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Describe a recent time when you’ve been discouraged with a student’s progress. Have you witnessed a change in the student’s life, or are you still waiting for that change to occur?
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With God’s presence and grace in my classroom, I have seen students with significant behavioral issues in other settings become settled, positively connecting with peers, and thriving. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.
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I had a student this past year (second grade) who struggled with anxiety, depression, self-worth, and anger. This was mostly due to her home life. I worked with her in seeing how she is fearfully and wonderfully made, not a mistake, and her value was in the Lord. While I saw some improvements, this is a child who also needed other professional help to guide her and give her what her body needed physically and emotionally before she could fully understand the truths from God’s Word. I am still in contact with her parents and checking in on her. She knew what God’s Word SAID, but struggled to get it from her mind to her heart. She is one that I will continue to pray for the Lord to work in her life and one I hope to find out has come out of this hard time with a view of God’s truth as her foundation.
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I have witnessed times when I have seen students make unwise choices. I see it as a growth opportunity and an opportunity to show love and extend grace. Through showing the student love and grace I am able to point them back to the love, grace and mercy that God has extended to each of us.
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I had a student who was very disorganized, couldn’t focus for very long, and did not manage his time well. I was constantly having to keep him in at recess for not getting work done and having to make phone calls home to keep parents informed. At the end of the year, he told me the thing that he liked most about me was that I never gave up on him. I continued to push him to do better. I wanted to cry.
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At the beginning of this school year, immediately I realized one student had a strong will and propensity for disrespect. I had a few conflicts with him and realized my strictness without love was only going to make it worse. So I started showing him extra kindness, setting an example of cleanliness, serving, touching his shoulder, smiling and praising him for good work, etc. His diligence and grades started improving. By the end of the school year, when I said goodbye, his face softened, he smiled wide and said Thank you, Teacher!