New horizons always hold excitement for me. Traveling over the years, the best part of the morning is before the sun even comes up. Everything is new and ripe with potential as the day begins. That’s how I’m finding my life right now. Exciting, unpredictable, and brand new.
As the story of my future here at Winterpast slowly unfolds, I’ve chosen a path different than the one I’ve been on for the past two years. It’s leading right back to that 8:00 bell and a room full of beautiful 3rd graders with the jitters in their legs. Needing to dust off my whistle, this teacher is headed back towards the playground of life.
Last night, eyes wide open in the dark, I thought of all the ways VST helped me my last two years of teaching. It was, indeed, a team effort. Both up at 4:30AM, I left the house by 6 AM every day, with classroom preparation ahead of me. He waited until he dropped me off at school. Faithfully at 3;30 every day, he waited again in the parking lot for a tired teacher to roll on out to the car.
Each day, dinner was already planned. Patiently, he waited for me to correct papers from daily lessons and watch me tumble into bed. All the while, he longed for his own opportunities that never came. While remaining hopeful as he waited, he built things. Outrageously beautiful things, all while helping me.
In the dark, it crossed my mind that I will remain irrelevant if I don’t spread my wings and take a chance. There are children that need to discover the beauty in writing. They need to know that math is really fun and science is the most interesting part of the day. They deserve a safe place to spend their days. I deserve another chance to learn more about the world. Molding in the darkness of irrelevance isn’t me.
After experiencing the devastation of the last two years, times have changed. The days are really long here at Winterpast. The quiet solitude is becoming a bit of an annoyance. It’s time that I find a purpose outside of these four walls. There are kids that need a teacher just a few miles from my front door.
It’ll be up to me to round the bases for the 185 days of the next school year. Up to me to pack my own lunch and navigate snow and wind as I travel to a tiny little school in a very out of the way place. I’ll be on my own when I need to discover ways to help every child in my classroom. Having my own in-house psychologist was pretty handy when confusing situations arose. VST was always there to listen.
At a church function yesterday, I spoke to the pastor’s wife. As I told her I had applied to her little school, and only hers, she brightened.
“Have you interviewed? I’ll call the principal right away and let him know he needs to call you. Come, let me introduce you to the librarian. She also attends our church. ” Just like that, I know two co-workers. There are no accidents in life.
Later in the day, the Pastor’s wife and future co-teacher texted to tell me the following:
“Two minutes after I sent a text to my principal, he responded. He will be getting in touch with you on Monday to set up an interview.”
Technically, I’m now on summer break. It’ll be a short one, as I return to college on July 8th. The 2022-2023 school year begins on August 9th. My 22nd year of teaching. The formality of an interview will come and go and then, I’ll know three co-workers. By August 10th, I’ll just be one of gang looking forward to a wonderful school year full of amazing growth and adventures. There’ll be no time to bask in my moment as the new kid on the block. Teaching isn’t like that.
College coed. New teacher. Home owner. Gardener. Church girl. Friend. Mentor. Oliver’s Mom.
Descriptors of me in a very new and exciting life! My, how quickly time change everything, bringing with it the first chapter of a brand new life. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
More tomorrow.