GRUMBLING AND COMPLAINING

The other day I caught myself complaining about 2 of my students. One seems to have a hard time focusing or participating and randomly calls out or does stuff that you just wonder where on earth that came from or overly-participates. Another sometimes comes to school in a bad mood because she doesn't want to come to school and interrupts my routine to ask if it's time to see Mommy. If she comes to school in a bad mood/crying then she's prone to get thrown off my every little thing throughout the day. The thing is, I have a schedule and routine. I want my day to go without a hitch. I want students to participate and learn. I want to check everything off of my list at the designated times and I don't want any interruptions or deviations from my plan particularly people leap-frogging across the carpet in the middle of a lesson, falling asleep and sprawling across the rug during afternoon circle or needing extra prodding and coddling when I'm wanting to already be 5 minutes into my lesson.

I was thinking about the past few years of teaching in DC public schools and how the issues I've thus far encountered are NOTHING compared to what I experienced and observed in Kindergarten while there! I mean I have a GREAT class. They're not violent with or abusive to each other. They're not rude or belligerent. In fact they are sweet, sensitive, eager to learn and please and look out for each other.

Today I had the opportunity to reflect on Phil. 2: 11-18 and I was really convicted of my temptations to complain or be argumentative. By the grace of my Father, I was able to quickly see that I had much to be thankful for and I was challenged to think of other ways and times I've had or am tempted to have a complaining or critical spirit and what that says about me. Praise Him for His ever present Spirit that convicts our hearts and enables us to be pleasing to Him.