Oh, how I love the month of May. As a teacher, I always make a big deal about all things "May", including all the pretty flowers in bloom. Such a sweet month it is, filled with sunshine, flowers, teacher appreciation, Mother's Day, my birthday, and the end of a school year leading right into the beginning of summer break. But this particular May of 2024 held almost more than I could take in in such a short amount of time, including quite a few bittersweet moments that I wish I could have savored just a little bit longer.
I haven't shared much because I came home from David's graduation both physically and emotionally exhausted. It was all I could do to make it to the end of the school year without crashing. So where do I even start now? I was going to go back to the first of May and go over all the highlights in chronological order, but I think I'm going to do the opposite and start at the end, since it's freshest in my mind.
Last Friday, we brought the 2023-24 school year to a close at New Song Mission by inviting the kids' families to join us for a special Awards' Luncheon in the kitchen/living room right above where we do school. This time, the kids rehearsed two special performances so they could be part of our celebration, both a musical performance and a Reader's Theater. After they performed, we ate and then called each student up for two special awards, an academic award from me and a character award from their houseparents. At the end, they had fun with some noisemakers while I handed over a stuffed portfolio with all of their work from the last year. They all proceeded from there to the houses to get their things, so I didn't have to go through any real goodbyes or anything.
Shortly after all the kids and their families left the campus, the whole team met back at the kitchen table to end our year with prayer. Bob thanked all of us for answering the call and willingly walking in this specific good work that God had prepared beforehand for each of us to walk in. We shared a few good memories or rewarding experiences of the last year, and then we each prayed individually to thank God for the year behind us and to pray for the future. We then said our goodbyes, and I turned in my key because I won't be returning as the teacher at New Song Leadership Academy in the fall.
Though I moved into the classroom at New Song two years ago with the thought that I'd stay until I retired, God had other plans for me and only intended to use my time at New Song to stretch me and continue to equip me for a bilingual teaching position not yet in existence until the 2024-25 school year. I know He sent me to New Song for a purpose and strategically placed me in the lives of 13 different students who found a seat in our classroom at some point over the last two years. I also made some great relationships with the team that I hope to stay in touch with for a long time. Iron sharpens iron, and I do believe we sharpened each other, especially through prayer in challenging circumstances. But when I attended a Colombian cultural event in town in September and visited a little booth for a Spanish immersion school called Legado (Legacy), my heart lit up in a way I knew it didn't at New Song. The students had made bookmarks for the school, so I took one with bright pink letters and committed to pray about it. And thus began a pursuit to find out more about this school and to get to know one of the teachers there that attended church with me.
I visited the school on the first day of my fall break, had a guided tour in Spanish, observed in a few classrooms, and met with the principal to express my interest in any future job openings. Just walking around seeing all the Dual Language signs posted made me feel at home. Then I met my new friend from church (who also has a very intimate connection to Colombia) for coffee and learned more about her experience teaching there as the current fifth grade teacher. Her two children are also part of the program as students, so she could give me both perspectives as a teacher and as a parent.
The school is a two-way Dual Language program, with students who are learning English mixed with students who are learning Spanish. They just started the program 6 years ago with a PreK class who are now 5th graders. They keep adding a new grade every year, meaning they have one more grade to add next year (elementary goes through 6th grade here). After working with several 4th-6th graders this year at New Song and working through their curriculum, I knew I wanted to work with older elementary kids rather than the young grades I taught in Garland.
I applied for the position on January 8th, finally had an interview on February 20th, and I had a job offer within 48 hours. My friend was part of the interview panel of about 10 teachers who asked me questions both in English and Spanish, and by the time I got to my car after the interview, she texted me to say, "You nailed it. They all loved you!" Somehow they all agreed that my level of experience with Dual Language and my strong emphasis on creating solid routines and procedures is exactly what the future 6th grade class needs. I know it will be a huge challenge for me in many ways, but I can also see very clearly how my time at New Song has really been preparing me for that challenge. So I'll be spending my summer working closely with my friend to prep me on the class coming to me, as well as the ins and outs of the curriculum I'll be working with. I'm also working on refreshing my Spanish skills after a two year hiatus and to add Spanish to my Indiana certification. Working with Spanish again has filled me with a joy that I didn't know was missing until God brought it back to me.
So last Thursday, I packed up the classroom at New Song after our last day of school and headed straight to my new classroom with a carload of all my personal school stuff. The principal met me at the door, showed me my new classroom, and helped me find a cart to bring all my things in. We walked by the library office, where the Dual Language instructional coach (who had given me that first tour back in October) gave me the warmest, most enthusiastic welcome and hug, welcoming me to the team. It reminded me immediately of my very first principal at Bullock Elementary welcoming me with a huge bear hug. I'm so thankful to see God's continued guidance here in Columbus and to see the way He knows the desires of my heart better than I do.
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