As of the beginning of this year, I started working as a High
School teacher, fresh out of uni. This is my very first teaching job, and it
has been wild.
I teach art and media, I teach all grades from 7-12, and I
love my students.
The school I work at and the area around it is extremely
challenging. There is a lot of violence, abuse, drugs and poverty. Due to my student’s
circumstances I am faced with some very challenging behaviour, I actually have
some of the most challenging students in my classes. Fun!
But despite the tears and frustration, I care for them
deeply and want to help them, show them Gods love and be a light in the
darkness these kids have faced.
I have no doubt in my mind that God has placed me here for a
reason, to show these kids love.
As you can imagine the Devil does not like this plan. In
term one I had many breakdowns over the way I have been treated by my students
and at times colleges. And as a welcome to term two, the Sunday before school
started an arsonist set alight the art rooms, one of which was my room. Every
thing, gone, my student’s work, my work, extra days holidays spent in that room
to try and make things better, gone.
But I figure that God and I must be making a difference if
Satan needs to try and stop us by burning down the art room.
Within the first week of starting my job at this school, I
saw how desperate this area, and the school was in need of Jesus. His presence.
I have been building strong relationships with students who
have been kicked out of other classes for violent behaviour, students who come
to my classroom high on drugs, and students who tell me at least once a week
that they want to die.
I can have a calm and enjoyable conversation with a student whom
I was originally warned to keep away from by other staff because she was a violent
table thrower. I have been told by other staff to record every time one of my
seniors comes in high simply because they want to get rid of that student, not
help them, not care for them, but kick them out.
But God does not tell me to love the way the world loves,
and I refuse to love on the world’s terms. Because of God, I have tough
students showing up for detentions and starting to show me respect simply
because they know I care for them. The amount of students who have asked if I
hate them is shocking. My answer is always a serious no! I do not hate you; I
just do not appreciate your behaviour. Such students struggle to believe this
and have an even harder time accepting my kindness and care.
So listen up Satan, we are not backing down, and you have
only encouraged me in knowing that I am making a difference where God has placed
me, and I ain’t backing down.
