gratituesday : teachers

teaching is a gift.  not only is it a gift to those who learn from the teacher, but it is a gift that the teacher possesses.  teaching is a spiritual gift.  if you don't know about spiritual gifts, here are some passages in the Bible you can read:  we find gifts addressed specifically in four major portions of Scripture: 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14; Romans chapter 12; Ephesians chapter 4; and 1 Peter chapter 4. 
today, i am grateful for those who use their spiritual gift of teaching.  i am thankful for teachers! 
recently, i met with some teachers to discuss my boy: jones. 
we had some issues with jones when he started kindergarten, but i could back up and say that we've always had issues with jones.  he is a wonderful and unique little boy.  he has been a handful to say the least.  he's also been so much FUN! 
here's a brief overview on jones:

• he's so loving.  he loves.  he's very compassionate.
• he's very sensitive.  i mean this emotionally, but also sensory.  he's sweet to think of others and their feelings.  he CARES with he sees others hurting or crying.  but also, he's very sensitive to sensory things like light, sound, feelings (different fabrics and such)...
• he likes attention, whether it be positive or negative.
• he respects his daddy a lot.  he has a pretty good level of respect for men in general.  he knows he's a boy and he looks up to men because he knows that's who he's supposed to be some day.
• he likes things to go one of two ways:  either as planned, or as HE'S expecting.  those might coincide, but not always.
• he has an issue with anger.  he gets angry. 
• he gets obsessed with things.  he always has.  when he was really little (around starboys age) he LOVED sticks and balls.  for his 2nd birthday we gave him a giant gift bag full of an assortment of balls.  he was SO HAPPY!  he also LOVED and still really prefers the color orange.  when he was littler it wouldn't matter what it was, but if it was orange he would be drawn to it.  he would take it, hold it, observe it, and then carry it around for however long.  he would always dress in orange.  he just LOVED orange.  after balls, he became completely enthralled with dinosaurs.  he LOVED anything and everything to do with dinosaurs.  then it was tools.  now, he's expanded his love for things to more broad spectrum and i don't know if i could label his current "love"... but the connection of all these obsessions is that when he's obsessed with something he's very easily distracted by them or anything that is associated with them.  when he's in his little trance it's very difficult to "bring him back" to reality. 
• he's aggressive.  he's so much "all boy".  he's rough and tough.  he loves sports.
• he doesn't really like to try new things. 
• jones' personality is kinda an oxymoron.  [he's totally this... but on the other hand, he's really that...]

anyway, all this to say...  what we've found out by meeting with the teachers and such is that he's a good kid.  he's "normal".  he's very smart.  very friendly.  he interacts well with others but also plays independently very well.  he's got a lot of aggression, but in the past few months he's been able to channel that aggression in the right way by himself.  his anger is simmering down and he's becoming a very adapted young man.  i'm so proud of my boy for the growth he's had in the past 6 months.  he's such a fun kid to parent.  i love him so much!  he's the boy any dad would love to call his, and such a loving sweet cuddling mama's boy as well.  all that, AND he's so darn CUTE!!!!!

but anyway, what i wanted to make this post about was my gratitude for teachers and specifically those teachers that took the time to meet with us and talk with us and spend time with him and get to know him.  mostly though, i'm so thankful for his kindergarten teacher who cares and loves on jones every monday through friday all morning long.  she really does care for him and she really does love him.  i love that and can't appreciate her more!
thank you jones' teacher!!!!!!

jones gets wrapped up in things and has very "good" selective listening.  he'll focus in on something so "well"

in december our issues became flaring and we (otter pop and myself) got worried.  we continued to trust in God, but we scheduled an appointment with his teacher, the school counselor, the school psychologist, and the principal to talk with them about what THEY thought about our boy. 
it was a great meeting. 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."