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| Have you ever tried to hang the ABCs on a wall perfectly straight? Probably going to bug me all year. |
I have spent the last 3 and a half days in my new preschool classroom. The thoughts and emotions hopped around between the following:
- Happy
- Overwhelmed
- Scared
- Giddy
- Thankful
- Overwhelmed
- Ready to back out
- Excited
- Confident
Did I mention overwhelmed?
Last year I re-entered the preschool classroom after 30 years in full-time ministry. Before my own kids were born I taught 3 and 4 year olds for a few years. The class I worked/played with last year were 2 year olds, so I spent the whole year reorganizing my expectations and learning how to communicate with mostly nonverbal little people.
This September I have been moved all the way up to the oldest kids in our school. The 4 year olds! Talk about verbal! I am thrilled and overwhelmed at this huge change.
I am still somewhat amazed that this circle has come back around for me. I never expected it. During the majority of my ministry years along side my husband as we pastored churches, I was passionately involved in children's work of one kind or another. I love being around little ones because they are funny and creative and just so...fresh!
Still I never planned to go back to the preschool classroom. But here I am!
This sixth decade of life has brought many surprises. Our second grandchild is on the way, arriving a few weeks after this new teaching job begins. I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for both. Both are bringing joy, excitement and challenge.
I have found that I need all three of those desperately in my life. After completing and releasing my book in February of 2016, I no longer had a goal to work toward. I had no job, not many friends in this new state and very little challenge or excitement. Every day was the same as the one before.
It was horrible.
Then this job opportunity popped up literally right here in my own neighborhood! And even though I'd never planned to teach preschool again, I knew I wanted it!
And just like that my life was turned upside down with joy, excitement and challenge. Something as little as a two-days-a-week job has given me a bunch of delightful new friends, some spending money and a challenging learning curve for my brain and body.
So here we go again. Preparing for a classroom full of chatty, inquisitive 4 - 5 year old people. I want to be a teacher that they remember for years to come as loving, kind and fun. I want to be the teacher who will listen with joy to their long convoluted stories, the one who sees the story in their drawings and the message in their scribbles.
I can do this.
But I still feel overwhelmed!
Susie
