Becoming an educator has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. When God opened the door for me to teach, respectfully, I asked Him, “Are you sure about this?” But as I continued doing what He called me to do, I learned that I was exactly where I needed to be. As this school year approaches its end, I’ve had some time to reflect on my first year of teaching. And I can wholeheartedly share that it’s been a faith walk that’s shattered my comfort zone and has been a journey filled with peaks, pits, and plenty of in-between moments that God somehow knew were already going to happen. Whether you’re an educator or not, or simply embarking on a new career path or opportunity, know that when God positions you and opens new doors for you, He already knows the plans He has for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
The peaks. First, getting hired by the original administration team who invited me to join their school as a first-time educator was something I know God did. I was offered a one-year contract and hired to work in a Title 1 school as a literacy teacher/instructional coach to help struggling readers and writers with their work. When I learned about the responsibilities that came with working in a Title 1 school and the population of students I’d be working with, I knew much would be required of me. The fact that I had no prior teaching experience and that this transition happened during a global pandemic is something I know only God could have done. I’d interviewed for so many other positions that aligned more with my previous field experiences and was denied at every turn. But somehow, the doors opened for teaching. One of the principals who hired me told me, “I wouldn’t have hired you if I didn’t have faith in you. My goal is to get you where I want you to be.” Her belief in me made me want to rise to the occasion. So I enrolled in a new graduate program, participated in professional development trainings and events, and was granted provisional licensure while working towards full licensure. I quickly dived into teaching in a virtual setting, then a hybrid one, and then in-person. And as I moved through each space, I began building relationships with the different students I worked with every day, and as we all got to know one another, I found myself enjoying the purposeful work I got to do. As much as I’d been told that working with middle school students would be difficult, my experience was a blessing. I was fortunate to work with some great kids who have bright futures in store for their lives. Sure, there were some hard days, but overall, things were good. I knew that I was where I was supposed to be.
The pits. At the capacity I had different people in my life supporting me and celebrating this new opportunity, there were plenty of others who had interesting things to say too. Different family members, friends, acquaintances, and former and current coworkers, all said the following:
· “You’re not really qualified to teach.”
· “You don’t have any teaching experience.”
· “You don’t have enough teaching experience.”
· “You don’t have enough teaching experience to be considered an instructional coach.”
· “Your first five years of teaching are going to be stressful, and you’re going to get observed a lot.”
· “What’s your end game? I wouldn’t want to take a job based on having to pass a Praxis test.”
· “Your contract is only for one year. What are you going to do after that?”
· “It will be hard for you to get another teaching job since you haven’t finished all of your graduate coursework.” “You could always look into being a permanent substitute teacher or a teaching assistant.”
· “Middle school is a different kind of beast.”
· “I’m surprised you even got that position.”
The comments above also reminded me of times from my past when I was told the following:
· “You should consider going to community college and just getting an associate degree. A bachelor’s degree will take more time.”
· “You don’t need a house. You need to start with something smaller, like an apartment.”
· “You could have been married by now if you had just stayed with… (the guy who didn’t treat me right, the one who hooked up with one of my friends and didn’t think I knew about it, the one who enjoyed looking at thirst traps of half-naked women on social media, the one who wanted to get with me because he thought I had a lot of money and came from an affluent family, the one who wasn’t supportive, or the one who never called or texted back.)
Even though getting a bachelor’s degree took more time, I worked hard and earned my B.A. in English.
After years of properly managing my money and maintaining excellent credit, I became a homeowner earlier this year.
And while I’m currently unmarried, I’ll never be content with settling for less.
So does it really matter what people think or say concerning how your life unfolds? Especially if they’re not God?
Nope. Not at all.
I also found out from another teacher (who felt it was her professional duty to inform me) that another coworker in my department, who she claimed was jealous of me and wanted my position, was keeping tabs on me during the time I was doing virtual instruction. The teacher who warned me also informed me that she defended me when my name was brought up. The teacher who kept tabs told the teacher defending me that I wasn’t doing my job, which wasn’t true. When I met the teacher who made this claim, I’d already sensed she wasn’t thrilled about my arrival, so I kept my distance. She would later proceed to take digs at me and others I worked with during our department meetings. What was disappointing about this was that she was older than me and the only other Black woman in our department. The fact that we were the only two Black women in our department and not connecting was unfortunate. It would have been nice to collaborate. I bet we could have learned a lot from each other. But I get it. Everyone’s not into that kind of thing. I’m just looking forward to the day when women, especially women of color, are more supportive of one another. Regardless, I stayed focused on what God positioned me to do: to serve the students and help them improve with their reading and writing.
As I settled into my new role, I found out that at the start of the new year the principal who hired me would be transferring to another school. Which meant a new principal was on the way. This change was something I didn’t see coming (even though God did) and one that I was nervous about. I’d already started building a good relationship with the principal who hired me and believed in me and what I could do. What would things be like with someone new? I felt unsettled and didn’t like the uncertainty of what could be coming next. I thanked my former principal for giving me a new opportunity and hiring me during a time when I felt like giving up on myself. God allowed her to open the door for me. And just like that, she was off to another school.
The in-between. The one constant you can count on in life is change. It’s inevitable, and it comes whether you’re ready for it or not. Lesson plans change. Classes change. Positions change. Teachers change. And principals change too. When the new principal arrived, she came in strong and with a lot of changes she wanted to implement quickly. And a lot of people weren’t happy about some of the changes. But for the most part, I found the changes mild compared to work experiences I’d had in the past. When it was time to review my teaching observations, the new principal shared that she thought I was intelligent, professional, passionate about my work, and had great relationships with my students. And although my observation rating was proficient for the year, she mentioned some areas of improvement she wanted me to work on. I was also warned to be careful about the writing material used in my curriculum. Specifically, regarding a snippet of an article I wrote for Thought Catalog about NBA players using their platforms to bring awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement. While my students enjoyed the article and were excited when they found out I wrote it, I was told I needed to be careful because articles like the one I shared could cause complaints from parents. Fortunately, there were no issues or complaints, which was good. When we discussed whether or not I’d be returning as the school’s literacy teacher/instructional coach, I sensed I wouldn’t be returning. The principal expressed the standards she would be looking for in future candidates and that other interviews for my position would be conducted. I also learned that funding for the position was pending. Again, my contract was only for one year, so going in, there were no guarantees I’d be returning. After our meeting, I was a little disheartened but still so grateful. It’s been a great year. I’m moving forward with incredible work experience under my belt, new professional connections, and excitement about what’s next for me – teaching 7th grade English!
Shortly before and after learning that my contract was ending, I started interviewing for other available teaching positions. And within a month, I received news that I was chosen for a position as a 7th grade English teacher at a new school, along with an extended contract offer. So the journey continues. I know what God has called me to do. And nothing can make me doubt Him or the plans He has in store. This is just the beginning, and I’m all in.