how to wrangle your preschool class with no voice

As promised, here is my account of what teaching a class of 9 preschoolers is like with no voice.

First things first, we need to lay a little groundwork.  Preschoolers are curious and creative and energetic and loving, they love to learn anything and everything new. They like to push limits and test boundaries and wait until you get to 3 before they follow directions. They test my patience and expand my patience in ways I never imagined they could and they have taught me how to love fiercely and intentionally.

Before I went to work yesterday I sat down on my couch and prayed that God would teach me something, anything in all of this. It seemed like a good learning experience. How exactly do you wrangle your class of preschoolers with no voice? HOW?

Yesterday morning started off well. My sweet little students made me "chicken noodle soup" and "popsicles" out of play dough and the rice in our sensory table. They asked me over and over again why my voice was broken and gave me so many hugs I could barely stand their cuteness. "This isn't so bad", I thought, "My little angles."

Fast forward half an hour to recess...

WALKING THROUGH A PARKING LOT WITH 9 THREE YEAR OLDS AND NO VOICE IS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

You can't yell STOP or FREEZE or STAY ON THE SIDEWALK or SLOW DOWN. All you can do is try to herd your little stampede across the street and into the welcomed gates of the playground without anyone straying.

30 minutes later, we did It all over again. Me holding the hands of as many children as I could while some of the oldest ones held hands with each other right in front of me.

Back in the classroom my little munchkins had nowhere to run, so I calmed down just a little bit. I forwent the normal days activities and allowed the kids to have center play most of the morning in an effort to save my voice.

In that lull of the day where there was no transitioning and minimal chaos, I found that I almost liked the absence of my voice. Every time I wanted to communicate I had to be so close to my kiddoes that I couldn't help but notice all the tiny little details that make them unique; the colors of their eyes and their knotty preschool hair, their small but able hands, and their baby soft skin.

I welcomed quietly giving them instructions while kneeling in front of them, and listening to them "read" to me because they knew that I couldn't read to them. I revisited all of the reasons I love each and every one of my students and tasted, ever so slightly, Christ's incredible love for each of them as well.

Yesterday was utter chaos, don't get me wrong. In many ways it confirmed, for me, a child's need for structure, and direction. They need to know who is in charge and they need to know that it's not them. But, in so many ways, I was also given a gift yesterday; The gift of stepping out of structure, and seeing my kiddoes in a different light.

While I hope to high heaven that I never lose my voice again on a school day, I also pray that God continues to give me experiences to help me grow more in my ability to love these children like He does and to point them towards Him in everything I do.

"Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:14

I'll love you forever

You are correct if you assumed this post is somehow related to mother's day. Because, well, everyone is talking about it...so of course,  I had to too.

I don't really know how I feel about "mother's day", but I know how I feel about mothers, and I know exactly how I feel about my mother in particular.

Basically, what's not to love? She's selfless, and gentle, and generous, and kind. And my favorite thing about her is that I can slide her name right into 1 Corinthians 13.

My mama is patient, she is kind. she does not envy, she does not boast, she is not proud.  She does not dishonor others, she is not self-seeking, she is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs.  My mama does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. She always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

My mama managed to raise me straight through hell and still loves me with her whole heart and for that and many more reasons I am forever in awe of this woman. 

I always knew there was something very special about this woman, even though she wouldn't let me eat ice cream whenever I wanted, or watch TV on weekdays. She would tell us to go play in the yard every chance we could and never said a word when we dug up her garden to make "stew" for our kitchen. 

One summer she let us drag the hose into the basement, wet the entire floor, and pretend we were ice skaters wearing our roller blades. She may not have known about it at first, but she never did seem mad about it, and she even appeared to watch the final performance.

My mom homeschooled us all for first grade so that she could teach us how to read herself. She took us on so many field trips that I can't even imagine how those years counted educationally, but they did, and I've never learned more. We even made applesauce in the kitchen the old fashioned way, wearing pilgrims costumes.

My mom was the first person to ever tell me that I was a writer, and she always encouraged me to submit my stories to contests when I was little. When my bratty little self decided I couldn't stand to be homeschooled for some reason, she put me in public school, and didn't say a word when I came home crying every night because the kids were so mean. Or even when I refused to back.

When I got older she made me tea when I left school and walked home without telling anyone, because she knew exactly what I needed. She never assumed that I was a "messed up kid", even when that's all anyone else could see.

When it came time for her to let me go, 3 years before she had expected to send me away from home, she did so with the love, compassion, and the grace of Jesus Christ. 

For me, mother's day is a ridiculous holiday. It's an excuse to honor our mothers just one day a year. Without this woman that I call mom, not only would I have never been born, but I wouldn't still be living right now. She has been my hope and strength in so many instances when I have had neither. 

I only hope that I can nurture another life the way she has nurtured mine. 

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my mama you'll be"