Christmas Issue

Dear Teacher,  
 

This week during a session with an eleven-year old, I did my standard "Feelings Check-In" that I've been using during the month of December.  It featured Christmas characters like a sad gingerbread man, a frustrated polar bear, and a proud Rudolph.  I then asked what emotion she was feeling that day and the student identified as an "nervous elf."  When I inquired as to the cause of her anxiety, her answered floored me.  

"Miss Mindy," she implored, "I was home last night by myself and couldn't figure out how to turn on the shower.  Now I'm at school and my hair is matted.  I'm worried that students will notice and make fun of me."  Her disclosure broke my heart.  I wanted to jump through the virtual barrier that divided me from her school 3,000 miles away, and offer dry shampoo, hairstyling techniques, and headbands.  Instead, we did the best we could, coaching her to tuck in her loose strands around her face that resulted in her increased confidence.  

However, our session together was a strong reminder of the evident needs that come daily enter your classroom.  I regularly meet with students with similar stories.  Some haven't eaten breakfast because they were rushing to get to school.  Others stay up late at night making food for their lunches the next day.  A pair of sisters disclosed to me that they wouldn't celebrate Christmas this year because their parents were too busy.  Still another shared their lack of bed and makeshift sleeping arrangements in a small apartment with many siblings.  Two families I work with are displaced in women's shelters.

Whatever our students' stories, I'm reminded of another child from long ago that didn't have enough.  His parents were displaced.  His clothing threadbare.  His bed was makeshift.  Yet, His power was in His potential!  

And you, Teacher, there in your classroom, see power in potential. You notice growling tummies and offer granola bars for missed breakfasts.  You feel a thin jacket and replace it with a down coat. You smell a lack of toiletries and create a Care Closet (see Mrs. Arensberg from Mobile, AL) You see a lack of parental attention and hang "Huggletoe" in your classroom (like teacher Crystal Oltman from Upper Columbia Conference).  For every child for which you care, you offer it to the Manger Child [Matthew 25:40 paraphrase].

Their story is His story,

Mindy
Christian Educator & School Counselor