spare the rod

i got a call yesterday from a lady from church, asking me to substitute teach her primary class for a few weeks. my stomach always gets a knot when i think about going into primary, but i said yes anyway. yes, i get nervous to teach primary. sometimes kids scare me! especially large quantities of them. the other day my mom and i were watching my niece millie play with her kindergarten class before the bell rang, and i said i would NEVER want to teach elementary school. my mom thought that was unfortunate, but i can honestly say that standing in front of a class of thirty or so children terrifies me more than giving a speech to, say, a thousand people (i haven't done that either). i don't know why i am this way! i just am.

anyway, so i was a bit apprehensive going into the primary class. today i was just sitting in while another sister taught the lesson, watching the children go through various phases and levels of attention and alertness, playing with their papers, exclaiming that they were dying of thirst, etc. etc. one little girl, when told she would have to wait until the end of class to get a drink, started whimpering and "crying": i am so thirsty. i want to go home. wah. i scooted my chair close to her, and at this point i had a choice. i could say: buck up, kid. it won't kill you to wait five more minutes to get a drink. or i could say you poor little lamb, i will immediately take you to get a drink, so you aren't made to wait (your highness). i chose, instead, to say something to the effect of: class is almost over, and then you can get a drink with a sympathetic *pat pat* on the arm. she whimpered and sobbed until the end of class, when the other teacher took her to be comforted by her mummy. lovely child.

i will admit though, there are certain things i definitely like about primary. i like making paper instruments and coloring and singing happy birthday and i'm trying to be like jesus and be around little souls who aren't yet ashamed to be themselves.

so yes, there are a few pluses. but a lot of things that make me want to bring a straight jacket and/or tranquilizer for the next kid who makes a noise. this is going to be fun :)

suit up.