Teacher, Teacher
Do you remember when you were young and growing up that you had lots of dreams and ideas of what you wanted to happen when you "grew up?" I was going to be a teacher, a nurse, a missionary, an author, an artist and a mother. At some point I aspired to live in a log house in the woods. At another point I dreamed of the husband who I would be married to and the children I wanted to have. At this time in my life it is interesting to observe which of those dreams have actually happened. One intermingled with another seems to be about to become reality for a short time.
When I did get married to a good husband and have four beautiful children there was a point somewhere in that experience that I reflected that this was one of my dreams that was now actually happening. Who would ever have thought that the log house in the woods would happen? It did. For almost four years we lived in a beautiful log house with 11 more acres of woods and stream with romantic bridge and fairy-tale paths. I even made friends with a wild turkey and that was not in my dreams but I enjoyed it. I did not become a nurse but instead found out that I am quite squemish so that's probably one dream that was better left unaccomplished. I bandaged and treated my family when they were sick. That was all the nursing I was willing to do after realizing my potential in that subject. But the teacher dream is another story.
My first experience teaching was of course to my dolls. My dad made me a cool chalk board and mounted it on a wall in my "SPOT" in the basement. (My Spot was a little corner in the basement that was semi-walled off and that I used for my very own play area. There was a little bench in there and a table and chairs and all my toys. I spent hours playing there and my dolls were probably the most educated dolls in Detroit, MI. By the time I got to high school it seemed appropriate to join Future Teachers of America. In future teachers I was something of a teachers aid/assitant. Unfortunately most of my duties were weeding and watering the green house in the elementary school that joined the high school building. I had chosen the science teacher to help and she wasn't creative in finding teacher kinds of tasks for me to do.
Then when I was 16 or 17 I went to a different church and I was asked to teach a Sunday School class. Well that was great - I got a little teaching in there. But because of various turns and happenings in my life I did not go to college. (That too is another story.) As life went on I taught Sunday School some more and even was a camp counselor. Still I had never become a "real" teacher." Then I started employment at Greenfield Village.
At The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (often referred to as The Village) I became a Historical Interpreter. I still remember my first training. We were told we were teachers, actors and diplomats on our jobs. This advise proved true every day that I was there even when I wasn't doing the more public job of interpreter. There was no end of wonderful, funny and difficult experiences that I had there but in an unique way I was a teacher. I actually "taught" some special classes that were offered through the membership program. I taught kids how to make a zoetrope, a clown and various historical stuff. I lead a "class" called Lumberjack Breakfast and one in the farmhouse, one in the then Saltbox house and one on the Edison Home where we made Strawberry Shortcake and hand churned ice cream.
When I went to Bible Camp I taught puppet class, Bible class, cake decorating class, open fire cooking, papermaking, basket weaving, banquet preparation and other stuff I can't even remember. At home I taught Bible classes, cake decorationg etc. etc.
One day while reflecting back on some things I remember realizing that even though I had not been a teacher in the traditional classroom setting that I had actually been teaching all my life. I liked to be a bridge from unknown to known for anybody about anything I knew about. I liked to be a lamplighter and a lampholder. I realized that although my dream of being a teacher was not drawn from the pattern I had in my mind that it had been drawn in an even more dynamic way that had much more color and dimension than I had imagined. I really WAS a teacher. And the best part was that I was still a STUDENT and I liked it like that.
My daughters are all unique and have wonderful talents. Sarah and Laura are artists. Sarah does all kinds of different things artistally and Laura is one of the best knitters I have ever seen. Sarah is going to homeschool her children and Laura is homeschooling Rebekah. Heather got a degree in teaching at Eastern and right now is attending classes to recertify now that her kids are bigger. Heather also homeschooled Jacob for a time. Melissa is a missionary teacher on the Navajo reservation at Immanuel Mission in Arizona.
It means so much to me that my daughters have become accomplished young women who love God and who love their families. They have their own dreams but it is somewhat of a pleasure to see them accomplish things that were important or enjoyable things to me also.
Melissa needs surgery and she will be out of the loop so to speak for a while. Immanuel Mission does not have a substitute list quite like school districts have. In fact some days there just isn't a teacher when a mission teacher is sick or called away. They really need someone to be a substitute kindergarten teacher while Mel recovers from surgery.
Right now I am full of joy and anticipation to think that it will be me that will be a real teacher for a little while for some wonderful kids at Immanuel Mission. I am going to be the substitute for Melissa's class. Only because God can help me do whatever He wants me to do can I go and do this job. I will have the joyful task of teaching them the main subject - Bible and then a bunch of other stuff like ABCs and 123s. I can tell stories to them and sing songs with them. I can teach them about a Father who loves them so much He sent His very own and only Son to die for the whole world. I am overwhelmed.
If you are my friend or family member and you are reading this I have a request. Please pray for me. I need that undergirding for this opportunity. I see this as a blessing - that I would be able to do this but it is a big job. I know God will give me the strength to do it.
We don't always see our dreams come true in life but it's fun to see some of them come to reality. Sweet Dreams.
When I did get married to a good husband and have four beautiful children there was a point somewhere in that experience that I reflected that this was one of my dreams that was now actually happening. Who would ever have thought that the log house in the woods would happen? It did. For almost four years we lived in a beautiful log house with 11 more acres of woods and stream with romantic bridge and fairy-tale paths. I even made friends with a wild turkey and that was not in my dreams but I enjoyed it. I did not become a nurse but instead found out that I am quite squemish so that's probably one dream that was better left unaccomplished. I bandaged and treated my family when they were sick. That was all the nursing I was willing to do after realizing my potential in that subject. But the teacher dream is another story.
My first experience teaching was of course to my dolls. My dad made me a cool chalk board and mounted it on a wall in my "SPOT" in the basement. (My Spot was a little corner in the basement that was semi-walled off and that I used for my very own play area. There was a little bench in there and a table and chairs and all my toys. I spent hours playing there and my dolls were probably the most educated dolls in Detroit, MI. By the time I got to high school it seemed appropriate to join Future Teachers of America. In future teachers I was something of a teachers aid/assitant. Unfortunately most of my duties were weeding and watering the green house in the elementary school that joined the high school building. I had chosen the science teacher to help and she wasn't creative in finding teacher kinds of tasks for me to do.
Then when I was 16 or 17 I went to a different church and I was asked to teach a Sunday School class. Well that was great - I got a little teaching in there. But because of various turns and happenings in my life I did not go to college. (That too is another story.) As life went on I taught Sunday School some more and even was a camp counselor. Still I had never become a "real" teacher." Then I started employment at Greenfield Village.
At The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (often referred to as The Village) I became a Historical Interpreter. I still remember my first training. We were told we were teachers, actors and diplomats on our jobs. This advise proved true every day that I was there even when I wasn't doing the more public job of interpreter. There was no end of wonderful, funny and difficult experiences that I had there but in an unique way I was a teacher. I actually "taught" some special classes that were offered through the membership program. I taught kids how to make a zoetrope, a clown and various historical stuff. I lead a "class" called Lumberjack Breakfast and one in the farmhouse, one in the then Saltbox house and one on the Edison Home where we made Strawberry Shortcake and hand churned ice cream.
When I went to Bible Camp I taught puppet class, Bible class, cake decorating class, open fire cooking, papermaking, basket weaving, banquet preparation and other stuff I can't even remember. At home I taught Bible classes, cake decorationg etc. etc.
One day while reflecting back on some things I remember realizing that even though I had not been a teacher in the traditional classroom setting that I had actually been teaching all my life. I liked to be a bridge from unknown to known for anybody about anything I knew about. I liked to be a lamplighter and a lampholder. I realized that although my dream of being a teacher was not drawn from the pattern I had in my mind that it had been drawn in an even more dynamic way that had much more color and dimension than I had imagined. I really WAS a teacher. And the best part was that I was still a STUDENT and I liked it like that.
My daughters are all unique and have wonderful talents. Sarah and Laura are artists. Sarah does all kinds of different things artistally and Laura is one of the best knitters I have ever seen. Sarah is going to homeschool her children and Laura is homeschooling Rebekah. Heather got a degree in teaching at Eastern and right now is attending classes to recertify now that her kids are bigger. Heather also homeschooled Jacob for a time. Melissa is a missionary teacher on the Navajo reservation at Immanuel Mission in Arizona.
It means so much to me that my daughters have become accomplished young women who love God and who love their families. They have their own dreams but it is somewhat of a pleasure to see them accomplish things that were important or enjoyable things to me also.
Melissa needs surgery and she will be out of the loop so to speak for a while. Immanuel Mission does not have a substitute list quite like school districts have. In fact some days there just isn't a teacher when a mission teacher is sick or called away. They really need someone to be a substitute kindergarten teacher while Mel recovers from surgery.
Right now I am full of joy and anticipation to think that it will be me that will be a real teacher for a little while for some wonderful kids at Immanuel Mission. I am going to be the substitute for Melissa's class. Only because God can help me do whatever He wants me to do can I go and do this job. I will have the joyful task of teaching them the main subject - Bible and then a bunch of other stuff like ABCs and 123s. I can tell stories to them and sing songs with them. I can teach them about a Father who loves them so much He sent His very own and only Son to die for the whole world. I am overwhelmed.
If you are my friend or family member and you are reading this I have a request. Please pray for me. I need that undergirding for this opportunity. I see this as a blessing - that I would be able to do this but it is a big job. I know God will give me the strength to do it.
We don't always see our dreams come true in life but it's fun to see some of them come to reality. Sweet Dreams.
posted by Marjorie Meinzinger @ 8:30 AM
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