Lesson Learned

You would think that three and half years studying education at a university and 4 years school teaching experience would have given me enough wisdom and know how, but no.

I felt the pressure.

 I was asked to work with the Mia-maids in our ward (probably the shortest calling I'll ever have--2 months from start to move date).

I had been to YW's once (a combined lesson). I wasn't introduced to anyone. I didn't know the girls that I would be working with. It was pretty much guaranteed, they didn't know me.

I was asked to give the lesson the next Sunday. Oh sure, not a problem. I was told the lesson number and then the next many minutes were spent on
discussing the best website for handouts . . .

where to get them copied so they look the nicest, the fact that the girls love to keep them, one girl is scrapbooking

all of her handouts, it turns out really cute to make it this way. . . 

The pressure was on.

I left feeling nervous, and worrying, not about the topic of the lesson or how to share it with them, but what will my dang handout look like??

Sure, I used handouts before when I taught . . . if they were relevant and I could create them in 15 min. or less!

For the next few days, everytime I sat down to prepare my lesson my thoughts always seemed to dwell on those handouts! So I went to the suggested website and no doubt about it there was some pretty cutsie stuff. But I could never make up my mind . . . or seem to find the time . . . which in the end resulted in
no spectacular, life-changing handout

and a not so well prepared lesson.

A lesson in which I stumbled over my words and my face went red

(which really isn't too surprising considering I'm an All-red).

And I whined to Eric about how badly it went afterwards.

Which really should've been expected.

Lesson Learned: When you revolve your teaching and the learning around how cute your handout will be, you probably won't be doing much teaching or seeing much learning.