Wonderous June
Wonderous means remarkable, extraordinary, and wonderful and I can't think of a better word to describe this month and all it has brought.
I could start this post by focusing on how tiring teaching is and how I really felt that especially this last month, but I want to do something new and focus on the wonderful, extraordinary, and remarkable things that this month had brought
Wonderful could describe the weather as summer finally arrived, because even though it is Mexico surprisingly it's very cold where I am on the ocean front, but this month the warm sun came out kissing us with many sunburns, but I mean I’m not complaining I love the sun. But what was truly wonderful in these last moments in school was watching my students push themselves to finish strong, watching them succeed and present all the hard work they had done. I watched them give their all even when they were tried. I watched them celebrate each other and their small successes. I got to celebrate them and their accomplishments inside and outside of school. It was wonderful to see them just be kids. In school, I am often so focused on helping them succeed, and grow into good people I don’t take the time to slow down and just enjoy them being kids. This month I did tho. I stole moments to just breathe, not play with them as I normally do but just watch. In that, I found the beauty of what a wonderful time it is to be a kid. They laugh, play, and just live free, while I was so focused on what had to be done and the future they lived in the moment. They got messy just because they wanted to, they were loud just because, they taught me the beauty of celebrating now, that is wonderful.
What was extraordinary was I held an art show for our students to showcase their artwork and they performed the musical pieces that they had been learning in our music classes this month. I have never hosted such a big event before and only had 2 of my own art shows back home which I didn’t have to organize, so this event was a big deal for me. I can say that it went extremely well and was an extraordinary night. Interactive art stations were positioned out front with a snack table full of healthy “artsy” snacks, while inside you could view the beautiful artwork created by each grade (Preschool-Grade 12). That morning I had also hosted and organized a tie-dye event with our entire school, so two major events that I had never done before were done in one day! GOD truly was in control as everything went extremely well. But this isn’t what made that day extraordinary, it was watching my students come to life in celebration and play. They worked so hard in the morning, offering to help me set up and clean up, and then they listen well and had fun making beautiful shirts. That night they all came in their fancy clothes and looked like real artists, it was a gift to watch them excitedly pull their families to show their artwork off. It was extraordinary to watch them all perform amazingly! Tears were shed and hearts were overwhelmed with pride and celebration overall they had accomplished. Also what was extraordinary was watching how the kids moved with GOD this month. They prayed over all of us teachers as a school, and they showered us in love with lots of hugs all month long, the fruits of what they had been learning about GOD are truly showing in their characters and their growth is so evident. Our last week of school I would say was by far extraordinary as we had a fun week! Each day was packed full of just bonding, fun activities, and surprises for our students where we laughed and laughed.
Monday: Tie-Dye and Art Show
Tuesday: Science STEM Activities
Wednesday: Water fun day! (My favorite) and Science Fair
Thursday: Cookie decorating and passing out, End of Year Journals and Basketball
Friday: Movies!
Finally what was remarkable about this month is just remembering and looking back at this last year of school. I am blown away in awe of all GOD had moved, empowered, and inspired us to do. A year ago next month I was watching our classrooms be built, and I was a scared girl completely unequipped, unqualified to be a teacher learning what a lesson plan was, how to manage a classroom, and just learning to be a teacher. It has been a remarkable year. I cannot even write all that has happened without putting it into a book. But to try and summarise this year I can say GOD took a girl who never wanted to be a teacher, and gave her the passion, knowledge, skills, and ability to be one. It wasn’t an easy process and I fought the calling for a while, I tried to show GOD how unqualified I was, how much better I would be elsewhere. I pleaded with GOD to help me understand my calling and give me a heart for it and He did. I have completely fallen in love with teaching, I am so excited and in love with it that I have the next few years dreamt up in this ministry. Teaching has made me a better person. I had to grow as a person so much, just to be a good role model and help my students. This meant learning boundaries, lots and lots and lots of patience, kindness, gentleness, and learning to listen; learning to listen not only to what was not being said but also listen to what was actually being communicated through tough actions, behaviors, and words to see the child and their needs beyond what they were able to understand and properly communicate. I am so blessed that He taught me all this because in that ability to truly listen and respond to that I watched a student dealing with self-harm, and dark emotions go from being a thunderstorm to seeing a rainbow, and the sunshine around and in them as they came alive and saw goodness in life again. I saw this happen again and again with multiple different students and each time I watched them grow. It was very discouraging at times to keep watering and not see progress but with consistency, I saw new growth. I watched not only my students come alive but I found new life in myself as well. I discovered I am smart, capable, and can have fun. I am creative and I learned to just accept who I was, embrace that, and live it out. I couldn’t have done that if it weren't for GOD and knowing that how I saw and responded to myself would have a lasting influence on my students. I learned to trust GOD and lean not on my own understanding, to find a balance between control and chaos and it is in that balance where real life truly is. I was able to become a better person, a healthier one for them. My kids, all 46 of them. This entire year was remarkable, each person that entire my life students, friends, colleges; each challenge; each triumph; everything.
I want this month to be remembered as Wonderous, because of the acknowledgment and remembrance of all GOD did. He truly equips those He calls, and His plans are far better than we could imagine and we can have that if we just say “Yes”.
I hope you can take some time to reflect and acknowledge and celebrate these last 11 months.
Prayer Request:
That I would learn to rest and actually rest.
Students continue to grow and maintain growth over the summer
New focus, inspiration for next year.
Blessings,
Destiny