Calming the Banshees

Day 4
Today I am so very thankful for the gift of music, and most especially Christmas music. I know there are those pre-Thanksgiving-Christmas-music-haters out there, but just hear me out. I'm not at all trying to skip over Thanksgiving. I love Christmas music because of the spirit that it ignites within me. I love how the holiday season (November-December) brings out the best in people. It's as though as a world population we decide to be a little kinder, a little more thoughtful. These feelings open the door to deeper and more tender feelings, and turn our hearts towards our Savior.
I had a pretty rough day. A phone call at 9 am disrupted my teaching, and for the next hour and a half I left my class in the hands of a more than capable para while I dealt with some behavior issues. And that was just the beginning of the day. By the time the day was over I was worn out and done. I had planned to go to Gville, so on the way out I turned up my Christmas tunes. The spirit of peace and thanksgiving slowly but surely entered my heart. Instead of bemoaning my day I found myself thankful that I had been able to handle the situations confidently, and competently. I was thankful for the realizations that I had along with my student, one of which was that he realized just how many people are cheering for him. That was a huge breakthrough.
As I listened to my Christmas music I found myself reflecting on my Savior and how I could turn my cares over to him. I didn't entirely figure it out, but I felt those cares somewhat lifted. I could see the world clearly again without the haze of doubt and uncertainty. This, my friends, is why I love and am thankful for Christmas music.


Day 5
Today I am thankful for the education I received as I made my way towards becoming a teacher. I didn't love all of my classes, but I love that now I use things from those classes. I am even more thankful that the strategies they taught me actually work. Crazy, right? I tried out a behavior technique on my crazy 6th period class and it worked perfectly. Where once I had wild banshees barely contained by desks and focused only on the next funny thing someone would say, I found a group of well-mannered, quiet, and responsive students. And all I had to do was draw a box on the board labeled "Me/You" and explain the benefits of them getting more points than me. One point on my side drove the concept home, and my not so wild banshees earned 5 points by the end of class. Amazing! I am so thankful that someone before me figured this stuff out and shared it with me so that I could benefit and become a banshee tamer.