Just To Be Their Teacher

Today, the story behind this beautiful gift is skating through my heart.

Many of you know that I spent the two prior school years teaching high school Spanish to 8th graders. I loved it and savored every second of being a classroom teacher again, but in January, my Dad underwent open heart surgery for a triple bypass; the gift of more time with him prompted my decision to free up my schedule by retiring from school for good. I traveled home to WI five times this year to spend time with my family of origin.

But when the school bells started ringing in August, I realized that I still wanted to be a part of the excitement, the challenge, the joy of being in the schoolhouse with a school family, so I signed up to be a substitute teacher. I wasn't sure I'd actually sub much, but I figured it'd be fun every once in a while to help a teacher out by covering his/her class. Third day of school, in fact, I was invited to a fifth-grade classroom as a guest teacher so that my friend Melissa could take her son to college.

That's when she spotted me. She knew me as her son's school counselor from years ago, so she reached out shortly after that day to ask if I'd consider doing a long-term substitute position for her third-grade learners during an upcoming surgery and recovery period that she had scheduled. I said I would, and I blocked off the weeks before and after winter break, to save them for her. But in early September after some new health hurdles surfaced, she touched base again to ask if I could teach her sweet class every Friday until Thanksgiving.

And that's when God's plan for me became crystal clear.

It wasn't only to hang out with my own parents between author visits and PD growth sessions, but it was also to connect with, love, shepherd and mentor this sweet class through their teacher's illness.

What a satisfying semester it has been. I've gotten to teach Jr. High Choir, 8th grade Spanish, 6th grade math, Child Development, a 4th grade Quest class, a preK class, Kindergarten, High School Spanish and Jr. High Art, and monitor high school ISS, when I'm not with my Friday class, that is.

My Friday class.

I love the sound of that.

And I love them.

As we wrapped up the semester on the playground, I stood up to signal the end of recess and a student shouted, "Mrs. Gruener's class; line up!"

Mrs. Gruener's class.

More music to my ears. 🎶

Such a blessing to continue to serve in this capacity.

It's a win-win, because I enjoy teaching them

and they, in turn, are teaching me so much

about life and love and being little.

About joy.

About hope.