12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:12 King James Version (KJV)
10 Each of you as a good manager must use the gift that God has given you to serve others. 1 Peter 4: 10 God's Word Translation (GW)
From the standpoint of being a classroom teacher who recently earned her K12 School Administrator certificate, the future looks quite bright. I love being able to say that I have taught for 11 years, coached teachers for 3, which adds up to a total of 14 years in the K12Edu game.
(Sorry, I grew up on hip hop in 90s Detroit...big East Coast fan.)
Now, I wait. Wait for an opportunity to use what I have learned through Marygrove College's Educational Leadership program. I was a little panic-stricken at first, having to place all of this learning and internship experience on the shelf until another Admin job posting appeared on the careers site of my favorite school district. But then, as always, God showed up in an awesome way.
Let me explain.
I'm single. Have been for awhile, but I'm doing better with that. On Valentine's Day 2015, my family buried an older cousin. Throughout the church service, there were anecdotes regarding how this sassy senior lived her life, before and after she came to Christ. The underlying theme was that she did things "her way".
On the ride back home, I realized that while I haven't yet made the dating/courtship/marriage connection that other women my age may have done, there was something that I was really, really, really in love with.
Something that had always been there, lurking if you will, in the background.
Education.
More specifically, K12 Education.
You really want to get me excited? One word: conference.
Ok: Education Conference.
No wait: Lansing.
Yes, yes...Lansing. Why?
Well that's where all of Michigan's Education stuff is.
Sigh.
On that ride home from a funeral, my thoughts pointed to all the things I liked about Education...
thoughts that seemed to outweigh that fact that I was single (again) on yet another Valentine's Day.
Then, God did something else.
He reminded me that just because I wasn't an administrator yet it didn't mean I wasn't a school leader.
God whispered and said, "You lead all the time. Sure it might be informal, but you do lead".
Ummm....
"Being a positive presence on your job is school leadership."
"Being a helpful member of your PLC and Grade 2 Team is school leadership."
"Helping out a dismissal time to ensure that not only students in your class, but other students, leave the campus in a safe manner is school leadership."
Oh.
But God didn't stop there, since He figured He had my full attention.
"So you remember that writing stuff you used to do?"
Yes.
"Well, it might be time to give it another try. You stopped because you felt that since you had lost your position as a teacher coach and was placed back into a classroom that your Educator's voice had shrunk. That's not the case at all. Because you left the classroom, then came back, while making preparations to step out again...well...that's something to write about."
Oh?
"And you always have something nice to say to that new teacher at your school.
She seems to respond to you too...because you are real, sincere, and authentic."
Well...(smiling)
"Humility, my child."
Sorry, God.
"Anyway, you should write again...and when I see that fella you've been praying for, I will be sure to send him your way."
Just like that, the conversation was over and my family and I were pulling up to the parking lot of a restaurant for an early dinner.
God certainly struck a nerve that Valentine's Day 2015.
Days later during the Winter Break, I literally felt Him sitting me down and taking away distractions that would hinder me from doing something that I love and prevent me from possibly being a benefit to other educators.
Wow.
(Sorry, I grew up on hip hop in 90s Detroit...big East Coast fan.)
Now, I wait. Wait for an opportunity to use what I have learned through Marygrove College's Educational Leadership program. I was a little panic-stricken at first, having to place all of this learning and internship experience on the shelf until another Admin job posting appeared on the careers site of my favorite school district. But then, as always, God showed up in an awesome way.
Let me explain.
I'm single. Have been for awhile, but I'm doing better with that. On Valentine's Day 2015, my family buried an older cousin. Throughout the church service, there were anecdotes regarding how this sassy senior lived her life, before and after she came to Christ. The underlying theme was that she did things "her way".
On the ride back home, I realized that while I haven't yet made the dating/courtship/marriage connection that other women my age may have done, there was something that I was really, really, really in love with.
Something that had always been there, lurking if you will, in the background.
Education.
More specifically, K12 Education.
You really want to get me excited? One word: conference.
Ok: Education Conference.
No wait: Lansing.
Yes, yes...Lansing. Why?
Well that's where all of Michigan's Education stuff is.
Sigh.
On that ride home from a funeral, my thoughts pointed to all the things I liked about Education...
thoughts that seemed to outweigh that fact that I was single (again) on yet another Valentine's Day.
Then, God did something else.
He reminded me that just because I wasn't an administrator yet it didn't mean I wasn't a school leader.
God whispered and said, "You lead all the time. Sure it might be informal, but you do lead".
Ummm....
"Being a positive presence on your job is school leadership."
"Being a helpful member of your PLC and Grade 2 Team is school leadership."
"Helping out a dismissal time to ensure that not only students in your class, but other students, leave the campus in a safe manner is school leadership."
Oh.
But God didn't stop there, since He figured He had my full attention.
"So you remember that writing stuff you used to do?"
Yes.
"Well, it might be time to give it another try. You stopped because you felt that since you had lost your position as a teacher coach and was placed back into a classroom that your Educator's voice had shrunk. That's not the case at all. Because you left the classroom, then came back, while making preparations to step out again...well...that's something to write about."
Oh?
"And you always have something nice to say to that new teacher at your school.
She seems to respond to you too...because you are real, sincere, and authentic."
Well...(smiling)
"Humility, my child."
Sorry, God.
"Anyway, you should write again...and when I see that fella you've been praying for, I will be sure to send him your way."
Just like that, the conversation was over and my family and I were pulling up to the parking lot of a restaurant for an early dinner.
God certainly struck a nerve that Valentine's Day 2015.
Days later during the Winter Break, I literally felt Him sitting me down and taking away distractions that would hinder me from doing something that I love and prevent me from possibly being a benefit to other educators.
Wow.
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