I've been reading "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne and it's simultaneously very challenging and very inspiring. One of the people he quotes in his book is Mother Teresa (who he "interned" with in Calcutta for a summer), she emphasizes that we do "small things with great love" rather than focusing on doing "big" things with little love. That is something I've been thinking about and trying to practice lately. I have found myself doing this as I just take each day as it comes (although to be real sometimes I also fail miserably).
Today I substitute taught in a school that I always brace myself for because there is bound to be chaos and lots of misbehavior. However, I felt like today went rather well considering. I actually got some help from a social worker who sat in a majority of the classes leading one of the reading groups. It helped tremendously to have her there! Also, I had a few bright points in my day where I got to share personally with the kids (middle schoolers). I introduced myself to this general "advisory" class that is supposed to focus on study skills and the like and I actually told them I like substitute teaching because it's different every day and I like variety. I also told them that I like sledding and had all the kids share one thing they like about winter. All in all, it was fun to hear their responses. Then, later, I was trying to teach a small group of girls about goal setting and I was using an example of myself and how I like to write songs and this one cute Hmong girl just lit up when I told them that. She said, "You write songs, like rap?" I told her no, more like folk or pop rock. She was still interested though :0)
Later in the day, after we had read through an article and answered some questions about it I let a boy draw and he showed me the anime characters he could draw and told me how it took him a really long time to learn to draw them. I showed him how to do some of the "mathy" drawings Vi Hart does and I gave him the web address (you should check it out - Vihart.com!) so he could learn how to draw/doodle more cool things. It was fun to connect with kids in that way.
I've just realized, I guess, that as I come in to substitute I have to have an attitude of love because I am doing this not just to get a paycheck but help children learn and they will only want to learn if they know I love them (even if it's hard to show in just one day, I can show them somewhat by how I respond to them and my attitude overall). It truly matters. I only want them to learn things because I love them anyway (and I am called to love all people because God made them, and the Holy Spirit helps me do this). Lord knows I always need his grace to do this in all areas in my life. Life is about small things with great love, not "big" things without much love.
