The Impact of a Thank You!

As a teacher and as a Christian I want to be supportive of my students (actually all students of the school).  I want them to know that I care about them.  I want to be visible to them outside of the school walls.  Therefore I try to attend extra-curricular activities, especially sporting events, as much as possible.

Yesterday I went to some basketball games that students were playing in.  The first couple of games included students that I teach everyday.  I love being there to cheer them on!  Often when they see me, they say hello and/or wave to me.  I also went to a game for younger students.  I had a parent tell me that he really appreciated that I was there to support the students (he had also seen me at the earlier games, as his daughter played in one and he was the coach).  He made sure that his younger daughter told me thank you for coming to her game.  It really made me feel like I was doing something good.

Then today I got another thank you from a parent (her daughter was on the younger team and her husband coached).  She said that after the game a bunch of the girls were talking about how I was there!  They just thought it was really cool!  She said how much she appreciates it!  I told her that I love watching the students play and try to see all the different teams play at least once (I am going to more games next weekend for some teams I haven't seen play yet).

The impact of those thank-yous were pretty big!  It really made me feel like I am doing something important!  In the past I have had someone within the school question my commitment and my priorities.  I just wish this person could hear all the thank yous that I get in circumstances like this.  While lesson planning and grading are important parts of being a teacher, I also think that showing students that I care about them (especially about them as more than just bodies in the classroom) is an important part of my vocation!

So I guess in response to those thank yous I say "You're welcome" and thank you for recognizing my dedication and commitment to the students and their families.

Have a blessed week in the Lord!

-SingleLutheran

Comments

Wow!  Two posts in one day....within less than an hour.  You must be thinking wow!!

Well I wanted to just say thank you to those of you who read my blog and leave encouraging comments!  I had realized before how many comments and encouraging words people have left for me.  It really means a lot to me and will provide me further motivation to write on here more frequently.

Thanks again!!!!

Have a blessed week!

-SingleLutheran

Long, Long Time

It has been a really, really long time since I wrote on here.  At least a year and a half....not sure if anyone is even going to see this......

I've decided to write on here again because a couple of my friends on Facebook have blogs and they have recently mentioned them.  That got me thinking about how I haven't written on here in a while.  Lots of stuff has happened....yet some things have stayed the same.

As my blog title says, I have my struggles....some are new, some are not.  I have had my struggles with my vocation over the past year.  Things changed a lot this school year.  I am teaching less classes....and helping in other ways instead (some of it by my choice, some not).  I don't want to go into a lot of specifics on here, but let's just say it has been an adjustment for sure.  I have spent a lot of time thinking about next year.  Decisions are upon me and uncertainty awaits.  It is hard to not knowing what is going to be happening over the next few months....at times I feel ready for it...other times I dread it.  It is really just a big mixture of emotions.

Two months ago today, my maternal grandfather passed away from throat cancer.  He was first diagnosed about a year ago.  He underwent radiation and the treatment had worked.  Then in September, they found out that he had a tumor again.  His only option for treatment was surgery.  It would have taken out his voice box and included a long recovery.  Because my grandfather was 86 years old, he decided against surgery.  He wanted to spend the last days, weeks, or months of his life at home on the farm.  Hospice came in to help my grandmother take care of him.  My brother and his family from New Mexico and I were planning on making a quick trip up to Minnesota for Thanksgiving to see him (in case something happened before Christmas).  The Monday before Thanksgiving (we were going to get there on Wednesday) I received a phone call from my mom late at night (about 11pm).  My grandfather had passed away that evening.  So instead of getting to see my grandfather at Thanksgiving, we were there for his funeral.  It was a good funeral and I know that he is now in heaven, free from pain.  We have said, that I guess Grandpa wanted to make it convenient and cheaper for us.

I will leave it on that note tonight.  Perhaps I will come back again soon.

-SingleLutheran