-
Share your story of how you came to be where you are in Christian education. Have you shared this story with your students?
-
I taught 31 years in various roles in public schools in OK. After retiring, my husband and I move to Pennsylvania to attend a ministry school in PA. After attending for a year, I was planning to get a job while my husband continued at the ministry school. I was not planning to teach in PA since I am not certified here, but a friend urged me to apply for a position at a Christian school where her son attended. I applied and was hired. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to work where I can pray and worship and study the word of God with my students. What a blessing!
-
I grew up in a k-12 Christian school, thankfully due to my grandparents decision that they wanted my brother and I to have the opportunity to learn in that environment. Growing up you don’t realize or understand the purpose for why you have been put into certain places and situations, however now that I am older I see the benefits it has given me. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home but I grew up in a Christian school. That’s the foundation of where I came to have faith in God. Because of my teachers openness to sharing their stories and showing us how God got them to where they are, I knew that I wanted the same opportunities to share what He has done and continues to do in my life. I do not share this often with my students but sometimes through regular conversation I do bring it up, because its apart of me and my story of how I came to know the Lord but also how I ended up in Christian education and essential in their lives.
-
We moved to a new city 2 years ago and a small little Christian school is behind our neighborhood. We knew our youngest would benefit from being at the school so we enrolled him there. Shortly after that, I began to help out around the school and subbed for them once in a while. The follow year, the principal asked me if I would be interested in assisting a preschool teacher part time. As a Christian and only have ever worked in public schools this was a dream to be not only making money doing what I loved to do but to be surrounded by like minded people. In the spring of last year, the principal approached me again and ask if I would pray about teaching kindergarten, talk to my husband, and see if it would be a good fit for our family. I began teaching kindergarten last fall and have finally found what the Lord has had in store for me. I love our school, I love my coworkers and my job. I feel like I am using my gifts and talents that the Lord has given me and it is so fulfilling to feel this way. Not only have I seen the fruits of this but I continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord because of where I am and who I am surrounded by.
-
After moving on from elementary teaching to work part time in adult education for some time, I felt drawn to do elementary supply work. However, unknowingly, the Lord had already planned for me to fill a long-term sick leave position instead. My students are aware of my story that helped to stabilize their classroom during a chaotic pandemic period.
-
After high school graduation, I just wanted to get trained to do something for which I could earn a living and get out of the house. Becoming a dental hygienist seemed like a quick solution. I pursued that path and went to work in a dental office and hated the work. God impressed upon me that I needed to return to college and get a bachelor’s degree. For me becoming an educator seemed to be what I needed to do. As a believer, I knew that was the path for me. Along the way, during my years of teaching, I have been further led to focus my time and attention on middle-school students. That was more than 40 years ago!
I will share this with my students at some point when it seems to make sense.