Thoughts on the Break-In

This afternoon I got home and discovered my principal had been trying to get a hold of me. When we connected she told me that my classroom as well as the school library and a number of other classrooms were broken into last night. They took my guitar and my school laptop. Evidently they were only after laptops, and we were the second or third school they've hit in the last month. One of the thieves was caught with my guitar (should get it back eventually), so maybe they'll get the rest of the guys soon. I've been reassured that none of the student's or my stuff was vandalized, but I still feel violated. All I can think about is getting back to MY classroom and seeing with my own eyes that everything else is okay. How am I going to deal with this?  Do I stay angry? Do I feel grateful that nothing else was taken or ruined? 

The day started out so well... a good bell rehearsal (for our concert tomorrow), a yummy lunch with Christina, and a walk downtown enjoying the festival between rain showers. I came home and everything changed. It's so frustrating, and is one more stress in our lives at school that we don't need right now. I love my school and my job, but this spring we're dealing with so much: budget cuts (budgets frozen... can't buy a pencil without permission!), Anne moving up to assistant superintendent (a positive, but still a stress), a new principal (someone I know... again, a positive change but a stress), layoffs, tons of pressure to raise test scores and now we're facing increased class sizes next year, along with reassigning some teachers to other schools and/or grades. As one of the "veteran teachers" I try to set a positive tone and to be the kind of teacher that avoids gossip, bad mouthing others, or dwelling on negative. I try instead to focus on what I can control in my classroom and to support others. I've been doing a lot of listening to others this spring. We're all worried about who will have to leave our school, and grade level.  And now this... 

Last fall Mom sent me a copy of the Serenity Prayer and a quote by Reinhold Niebuhr... it seems appropriate today:

God, grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change, 

the courage to change the things I can 

and the wisdom to know the difference. 

Living one day at a time; 

Enjoying one moment at a time, 

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it; 

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will; 

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy in Him

Forever in the next. 

Amen.