Stress

Today was a DAY.

I have been a teacher for three and a half years in the states. I have worked with other people in my classroom and I have worked on my own. I have worked with the TINY ones (kindergarten) and the not-so-tiny ones (fifth grade). I have taught different classes in extremely different situations.

Teaching comes with stress. It's part of the job description. There's stress in the lesson planning -- "What in the world can I plan that will simultaneously engage, challenge, mystify, and make sense to my kids without being so hard that they won't try?" There's stress in the actual teaching -- "Johnny! Pay attention! Susie, what's the answer to this question? Jim, what do you want? No, you cannot go to the bathroom for the third time in ten minutes!" There's stress in the grading -- "Do I give Sally an A on this paper? It's far beyond anything she's ever turned in, and I know she worked hard, but it's not A material. I don't want to come across as unfair to the other kids or too hard on Sally. I want her to know that hard work is worth it." There's stress in dealing with parents -- "I think Nick is a wonderful child. He's so imaginative and full of excitement. He brightens the classroom. He's having a little difficulty in paying attention, which is why he's failing." There's stress in the "extras" -- "Yes, I will help you plan the Christmas program and teach the kids some songs in class while preparing them for their tests." There's stress in working with other teachers -- "I think I should cover this because it's necessary. If you want to cover something else, I'll try to squeeze it in." There's stress around every corner.

In Korea, teaching is a BLAST. I'm having so much fun, and I'm learning so much!!!

The only thing is, it can be STRESSFUL sometimes! Working with another teacher and trying to meet the expectations of all the teachers is hard enough in itself. Throw a charming little language barrier in there, and you have the makings of a fine party.

Today was one of those days.

I'm trying to look at the bright side. After all, at the end of the day, each class is only 50 minutes long. I do the best I can, but if something doesn't work, it won't last forever. I love these kids, and I think they're amazing. I'm in this adventure with my husband ~ the love of my life. I have a beautiful apartment, some fantastic coworkers, and some great friends.

God is good, and He's blessing me more than I deserve.

And, in the end, I'm still WITH.