Faint Glimmer of Hope
Yesterday was the last day of school. I feel like the year ended on a very good note. For lots of reasons.
I really like this district. I keep finding out little things that make me like it more. For example, the last-day-of-school-tradition. The teachers follow the kids on their way out to the buses. Then, as the buses leave, the bus drivers start honking like crazy, and the teachers stand on the sidewalk and wave good-bye to all the students. It is such a positive way to end the school year.
Then, there was the news in the paper on Tuesday. The headline on the sports section was that the head football coach in the district had resigned his coaching position. The rumor mill said that he was also leaving his teaching position, as soon as the new district he is coaching at makes him a position. He is a history teacher. Which means that a history job will likely be opening up within the district. See: my reason for hope. They really seem to like me within the district. I got the distinct impression last summer, when they called me to be a building sub, that they were trying to hang on to me, to keep me away from other districts. I know that could just be hubris, but it was what it felt like. Almost, that they were worried things wouldn't work out with the teacher they had picked, or they thought I could be a future asset to the district, so they kept me close. I was just thrilled to have steady work. Now I'm wondering if God was just trying to keep me busy and on their minds.
But I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. You see, there is this pesky fact that they still need a head football coach. A position that I am in no way willing or qualified to fill. So there is the danger for me. Football coaches tend to be social studies teachers. I don't know why. My only theory is that back in the 70s and 80s, someone started telling these football-coach hopefuls that social studies was the easiest subject to teach. (a lie!) Or maybe they just knew it would be the hardest to standardize test. But for whatever reason, coaches tend to teach history. Anyone who wants to coach may also want to be a teacher in the district. And if they teach history, that means that my chances of landing the history job drop significantly, even though I have been a building sub there this year, and have proven myself to be competent and flexible. So my prayer should be for a football coach that teaches either math (they have a position open in math) or maybe special ed. That way, they could hire me to teach history.
Despite what I should be praying for, that hasn't been what I've been asking for. Instead I have been asking God to show me my path, whatever He wants it to be. Knowing what He wants and what I want don't always match up, this has been a harder prayer to make. Though, the longer I feel aimless, the easier it gets. Who knows, maybe God has something completely different in mind, and is just trying to soften me up to accept it. I just wish He would show me the path soon. I'm getting impatient. And I know better than to pray for patience.
I really like this district. I keep finding out little things that make me like it more. For example, the last-day-of-school-tradition. The teachers follow the kids on their way out to the buses. Then, as the buses leave, the bus drivers start honking like crazy, and the teachers stand on the sidewalk and wave good-bye to all the students. It is such a positive way to end the school year.
Then, there was the news in the paper on Tuesday. The headline on the sports section was that the head football coach in the district had resigned his coaching position. The rumor mill said that he was also leaving his teaching position, as soon as the new district he is coaching at makes him a position. He is a history teacher. Which means that a history job will likely be opening up within the district. See: my reason for hope. They really seem to like me within the district. I got the distinct impression last summer, when they called me to be a building sub, that they were trying to hang on to me, to keep me away from other districts. I know that could just be hubris, but it was what it felt like. Almost, that they were worried things wouldn't work out with the teacher they had picked, or they thought I could be a future asset to the district, so they kept me close. I was just thrilled to have steady work. Now I'm wondering if God was just trying to keep me busy and on their minds.
But I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. You see, there is this pesky fact that they still need a head football coach. A position that I am in no way willing or qualified to fill. So there is the danger for me. Football coaches tend to be social studies teachers. I don't know why. My only theory is that back in the 70s and 80s, someone started telling these football-coach hopefuls that social studies was the easiest subject to teach. (a lie!) Or maybe they just knew it would be the hardest to standardize test. But for whatever reason, coaches tend to teach history. Anyone who wants to coach may also want to be a teacher in the district. And if they teach history, that means that my chances of landing the history job drop significantly, even though I have been a building sub there this year, and have proven myself to be competent and flexible. So my prayer should be for a football coach that teaches either math (they have a position open in math) or maybe special ed. That way, they could hire me to teach history.
Despite what I should be praying for, that hasn't been what I've been asking for. Instead I have been asking God to show me my path, whatever He wants it to be. Knowing what He wants and what I want don't always match up, this has been a harder prayer to make. Though, the longer I feel aimless, the easier it gets. Who knows, maybe God has something completely different in mind, and is just trying to soften me up to accept it. I just wish He would show me the path soon. I'm getting impatient. And I know better than to pray for patience.