“Gutted”

Dear Teacher,

Last weekend my family held to tradition.  Our latest grocery store run had scored us four massive pumpkins that sat blandly on the porch.  Now the crisp fall air indicated it was time for our annual family pumpkin-carving event!

In preparation, we did all the things -- Bought glow-in-the-dark teeth and sticker eyeballs, searched Pinterest for carving ideas, and Sharpied our designs on the face of our pumpkins. Then came the part none of us liked: Digging out the insides.  Our "guts bowl" quickly filled up with pumpkin seeds and innards and we were soon elbow-deep in the mess.  It was only after digging deep and pouring out that we were able to make our pumpkins internally clean so the candle light could shine through.

And you, teacher, there in your classroom do all the things to allow student light to shine, too.  You buy emotion charts and calming fidgets.  You search Pinterest for ideas for student emotional regulation.  You design curriculum that is student-friendly and engaging.  However, often it comes down to the part that can feel uncomfortable: Digging out the insides.  It's only when we dig deep into our student's trauma, emotion, and baggage "guts" that we can start to clean it out.  By going elbow-deep in the mess, whether it be partnering with parents to get outside counseling for their kid, or learning the child's triggers in order to prevent explosion, we are able to clean their internal mess so that the Light of Jesus can shine through.

Elbow-Deep in Guts,
Mindy Salyers
Christian School Counselor