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Share your story of how you came to be where you are in Christian education. Have you shared this story with your students?
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I came to Christian education I suppose the same way I came to education in the first place….totally inadvertently.
I went to college to learn how to read music. I sang in churches and with a group. I had recently rededicated my life to the Lord and perceived that music was my place to serve. I was in my 30s and struggled tremendously to get through music courses, but with the graciousness of certain professors, a nervous breakdown, and many long years made it with a degree in Music Education. The education part was my only choice since I was not of performance level ability.
After school, I needed a job and taught in a public school with an after school Christian program.. God worked his influence on me through that. I went to seminary, and then ended up back in teaching, only briefly in a Christian school. My taking this course is to leave open future possibilities for my retirement years.
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Until this point in my education career, I have only taught early learners (preschool). I am now a third grade teacher and a private Christian school where my own children also attend. I never had the opportunity to really speak to my past and how I became a Christian educator with the younger ones, but now I think that sharing this journey could be powerful for these 8 and 9 year old students. I would love to show them that my love for Jesus and for others has led me to Christian education. I think that with this understanding it will help us to build that nurturing learning environment where they feel loved and safe explore God’s truths and His world.
After teaching in the public school system for three years after college, I chose to stay home and raise my family for four years or so. Once my two daughters were entering into preschool, I decided that it would be a great opportunity for me to get back into the education world. After discussing the schools in our area, my husband and I decided that it was very important to us that we put our girls in a Christian preschool. With the girls in Christian education, I too fell into Christian education teaching at the school they attended. Once I became a Christian educator, I realized I could never go back to the public school system. It was so wonderful to be able to encourage my students with prayer and scripture. To show them that God loves them and has designed this world (and them) so beautifully and intricately. I felt free to be able to minister to the little ones in my care and share God‘s love for them. I was also being poured into by the staff members around me and those in leadership who held devotions weekly and checked in on me often, praying with me through life’s many struggles. This work environment was ideal and makes me grateful that I am surrounded by other godly men and women who will always point me towards Christ. I’m thankful that we are on a mission together for God and everything we do supports one another in that mission!
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I began my college studies with the idea to become a high school physics teacher. However, in college, I changed my focus to psychology. Then, I met my future-husband and became a military spouse. For about ten years, I was a stay-at-home mom. Once my children were school-aged, I began substitute teaching at their school. When my husband began thinking about retirement, I decided that I wanted to fulfil my original goal of becoming a teacher. Then….COVID. I was not satisfied with the plan the local public school had for educating my children through the pandemic. And through a series of events, I ended up being able to afford my children attending a small private Christian school, in person, because they hired me as a teacher. Upon my husband’s actual retirement, we had the difficult decision of figuring out where to move/live. We wanted our kids to have a good education and for us to be able to live in relative comfort, where both my husband and I could get jobs. Through a series of small miracles, we ended up in Silicon Valley where my husband and I both teach at the Christian school where both of our children attend.
Do my students know the story? I have told a very short version of the story to all my students at the beginning of the year when introducing myself.
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I was always a public school teacher and went to interview at the current Christian school that I work out. Upon walking in the doors I felt like I was being called to work at this school. The beginning was rough, but then I truly felt like I was making a difference.I have had other job opportunities arise, but each time I feel like I am being called to serve the Lord at my current school.
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God has brought me to Thailand, but did not place me in a Christian setting at this time. He has placed me in a location that I can support my children and has helped me gain the respect of my administrators even through some bumps that we have had. He has given me a setting where I can help support my husband as he works in a Christian school as a national worker and he is a pastor at our church. Christ has placed me in a very unique situation.
