Five Randoms from the classroom <3

I am determined to tap out some words for you before I head to the salt mine, er…I mean to school.

So randoms it is and since school is occupying 98.7% of my time and head space lately, that is where we will land. 

Here are some randoms I have gleaned from my blessing of being a permanent sub for two middle school and one high school class for the past 8,000 days.

Okay, it’s just been six months but whatever. 

Random #1

If my experience is indicative of the teacher life in general, it’s expensive. 

Supplies like Kleenex, dry erase markers, extra pencils for those who have forgotten or lost one and snack bars for the hungry souls add up. 

Think of your own home and how children seem to use mass quantities of all the things and then apply that times whatever number of class mates they have. 

So if teachers ask for supplies for the room, this would be why. It comes out of their pockets and believe me, the salary base is pretty low. 

Random #2

It is frustrating as a parent when you have to say the same things over and over. 

I know for our young family up north, we joke about how getting ready for school, putting clothes, backpacks and shoes away, washing hands after school…are all kind of routine things and yet every day it’s like the first day ever. 

Again, apply that to the number of students in your child’s class and that is a rough idea of how many times a teacher has to repeat directions for things that happen daily. 

Extra trips to the locker to get materials for class, opening your book to page 127, putting your name on your paper….over and over and over…wears on a body.

So pray for your teachers daily.

Random #3

It is discouraging to realize how electronics and technology has replaced reading, playing outside and thinking for our kids. 

I am learning how incredibly vital it is for us to set a good example by setting our phones and computers aside and picking up a book, a craft, a thought that isn’t AI generated and modeling that for our young people 

Random #4

Homework is not fun for anyone. 

Not for the kid who has to do it.

Not for the parent who has to police it. 

Not for the teacher who has to collect it and grade it. 

But it is necessary so often because of lack of attention during the teaching of material and working through examples for the class. 

So accept as a part of the learning process and support your kids and teachers on the home front, please and thank you. 

Random #5

Young people have an incredible amount of creativity buried under the natural bent of teenagers who seem uncaring and uninterested. 

When asked to express themselves in a creative way, I have yet to be disappointed in the effort that comes forth. 

The potential of our young ones coming behind us is limitless and we owe to them, to ourselves and the generations that follow into Jesus comes back for us to pour into them, listen to them, not give up on them, love them in their snarly ways and try to make them laugh every now and then. 

No matter how much it costs in pop tarts, pencils and passing on sleep at night <3