My Heart is in the School House

If you could see my heart, you would see a school house.

That's Brad hanging out the window. He's a handful. His parents divorced and he's been left to raise himself. Even though we clash everyday, Brad knows I love him. I tell him often because he needs it.

Abigail's holding the door open for us. She had terrible attendance for grades 9-11, but last year she came into my writing class and a fire caught hold. She's a writer now, rarely misses a day, and will graduate in May. Writing gives her stature in our school and a voice.

That's Brandon reading in the corner. He's just an old country boy who showed up in my novels class and announced that I couldn't make him read! I didn't, but Hank the Cowdog did. He's a reader now, full time, and has moved on to mysteries with real people in them.

And, there's Hope up there writing on the board. I can't keep that kid off my board. I'm always telling her quite sternly that I don't want my board written on by students. Everyday, I find she's left me a note that is always the same: Mrs. E: I U. Hope. Okay, so sometimes she leaves out the colon and period. I don't care.

That's Mrs. Smith up at my desk. We visited last week and was she ever mad at me because her son was failing. She screamed, cried, and cussed for a bit, but I held my cool and listened. Then, I helped her with a plan to assist Tommy Joe at home. I gave her a big hug when she left and told her we could do anyting together. Today she's brought me flowers.

Oh, there's Liza. We stay on Tuesday afternoons to work together on different kinds of projects. This week we made a hair clip out of jugsaw puzzled pieces. Last week I showed her how to study for her science test. What we do doesn't really matter, Liza just needs extra attention.

The noise you hear from the school yard is Ethan. He plays football for our team every Friday night. Friday afternoon after the pep rally, he always comes and reminds me to pray for him just before he has to kick an extra point. He says his stomach is so knotted up before each game, he chug-a-lugs Pepto Bismol. I assure him I will pray for him, I hand him a Pepto tablet, and he gives me a hug before getting on with his other pre-game rituals.

It may sound like my students need me, but truth be told, I am the one who needs them. Together we make an awesome team. God has blessed me and my students have given me a life.