bring on the books, sack lunches, & field trips

For those of you who don't already know, I will be returning to school in September at Union University (Germantown campus) to start working on my M.A.Ed. (Master of Arts in Education).  It only took taking a job at a photography studio and quitting after a miserable two weeks; writing gobs of cover letters and filling out gobs of applications for secretarial positions, marketing, nannying, editing, and everything in between; considering law school, traipsing around to every law office within 20 miles of here hoping for a "gopher" position, then shadowing a paralegal to make me realize that the plan I had had since I was five was the right plan: teach.  Not sure why I ever thought I would like to do something else better than teaching, but I'm glad I now have the "exploring other avenues" bug out of my system! Call me idealistic or whatever you will but I am excited about teaching because I feel like it is a job in which I can really make a difference--though it may be a small one--in the world.  Add to that the fact that I have always loved school [I was the kid who, even through college, delighted in organizing my notebooks and having all my homework completed.]  Again, call me what you will.  So needless to say, I am excited about starting back to school both as student and teacher.

I am scheduled to take the Praxis English grades 7-12 Content Knowledge exam on July 24--I've got to start brushing up on my grammar and high school literature! And although I won't yet be certified, I was told to go ahead and apply for positions for this fall, so that's what I'm doing and we're praying someone will be desperate!  The M.A.Ed. program will take me about two years to complete (classes will meet a couple nights a week), will satisfy all the requirements for certification, and will give me a "transitional license" with which I can teach until I finish the degree.

In the mean time, God has been so faithful to meet all of our needs during this last month without me working.  And just this past Sunday, I talked to a couple in our Connecting Point class (aka Sunday School) who owns a franchise of Computer Explorers about the possibility of working for them. [Another couple in our class, who are both teachers, work for them in the summer and suggested I talk with them.]  They are a company who works with schools to provide technology education to kids ages three and up.  I am supposed to meet with her next week and hopefully get started working a camp the week of June 21.  If I am not offered an English teacher position for the fall, then I can most likely continue working for them throughout the school year.  [This is just one of the tangible blessings that is coming out of the relationships we are building with the people in our class.  I'm so thankful the Lord placed us at Central and in that class--He is really growing us through it.]

So, a teacher I will be.  I've got His peace about this [not so new] direction, and I'm excited.