When Drew got a note sent home from preschool a few weeks ago, I didn't think a whole lot of it. He has been going to preschool since the summer and has never gotten into any trouble. Matt and I addressed the issue, confident we wouldn't get any more notes home.
I was mistaken. On Monday when I picked him up, Drew notified me of another note home. We addressed this issue a little more sternly this time. I told him that if he got a note home Wednesday, we wouldn't take our weekly McDonald's trip before church.
Well, we didn't get one note home on Wednesday. We got two.
(Note: before you think the worst, the notes were sent home for infractions such as distracting the class, talking during naptime, not obeying the teacher, and "play fighting" on the playground.)
So, Wednesday night, Matt and I had a "come to Jesus" meeting with Drew, not quite literally but close. We threatened if he got another note home, he wouldn't get to play on his trampoline or swing set for a week. Furthermore, I told him if he wanted to go to McDonald's next Wednesday before church (he lost that privilege that day and he wasn't happy about it), he would have to be on "green" (indicating good behavior) each day between now and then.
Still concerned with Drew's recent rash of misbehavior, I decided to call and talk to his teacher this afternoon. When I knew the kids were napping, I called his her to assure her that we had been speaking to Drew about his notes and ask if his behavior was better today. This was my first "conference" with Drew's teacher.
The call went above and beyond my expectations. Not only did she say Drew was much better, but she also went into detail about not only what Drew had been doing to get those notes but also what she was doing to work with him. She also speculated the reasons behind his misbehavior. Out of 13 children in her class, 11 of them are boys.
Bless her heart.
But she said it matter-of-factly. Whereas I would be begging for sympathy in her shoes, I could instead sense a passion in her voice for her children. She explained what she was doing in the classroom to help the children learn. She asked if Drew had mentioned her teaching them sign language because that was something new she was doing this year. She was passionate about her children and her classroom.
She then went into some positive qualities that she saw in Drew that I hadn't thought of before. But now, I can see them, and I know how to guide him in the weaknesses and strengths that come with those qualities.
I got off the phone with her greatly encouraged. I knew that Drew was learning more than I ever anticipated he would in preschool. Sight words, Spanish words, sign language, the Pledge of Allegiance... it's something new every day. But in this phone conversation, I also knew that his teacher is guiding him as an individual in areas that can't be taught in a classroom.
And as a teacher's daughter, I can say, THAT is what makes a good teacher, a great teacher.
I'm confident that this will be a great year for Drew as his last year before kindergarten. I'm of course hoping for no more notes home, but no matter what happens, I know that he is in great hands and is getting a good start both as a student and as a person.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Unveiling the Mystery
Prayer has always been quite a mystery to me. Although I've had a consistent quiet time for my 21 years as a Christian (minus morning sickness days, the early months of my children's lives, and yes I'll admit it, weekends and vacations), sometimes I feel like I'm no closer to an active prayer life than I was 21 years ago.
This week the mystery has begun to unfold for me, however. Those who know me best know that I am quite an analytic thinker. I can drive myself crazy thinking and rethinking. That has certainly been the case lately as I have been navigating through some personal challenges.
Then the thought occurred to me. What would happen if I took all of those thoughts and started voicing them to God instead of mulling them in my mind alone? The first time I tried this experiment was in the car. I turned off the radio and started telling God my thoughts. Gradually, my thoughts turned prayers weren't as random and unorganized as they had been only in my mind. Almost like a veil was lifted, I began to see my thoughts in a new dimension. Bible verses and passages with which I was familiar started coming to mind.
It is difficult to articulate exactly how my heart was changing. It morphed into a confused, self-centered thought process into an organized, God-centered one. Sin in my heart was exposed and instead of a quick, "I'll do better next time," I was forced to deal with it by asking for forgiveness and making a plan to turn away from it (repent). I started seeing the issues at hand in a different light.
I started to realize how my previous thought process on my relationship with God was flawed. Though I never intentionally thought of it this way, I felt that since the Holy Spirit lives in me as a Christian, he already knows my thoughts, and he will reveal himself to me when necessary though my current Bible study and church attendance.
However, this is not the example Jesus set. It is recorded time and again that he withdrew to pray to God the Father. I've always wondered why would Jesus need to pray if he is God himself anyway? But he did. What I can take from that example is this: If the Son of God Himself needed to converse with the Father to know God's will, how much more do I need that same thing?
Maybe I need to stop relying on my own wisdom, my own knowledge, my own experiences, my own opinions, you name it (keyword: me) and realize that in every single area of my life I am in constant need of seeking God through prayer. No situation in my life, including my work (which I have 8 years of experience so why would I need God for the day to day decisions?), my church (with 3 decades of experience in a Baptist church, shouldn't I know what works and what doesn't?), my family (no one knows what's best for my family than me right?), or anything else I encounter am I above needing to seek the divine will of the Father. Not my naturally analytic nature, my experience, my education, or my common sense can take the place of the Spirit-inspired prayer life.
Now, once I've started to experience just a tiny bit of what God wants for me in my prayer life, I realize how great a need it is. And I plan to continue to take everything to God in prayer. If it's worth me mulling over, analyzing, or worrying about, it's worth taking to him, seeking not my will but his.
What I've learned in the last few days is this: sometimes I think God is just waiting for us to make the effort, so he can reveal himself in ways we could never ask for or imagine.
This week the mystery has begun to unfold for me, however. Those who know me best know that I am quite an analytic thinker. I can drive myself crazy thinking and rethinking. That has certainly been the case lately as I have been navigating through some personal challenges.
Then the thought occurred to me. What would happen if I took all of those thoughts and started voicing them to God instead of mulling them in my mind alone? The first time I tried this experiment was in the car. I turned off the radio and started telling God my thoughts. Gradually, my thoughts turned prayers weren't as random and unorganized as they had been only in my mind. Almost like a veil was lifted, I began to see my thoughts in a new dimension. Bible verses and passages with which I was familiar started coming to mind.
It is difficult to articulate exactly how my heart was changing. It morphed into a confused, self-centered thought process into an organized, God-centered one. Sin in my heart was exposed and instead of a quick, "I'll do better next time," I was forced to deal with it by asking for forgiveness and making a plan to turn away from it (repent). I started seeing the issues at hand in a different light.
I started to realize how my previous thought process on my relationship with God was flawed. Though I never intentionally thought of it this way, I felt that since the Holy Spirit lives in me as a Christian, he already knows my thoughts, and he will reveal himself to me when necessary though my current Bible study and church attendance.
However, this is not the example Jesus set. It is recorded time and again that he withdrew to pray to God the Father. I've always wondered why would Jesus need to pray if he is God himself anyway? But he did. What I can take from that example is this: If the Son of God Himself needed to converse with the Father to know God's will, how much more do I need that same thing?
Maybe I need to stop relying on my own wisdom, my own knowledge, my own experiences, my own opinions, you name it (keyword: me) and realize that in every single area of my life I am in constant need of seeking God through prayer. No situation in my life, including my work (which I have 8 years of experience so why would I need God for the day to day decisions?), my church (with 3 decades of experience in a Baptist church, shouldn't I know what works and what doesn't?), my family (no one knows what's best for my family than me right?), or anything else I encounter am I above needing to seek the divine will of the Father. Not my naturally analytic nature, my experience, my education, or my common sense can take the place of the Spirit-inspired prayer life.
Now, once I've started to experience just a tiny bit of what God wants for me in my prayer life, I realize how great a need it is. And I plan to continue to take everything to God in prayer. If it's worth me mulling over, analyzing, or worrying about, it's worth taking to him, seeking not my will but his.
What I've learned in the last few days is this: sometimes I think God is just waiting for us to make the effort, so he can reveal himself in ways we could never ask for or imagine.
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