Teaching Testimony (Part 1)

Rather than sharing a devotional, I felt it on my heart to share my teaching testimony. God has abundantly blessed my profession and this story is too good to keep to myself.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I specifically remember taking a career aptitude test in 8th grade and one of my suggested careers was an educator. I didn’t think I had it in me, being so shy. But I did love school, especially since I started taking Spanish class that year.

By 10th grade, I knew I was going to be a Spanish teacher. As a non-native speaker, it seemed so unlikely. I wasn’t slated to pass the Advanced Placement exam in high school or the certification proficiency tests in college. I wasn’t expected to earn straight As in my major. But, by the grace of God, I did it all without any redos. I graduated college in 4 years, which was nearly impossible between schedule conflicts and internships.

You can say that each one of those instances is a coincidence. You can write it off as the result of hard work. And yes, while it required much of me, each little blessing was a miracle from God. Not only was He confirming my calling in allowing me to continue with each step, but He was also providing for me in a way I never personally experienced before. I had no room to doubt if I made the right choices or had the best career goals because God kept guiding me through.

A few weeks before I graduated, I started looking for teaching jobs. My certification would be pending for at least a month, which wasn’t ideal. I prayerfully searched for the right district. It was May and school was still in session. If I were to get a job, it would most likely be in the middle of the summer.

Or…so I thought. There was already town with not one, but two openings for a Spanish teacher. They never hired new teachers, and until I saw the listing, I might have never known this place existed. I interviewed shortly after I earned my degree and my demo lesson was not my finest work. But within a couple days, I got the call. Here I was, not even two weeks out of college, with a pending certification…and God still gave me this job. The reason they had these openings wasn’t because of teachers leaving, but because they were expanding their program. This position was literally made for me.

Looking back, I can see how God used me to help the individual students I had. To encourage and inspire them. To be the one who would listen and support. To foster a love of learning. I also see the relationships with my colleagues and how God used me in their lives, and vice versa. I became known as “team therapist” because I had such strong connections with my students. I knew, from the beginning, that it was the right fit for me. It was God’s provision for me…and the exact platform in which He wanted to use me.

I never imagined leaving, although on the rough days I might have toyed with the idea. It was home…or, at least, it felt like it.

To read part 2, click here.