I have had a hard time thinking of a blog topic this week. I´ve finally settled on one. I have been so excited this week because we have been given the opportunity to teach english at a local school grades 1st to highschool. I have had so much fun and I love everything about teaching and it completely confirms my desire to have that as my career. This week we split up into pairs and in the morning I taught 4th graders and in the afternoon we went back to the school and taught 8th graders. I noticed something quite interesting on that first day of teaching. While the 4th graders were so eager, excited and vocal about learning, the 8th graders have started to allow self-image and doubt creep in and timidity started to overtake their eagerness to learn.
With the pressures of growing up, fitting in, excelling in school, body-image, and much more; there is no wonder why being self-conscious becomes a huge part of adolescent years that can be carried with these kids for a very long time and affect their decisions as they continue through school. That is a scary thought for me. Everyone of those intellegent, wonderful 8th graders should be completely confident in who they because they matter, have a lot to offer, and God loves them so much but the Devil is telling them they are not good enough. As I thought about that, I saw a lot of myself in them. And as the week progressed I felt God calling me to be a support for those kids, now and as I continue my education to become a teacher.
Middle school can be some of the most difficult years in kids´ life; a time where they need as much of God´s love and support as they can get. Even if it is just coming from their english teacher. Now, more than ever, I´m determined to try to be God´s voice and support to make sure they know that they matter and they are loved for who God created them to be.
"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful" Pslam 139:14
