Lessons Learned…

What Can I Do? I’m Just A Kid.

The notice on the bulletin board at the apartment said blind-deaf student needing assistance with textbook transcription and basic daily life skill help, and on the bottom of the notice were several tear-off phone numbers. None had been taken. Someone out there needed help, but who was I to volunteer? I didn’t know anything about blindness , nor deafness, much less both. What could I do? How could I possibly offer any help? I didn’t tear off a phone number either and proceeded to go about my day. It troubled me, though. A student needed some help, and I was hoping to be a teacher. I did have some time. I could probably learn.  I went back, took a phone number, and called. We met, I learned how to help, we became good friends, and my life was richly blessed from this great opportunity to serve. It is well known that those who serve are doubly blessed. A willing heart is all it takes to serve, and a willing heart can be of any age.  My elementary age students understand well about giving, sharing, and serving; it is built into our curriculum. Service leads to compassion. For our world to heal, our cities to heal, our families to heal, and our hearts to heal, we must deny the selfish eyes-on-me mentality and look outward recognizing the need all around, for in lifting another up our own heart is blessed. What can I do; I am just a mom, just a teacher, just a worker, just an ordinary neighbor, just a student. What can I do; I am just a kid. One person with a willing heart can do a lot. One person with a willing heart can change the world for another person.  Why is teaching and modeling this not a higher priority? Will higher test scores or greater compassion be more beneficial to the world?

Lessons Learned...One Strategy For Helping Find A Teaching Position

Lessons Learned…

About Setting Yourself Up To Find A Teaching Job When Teaching Jobs Are Tough To Find

I graduated with a Teaching Degree in December of 1981. The” December” part alone meant, at best, a long term sub position, any grade and any subject K-8, in terms of employment in a school.  The “1981” part compounded the problem, for the early eighties were a time when available teaching jobs in the States were scarce.  Anticipating this early on, I realized my best bet was to gain extensive and diverse experience through volunteering regularly and faithfully in a wide variety of settings with the hopes of securing a letter or two or more of recommendation to strengthen my resume and my understanding.  I had time and passion for people. The organizations and individuals that allowed me to serve them had great patience and generosity of spirit. The list included: Being a summer camp counselor at a MDA residential camp, assisting a music therapist in an adult psychiatric unit, working closely with a blind/deaf university student during a two year window, rocking babies in the hospital so that parents could take much needed breaks, and writing kids’ music to enhance curricular plans in classrooms of teacher friends. As is always the case with serving others, the one who serves receives abundant blessings. My heart was warm and full of rich relational gifts and tender experiential compassion. They all offered kind letters of recommendation.  December of 1981 arrived stirring heart- waves of bittersweetness in the good-byes. Within three months, two strong, excellent job offers appeared each requiring a re-location of no more than four hours from home.       

Lessons Learned...

Lessons Learned About Serving

“How many scarves do you need so that each guest at the Rescue Mission’s Christmas Party will receive one?”

“We will need 500 scarves.”

“We can do that. We’d be honored to help in this way.”

So began our scarf project. Piles of fleece were donated by parents and grandparents and friends of our school. After cutting scarves to the proper size and cutting the ends so that knots could be tied, we delivered these “ready to tie” scarves to each classroom of our elementary school to be worked on during indoor recesses, which occurred frequently due to severe wind chills. Even the littlest students worked happily at tying with their beloved older student reading buddies. Together, as a school, we diligently and excitedly tied scarves and watched the pile of completed scarves grow and grow. Scarves in every color and pattern were everywhere around school and smiles were widening each day as we stepped closer and closer to achieving our goal of 500. December 18 was the day the Rescue Mission needed the scarves as they were setting up for their very fancy, very beautiful  Christmas Dinner and  Party for our area’s homeless. On a very chilly December 17,  with fingers tying frantically, we finished, we cheered, and we loaded the vans with these gorgeous, colorful, and toasty warm scarves.  The scarves were received at the Rescue Mission with smiles, hugs, and tears of joy. We never realized that 500 scarves could make our hearts feel so warm.