Wednesday, eight
days before the beginning of school. I hand in two unsolicited resumes to the
office at Manhattan Christian Academy (MCA) and tell them that both Bethany and
I would like to be added to the substitute list. They are thrilled, especially when
I tell them we could do middle school. Apparently it's harder to find subs for
middle school.
Friday evening, 6
days before the first day of school. The assistant principal calls to tell me
that the music teacher had to resign unexpectedly because her apartment
building was sold and she had to vacate within the week and had decided to move
back to Florida. Would I consider either being a long-term sub for the
position, or even to take the full-time job?
Wait, what now?
I have a teaching
degree and experience, though the experience came over a decade ago. I have
general knowledge of music theory and have led worship countless times
informally and for a year and a half on staff at my church. But a music teacher
I am not.
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| My classroom, arranged for a review game |
Until I was. Bethany
and I prayed about it and sought counsel from a few people close to us, and I
told the assistant principal Saturday night that I would long-term sub until
they hired a full-time teacher. We believe that, as Andy Stanley would say, this
was "the wise thing to do." More on that in a moment.
The first day I can
get into the school to begin to prepare formally is Tuesday (Monday was Labor
Day). I feel wholly unprepared, overwhelmed, and nauseated. Everyone we tell
about it responds with encouraging, optimistic messages and prayers, for which I
am extremely grateful, though they do little to help me get a full night's
sleep.
I set a goal simply
to get through the first two days of classes, and then to worry about the
following week. The music teacher at MCA instructs every student in the school,
from pre-school (3 year-olds) to 8th grade, so there are 10 different levels.
There are far too many students for me to learn more than a few the first
couple of days. I cover basic rules and expectations and try to implement some
standard procedures. Friday afternoon arrives. I come home and collapse on the
couch, exhausted.
No one knew how long
this position would last. I figured it would be at a minimum two weeks, and at
most it could take half the year or more. My biggest hang-up for going all-in
was the two large concerts that the music teacher coordinates, one before Christmas
and one in the Spring. In addition, pre-K and Kindergarten have their own
concerts, also orchestrated by the music teacher. The concerts are big deals,
and parents and family pack out the building each time. I really had no
interest in being in charge of such large events, and the assistant principal
knew of my concerns. I told her after each of the first two days to continue
interviewing applicants. Many of the faculty and staff at the school expressed
to me, some subtly and some less so, that they thought I should come on staff
full-time. I was flattered but steadfast in my conviction.
Classes varied. Some
were trickier than others (middle school is an interesting time in one's life
whether you live in New York City or rural Pennsylvania), and my lessons
succeeded to various degrees (that's a euphemism for "sometimes I wanted
to bash my head against the wall"). Some of the kids were enthusiastic
participants, some were overly talkative, a few were occasionally defiant, and
many waved and yelled my name when they passed me outside of class.
The school hired a
permanent music teacher before the start of the third full week of school. I
was relieved.
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| I found this in a filing cabinet in the classroom and put it on the bulletin board. I had to add the glasses, but otherwise it might as well be a photo of me. |
I knew I would miss
getting to know the kids at the school, though I confess to still not knowing
many of their names. I enjoyed not having to worry about where our van was
parked each day, because the school worked out an agreement with a nearby
grocery store so we could use their lot. And I certainly enjoyed the extra
paycheck. It was an enormous help. I also enjoyed being much more of a part of
the works of the school, being an insider, if only for a month.
However, the
challenge of managing a classroom is one I did not miss -- not even a tiny bit
-- from my first days as a high school
teacher. Also, lesson planning is tough for me. It always was. That's one
reason it was wise for me to hand off the job to someone with a direct calling
and passion for the position.
Another reason has
to do with my own calling. Holding a full-time job would certainly make working
for Priority 1 more difficult. Perhaps not impossible, but certainly more
complex. If God leads me to a full-time job (outside of Priority 1, that is) in
the future, then so be it. But it simply was not right, not wise, for me to jump into this position at
this time.
I learned a lot, and
it was a wonderful experience. At the very least, I know the staff at the
school much better than I ever would have otherwise, and many of the kids run
over to me and give me a hug when they see me. I also earned enough to cover
more than a month and a half of the girls' tuition.
We continue to watch
for opportunities, for open doors. We prayed for God to provide when our bank
account was running lean, and He did. To Him be the glory forever, and may we
never forget that He is worth trusting.
