Challenges for a Teacher

I'm a secondary education major and this semester I've had a challenging practicum placement.  I'm only in the school two days a week but I'm getting a taste of the frustrations that go along with being a teacher.  I mostly focus on the 12th grade calculus class.  They are all lower level, often lazy and unmotivated students.  Mix in senioritis and negative views of math and you've got yourself one hot mess!  Honestly, they are a hard class to control, especially because they just really don't care about the subject and they don't see me as an authority figure.  It's rough trying to get them to listen to what I say.  I repeat myself often because they don't listen the first and second time around and they get angry when I move on before they are ready.  It's frustrating and it makes me second guess myself as a teacher.  Can I really handle this job?  I become impatient and frustrated with my students for the lack of respect they show me.  If they will not respect and listen to me, then why should I care?

Thank heavens that God is not like that.  This teaching thing has given me a whole new appreciation for our amazing God.  How many times does he have to repeat himself for our sake?  How many times do we ignore what he says?  How many times do we not show him the respect he deserves?  And yet he responds with nothing short of infinite love and care.  He does not get impatient or think any less of us!  He is incredible to us even when we spit in his face.  I think about several of my students...I don't have quiet the same attitude towards them.  I love this new found appreciation for the amazing teacher that God is.  I pray that I can learn to be more like him to always respond with love to my students.

Until next time,
Mel