I’d like to first give a shout out to anyone whose first day with students was today: Congratulations! You made it! I’m sure you’ve already begun creating positive memories for your kiddos. For those of you who might already be hitting the ice cream tonight because you started school in JULY, take heart! You are strong and capable; you’ll be staying up late for bonfires during your long October break in no time. For me, today marks “one week left” in the beginning of the year madness. Wherever you are on this cycle of joy, grief, excitement, nausea, etc, you’ve had to consider preparing your classroom for the arrival of students.
This list is probably different for everyone. For some, this summer’s preparation may have been all about “alternative seating” (the buzzword that ate my Pinterest home page this summer) or preparing functional spaces for centers. I moved to a new classroom and became determined that this year my classroom would actually be cute. So my classroom is covered in Oh the Places You’ll Go decor and tiny hot air balloons. But another opportunity for classroom prep has come to my attention and I don’t want us to miss it. Why not cover our classrooms in prayer before school starts? The year has barely started and I bet you could quickly list ten things you could ask the Father to give (or keep away from!) your classroom. What is it you’re hoping for this year? Why not ask? In my recent preparations, I’ve learned that washi tape can cover over a multitude of sins. It doesn’t do a thing however, for readying my room for the intense amount of time 25+ people from different families and backgrounds will be spending together this year. No amount of cuteness will prevent the inevitable frustrations, confusions and general nuttiness that can happen in the classroom. So what’s the most effective way we could prep for a new school year?
Before our students arrive, or maybe even before knowing their names, we could pray for them. Look at the empty chairs that will soon be occupied. What kinds of things could we ask Him to give those tiny and cute, tall and lanky, or weird and grubby bodies that will soon be filling those chairs? What’s going to have a lasting impact on our year: spending extra time to make sure our bulletin board borders are exactly symmetrical, or spending some of that time in prayer over our classrooms? I am certainly guilty of spending way too much time staring at my classroom walls, dreaming, planning and taking calming breaths. But I want my classroom covered both in aesthetics and in prayer. I hope to begin prioritizing the preparations that really do need to be made, such as learning my students’ names and praying that together we can have a joyful, productive and safe blast of a year.
This list is probably different for everyone. For some, this summer’s preparation may have been all about “alternative seating” (the buzzword that ate my Pinterest home page this summer) or preparing functional spaces for centers. I moved to a new classroom and became determined that this year my classroom would actually be cute. So my classroom is covered in Oh the Places You’ll Go decor and tiny hot air balloons. But another opportunity for classroom prep has come to my attention and I don’t want us to miss it. Why not cover our classrooms in prayer before school starts? The year has barely started and I bet you could quickly list ten things you could ask the Father to give (or keep away from!) your classroom. What is it you’re hoping for this year? Why not ask? In my recent preparations, I’ve learned that washi tape can cover over a multitude of sins. It doesn’t do a thing however, for readying my room for the intense amount of time 25+ people from different families and backgrounds will be spending together this year. No amount of cuteness will prevent the inevitable frustrations, confusions and general nuttiness that can happen in the classroom. So what’s the most effective way we could prep for a new school year?
Before our students arrive, or maybe even before knowing their names, we could pray for them. Look at the empty chairs that will soon be occupied. What kinds of things could we ask Him to give those tiny and cute, tall and lanky, or weird and grubby bodies that will soon be filling those chairs? What’s going to have a lasting impact on our year: spending extra time to make sure our bulletin board borders are exactly symmetrical, or spending some of that time in prayer over our classrooms? I am certainly guilty of spending way too much time staring at my classroom walls, dreaming, planning and taking calming breaths. But I want my classroom covered both in aesthetics and in prayer. I hope to begin prioritizing the preparations that really do need to be made, such as learning my students’ names and praying that together we can have a joyful, productive and safe blast of a year.
What a great reminder and conviction! I thought of simply going around the room and praying by each desk multiple times so far but haven't followed through. By the end of the week, that's my goal. Thanks for your beautiful words and heart, as always. ❤️❤️❤️
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