MiracleS HappeN ALL thE TimE (1/2/15)

It is so easy to get so engulfed in life that you neglect to recognize the great lessons and experiences being placed in your path. Such was the case for me when I took the plunge and willingly volunteered to put a student into my class, who was extremely difficult and unruly. The day I decided to move him into my class, his teacher was ready to quit. She felt as if she had no control over her class and that this particular student was the culprit behind this whole situation.

Including Derek in my class was a feat I was extremely nervous about. The previous school year, I had several students in my class, who tested my patience and challenged me in ways I never knew possible. I was afraid that the tiresome, draining nature of last school year would become a new reality when Derek was placed in my classroom. Surprisingly, it was quite the contrary. Derek did so well in my class. He made friends and quickly adapted to my classroom procedures and routines. He thrived and excelled. About a month after Derek joined my class, I chose him as the Student of the Month. The transformation I saw in him made me certain that he should receive such an award. At the assembly, I witnessed something great. Shari, a woman I work with, who teaches Kindergarten, was so impressed by this event that she asked me to recount the experience to her. It was her desire to share it with a group of girls at church, whom she teaches each week. I am so grateful Shari asked me to share this experience with her. Truly, it helped me to take a step back and realize what an amazing blessing had taken place in my life.

I have included my email to Shari in the remainder of the post. I wrote this in September and am just now getting around to posting it. I am glad to document it and plan to look back on it in years to come. It will serve as a great reminder of the involvement of the Lord in my life.

It is so sweet to think of you including Derek's situation into your lesson. I tell you, I have been touched by the situation and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to experience it. 

You are aware of where the situation started- his teacher was at her wit's end with Derek. The day I spoke with you, she almost started to cry in our PLC meeting and said she wanted to quit. I knew in that moment that something needed to be done; a change needed to be made. Derek was moved to my class. The day before he came, I talked to my students and told them about how important it would be to be a "Busy Bee Helper" to Derek. "Busy Bee Helpers" not only work very hard, but they also help without having to be asked. They extend the arm of friendship to others, not to look good or to get a prize, but because they genuinely care about helping everyone to feel included and important. I talked to the class and got their ideas about how they could set a good example for Derek. I talked to them about being a great friend to him and they immediately hopped on board. They love to ask students they see playing alone at recess to play with them. They love to tell me about how good it makes them feel inside when they help others. Truly, in first grade, I couldn't ask for more from such tender, Christ-like souls. I recognize that academics are crucial to their futures, but more than that, it has always been so important to me to help students to see what their futures could be like if they would remember to love their neighbors on a daily basis. I hope such a concept will stick with them for the long haul.

When Derek came into my classroom, he was welcomed with open arms. The students (some of which were hurt by him physically or emotionally) were kind to him and made him feel happy to be a part of our class. Derek began as a chatty student, who enjoyed telling other people what to do (he tried to be like a teacher). He tried really hard to get other people's attention and to get the class "off task." He ended up pushing a student in the class during the first week he was there and even got an action slip for it, but after we talked and after several times of having heart-to-hearts about the importance of being honest, he came around. Derek knew, because I was blunt with him, that I could tell when he wasn't being honest. I told him and the class that it is far better to tell the truth than to tell a lie and be like "Pinnochio." That really clicked with him and he has since found it important to tell the truth to me. 

Derek soared within a matter of days of being in my class! I gave him jobs that enabled him to get to know our class better and which made him feel excited to have leadership opportunities. As I praised him and rewarded him with caught doing goods or dragon claws, his desire to do well in class improved even more. The class was so sweet to him; they didn't treat him unkindly because of past mistakes he had made. They truly looked at him with non-judgemental eyes, and gave him a chance. That chance was all that Derek needed to excel. He made friends with students, who truly liked him. He took pride in his work and put forth so much effort into being the best student he could possibly be.

When I think of this situation, my heart feels so grateful to have played a small role in helping Derek. I will admit that I was very nervous at first before this situation of having him in class began. I didn't know if he would be defiant, unkind, physical towards my students, etc. As the month passed, it became clearer and clearer to me that Derek needed to be recognized for his huge accomplishment. He was like a brand new kid by the end of September! It was my desire to help his parents and him to know that he made up an irreplaceable part of our classroom by making him Student of the Month. His mom initially worried about how he would respond to being placed into a new classroom earlier on in September and I am sure she now knows, that it was the best decision for him. The moment at the assembly was all the kids' doing; I take no credit for it. When they heard that Derek was Student of the Month, Tre and some of the others began to cheer for him. It caught on in my class and as the whole class cheered with pride for him, I dare say I don't think I've seen Derek smile any bigger than in that moment. There was such a special feeling at that time, which feeling almost caused my own eyes to tear up. To hear his classmates praise him and shout for joy because of his accomplishment blew me away. I felt so fortunate to have a class who played such a pivotal role in shaping and moulding Derek into what he is today.

On the first day that Derek came to my class, he told my class that he was moved out of his previous teacher's class because he was "bad." In that moment, I remember feeling so bad for him. I spoke up and told the class that Derek simply needed a change; that they needed to put him in my class to make it a little bigger. His words make me think of the way we feel as humans, at different times in our lives. We feel we have been "bad" or made too many mistakes to ever recover. We are tossed to' and fro' on a sea of change and at times, we are sent to different groups of people, much like Derek was sent to a different class. Those people have the potential to be just what we need much like the students in my class were just what Derek needed; they can be our "angels" in our times of distress. They can see who we really are when we struggle to see the greatness that lies within us. Most important of all, like our Heavenly Father and Savior, the angels in our lives do not give up on us. They don't merely like us when it's convenient to or when we're more "likeable." They like us at our best and at our worst. There is no person too far gone or too unreachable that the Savior's healing power cannot reach them. The situation with Derek may be simple in nature, but its message is powerful: no one deserves to be given up on. We all have a light of Christ in us, which shines dimmer or brighter depending on our situations at various points in our lives, but there is One who doesn't love or value us any less because of it. It is in this light that He is the Master Teacher, for He sets the best example of seeing potential in us no matter what. 

...I thank you for giving me a moment to reflect on this great situation. Truly, as a result of our job being as busy as it is, I struggle at times, to "stop and smell the roses." You helped me to remember what is truly important and I am so grateful to you for that.

Thank you for believing in me and helping me to know I could help Derek before I finalized the decision to put him in my class. That pep talk was exactly what I needed and it gave me the motivation to take the plunge. In essence, it helped me to tell you the story today regarding Derek's transformation. I wouldn't have had that opportunity had I not spoken with you and made the decision to have Derek in my class in the first place. Everything happens for a reason. Truly, nothing is coincidence.