This week’s column includes snippets of Back to School 2019 and somewhat twists them into Back to School 2020.
Back to school 2019: With school and fall sports in full swing, our time at home is minimal. This is the first time in fifteen years that I began the year full-time. I forgot how the first few weeks were. It is absolutely hilarious when you try to get a slew of elementary kids on the same page. Loading buses proves to be the real test. We have a new system, thank the Lord. We tag backpacks and added a symbol. If you ask a four or five year old what bus they ride, they respond with a shoulder shrug. If you then ask who their teacher is, you get some form of I don’t know. Inquiring nicely what your name is causes the most confusion. By 3:00 - they know nothing! I penned my thoughts about everyone, and I mean everyone, involved in a school district Friday when I got home.
Here they are: nothing compares to the satisfaction of bring a school district employee, knowing that you made it through the first full week, and did your absolute best to love each and every kid to the best of your ability! It starts with love and relationships. Content comes later, but for many, it began day one. The pressure put on educators is big!
From the bus drivers to the support staff, back to the teachers, cafeteria ladies, over to the cleaning crew, circle back around to the wonderful administrators, counselors, office staff, and trained specialist who frequent our campuses often for testing and special needs. Our village is massive!
Equal only to the pure and genuine satisfaction is total exhaustion! We have read, taught, counted, planned, prayed, opened up too many lunch items to count, held, wrestled, prayed more, cried, begged for kids to get in line, stressed the no phone policies, coached, dealt with new technology, graded summer work, and done our best to teach procedures so that the year can go somewhat smoothly. It is a gift, a calling! To label it anything less would be disgraceful.
Back to school – 2020: Every single word I wrote last year still remains true and absolutely still applies to the first week of school, but “Geez Louise” can I get a rewind. 2020 is a trip! Teachers are preparing for virtual, face to face, and what will happen IF we go remote. Some way when we go remote, but many of us are trying our best to keep our faith strong and believe that we are going to make it even with the “COVID cooties” moving about to and fro. We never saw this coming; however, we are a village more than ever and dealing with it. The terms mask and shield last year meant Halloween was near and candy overload was coming our way. Corona meant imported beer, served with lime, and vacationing in Mexico. Oh well…
Our mascot here is the eagle. This verse applies to the lions, tigers, and everyone else though. Isaiah 40:31 says “But they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, and they shall walk and not be faint.”
Let this verse sink in this week and rely on the Lord to get you through whatever it is that is making you weary and faint (same verse as last year’s column). Everything has changed, but the Word of God and His promises remains the same forever.