My First "Official" Job

***I haven't proof-read this yet, so please excuse any errors. Thanks!***

This past week I started my first official job. While the job only lasted one week, I'm certainly glad for the experience. I want to thank everyone who prayed for me- God truly answered those prayers. I got a really bad headache on Monday, and a slight one of Wednesday, but Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were headache free! So here's a little (or a lot, I'm not sure just yet) about my week as a "Camp Aid." My Role: Camp Aid. I was in charge of 11 students (6th and 7th Graders). I took them to their classes and lunch and helped keep them in line during class. The Students I were in Charge of: I had 4 students whom I loved very much. They were all respectful and listened well. I had 4 students whom I liked okay. They needed to be corrected a few times, but were pretty good at listening when corrected. I had 2 students that were pretty disrespectful, but manageable. They often got out cell phones and talked during class (not on their cellphones, thankfully!) The last student is a student whom I hope I never have to see again. He was disobdeient, disruptive, disrespectful, and I would classify him as HIGHLY ADHD, although sin, of course, plays a huge part. I actually had to "kick" him out of class one day- something I never thought I'd have to do. What I thought of the Job: I loved the job so much, and would do it again any time. I'm quite relieved it's only a week, because the getting up early and dealing with these kids all day is not something I could do every day. The week-long time length was just about a perfect amount of time. I will miss the kids, the classes, the campus, and the teachers, but I'll be glad to sleep past 6:55! What I learned: - A lot about law and business, and some interesting facts about crime scene investigation. - That some kids do stuff I could never do- disrespect non-parent adults and disrupt a class. - It's a good thing to maintain control if needed. I don't always have to be the nice guy and allow myself to be trampled on. I don't have to wait for the teachers to yell at the kids, but that I can take intiative to discipline when needed. I never thought I'd be able to yell (and by yell, I don't mean like screaming at them, but rather, raising my voice OVER their yelling and screaming so I could be heard) - Some 7th graders actually do need time-outs. - Many young children (2-10 years old) from church are more respectful and better behaved than some of these students. It's much easier to help in the two-year-old classroom at church than to "control" these almost high schoolers. - I had the worst group of kids out of all 3 groups (I was told). -I am very blessed to have been homeschooled and not had to sit in a classroom with classmates like these. So there is a mild glimpse into my week. I can't truly express how hard, but rewarding, the week was. Without seeing first hand how a certain individual acted, no one could really understand the struggle it was to maintain calmness around this kid. My patience was probably tested more this week than any other time in my life, my godliness in reacting to situati0ns in a biblical manner was tried (and failed) numerous times, and my appreciation for the biblical parenting in my church was increased significantly. I thank God for giving me the experience to see what it's like to watch kids outside the Christian environment, and for taking me out of my comfort zone this past week. If you remember, please say a prayer for the salvation of these kids. I wasn't under the impression any of them were saved (though that's not for me to judge). Thanks once again for the prayers said on my behalf. God was gracious in answering the prayers of his faithful followers.