Star Student

"Show and Tell" is always a favorite of children.  They get to "show off" what is theirs and broadcast all that is beautiful and good about what they have.  It sets them apart from the rest, because it symbolizes their personal wealth on a child's level and paints their personal experience which elevates who they are.  They stand taller than the rest and it is their time to shine.  Questions are asked of them concerning their visual, and my how informed they are!

Show and Tell has evolved over the years.  I remember it being sort of random.  Well, now it has become a brand new ball game.  Let me tell you how the contemporary dynamics play out.

Each week a surprise naming takes place of who the following week's Star Student is to be.  They take a poster home with them which they are to decorate and on which they indicate all kinds of important facts about themselves.  This poster is displayed in the classroom for one full week, and each of the five days, the Star Student brings in a cherished belonging to talk to the class about.  It doesn't end there.

On the Friday, the last day the student is named the "star," each student creates a page for the star student which pictures he or she, and on the backside has a personal message to the student proclaiming how wonderful he or she is and how exciting it has been to see the "shows and tells" all week long.  I, the helper, bind the book and proudly the student leaves, knowing he has arrived, that his week has been a success, that his star will shine forever and always.  The book seals it.

Yes it is chuckle-able, but it signifies how we, too, experience self-worth.  We need to be noticed, I need to be noticed, I need to have something to show.  Even when shy, or insecure, I am given a spring in my step if someone is compelled to ask something about me, voice a compliment.

I know that our Heavenly Father sees and hears as we show and tell.  The Lord asks us things to allow us to value what we have been given.  And, what do I have that has NOT been given to me?   The Helper hands us the Book, which seals how precious His thoughts are toward us.  Toward me.  Toward you.

Stars are made for shining.

A Red Sweatshirt, An Orange Sweatshirt

Two little boys, very different indeed.  One pushes, one stands still.  One shoves, one complains.  One bothers, one wonders why.

Mr. Red Sweatshirt is smaller.  Mr. Orange Sweatshirt is faster.  "Please be kind to each other," the helper says.

Days go by.  The grumbling continues between the two.  "I'm six."  "Yeah, so what!  I'm seven..."

Isn't that how it can be with adults, too?  Probably it does not transpire outwardly the same exactly, but inwardly the scenario may be just the same.

Suddenly, Mr. Red Sweatshirt prances up to the helper to inform her quite proudly that he and Mr. Orange Sweatshirt are now friends.  Running together on the playground, it is a lovely sight to behold, and how happy the two have become.  What changed?

Their personal choice.  Their personal perspective.  The unspoken reasoning manifesting - to get along with a classmate is far better than to not.  That transparency, that ease of acceptance and forgiveness is the part of being a child I greatly miss.

Why does "Lord willing" matter?

A normal week at work, days basically speeding by, and here we are at Friday.  If you have a job that is extremely stressful, wherein you are over your head, I suppose you could term this day "Fried Day."  Completely fried, needing to chill.  Thankfully my day ended watching the twins from the first grade walk up the hill around the corner from the school with their dad.

Twin girls.  Wearing rain slickers with multiple pastel hearts.  The "aahhh" which flowed down my heart tranquil-ized my tiredness from the classroom duties.  How unusually blessed I was to play "build a snowman" (my adaptation of "hangman") with these girls during a rainy lunch period inside.  How honored I was to be able to rave about their neatly written spelling tests and creative renditions of artwork, to have bolstered their opinion of self...  Now there they were, going home to their weekend, and I to mine.

The plans were to drive north to the great state of Connecticut.  I was to meet up with my big sister and there spend some time at the annual Apple Festival in her town.  Finally, "something" to do on the weekend.  Well, not so fast...  think I will need to eat my words having told at least two co-workers my destination.  The wind will be whipping far too much, and the ground much too muddy, and well, the Lord is not willing.  He was willing that I hear about it, plan it and anticipate it, but that's as close as I'll get to the field day of choice for me.

I do thank Him, and will blog again next week, Lord willing.

Difference between hazel and basil

There are days in the first grade classroom that are just so wonderful that I don't even think it necessary to collect a paycheck.  Then there are days when I know beyond a reasonable doubt that my job does not pay nearly enough.  You see, I am the "helper."  I cannot set the tone of the classroom nor can I decide the order of events, but I do get to alter an attitude, put a smile on a face, make a little lightbulb go on and what is my favorite - the  privilege of listening to one of those priceless comments a first-grader can make.  Well maybe a hug is better, but for the purpose of this blog, I'm going to say it's my favorite to have access to the thoughts of a six year old.

Adorable with glasses, at least one missing tooth, brown, on-the-bushy-side hair, this little tike was filling in the blanks to describe himself.  He came to "eye color."  He looked at me with his beautiful hazel eyes and said, "I know what color my eyes are.  They are basil."  Hazel, basil, I knew what he meant and he was getting to know himself quite well.  The mistake did not matter, I knew his intent and that he had done his best.  Thank the Lord that when I say basil when it is really hazel I mean, the Lord smiles and is so glad to know me.

Okay.  Back to the classroom.  There is another particular darling, who has minor issues.  Well, you wonder, who does NOT have minor issues??  Anyway, this cutie-pie guy has a little bit of a hard time sitting still, thus the need for me, the "helper."  Thankfully the Holy Ghost grants wisdom, and the idea popped into my head to assign a sticker chart to him.  Each time I instruct him to "wait," "listen," etc., if he carries out the being-still-kind-of-procedure without incident, he receives a sticker.  When his sticker card is filled, he will receive a reward for his efforts.  Often when he is in the holding mode, his hands will be folded atop his desk.  Now you must know where I am going with this...

Waiting, being still before the Lord is not easy, especially when it is soulish imprisonment, the sensation of those chains on one's ankles, and it also can be difficult when it is just plain patience we need, wondering what the next step is to be.  But the reward will come.  Imagine the sticker sheet, listen to the voice of the Helper...  Know His torrential love...