God Was at Work All Along: What My Hardest School Year Taught Me
God Was at Work All Along: What My Hardest School Year Taught Me
What happens when the very message you teach becomes the lesson God asks you to live?
In this episode, I share a little about the most challenging school year of my teaching career. I share how God met me in the middle of the tears, taught me to receive help, deepened my faith, and reminded me that He was at work even when my circumstances didn't change.
If you're walking through a difficult season, my prayer is that this episode encourages you to trust God's presence, receive the help He sends, and remember that you never have to walk through it alone.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- How God met me in one of the hardest seasons of my teaching career
- What I learned about trusting God and receiving help
- How God used that season to prepare me for what was next
- Encouragement for anyone walking through a difficult season
Remember: You don't have to teach alone. Jesus is with you every step of the way.
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Transcript
Hello and welcome back to the Transformational Teacher Podcast.
Speaker A:I am your host, Itoya.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker A:Today's episode.
Speaker A:I want to share something that's been on my heart for quite some time.
Speaker A:Many of you know that the 25 to 26 school year was one of the most difficult school years I've experienced.
Speaker A:Recently, I wrote a magazine article called God Met Me in the Messy Middle.
Speaker A:And while I was writing it and reflecting on on the year, I realized there were so many parts of the story that couldn't fit.
Speaker A:So today I want to share more about what God was doing during that season.
Speaker A:And if I'm honest, when I look back over the 25 to 26 school year, when it began, I never imagined again it will become one of the hardest years of my teaching career.
Speaker A:I was excited about this year.
Speaker A:I was ready.
Speaker A:I was looking forward to another year of doing what God had called me to do and in the classroom.
Speaker A:And here's the thing.
Speaker A:The reason I never imagined it would become one of the hardest years is because I thought I had already experienced that season.
Speaker A: Back in: Speaker A:That was the year I wanted to walk away from teaching altogether.
Speaker A:I wanted to throw in the towel.
Speaker A:But God met me there.
Speaker A: The season that I was in in: Speaker A:It was during that season that I realized that if God has called me to teach, then I needed to invite him into my classroom every single day.
Speaker A:I realized my faith couldn't stay at church.
Speaker A:My faith could not stay in the car.
Speaker A:It had to come with me wherever I went.
Speaker A:So it had to go with me into that classroom because that's where God had called me to serve.
Speaker A:That lesson changed the way I taught.
Speaker A:So when the 25 to 26 school year began, I thought, okay, I've already been through my hardest season.
Speaker A:But again, I was wrong.
Speaker A:This season challenged me in ways I never expected.
Speaker A:But the difference was the season that I went through.
Speaker A: In: Speaker A: But the: Speaker A:It took me deeper.
Speaker A:It wasn't just about inviting God into my classroom anymore because I was doing that.
Speaker A:It was about learning to trust him more deeply, to trust him even when things are not lining up.
Speaker A:I had to learn to depend on him more and become a doer of his word and not just a hearer.
Speaker A:I had to watch the way I was responding to things that were happening in the classroom.
Speaker A:Because things that were happening I had never seen before.
Speaker A:So again, God was teaching me to live out what I had been learning.
Speaker A:It wasn't enough for me to teach these principles to other teachers.
Speaker A:Through the transformational teacher, God was inviting me to live them out.
Speaker A:Out.
Speaker A:Looking back, I now realize I had a choice.
Speaker A:I could allow that difficult season to shape me and to become bitter, or I could allow God to shape me through it and to cause me to become better.
Speaker A:Change the way I saw things, change my perspective.
Speaker A:And looking back, I can honestly say that's what God was doing.
Speaker A:He was changing me.
Speaker A:Now, I don't want to.
Speaker A:I do want to say this.
Speaker A:I made it through that school year.
Speaker A:But again, it wasn't easy.
Speaker A:Going deeper with God didn't mean the challenges disappeared.
Speaker A:It meant learning to trust him in ways I had never done before.
Speaker A:There were days I left school mentally, emotionally, physically exhausted.
Speaker A:There were moments when I questioned myself, Moments when I felt overwhelmed.
Speaker A:And if I'm going to be honest with you, there were days I cried.
Speaker A:There were days I cried in the classroom, days I cried in the car before getting out.
Speaker A:There were days that I just sat in the bathroom and cried.
Speaker A:I tried so hard to hold everything together.
Speaker A:I kept telling myself, I'm okay, I'm fine.
Speaker A:I can handle this.
Speaker A:I got this.
Speaker A:But people kept asking me this question, detoya, are you okay?
Speaker A:And for a moment I'm like, why are all these people asking me this?
Speaker A:I got this.
Speaker A:We gonna make it through.
Speaker A:But sometimes when they were asked, before I could even answer, the tears would flow.
Speaker A:I couldn't hold them back anymore.
Speaker A:That was the moment I realized, I'm not okay.
Speaker A:And I realized that it was okay to admit that I was not okay.
Speaker A:I had to admit that I wasn't okay so I could then receive the help that was needed.
Speaker A:That realization changed everything.
Speaker A:Instead of pretending everything was fine, I reached out.
Speaker A:I talked with people God had placed in my life.
Speaker A:Mentors, people in my district.
Speaker A:My principal played a big role in this journey.
Speaker A:And of course, my pastor and first lady and a few others for my church, my whole church, I believe they were praying for me, people who listened to me.
Speaker A:Eventually, people came to observe what was happening in my classroom.
Speaker A:And they saw exactly what I had been experiencing.
Speaker A:Not long after, actually, the day the person left that was observing, that same day, they sent an email and it said that we had received a one on one assistant for that student.
Speaker A:And I have never had to have a one on one assistant for any of my students.
Speaker A:And originally, that Support wasn't supposed to last very long, but guess what?
Speaker A:By God's grace, they stayed longer than they were expected to stay.
Speaker A:And then that one on one had to leave.
Speaker A:And I wasn't sure if we were going to get another one or not.
Speaker A:But guess what?
Speaker A:Another one came.
Speaker A:And this person wasn't supposed to stay long either.
Speaker A:But they stayed the rest of the year.
Speaker A:And looking back now, I can clearly see God's hand was all over this situation.
Speaker A:I just look back and I'm like, God, I thank you.
Speaker A:You saw us.
Speaker A:He knew exactly what we needed.
Speaker A:He knew the people to sin.
Speaker A:Because at one point I was like, I don't know if I want them in here because are they going to be able to help?
Speaker A:But again, God knew what we needed and he sent help.
Speaker A:Here's something I learned.
Speaker A:Sometimes we pray for help, but when it comes, we don't always want to receive it.
Speaker A:And I'll be honest, I didn't always want the help.
Speaker A:Sometimes the help was overwhelming.
Speaker A:But I realized, no, you need the help.
Speaker A:And I also realized that some of the advice that people were giving to me, I had to then go back and say, okay, this is what they're saying, but God, what do you want me to take?
Speaker A:What do you want me to implement?
Speaker A:And also I think sometimes the reason I didn't want the help, maybe it was because deep down I thought accepting help somehow meant I had failed and that I couldn't do it.
Speaker A:But I'm so thankful that God sent the help anyway.
Speaker A:Sometimes God answers our prayers in ways that we don't expect.
Speaker A:And here's another amazing thing.
Speaker A:As I look back, I realize I spent much of the first part of the school year asking God to change my circumstances.
Speaker A:All the while he was faithfully changing me.
Speaker A:And that's what needed to take place.
Speaker A:I needed to change.
Speaker A:He deepened my prayer life.
Speaker A:He taught me to pray him when nothing around me had changed.
Speaker A:And it was just amazing that that's what my pastor was speaking on preaching about, was about praise, that we had to start praising God more.
Speaker A:And I took that to heart.
Speaker A:He showed me areas of my own heart that still needed his work.
Speaker A:And one thing that he showed me was I had to walk in more love.
Speaker A:He taught me that I didn't have to carry things on my own.
Speaker A:And here's something that I didn't fully understand.
Speaker A:While I was in the middle of that season, God wasn't only preparing me finish the school year, he was preparing me for what he had next.
Speaker A:That difficult year.
Speaker A:Guess what it caused me to begin asking God, is there something else that you have for for me to do?
Speaker A:And here's the thing, to be honest, I knew God called me to do more.
Speaker A:I love what I do, but I know God has been calling me to do more.
Speaker A:And here's the thing, I was I'm comfortable where I am.
Speaker A:But I would say last year it stretched me but also I had to realize I had to push and step outside of comfort zone.
Speaker A:It gave me the courage to apply to teach at the community college, something I had wanted to do for years.
Speaker A:And guess what?
Speaker A:I am now teaching part time at the community college.
Speaker A:I'm still teaching pre K. And actually here's the thing, I have peace about it because there was a moment where I was I don't want to go back in that classroom but I have peace about going back in that classroom for this upcoming school year.
Speaker A:But now I'm also again, I'm teaching part time at the community college.
Speaker A:And this is something I had been wanting to do for the longest but I never stepped out and applied because of some was because of fear because I'm like all I've done has taught pre K. But I knew God called me to do more but I was comfortable where I was at.
Speaker A:So I'm so thankful that I stepped out because now I'm also preparing future early childhood educators through this journey.
Speaker A:And God reminded me of something I'll never forget that this isn't a different calling.
Speaker A:It's the same calling, just a different audience.
Speaker A:And maybe you're listening today and your classroom feels heavy.
Speaker A:Maybe you've cried.
Speaker A:Maybe you've questioned yourself.
Speaker A:Maybe you've been trying to convince everyone around you that you're okay.
Speaker A:Can I encourage you?
Speaker A:Don't walk through a challenging season alone.
Speaker A:Be honest with God.
Speaker A:Tell him exactly how you feel.
Speaker A:And if you're not okay, let him know you're not okay.
Speaker A:And again, reach out to those people that are in your life that God has sent to help you.
Speaker A:Again, tell God how you feel and don't be afraid to reach out.
Speaker A:One of the greatest lessons I learned is that God often answers our prayers through people.
Speaker A:Sometimes the hardest part is asking for help.
Speaker A:It's receiving the help that he sends.
Speaker A:Just because your circumstances haven't changed doesn't mean God isn't working.
Speaker A:He may be doing his deepest work in you even while your circumstances remain the same.
Speaker A:Sometimes we're asking God to change our circumstances.
Speaker A:All the while he wants to change something on the inside of us.
Speaker A:So we want to allow God to do the pruning.
Speaker A:Allow him to refine you.
Speaker A:Allow him to do a great work in you.
Speaker A:My prayer is that one day you will be able to look back and say what I can say today.
Speaker A:God was at work all along.
Speaker A:If no one has told you this lately, again, you don't have to teach alone.
Speaker A:Jesus is with you.
Speaker A:He sees you.
Speaker A:He knows what you need and he often places people around you to walk alongside you.
Speaker A:Don't be afraid to receive the help that he sends you.
Speaker A:Again, you are not alone.
Speaker A:I am here for you.
Speaker A:And I just want to remind you, if God has called you in this season to teach, he will help you navigate throughout this season.
Speaker A:And remember, if a day comes and it's a challenging day, remember God is still faithful even in the challenging seasons that we encounter.
Speaker A:Just as much as he's faithful in those times when things are going well in our lives.
Speaker A:God is always there and he always wants to help you.
Speaker A:So I want you to go forth inside that classroom or go forth and do whatever God has called you to do do.
Speaker A:Even if it's not inside the classroom.
Speaker A:Wherever God has called you to to do, make the impact he has called you to make.
Speaker A:And you will make the impact by trusting him, by leaning on him, by asking him to guide you and direct your footsteps.
Speaker A:So again, go forth and do what God has called you to do.
Speaker A:Until next time, remember, I love you and I am praying for you.
Speaker A:And if you are a teacher, please join us inside of the Teaching with Jesus community.
Speaker A:I will put the link in the show notes.
Speaker A:And again, thank you so much for listening.
