In the second chapter of our book, Deidre and I reminisce about how and why we entered the teaching profession. She was a young twenty-something when she began, but I was an experienced-looking older novice who was given remedial eighth-graders my first year in the classroom. Saying that I learned more from my “on-the-job” training than from any college class I took is a definite understatement!

Why are you in the education profession? Is it something you “fell into” as Deidre originally did, or was it always your plan/dream to become a teacher? One of the reasons we wrote our book and have begun this blog is to support the educators who are currently working “in the trenches” in our public, private, and homeschool classrooms. We want to hear from you personally so we can discuss the experiences that motivate and keep you going as an educator, and the challenges that threaten to drive you away. As we summarized in Chapter II, “You are involved in the second most influential career in the world. After parenthood, teachers affect the future in powerful ways.” You are a valuable asset in the classroom – we don’t want to lose you!

Sue – Voice II

Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God has the ultimate plan for our lives. Perhaps teaching is God’s plan for you, but you are not sure of it right now as you stand before young people each day. At twenty-one, I could not fully understand yet that God had designed and destined me to teach until I began to fully accept that God really did have the plan for my life. I stopped trying to create my own plan and learned how to follow Him. I now know that I did not just “fall” into teaching, but discovered as I committed my ways to Him, that it was God’s plan for me. If you find that teaching is what continues to open up to you no matter what you do or say, then you may need to cry “uncle,” and ask God to strengthen you. After all, when God told the Israelites that He had a good plan for their future, they were actually in bondage and captivity. Some educators may also feel that they are in bondage if they teach at a low performance, poor, or chaotic school. Let me encourage you to trust God with your life. Believe and open yourself up to the possibility that you were put right where you are because your gifts, talents, and creative ideas are needed in that very place. Trust in God means to fully let go of your reins and completely fall into His arms. Actually, they are always there whether you acknowledge it or not.  No matter how bad the fall looks, trust Him to catch you. Experience has taught me that He will.

Deidre – Voice I