Last week I taught my first PSR class for the 7th graders. They have been attending PSR since September however their teacher changed positions so I accepted her position. I thought that they would be shy, not talk much, hold back for our first class. Being a new teacher and all, I thought they would want to feel me out a bit.
But they didn’t. They came at me full swing. Or at least I hope that was full swing…if not, I’m in trouble! From the moment the class started until the moment it ended, these children were non-stop talking. Some a little too much and too loud.
My plan was to talk about the Immaculate Conception, Advent, read a little Scripture, and do something from their religion books. We conquered the first two but never got to the last two. The 75 minutes flew by and we never even opened our books! I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not.
Instead of sitting at desk, we sat in a semi-circle and did an open discussion type format. I think it worked really well and the kids were very responsive. They felt comfortable with me and asked me a million questions on a million different topics.
I wasn’t prepared to hear them talk about people at their school who get high. And I really wasn’t prepared to hear about their friends that ‘cut.’
Times are definitely different and it is a scary world we live in. I hope that I can teach them that regardless of the horror in the world, God loves them always and forever.
Scary Stuff! Why on earth would you want to cut yourself? I hate the thought of sending my children to school!
I had a friend who used to cut and she had major self-esteem issues and struggled, and still struggles, with depression. I remember her saying that her therapist said a lot of girls cut because they don’t feel beautiful. She said that it had to do with her father and apparently that is very common. Some girls cut, some girls eat and some girls sleep around. And it is all because they don’t feel loved by their fathers.
Fathers play a bigger role than we think!