I’ve had 13 principals in my career thus far and it’s my 13th year of teaching.  Not all have been gems.  Just some of the things I’ve been reprimanded for:

 1-Teaching compound words 2 days before the teacher’s manual said to

2-Giving a math test during our literacy block

3-Asking a boss to follow the contract

4-Arranging desks in a U-shape rather than in cooperative groups

5-Teaching place value from math text books which were available to me although recently discontinued in the district

6-Expressing disagreement with a colleague

7-Not allowing a colleague’s child to have special privileges

 It’s not easy to serve the Sauls of this world.  I am not saying that all of my bosses were Sauls–most of them have been fine people of integrity.  But, some have had spears to throw, and been tyrants in their own right.

It’s hard to find the ability to learn from these types and to allow God to use them to shape our character.  It’s so easy to let authority’s opinion of us become GOD’S opinion of us.  I don’t have any answers, but I do know enough to keep asking questions.  And I do know that sometimes God’s greatest tool to shape us is PAIN.  Keep on, keeping on.