Substitute Teaching

You really never know where God is going to lead you.

A speaker this week said she has become convinced that you never really know the will of God until your looking at it in the rear view mirror.

I can relate to that comment. When you look back its so much easier on many things to say, "Now I understand what you were up to God."

My newest adventure is substitute teaching for my local school district. I substitute teach for middle school and high school teachers for potentially all subjects.

In the spring several events and several conversations with Lord led me to think this is what God wants me to do. The reasons that made the most sense to me is my love for English Second Language students. The school systems of American have more of those than they know what to do with. I have had the opportunity to sub in this area several times both for high school and for middle school classes. I loved working with those kids just as much as I have enjoyed working with their parents. The reg flags of this experience are the lack flexibility in leadership one has as a teacher in the current environments. That's a blog entry for a whole separate blogspot.

I have identified in just one month of doing this a couple of unexpected gains. There is no other event in my life that has put me in a more dependent place daily than the choice to substitute teach. I am very outside my comfort zone and leadership skill level. I have seen God provide for me in very specific and wise ways. I am hopeful about the future benefits of learning to discipline myself to be dependent on God daily for my "work life".

The other gain is the chance to develop flexible leadership skills. Some classes get to a place where a heavy hand is the only option. Most classes need someone to facilitate the natural leaders in the class to step up and lead. Leading kids through the confusion of doing things differently has been interesting as well.

I just thought of something else I am learning to do. I have to discern who to trust quickly. Every one enjoys themselves much more if I lead from a place of trust rather than fear. That kind of leading has risks. But it has also had great rewards.

So its going to be very exciting to look in my rear view mirror someday and know more about why God has me doing this now.

And, I look forward to God answering my questions about whether or not God wants me to pursue being certified as a teacher and obtaining a teaching position in the school district.

What new challenge has God presented you? What are you gaining from it in your walk with God?