My first day as an eighth-grade math teacher was a shock. Part of it was the quantity of paperwork, but discipline was the major problem, especially in my basic math classes. These students had low skills and low self-esteem. They associated math with failure, so they hated it. After a couple of days, I was so tired that I figured if I could just make it through the week, I'd quit. But for some reason I didn't resign that Friday.
Then, Sunday night, it hit me that the next day was Monday and I had to go back! I decided to try to make it to Christmas break. Those months were hell. Some of the students were taking drugs right before one of my afternoon classes. I'd arrive at the classroom only to find the lights out and the students either wrestling or kissing.
I was praying the best I knew how, and so hard that I thought about punching a friend who quoted a line from Science and Health that says, "Trials are proofs of God's care." Science and Health, p. 66. I wanted to say, OK, you try it for a day! I was reading the Bible, especially the accounts of Jesus. I saw how he loved people, even those out to kill him. But I was thinking, "Yeah, but he never taught junior high!" Clearly, I needed help. So, over Christmas vacation, I called a Christian Science practitioner and asked for an appointment. Actually, I asked for two back-to-back, hour-long sessions because I felt my problem was so hard.
