my attitude changing.  Now I see that Collin exhibits some symptoms of autism.  His social cues are limited.  He is bright and a great learner.  While I don’t think God changed Collin, He did change my attitude toward Collin.  I look forward to his stories.  I enjoy his random hugs.  And most of all Collin is happier in my room.

Now I am praying for two little girls.  Both are bossy and mean to others, so I am asking for God’s guidance on how to deal with them.  But I am not praying for patience.