It wasn’t that long ago I was still in school. I wish I could say I gave it my all but in truth my work ethic was definitely sub par. I went to the classes that I wanted to, I did the work I wanted to, and I stayed if I wanted to. I remember not coming back from lunch because the “squad” would find themselves playing pool or still hanging out at Sonic. Now I know this sounds terrible but I still graduated with a GPA that was pretty average. I never failed a class but I never aced one either. The real struggle came when I got a full time job, only had four classes, and a serious case of senioritis. I would start school by eight in the morning and be at work by two in the afternoon. Let’s just say I was a bit tired and chose my job over school. By the end of my senior year I had around seventy plus absences during my second semester alone. If you do the math I missed about seventeen and a half full days of school. This is over three school weeks. Oh how did I graduate or not get in trouble once? I wish I would have worked harder, I wish I would have taken more AP classes my senior year, and maybe tried to challenge myself. Most of all I wish I would have recognized the amount of work teachers put into their jobs. The Lord had to send me across the ocean to see what kind of work it takes to be a teacher.
This month’s ministry consists of teaching English to students ages five to eighteen. My team even got the opportunity to teach police officers. Turns out I love teaching. I love seeing kids every day and making them laugh. It makes me smile when they learn something new and when they understand even with a language barrier. Don’t get me wrong, the little tikes are super cute but my favorite age group is the older kids who try their best to give you attitude. At first it scared me that these kids are close to my age, that they are probably like me and don’t actually want to be there. Well I got over that fear real quick because just like little kids if you can make them laugh they will listen. At this point I have taught the chicken dance, the whip and nae nae so many times just so they would laugh. I have learned to throw my lesson plan out the window if it just isn’t working and doing something completely random if need be. I have played so many random games because the look on their faces screamed boredom. With all this being said, I love teaching and seeing an opportunity for these kids. I wish I would have taken the same opportunities and would have tried harder at school.
When I was in Cambodia I met a girl who couldn’t go to school because her family couldn’t spare four dollars. I’ve seen boys at construction sites working instead of going to school. I’ve met fourteen year old girls working at massage parlors during the middle of the day. I bet those boys would have rather been getting an education than working in the hot sun. I bet the young girls working at the massage parlor would rather be going to school. Then there is me, the girl who missed school because she had the luxury to. So here I am, waking up every morning getting ready to teach kids. I don’t know what they go through to learn but I have a feeling it isn’t as easy as back home. Knowing what I know now, I would have gone to school for the fact we are blessed with an education. I would have gone because some children in the world will never get to. I would have gone to show my teachers the respect they deserve. If anyone reads this and is still attending school, GO! Go to school because the Lord has blessed you with an opportunity to become educated and make a difference. Don’t be like me, don’t ditch and recognize the power of education.
