Shellye's Blog

Teacher, Hey Teacher, Mrs. Cayce

It’s finally summer it’s time to rest and recover before I start the whole teacher thing over again in August. Wait, hold up, not so fast. You, see those three names in the title are always in the back of my mind like a whisper that won’t stop. Those are just three of the names along with mom, mommy, miss, um teacher that I hear for 175 days. It’s funny to me how in all my years as a teacher 98% of my students will call me Mrs. Cayce, 1% no matter how many times I won’t answer until he/she calls me by name will always start with teacher and 1% who are mostly nonverbal may not say my name until the year is almost over.

I love my little friends. I spend the whole year getting to know them and building a relationship with them. I love that for most of them I am their first experience at school and so I get to build that foundation, that love for learning. I push them to be their best, to always try no matter how hard something may look, to never give up no matter how hard something might be. We get excited and we celebrate when we grow our brains. I’m not just talking about academics. I’m also talking about social/emotional learning. I get to teach my little friends about friendship, about how to use their words with others to solve problems. We learn about accepting others, trustworthiness, dependability and so much more. I have the best and most rewarding job!

Some years are easier than others but each year is purposed by God. Each student is purposely placed by God. If I am being honest there are some years that I come home whining to Kevan for a few minutes that I may get a certain student who has this thing or that, who is known for being a behavior challenge or for having hard to work with parents. This doesn’t mean I think God is making a mistake putting this student in my class. God doesn’t make mistakes. He designed every emotion within us and intends for us to feel them. My sweet husband listens and when I am done says to me, you know that student is going to end up stealing your heart. Kevan is right almost every time.

I love both of these quotes. With the first one I never doubted my decision to be a teacher because I just can’t think of anything else that I could do that would bring me happiness and satisfaction. By the time my little friends are ready for first grade they are amazing. Teachers can usually tell you which students could be president, an artist, a CEO, a movie star, an engineer, a mechanic or unfortunately the leader of a gang. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to build a friendship with the parents of my little friends that last after the school year is done. When this happens I get to watch my little friend grow up and I get to see this friend do amazing things. I’ve gotten to experience baptisms, meet them for lunch and celebrate accomplishments. One of my little friends will graduate from high school in a couple of years and I am hoping to get to celebrate with him and his family.

The second one is so full of truth that it is sad. My little friends don’t know how to verbally communicate these feelings and so many times in the last couple of weeks of school I see an increase in tummy aches, headaches and just not feeling good. At school my little friends know that they will see the same adults each day but they don’t have that same assurance at home. My little friends know that at school they will have food to eat but at home they may not. My little friends know that at school they are encouraged and supported but at home they may not get those words of affirmation.

This is why for me teaching is more than a job. Teaching is a calling. Teaching is a ministry. It is a mission field where the work is hard, and it never ends. You are paid well but not with money. God sends you out to minister to students, parents and other teachers. The fields are overflowing .