Almost one week down...

I've been with my class now for 3 days. And I'm realizing that my writing style at school has now evolved into my blog writing style. I guess it's not all bad since my class tells me that my writing is really funny. That's a good thing right? Twenty-nine 10-year olds in a classroom leads to an interesting dynamic. With that many students, you don't have just one leader. Several students try to jump in and be the leader. And while it can lead to conflict, it gives me a chance to teach compromise and to show them that you don't always have to have a leader. Or that everyone can be a leader at certain times.

We're also discussing unity. As a teacher or a person, I can't have twenty-nine students who can't or don't know how to get along. The more unified they are, the easier my job becomes. Unless of course they all decided to mutiny or something along those lines! Children need to learn how to get along with everyone they're going to meet. It's a lesson I had to learn on my mission. We may not like everyone in this life, but we don't always get to choose who we work with or who's in our class. And to me, merely tolerating a person isn't enough. To tolerate them means you're saying "well, I just have to deal with this person for a short amount of time and then I'll never see them again." While that works well sometimes, it doesn't work in my classroom. It leads to resentment and hurt feelings. It's all about looking for the positive in other people. Is that an easy thing? No it's really not. Sometimes it's hard for us as people to look for the good in others. Especially when we don't want to like them. But having charity means loving people the way Christ loved people. And seeing others the way He did. I can't teach that in my classroom (although at times I wish I could) but I can help them to learn why it's important to look for the good in others. When we look for the good, a funny thing happens. Most of the time, all those bad things that bothered us start to disappear. They might still be there but we don't notice them as much. It really does work.

That's my challenge to you this week. If you're struggling with someone right now, look for the good in them. Don't dwell on the annoying things they do or the bad things. Only look at the good things. Write them down if you have to. And say something to them about it. Well, compliment them rather. And see what happens. I've seen students change because of that one little thing.

While you're at it, pray for my husband's hometown and the people who died today. We're having a sad evening in our house tonight.