Not Yet - Part 4


 

Trust the Journey Series

February 22, 2025
Not Yet - Part 4

I had accomplished so many of my personal goals that year. My focus was no longer on myself. It was on serving students, staff, and administration. Teachers felt valued and seen. They were trusting me - and asking for help with research, planning, and with assessments. I was helping them improve their practice, and in turn students were growing. We were seeing great things! 

When the news came that there would be a Reduction in Force and that some would not have a job the next year, I was not sure where that would leave me. BUT, for the first time, I was prepared to "trust the journey". I could now clearly see God's hand in all those "no's" of the past. He placed me with the right people at the right time this year. I was ready for whatever He had next for me. I immediately went to His word:
  • Trust in Him at all times; pour your heart out to Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8
  • Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
  • For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Psalm 33:21
My principal let me know that I would likely be back in the classroom the next year, and I began to prepare for a new grade level.  When she asked me if I could teach half the day and coach teachers the other half, I declined.  The kids would always come first, and it would be too hard to balance effective teaching with effective coaching. I did not trust myself to refrain from helping teachers while I was supposed to be teaching. That would not be fair to my students. I was a little sad, but was determined that the privilege to experience other teachers this year, would make me a much better teacher - I had learned so much from those I had worked hard to serve. 

Before the school year was over, my principal came to me again. There was a PE spot open. She asked if I would consider teaching PE half the day and coaching teachers the other half of the day. This was worth some thought (see side note below), and in the end, I agreed to try it for the year. 

Teaching PE every morning and serving the school every afternoon made for a really tough year.  My duties increased as I was expected to become an expert in standards at every grade level. I also was expected to create school-wide benchmark assessments based on those standards to ensure that each student was working towards the mastery level of each standard. I was asked to find a way to target school-wide weaknesses and create a plan for improvement. I was asked to take on multiple financial budgets to ensure our money was being spent on student growth opportunities. I was learning so much - and I had kids again. As hard as the year was, I loved every minute of it! We would carry this scenario into the next year, as well. 

Then my principal got called up to the central office. What would happen now?
#TrustTheJourney



Side Note: Shout out to PE teachers everywhere!!!
Teaching PE at this school would include an incredible partner teacher, would require less time for planning and grading, and would still allow time to serve teachers. I eventually agreed, and it proved to be the right choice. Teaching PE was far more involved than I ever imagined, and I would like to give a shout out to all the PE teachers out there who can get kids in the gym - introduce an objective, give instructions, allow time for application, assess effectively, connect all learning to real life - and get kids back to their classroom in thirty minutes! Whew! What an education in effective classroom management! Everyone needs to observe the PE crew! 


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