Easily Excitable

Last week, a student called me over to read his writing because he was such a fan of his first sentence. Here is that ‘super proud’ first sentence: 

“If someone were to go through my pockets, they would find my wallet. This symbolizes my life because I got that bread.”

(Teenager translation: bread = money)

That’s it. That’s the sentence. 

All the while, two of his classmates were giggling, whilst drawing on their tabletops. Their pictures? 

Turkeys. 

They were drawing HAND TURKEYS, replete with eyes and smiley faces. 

In 10th grade. 

Just earlier this week, I was reading “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets.” In the story, we read that Tom ‘swats’ his wife. 

A child raised her hand to ask:

“‘Swatted her?’ Mrs. Kotara, what’s that mean?”

Silence in the classroom as I tried to think of what to say to diffuse the situation. 

Another child cups his hands, cries out, “LIKE ON HER BUTT!”

The whole class descends into giggles because, really, in our heart of hearts, we’re all actually seven years old. 

I got so tickled that I literally could not continue reading. 

I tried. Multiple times. And everytime, I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe.

If you’ve ever seen me get the giggles to the point where I’m unable to stop and almost to the point of tears? 

It was that kind of situation. 

Such are the antics of students and teachers.

I can’t imagine what a ‘normal people’ job looks like- you know, like with a water cooler and a cubicle and what not. 

The closest I have is Trey, but he works at Frito Lay, which I picture to be not unlike Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, only for potatoes.

So, really, his job really isn’t a normal job either. 

But, somewhere out there, there are people who work at desk jobs, can go out for lunch, and take bathroom breaks as they please. 

They don’t ever hear their last name called out (mispronounced, at that), and they’re never asked by teenagers why they have a stain on the front of their shirts. 

I think about those people sometimes when ‘Mrs. Kotara!’ has been called out no less than ten times in a span of five minutes. 

THIS is the reason we need weekends. 

But I have to think that typical desk job folks don’t get a lot of the perks I get, either. 

I doubt they have at least one moment every day where they laugh so hard they feel nauseous.

They probably don’t get to stand up and walk around constantly (I just wasn’t made to sit in a desk).

They probably don’t get to read ninth grade poems about passing gas (a poem for another week, I promise). 

They probably don’t get the warm fuzzies when they finally start seeing a little progress on sentence diagramming (the success that eluded us until circa last week. Repetition is so underrated).

Is teaching a hard job? Absolutely. 

But, are there a lot of perks associated with it? 

I like to think so. 

It was a weird week for all of us. 

The Apalachee school shooting was heartbreaking and terrifying. This week, we were all a little bit on edge. 

There was a little bit of an undercurrent of anxiety. 

By the end of the week? I, for one, was exhausted. 

And all I had to do was teach: I know there are a lot of folks who had heavier burdens than me. 

But here is my thought: no matter the week- 

No matter the circumstance- 

No matter the difficulty- 

I know I’m where I need to be, and I feel the peace and strength of God in that. I believe that where He wants me is on that English and History hall. 

I believe he wants me smack-dab-in-the-middle of a few hundred teenagers. 

I believe I am doing what He called me to do. 

And in that, I find a sense of security, even when worst case scenarios take up residence in my head, and the anxiety butterflies try to find their way into my chest. 

You will never be able to convince me that there’s a better school system than Bleckley County. I truly hope all teachers out there feel that way about their school districts, and if they don’t? 

I wish they did. 

there is no job I would rather have, 

No place I would rather work, 

No people I would rather work with, 

No age or group of kids I would rather teach. 

That’s it. 

That’s my thought today. 

I’m grateful for our administration at the high school and above. Our admin makes it so that we only worry about teaching daily. 

They support their teachers, and they look after our kids.

That, in and of itself? That’s uncommon in today’s education atmosphere. 

I’m grateful for our Sheriff, as well as his office and all his deputies. 

This past week had a little anxiety to it, but they have prioritized communication and keeping a police presence at the school.

That settled the kids’ anxiety, and I have to think it was helpful to the teachers, too. 

Pray for your schools, folks. 

It’s easy to forget to do so, at least until something big happens, and then we see why schools need so much prayer in the first place. 

I believe our schools and our people are bathed in prayer daily, and I implore you to keep it up. 

Teachers, admin, students, and staff alike need it. 

It’s a hard world to live in, and a harder world to grow up in. 

We feel your prayers, and we appreciate them. 

I’m grateful for this job, and I’m grateful for the opportunity I have to influence kids. I don’t take it lightly. 

But this week? 

I am especially grateful for the weekend.