The hard side of love

Today I could tell that one of my students was upset and after I asked him if he was okay, he told me that he was angry. My student was ready to fight the kid because the other kid kept touching his girlfriend inappropriately on the bus. Fortunately he was willing to talk to me about it, which I consider a huge privilege. This allowed me to bring the information to the princiPAL who remedied the issue. Big fun.

Today I also called and emailed parents today because their students didn't turn work in and their students are failing my class. I always feel so heartbroken after talking to parents. Usually they are concerned and are dealing with such bigger problems than I am. Being a parent is hard and I'm sure the last thing to brighten their day is a phone call or an email from me.

Things like these are part of my job. Though they are not fun, I realize that they are a part of loving my students well. If I did what was easy for me, I would ignore their uncomfortable problems and their failing grades.

I see over and over that I have such little power to love well. In my favorite bathroom stall at school the words are written "hail Satan". It might sound funny to you, but to me it serves as a reminder that every day I am a part of something so much bigger than myself. We forget that there is a spiritual realm to this world that we live in (The Bible tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood), but this serves as a call to prayer, a call to invite God into my classroom. It reminds me that I have no power to protect my students, and that I must give them into the hands of my Heavenly Father minutely.




currently listening to: jars of clay, this road