Attention PLEASE!

In a classroom of first graders I watch as they pay attention one second and then just as quickly fade into that beautiful place between day dreaming, sleep watching and distraction. They're six and seven years old...it's almost expected. But not quite.

More times than 10 in a day I caution, encourage or demand that they pay attention. Just because it's nearly impossible for them, doesn't mean I'm allowed to just give up and let them take the first train to dreamland. No, it's my job to continuously nag remind them that something important is being discussed or read or written on the board.

But sometimes, my message is ignored. Sometimes the directions aren't followed. Sometimes, I don't catch the one before the train comes for them. And then...what happens next is near disastrous. It's when the handout requires the knowledge of the material that they missed. The hands raise, they approach the desk, they ask the question ...to which I have just spent 10 minutes answering on the board, and without fail, I give the look. (You know- the one similar to the "mom" look, only from the teacher). And they know...they've been caught. Not paying attention. Not listening. And they've made mistakes on their paper...they know...but they don't know how to fix them. Because that's what happens when you don't pay attention. And so, I explain again why, how, what, when and where to the particular topic and they fix their mistakes and learn the concept and have the power to make better grades.

Oh my! Isn't this just like our own grown up lives. Aren't we really in a lifelong classroom. Trying to pay attention...but distracted by so many other things...new stuff, the neighbors, someone else's family, money, jobs. And all the while God is trying to teach us stuff on the chalkboard of life. But we're looking somewhere else, too tired to see what He's explaining, disinterested in His lesson. And so we miss the truths in the lesson. And the next time we're faced with the worksheet....we don't have the material, the information, the knowledge to implement into life to succeed. And sheepishly (yes, SHEEPishly) we go to the teacher...we admit we weren't listening...and sometimes...He gives us that look of correction.....and then lovingly He goes back over the material...and we apply it and have the power to make better choices and decisions in the future.

Before I judge my first graders too hard, I'm going to try to remember this little lesson. I'm old enough to be paying attention, old enough to read the directions found in His Word and certainly know who to go to when I've got questions about the material of life. Thankfully He's patient with me and knows I'm a little bit of a slow learner. Aren't we all?

Thankful particularly today for His never ending supply of grace and patience with me.

Missing

Today during class my phone double beeped telling me I had a text message. I glanced down to see it was from one the parents of a student from last year....when I taught pre-kindergarten. I waited til the kids left and checked the text when I got back to my room. Much to my surprise it was a video message! Even better.

With Avery's face filling the screen, it went something like this:

"Mrs. Gina, I miss you, I'm in kindergarten, I miss you. My sister is one now and my brother is two. I miss you. I wanted to call and tell you. Bye."

It made my day.

Isn't it nice to be missed...to have made an impression on someone's heart that they actually miss you..actually wish there was a way to see you...to spend time with you...to enjoy you? Little Avery knows just a little of what it's like to miss someone. For some reason, today, she misses me. But as we grow older, suffer more losses, we understand more and more what it's like to really miss people.

The same should be true of our Savior. There should be a yearning to be with Him, to enjoy His presence, to spend time with Him, to thank Him for the impression He's made in your life. But, how often do I fill my day so full that at the end, I'm left missing Him? Wondering where He is? Feeling like I have to tell Him how old my brother and sister are because it's been so long since I last communicated with Him.

Thankfully He hasn't moved, He's there...all along. Waiting patiently...missing us as we stay busy and preoccupied with the kindergartens of life. He's still there...and we say to Him "I've missed you Jesus, my days are nothing without you, I miss you, I wanted to tell you, I miss you." And like the prodigal child, arms open wide....He welcomes us.

Thank you Jesus. 

First Days

It's the first day of the first grade for Tucker! 

And yes...

I'm his teacher and as you might can see, 

he's terribly excited about that!

Savannah (Fifth grade!) will be with us this year at school. 

She'll be working on her own work in another classroom. 

We're glad she's going to be close by!

I'm praying both my kids have a great year academically...but even more so that they learn the life lessons that God has for them as they are at school each day. I'm thankful for the freedom they have to learn about Christ and His ways each day at school. 

Now....if school just didn't start so early this would all be a whole lot more fun!

Movin' On Up

I'm movin' on up to 1st grade this year. More than six months ago I was asked to consider teaching first grade and I turned it down....without praying about it. Guess what? I'm teaching first grade now...and I'm actually very excited about it! Here are a few pictures I took last week as I was working in my new classroom:

Math Board

I got this cute little fabric banner out of the party department at Target...on clearance for $1.70! 

This is my word wall. I used vinyl peel and stick letters.

Calendar, weather and birthday board

Centers and a portion of our class library

Our "Let Your Light Shine" Theme for 2012 

Phonics, Spelling and Language Arts board. 

Teacher Orientation is in the morning! Looking forward to a great year!