Cartoon of two adults and baby with a scarecrow. A man says about the scarecrow, “He doesn’t interact with the kids much. But he’s always available and on time.”
I can usually tell when someone doesn’t feel comfortable in a classroom. They don’t look much different from the scarecrow in my cartoon. They’re stiff, standing tall among all the kids. They do dress better than a scarecrow, however. They also have a more worried look than the scarecrow in this picture.
Cartoon of a happy teacher and student. The teacher says, “This is a great story. You should copyright it.”
It breaks my heart when I hear about an author who almost didn’t take up his craft because an English teacher once told her that she was a terrible writer. But it is inspiring to hear of those who heard that discouragement, yet overcame it and are authors today.
It is a shame when discouragement comes out of our mouths. I am as guilty as anyone else of spewing criticism to others. Unfortunately, it is too easy to do that in this world.
But a complement goes a long way. My fourth grade teacher encouraged me to consider drawing when complemented my part in a poster. I didn’t think of myself as an artist until that moment.
Be sure to give a sincere complement to a child when you have a chance. You never know how it will change his life.
Cartoon of a mom and a boy. The boy says, “I don’t get it. I prayed real hard, but I still have to go back to school?”
Yes, I’m afraid so. Many kids in the USA go back to school tomorrow, if they haven’t already. Christmas break was fun, but now it’s time to hit the books and hold out until spring.
I drew this for the August, 2012, Church of God E-Newsletter.
Cartoon of a teacher and a student with a big head. The student says, “You’re a great teacher. In fact, you almost gave me too much information.”
Cartoon of two students. A boy says, “Should we abandon all hope, or keep plugging through fourth grade?”
Sometimes, it just feels like hope is a distant goal to grasp, doesn’t it? I remember hoping and praying that school would be over soon. Thirty years later, I can tell you there’s hope. Hold on. You’re break will be here before you know it.
