Summer has flown by and we’re gearing up for a new school year at Los Angeles Christian School (LACS). August 27th marks the beginning of our school year and this will be my third year at LACS. Once again I will be teaching language arts to our sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Even though I never imagined teaching middle schoolers, God has really grown my heart towards them. They are quirky, awkward, and opinionated, but also passionate and perceptive. I will continue to teach the same seventh and eighth graders, but will receive a new group of sixth graders. Pray with me that the sixth graders would adjust well to expectations at the middle school and I would grow a deep connection with them.
As we begin another year, it’s always sad to see students leave and graduate from the middle school. Since our school is only up to eighth grade our students usually attend local high schools. Goodbyes are never fun, but this year was particularly hard for me.
The eighth graders that graduated were my first homeroom class and I had taught them for two years. They started off as a difficult class. They were quiet, unresponsive and not kind to one another. It was in their stubbornness and apathy that God drew me to them. I loved the challenge of figuring out what would excite them and with whom they worked best. During my time teaching them, I also grew so much as a teacher. They showed me it’s okay to try new things and fail and it’s okay to be silly.
Their graduation was a really sweet time and saw them shine in many different ways. Each student played a different role in the graduation ceremony. Some presented awards, spoke or prayed for their class. As each student approached the mic I was overwhelmed with a sense of pride and love for these students. Seeing them at the end of their eighth grade year, I saw just how much they grew and matured. Their beautiful graduation was not only a testament of how hard each of them has worked, but also how others have poured into their lives.
