One of Life's Rewards

Sometimes we go along living life, doing our work, just doing our daily routines. Then, suddenly, we find ourselves tired, worn out, and generally spent. We scratch our heads, wonder if it is really worth all the hard work we put it, and then press on. However, every so often we get a glimpse of the difference we are making. Tonight, I stood in my classroom for open house dressed in my "teacher" clothes, my room spic and span, the syllabus printed, and even some classical music playing in the background. I watched the students go in and out of the room and wondered once again, "will what I do in this room actually make a difference in their lives?" "Will they even like this class?" Then it happens. A parent comes up to you and says, "Hi, you had my kid (insert kid name here) last year. Can I just tell you that you really helped my student love school again. He/she used to hate it but now he/she just loves to come to your class and when they come home they cannot stop talking about what they learned." While that is not the whole purpose of why you do what you do, it sure does make it all seem worth it. This interaction brought tears to my eyes knowing that one of the reasons I started teaching is coming to fruition. I disliked history class for a long time as a kid, and THEN I had a teacher (Mr. McBride) who made the class so interesting that I actually looked forward to that time of day. When I became a teacher that was one of many reasons why I wanted to be a teacher...I wanted to inspire kids to love history, to love having knowledge of who they are and where they came from. Of course, my main goal is to show them the excellent love of Christ. If I can do those two things this year, I will feel like I have been fruitful in my mission.