The Gift of Discernment

I teach Physics in a public high school in the Atlanta suburbs. I've worked in three counties in the course of my twenty-two years of teaching, and consider myself fortunate to work in my present school. Yet, as anyone that interacts directly with the public knows, keeping students, parents, colleagues, and administrators content can be challenging. I am aware of the need of help beyond myself! Oddly enough, I had never prayed for the gift of discernment before this week. It just never occurred to me to do so. I've prayed for help with specific situations, but never for the broad ability to understand all the interactions among competing and sometimes contentious parties. I didn't think more about it until I began to recollect things that I've said, or done, for which I had failed to comprehend their import. I began to feel very crummy! Then I remembered my prayer. Discernment! What an eye-opener! I'm going to continue to pray for this gift. Maybe the Lord can do something with me if I embrace this gift.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 4, 2011 at 6:08 AM

    I'm sorry it sounds like NGHS discontent has escalated!! At least the school year is almost over- and then you get to come visit me!!! I'm SO excited!!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sewing for Ellie

Image
Twenty-two years ago I had a small sewing business called Paula's Pretty Things. Party, pageant, wedding, & bridesmaid dresses made up the bulk of my business, but I also made the model garments that hung in Hancock Fabrics in Athens, Georgia. A few years before that, I'd worked for an Asian tailor in Pacific Grove, California while John was stationed at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio. She was quite a task-master who taught me precision. I spent so much time sewing, that it became a chore rather than a pleasure. Economic circumstances demanded that I set the sewing business aside to become a high school physics teacher. I seldom sewed after making that career move, except for my toughest customer, my daughter Lauren Ann. I call her a tough customer because it was tough to schedule a fitting with her. Lauren usually had several activities going on simultaneously. She is still like that! Anyway, I've had this urge to sew again. I think this is be...
Read more

Aging gracefully...not so much!

Image
On Saturday I went to Shenanigans, what a great name, and got a haircut with color. I'm back to dark brown again. Maria put on a color that won't cover gray. The point being that my gray will show through & grow out, gracefully. Well, at least I don't look like a striped tiger. P.S. I burned my forehead with a flatiron while trying to straighten my bangs. It will not stop bleeding. I put a liquid bandage on it tonight. Aging gracefully...not so much! Sorry about the shiny face, that's the grease I apply in an effort to reduce the wrinkles associated with aging. It's really working, don't you think???
Read more
Friday was a long day, at the end of a long week.  I had 6:45 AM duty. My students took a quiz about Spherical Mirrors after a short review session.  I got all the quizzes graded, graded all the miscellaneous make-up work, typed in all the grades & posted the grade report on IGPro.  I had an after-school parent conference with a sweet girl and her lovely family and returned a parent call to the Mom of a struggling student at 5 PM, and then left the building for home.  We have a four-day week next week, followed by Spring Break.  I worked in the building past 5 PM three out of four days last week. Next year the teachers at our school will have an increased number of students, or an increase in the number of classes that we teach, or both.  We will continue to have furlough days next year.  I'm thinking about ways to make my work easier.  I think writing about it will help me. 
Read more