Mr. Glidden, Music Teacher

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.

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.

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.