Play-doh and Ponytails!

The time is here again. I am swamped with preparations for the new school year. I have taught preschool for around ten or so years now, and I absolutely love it! Aside from my third year of teaching when I was bitten on the "rear end" by a three year old, I find my job very rewarding. I teach Pre-K in our Church's Weekday Program. We minister not only to families in our Church, but also to other families throughout our community.
I love the honesty of four year olds... the good and the bad. One morning last year, I had to stay home with Anna Claire because she was sick. To keep my assistant and the substitute teacher from having to frantically prepare the room for the day, I went in before school to set up my room. I got up, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and threw on my favorite ...purchased in 1992 and worn faithfully every chance I get...Alabama Crimson Tide sweat shirt. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that I was the first car on the parking lot. I turned my key in the door and rushed in for my task. I ran into my room, put out some Mr. Potato Heads, mixed up some paint, set up the wooden blocks, and drug out the Play-doh. (Play-doh is a staple in every Preschool classroom. Parents prefer it that way... anything to keep it off of the carpet at home!) Anyway, as I exited the door I let out a sigh of relief! I had accomplished my mission... in record time! I was in the home stretch... until it happened... it was Jake! As I rounded the corner in the hall, I saw him... the kid that was always the first at school for early care! I quickly gave him the same greeting I gave him every other day, "Good Morning, Jake." Jake stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked up at his Mom and asked, "How did that lady know my name?" His Mom replied, "Jake, that lady is Ms. Heather... your teacher." Then he sternly told her, "No, that lady is not my teacher! My teacher doesn't look like that. My teacher has make-up on!" I quickly decided to exit the building on that note, rather than terrorizing the child anymore... or running the risk of seeing any other ones! As I was leaving, I could still hear him arguing with his mother about it. I never mentioned that morning to Jake again. And as far as I know... he still thinks his Mom was wrong! Why ruin his image of me, right? :)
We start school in a little over a week. As a matter of fact, Trevor registered for High School today! Our system is on a "year round" schedule, so we only have eight weeks of summer. It seems like we haven't had time to get last year "out of our systems" yet! Ready or not, here it comes.
For now, I am concentrating on a new class of kids. Jake and the rest of his classmates are off to Kindergarten. I just pray that I had some kind of positive impact on those little lives in God's big plan!
And as for Play-doh... the staple in my classroom... kids are so much like Play-doh. They are being shaped and molded every day. We never know what soldier, musician, doctor, nurse, teacher, preacher, or missionary might be in front of us. It is up to us to mold them with gentle, loving hands. And Isaiah tells us that we are Play-doh in God's hands!
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
Today, I am thankful for Play-doh, and I am thankful that I am the work of His hands... even with no make-up and a ponytail!