as the curtain closes

My time serving as a 1st Grade teacher comes to an end, and I find it hard to put into words all that I've learned.

Before being offered the position, I had been praying for an opportunity to work with children, as I haven't had much experience with kids in general. Wow! Did the Lord answer my prayer. About a month after arriving on Guam, I was offered the position of a "Learning to Read" supervisor, which means that I would teach a special segment of the students' 1st Grade year focusing primarily on learning to read. It's been 3 months, and now the program has ended, and my focus is to be shifted completely to my parents' school and my own individual studies.


Quotes:

• "Mom- I mean oops! Hehe! Why do we keep calling you mom?" - Student, E.C. "Because you're good to us?" -Student, S.O. (How sweet is this!)
• "I love you!" -Student, D.N.
• "You read a word!" -Me
• "You're a good teacher." -Student, S.O.
• "Teacher, you look pretty." 3-year-old, N.LG.

Memories:

My students surrounding and literally sniffing me while I giggle and try to escape the mob

Carpooling with Ms. Esther while jammin' to Kirk Franklin on the way to and from work

The shyest girl in class, out of the blue, tackling me with a hug

Eating lunch one-on-one with each of my students

Playing "explorers" outside

S.H. drawing a picture of a heart, pointing to it, then to E.C, then E.C. pointing and telling on him, saying, "Teacher! He loves me!"

S.H. catching bugs and lizards almost at every recess!

Field trip to the bowling alley on Base

D.N. praying to receive the Lord as his personal Savior

Lessons:

• Kids have a pure sense of justice and will hold you to your word
• Kids remember almost everything
• When working with little ones, patience is not only a virtue, it's a necessity!
• Plan, plan, plan ahead!
• Don't be afraid to improvise :)
• Be flexible
• Persevere
• Pray
• Love!

What a beautiful chapter that has now closed!

-Abigail