"When must we leave you?"

"When must we leave you Mrs. Burns?" is a phrase I have taught my little students at school, hoping it would help teach them a little life lesson, but recently I have been wondering if maybe the lesson was more for me.

I stole this concept from one of my amazing high school English teachers. The typical high school/junior high student's request to leave the class usually sounds like this:

"When do we get out of here?"

"How much longer do we have to be in here?"

"When do we leave?"

Those are all negative questions and obviously bring a sense of annoyance and boredom. So, in trying to build up the learning atmosphere to be as positive as possible, having the students ask when they must leave, makes it more pleasant. I will then respond with:
(with a smile and looking them straight in the eye)
"in about ten minutes Brandon and I hate to see you leave."

The students know not to ask the time in any other way, and it has been fun to hear them correct one another when they try, but oh how hard has it been to respond that way lately!!

This phrase also forces me to stay positive by insinuating a student(s) that I want them to stay longer, and I hate for class to end, but oh how this is so often not the case! (And I realize teaching, especially first year is not always going to be honkey-dorey.)


There are those students a teacher will always have that makes them want to pull their hair out-and I have some of those. Sometimes I wonder if they ask me this question to actually see how I will respond. A couple times a student has even said, "You don't mean that!" And even when they might be right :o/ I never want a student to think I may think this way of him or her. I truly love my students and have had to stop lately and remember there are so many reasons why, underneath the surface, this student is the way he or she is.


I have been convicted to stop and pray, remembering that I have no idea what is going on at home or in his or her heart, and maybe I need to stop and ask some questions. Oh what the Lord is teaching me this year! How wonderful and hard and overwhelming it has been.


I am thankful for this question for I believe the Lord has used it to help keep my heart focused on loving my students even in the hardest times.

Here are some teachers and I on Superhero Day!

Overall, I love teaching!!