The privilege of teaching...

Tonight I sat on this glider in my back yard, at just about the same time as this photo was taken. The bees were still buzzing in the apple tree, and the sunset was filtering through the new leaves on the pear tree. As Dave worked on resurrecting our sprinkler system for the year, I read and graded the final Worldviews book reports of the year. And I found it all delightful.

In these precious moments, I remember what a gift it is to teach. I have the privilege of peeking into the hearts of my students. I see them learn to express themselves with growing clarity, and engage ideas on a deeper level. I see growth and change and can write words of encouragement, and I see stubborn tendencies and can write words of warning. These things delight me.

Sometimes, after a long, hard school year, a spring evening beneath the trees, in the light of the sunset, can revive my sense of calling.