exhausting

I know that everyone feels exhaustion every now and then and I am in no place to pick the profession that is most exhausting. However, if I had to give out an award for the Most Exhausting Profession, I would choose a teacher. Any other teachers agree? I thought so. Especially the first few days. I hit the couch this afternoon and was drooling 5 minutes later. The first few days are so busy, so stressful, so repetitive (i have a new meaning for the word - repetitive - now that i repeat myself 4 times a day), and it is SO hard remembering every little detail and everything that we are supposed to do, hand out, and complete. Middle School is also different than Elementary School because I stand up ALL day long. Maybe I am out of shape but I feel like my knees and feet are swolen because I have been standing up for 2 days straight. I sat down alot last year - I taught reading and math sitting down because the kids came to the carpet as a group and I taught from my rocking chair. That does not happen in Middle School. I have been standing up for 2 straight days. This also adds to my exhaustion, along with repeating myself, making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be, remembering lots of information to tell them, being stern, and breaking up little bickering fights between kids ALL day long.

I did have a great first day yesterday. This year will be so good for me. I know it will be a time in my life where I look back and thank God for it. It is going to teach me so much. And I am so excited to see what the Lord is going to do with me for those kids. Those kids need me, desperately. They need me to love them, give them guidance, give them rules and boundaries, give them structure and give them guidance. And I am going to do just that. And I cannot wait. I'm going to have days where I come home and cry or come home so angry that I want to scream at the top of my lungs. However, I know at the end of this journey in my life, I will be so thankful. I KNOW I am supposed to be at this particular school with these particular kids, I just know it. God placed me here for a reason. My mom and I prayed and prayed this summer that God would place me exactly where he wanted me, and He has done just that. So I am going to do everything in my power to give those kids everything in my being because this is my calling right now.