Week Two Of High School.

 I managed to survive another week!   Is this really what I can expect for the next 9 months?  Because, honestly,  there were moments....  Lots and lots of moments....  Where I was questioning my sanity for accepting this job.   I had this feeling once before when I entered into the Army.   A world so foreign that I had no way to process everything as it came at me with lightning speed.   

But I survived that.   

And I will survive this....   With the Help of God.  

And God has been with me.    Oh!   All of the boneheaded mistakes I have made over the last several days have been completely my own, I assure you.   You would think that since I survived Student teaching, I would have at least some idea on how things work at a Lutheran School ( Or ANY school... )   But thirty years has forced me to "relearn" the lessons that I had once earned the hard way.    That is right... Mistakes!   Those are the best teachers.  ( Assuming you do not want to replicate them in the future)  And any life lessons you have not learned from in the past,  are worth relearning once again.   

I have heard that I have been drinking from a fire hose these last few days.   With all of the information that has been poured out for me,   I simply seem to be unable to process it all at the correct flow-rate.  But I am surrounded by people who are going above and beyond to help me navigate these troubled waters.    I am blessed with a vast reservoir of knowledge and guidance. God is watching out for me. 

And so I will say that I did survive.    And I actually ended the week on a pretty good note.   It is the small victories that I will treasure always.   And hopefully, I will be gaining my sea legs soon enough to almost be "not bad" at my job.   Like running my first marathon:  At some point I realized that my goal of 4:30 was not attainable, and survival and finishing were going to be a struggle.   

But I did survive.   

And I did finish.  Once again,  with the help of God and his Angels.   

So this Labor Day weekend was spent surfing the beach with Cheryl.   Finding rocks and beach glass and listening to the crashing waves as the summer sun settles in on the last days of the season.  
There were moments of Zen and peace.    And that is all I could ask for.  

Tomorrow begins anew!   With several of my sets doing their final test for the Land Nav site I set up.    Several groups are going to be fine, but I fear a handful of them might need a bit more help.   Either way,   it will be an experience for us all.  

One day at a time.    And remember to breathe!   (Very important to breathe!)   I will continue to pray for guidance and God's blessing.   I truly believe he will not test me beyond my limits.   And if he does,  he will provide the right support to help me out.  Which he has already done.  Kathy continues to be an invaluable resource for me.   As well as all of the teachers I share the office with.   Encouragement and an understanding ear are priceless when the pain of "failure" strikes.    But Matt Grow says that if you don't go home defeated at least once in a while your first year,   you are probably doing something wrong.  We learn by doing!    And I have much to learn and so little time to do it all.   Because every second counts.  

Praise be to God!  And I have been blessed  by him.