Even though the calendar says summer, fall has arrived for teachers and students. All across the area, teachers have returned to our classrooms and have started to prepare for our new students.

Maybe I should rephrase that, teachers have returned to the schools so we can attend lots of meetings. There are all kinds of meetings scheduled every day as we try to find time to get ready for the students.

We have a new leadership team at my school and they have hit the ground running. With a new leadership team comes new procedures and a new vision. In our opening faculty meeting we heard about the plans for our school year and the desire to see our school grow stronger and better. They set a positive tone filled with high expectations. Now we will endeavor to fulfill these goals.

I am beginning my 34th year of teaching and I feel that little spark of excitement beginning to stir inside. Here comes a new opportunity to reach out and touch some young lives in a positive way. There will be challenges, good days, successes and some days that I will wish I could do over. In the end, I hope to bring some fun, laughter, and the sharing of a little wisdom to these young minds that will soon be entering my room.

I love being a teacher…most days. Every day brings new opportunities to help young people learn about life…it’s not perfect. Some lessons I will thoroughly enjoy, while others will challenge me as I strive to help these young students grow to become young adults. Some of my students will leave indelible marks on my life and I hope to help point them in a positive direction. Some of them will cause a few more of these hairs on my head turn white…a small price to pay if I can help them learn to soar in life.

While I was cleaning out closets this summer, I came across some of the notes I have received from some of my students through the years. There were apologies for misbehavior, words of thanks for taking time to listen, notes of appreciation, and drawings of eagles, among other things. One that made me laugh was a piece of paper I took out of a student’s notebook which read: “Number of times you told us the same story” followed by about fifty hash marks.

Two things struck me this week as I was at school. The first was getting to shake a former student’s hand and welcome him back as a staff member. “Yes,” I told him, “I am still in the same place, teaching the same lessons.” We laughed. He will become a positive addition to our staff. The second was a retired teacher coming back out of retirement to help us out until a teacher can be found to take the open position. I could see in her eyes the joy of teaching. She loved her job as a teacher and is excited to have the opportunity to help do something that she is passionate about doing once again.

I am telling you this because I am asking you to pray for us. I want you to pray for everyone involved in education.

Obviously, teachers and students need your prayers, but there are so many other people involved in raising the next generation.

Every school’s administration and counselors are there to help direct or re-direct students in a positive way.

Pray for the bus drivers who will bring the students safely back and forth from school.

Pray for the cafeteria workers who will serve the students food with a smile.

Pray for the school resource officers that they will be safe and help to keep our schools safe.

Pray for all the maintenance and janitorial staff who work to keep our school buildings clean and in good shape.

Pray for the librarians and technology staff who work to provide the tools we need to inspire the students to learn.

I want to encourage you to be a very important part of raising up the next generation through prayer. Our country is dependent upon people who pray. I believe in the power of prayer. There are so many unbelievable things that happen in our schools, that’s why I am appealing to you for your prayers.

I want your prayers so we can have a good school year and create great memories for our students…your children and your grandchildren.

Thank you in advance for having a positive impact on this school year through your prayers.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com.