One More Time

STAND UP!

SIT DOWN!

STAND UP!

SIT DOWN!

CRAMP UP!

FALL DOWN!

CRAMP UP!

FALL DOWN!

I have stood up and sat down so many times with my Kindergarten class that my calves are recreating themselves into Gordian knots and I feel as though the only option might be to cut them off. On the other hand, my darlings know how to stand up and sit down, so maybe I'll just put my feet up and drink more water next time.

Kindergarten with Miss Cheyanne began on Monday and the children's eyes were wide when they walked into the classroom: no more chairs, no more tables, new posters, new name tags. The teacher's desk was moved and all the toys were on high shelves behind the desk. This was my space, my class, and they had just walked into a year of learning through games and pictures and songs, not worksheets and homework. We began by joining K1 for worship and then proceeded to English class, during which commenced the vigorous teaching of the basic command to "Stand up" and "Sit down". The rest of the day was filled with learning about Canada and the word flag, making piles and lines out of rocks and shouting "ROCK!" as loud as possible (their idea, not mine), eating snacks, playing outside, counting numbers and singing songs. They left at the end of the morning with smiles on their faces and new words in their heads.

Today, we learned the difference between big and little and started with some phonics. The sound that A, B, and C make and how to spell the word CAB. We talked about being thankful and how to say please and thank-you and then drew pictures of our families to put on our Thankfulness board.

I also tutor three students in higher grades who can't read - one in grade five and two in grade eight. I'm immensely looking forward to working with them. Because they are older and speak English, I'm hoping that it will be easy to teach them how to read English. I'll start with them the way I teach my kindergartners, ABC, but at an accelerated pace.

Two days. Only two days. Exhaustion, tempered with pride because I already know half of my students' names, runs through my body. It's hot, it's late and I want to sleep. I know that I can get through this week, but I'm already starting to doubt if I can get through a whole month and eventually a whole school year. When I took the call, I'm not sure what I was imagining in my mind, but I think I pictured students who would be smart, quiet and attentive. That's not what I have to work with and although we've learned a few things together, I'm not sure how far I can get with them before I fall apart. 

But here's the great thing that I keep reminding myself of: I don't have to supply my own strength, my own energy and my own passion and drive. I only have to ask and all of that can come from God. The minute I feel like I can't sit down or stand up or yell "ROCK!" again, all I have to do is ask for the strength to continue. When I feel tired, I just push on through and say, "God, give me strength!" Somehow, I make it through another half hour, another subject, another day. The curious thing is, I'm so stubborn that I'm never quite sure if it's my stubbornness or God's strength that gets me through the day. Perhaps they're the same thing - perhaps my strength from God comes in the form of my stubbornness, my unwillingness to quit the job that He's given me, my determination to just keep going, keep teaching, smiling, singing and laughing. With this determination, I can and will do everything that He needs me to do while I'm here, even if that means sitting down and standing up one more time.

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13