As of yesterday, I am no longer a science teacher. I type that with tears in my eyes, even though I know that I am following the Lord's lead into another mission and another ministry. For 25 years, I have loved showing teenagers the wonders of the universe and how the world was designed to function. For 21 of those years, I have been able to explicitly talk about how that connects to our spiritual lives and strengthens our relationship with God. That was possible because I worked at GRACE Christian School.
On Wednesday, GRACE held a farewell reception for me, and I was able to speak about my story there. Before I develop a YMCA story and a Professional Development story, I want to share my GRACE story with this blog one more time. Here's my speech from the reception.
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When I left Wake County and started looking for private school jobs, I was sure that there would be a part of myself I'd have to leave in the car every day - the part of me that watched movies and television and listened to secular music. That had been my experience as a student in a very strict Christian school (one where I got in trouble in the third grade for singing Rockin' Robin in the parking lot). Teachers who engaged in pop culture certainly didn't tell us about it, and I thought I surely wouldn't be able to. While I expected that would be difficult, the other alternative was not teaching, which was an unacceptable thought, so I was prepared to do it.
If you are wondering how the world has changed in 21 years, let me tell you about applying to GRACE. I didn't find the job opening on the school website because there wasn't one or on LinkedIn or Monster or any of the other job sites that didn't exist yet. I opened the Yellow Pages and sent my resumé to every private school in the area. I didn't even know GRACE existed. It was just one of the schools in the phone book.
When GRACE called me, I struggled with what to wear to my interview and how much of my real self to share, but as I sat in Kathie and Teresa's tiny shared office on Edwards Mill Road, I found myself thinking, "Wow! These are remarkably normal people for Christian school administrators." I think one of them was even wearing pants. When she offered me the job, Teresa told me she thought I would be a good fit.
When I arrived for teacher orientation, I found a most interesting, complex, and eclectic group of people who loved the Lord and wanted to educate kids. I was a good fit, not in spite of my quirks, but because of them. I didn't have to leave any part of myself outside the building. My weirdness wasn't just tolerated. It was embraced, celebrated, and used. Unlike public school, where the system is too large to be moved by the ideas of an individual, at GRACE, my input was valued and sought out, even though I was only 27 at the time and had little experience. It wasn't long before I knew that I was home.
Thank you all for the role each of you has played in forming the teacher and person I am today. Some of you have challenged me to think differently about the world. Some of you have shared your children with me. Some of you have listened to me when I thought I knew what I was talking about. Some have given me advice when I definitely didn't know what I was talking about. All of you have made me a better teacher.
Kathie Thompson, thank you hiring me, giving me the yearbook, and camp. And thank you for not being terribly upset with me when I broke the building - twice. Mandy Gill, thank you for creating a space where I was encouraged to try new things and for helping me clean up the mess when some of those things didn't work. Eric Bradley, thank you for coming here at just the right time and leading us through the most difficult experiences a school can face. Thank you for sending me to Learning and the Brain six years ago. Julia Taylor, thank you for creating opportunities for me to share what I had learned and giving me a taste of what it is like to teach teachers. Daniel Servi and Blake Hickman, you may have to tell each other that I love you now that I won't be here to tell you as frequently. Thank you for giving me time and space to speak in chapel because I now cannot imagine telling the kids about this in any other way.
We have lived a lot of life together in these 21 years, and I couldn't be more grateful. You all have laughed with me and cried with me and prayed with me and hugged me and covered my class when a migraine had me puking in a trash can in the hall. What I found here was a home, and that is what makes leaving so difficult. It feels like leaving home.
When I first started telling people how I felt God was leading, I was nervous because I didn't know how people might react. But every conversation followed the same pattern: First, surprise - because obviously, no one expected it, including me. Immediately followed by "Yeah, I can see God doing that." Having that kind of affirmation and support meant more to me than I can ever put into words.
I still plan to be around. I hope to sub a bit, especially in the beginning, and I think I'll have chances to come by for lunch. I will still attend plays and come to the governor's mansion to see the choir sing at Christmas. You aren't getting rid of me that easily because this is still a home I want to return to. Thank you all for . . . everything.
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