December 2017 brought an event I never imagined I'd be going through at the age of 38....the passing of my father. Though it was expected due to his health issues, I'm not sure anyone can ever truly be prepared for the actuality of a parent passing. I remember one of my dearest friends, Hayley, who was with me when I received the news. She listened to me and offered scripture, but one of the best things she said is, "I'm glad you're going back to school on Tuesday. That's exactly what your dad would want. He was proud of who you are in the classroom and loved hearing the stories of your kids and their learning!" Our classroom became my safe place and our time to shine. We spent the two weeks before break continuing our math learning journey. These were two of the most challenging weeks of my life. Looking back I can't remember much except the joy and safety my learners brought to my world. Hayley was exactly right about going back to school so "soon"...My father was extremely proud of me as a teacher, who had continued to do the best for her kids, giving 110% despite the circumstances!
The passing of my father and the daily conversation between Hayley and I are what kept me motivated during the spring semester. Our spring semester brought many opportunities for personal growth and student success. Not necessarily the easiest but I know that the Lord was guiding me. There were days that I missed my daily phone call from my dad, asking the usual questions about work, the weather, my mom and my puppy. However, I know he was looking down on me, from heaven above, beaming with pride, as I listened and trusted in the Lord. During this time, my prayer became more focused on keeping the joy in my heart and that the Lord open the doors to where both the learners would need my love of teaching, as well as a place that would provide unconditional joy in my day.
For what seemed like an eternity, I filled out applications ranging from administration positions to classroom teaching positions. I wasn't sure where God wanted me, so I took every job posting and interview as an opportunity. It's truly amazing what I learned during this process. Again, a true testimony of leaning on the Lord and letting Him guide me through the journey of who He needs me to be.
At the end of April, I had, what was the shortest interview of my entire career, in a district closer to my mom. After our 20 minutes together, I dropped 2 thank you notes into the mail and headed back home to get ready for another interview the next day. Like I said, it was a busy spring semester! I dropped the notes into the mailbox and thanked God for giving me the opportunity to tell my story. It was so refreshing to share the growth of both my learners and myself, even 17 years into my career!
The official phone call came on a Friday afternoon in May, just before state testing. The peace (and tears) that came with this phone call are something that I can't even begin to explain. All I could do was thank God for carrying me through this time of change. The next few weeks were filled with peace and joy, as well as many opportunities for sharing my story of leaning on my faith to guide me to where He needs me.
It was hard not calling my father to share the news of my next chapter in my learning journey. During the last few months, as I got ready for our upcoming year, both my mother and I would make references to my father. When I see all of the TCU decor in room 103, I think of him and how proud he'd be that I am doing what I love, plus sharing our love of TCU with others. It truly is the simple things in life that bring the greatest amount of joy to our days!
The joy of learning has returned to my heart and I am beyond excited to begin my 18th year of teaching with 135 6th and 7th graders! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for opening these doors and guiding me through this journey of life.
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