Fabulous Friday #2

(Please pretend that I really posted this on Friday - it was a busy day yesterday and by the time I got home, I was ready to just crash!) :-)

Today is a fabulous day because I am blessed. Every day, I am blessed, but I wanted to reserve a day to be certain that I really focused on those blessings.

Today, I wanted to express my gratitude for my job and for a boss who knew just the perfect "niche" for me. I've moved into a new role this year, and I absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong - I adore teaching and for ten years, loved the thrill of learning new things alongside my students. I loved my 4th and 5th graders, teaching them, nurturing them, and laughing with them. Yet over the years the list of my "other" duties began to grown, and soon enough, it was overwhelming my task list. Last year was a struggle for me as I felt like I couldn't do anything on my task list to the best of my ability, and that made me sad. I knew that my students were not getting the very best from me, and yet I didn't have any more to give them either.

As I prayed through this, God helped me to see that the chances of those "other" type duties decreasing in continuing years was slim - I lean toward organizational, leadership activities and it's hard to not suddenly find myself surrounded by them. He also began to whisper to my heart that, over 10 years of teaching, all 4 principals I'd served under had tried to tell me that they thought I would eventually step into some other role beyond the classroom. All along the way, I refused their vision, claiming that I loved the classroom and would be in it for my entire career in some form or fashion. I refused it most because I don't think that administration is a job that I would thrive upon (then again, I've been proven wrong many times). God just nudged my heart to be open to possibilities.

Sure enough, one day in early February last year, I was meeting with my principal and expressed some of my restlessness. In that moment, I was overwhelmed by God's graciousness and His perfect plan - Ardath shared with me a position that the district was creating, described a little bit of it to me, and asked if I would be interested in it. I responded that I definitely was.

In the 7-8 weeks that followed, I continued to pray over it, and the ball rolled along at the district as the new position was officially created and approved. Problem was that the position had to be "rolled out" over a 2 year course, and my school was in the 2nd year. I was devastated at first, but then hopeful because my principal is a determined force, and she went forward with a creative plan to still be able to have me in that position for this year. Right around the first week of May last year, she got the "go ahead" and we celebrated it!! The caveat was that my role would be half-time ESL teacher and half-time in this new role, Campus Intervention Specialist (CIS).

I have loved it!! ESL has been a phenomenal experience because not only was it a great way to still have some direct involvement with students as an adjustment phase from years of having 90-120 5th graders in the course of a day. It has also been another wonderful learning opportunity! The CIS position was at first tapered down to be truly 50% of the job description since I was juggling two roles ... however those of you who know me realize that I crave challenges, and it was probably six weeks into the year (okay, um ... two?) before I had the entirety of the role in my lap again (and gladly so).

It's made for a busy year - juggling a job and a half, essentially. Yet I have truly loved (almost) every moment of it. I am just so very overwhelmed by a principal who knows me well enough - perhaps better than I did at the moment - to know that I would love this position. Not everyone gets great satisfaction out of organizing things, after all. At least, not enough satisfaction to be content enough in that place of the "teacher heart" to be simultaneously content with a more indirect involvement in helping students. So today I'm thanking God for my boss - may He bless her for her vision and her passion.

But I would be remiss not to say that I am far more grateful for God, who orchestrated all things according to His plan for me, and who perfectly orchestrated each step along the way to guide me into and keep me on the right path. I am so blessed.