No More Back to School

Tomorrow is a true turning point for me.

A few months ago I left school for the summer. For the last twelve years I have looked forward to the summer as a time to recharge and refresh before heading back for another year of teaching. But this June was different. This June I packed up my classroom and traded in my teaching profession for a ministry profession. Which is not a real shock to those who know me. I've always hovered between two worlds that way...

So tomorrow will be the first time in an awful long time that will not find me Back-to-School.

But my time in the classroom, and time with the many people who crossed my path as a teacher has shaped who I am and what motivates me.

Every day I had the privilege of spending time and investing in students and their families. I talked kids through tough choices, tough situations, and tough writing assignments.

I met some great parents who supported our school and their children. And I met some parents who thought I was doing a horrible job and didn't mind telling me so. :-)

I coached a small soccer team through some tough losses and some great wins.

I moved from being a novice to being a mentor.

I became friends with teachers who consistently put others before themselves, and worked tirelessly to motivate, encourage, and offer a smile.

I met people who had the smarts to do just about anything they wanted in life, but chose to be in the classroom, because deep down they really believe in the difference they are making.

Sure, lots of people can teach reading, writing and arithmetic. But not everyone can teach children.

I met some very talented and generous people as a teacher, and like them I cherished those ever-so-wonderful "A-HA!" moments.

I can also recite an awful lot of Shakespeare. Because as an English teacher I read it all. day. long. It can be fun at parties.

________________

My first full-time teaching gig was at an alternative school as a permanent sub. I got to hang out in the library, hang out with the students, and learn how to teach from the best in the business.

These students, whom others had given up on, proved to be more than capable given the right motivation and the right environment. They went on to teach us all a lesson by voting our school custodian as their graduation speaker, and it made the national news.

Why? Because he is a good man and a positive role model, who exemplifies hard work and lives what he talks.

In retrospect, I'm sure I learned more than I taught at Fern Ridge. Teaching is often like that.

From there I taught English in several schools in Missouri and Texas. So there will always be a place inside of me that is a Winfield Warrior, a Windsor Owl, a Klein Collins Tiger, and a Morton Ranch Maverick. I have a closet full of outdated spirit shirts, and it seems that just about everywhere I go I run into a former student, and I enjoy hearing the "what are you up to now?" stories.

I guess my point is this. We may not always agree with every policy decision the school makes, or every decision that is made in the classroom. But I can say without reservation that the teachers I know choose to spend their life teaching because they want to. "Bad" teachers are the rare exception, not the norm. The teachers I know teach because they want to make the world a better, wiser, more meaningful place; one class period at a time.

And that's exactly what they do.

Teachers - thanks for what you do. You rock. We are praying for you, and we've got your back. Get some rest and have a great tomorrow.