Friends!
My journey to the
classroom has been a winding road. The
newest opportunity has me stepping in for a Middle School Social Studies Teacher
as she enjoys her maternity leave. It’s
not a forever classroom but as an educator who copes with cerebral palsy, it is
an extraordinary gift to independently lead a classroom. These past two weeks
have been as much about physical adjustment as they have been about celebrating
what it means to live out my dream. My
heart is filled with an overwhelming joy!
In early September, I
reached out to a faith mentor who I admire for his dedication to urban ministry
to share news of this stepping-stone. He
responded by sending his prayers and reminding me “Teaching middle school is a special calling.” This is to say, middle school is an age of
transformation. Students are
discovering themselves and being introduced to more challenging academic material.
Truthfully, I never thought my passion for teaching would lead me to a middle
school classroom. However, it is the perfect fit! We are developing our confidence to be difference makers together!
As I walk into the
classroom each day, I’m reminded of how much my time in middle school
transformed my life as a disabled person.
Leadership was not about being the captain of an athletic team or the president of student government. Instead,
leadership was a choice to be my best self.
This middle school lesson is essentially how I’ve aimed to live my
life. It helped me keep fighting against
the odds. It also gave me permission to
accept that cerebral palsy might keep me from being a classroom teacher. Logically, I wouldn’t loose my leadership ability
if I settled for what I considered second best. It’s fair to say that at times struggling to become a teacher has left me questioning my identity as a a leader.
At the end of each day, I
am continually amazed at how well I am defeating the visible and invisible
challenges that cerebral palsy gives to me daily. I am grateful for a team of teachers who keep
me uplifted. The opportunity to lead in the classroom for
an extended period of time has shifted my self-image. I have gone from a struggling leader to a teacher in transformation!
Dreams really do come true..... I am so proud to be a teacher!
Joyfully,
Teacher Julie
