A 'Move My Soul' Kinda Day!

Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but I am preggo. And by preggo I mean a whopping 31 weeks! I would like to think that is the reason today was so emotional for me, but I am pretty sure today would have moved my soul pregnant or not.

Moved my soul... Something I seldom hear, definitely something I don't say very often, but so far the closest I have been able to get to how I feel (other than spent, exhausted, sore, worn out, etc.)

I can't tell you how many people have thanked me for all my hard work. It feels good, I must admit, that people think my role in today was important enough to thank me. But truly it isn't me that needs to be thanked.

You know those sayings, about how as we go about life and try to teach children all these wonderful things, but we end up learning more than we ever taught? You know TEACH to LEARN. That is what is so amazing to me about the things happening at my school. By instilling habits and leadership qualities, we are strengthening them in ourselves. We teach by example, model the behavior and continually learn something new from a 2 year old about being a leader, about being a better person.

Being a teacher is hard work. It is a job that you never stop doing because it involves children. We love our kids. We pray for our kids. We worry, celebrate and share our hearts with our kids. It is not some 9 to 5 job that you clock out of to come back to the next day. It is a lifestyle. Constantly people say things like, "I just don't know how you do it!" like what we do is rocket science.

But, I can tell you how. Because God called and we answered.

Today was one of those days, I knew without a doubt in my mind, God's place for me was on Wyndham Park Drive with 100 preschoolers and 50 villagers, with 95 parents/grandparents/educators from all over Virginia and beyond, supporting a leadership process that has instilled in students of all ages (and by all ages I mean ALL ages) to be great. To be GREAT.

I could feel it in my bones, deep in my soul.

So the thanks truly belongs to God. For putting us in this place with each other. For helping our paths to cross in such a way that a day like today could happen. For amazing teachers. Absolutely amazing teachers. That inspire parents and students a like to be great. That take the time to help these kids find something wonderful in themselves. Even the kid who teeters on emotional instability with the constant concern that today may be his last day at our private school because punching a teacher is just not okay. Even him. Even he has a greatness inside of him. For these same teachers who give up their control to let their students be in charge, to guide their learning, and build a classroom culture that is greater than it would be without their voice.

Not many a moment in my life has moved my soul. But today was one of them. And I am so blessed and grateful to be a part of something so unbelievably amazing. I don't think this is the last time these kids will move a soul or two and I hope mine is always one of them.