At Decision Time
The request has been made. The deadline is approaching. And still, you are wrestling with a decision. Do I go or do I stay?
For some of you the question is, “I love my job. Do I really need to quit teaching?” For others, it is, “I like what I’m doing. I see the need, but the possibilities of next year look overwhelming.” And yet others are thinking, “The need is great, but am I truly the one to fill it?” You look somewhat enviously at those teachers who readily make their decision.
Take courage. In whatever lies ahead, you do not go alone. Seek wisdom from God and His Word. Seek the counsel of others. Hear what trusted individuals are saying.
Explore the reasons you have for not returning to the classroom. Many of those reasons have a call that is beyond the classroom. Ill health, burn-out, providing care for others, or the need to be a homemaker in your own home can all be good reasons to not return. Teaching is stressful and demands much from a full-time teacher. You cannot do two demanding tasks without sacrificing quality.
To my co-teacher who is struggling with the realization that teaching interferes with her being a homemaker and wife, I say, “Go with God. Your absence will be felt. But you have a higher commitment, now, than only being a schoolteacher.”
To the first- or second-year teacher who is unsure that teaching is their strong point, I give you the example of another co-teacher, who had decided to quit after one year because they felt they lacked qualifications. But when the new school term approached and there was no teacher to take her place, she reconsidered. Today, she is a very valued member of the team. Teaching is not a job that one can jump into and be totally competent. Every year you teach builds experience. If others are encouraging you to keep teaching, give some thought to their advice.
For some teachers, awareness of what the next year may hold brings a reluctance to commit. The number of students, the challenges of the students, the co-teacher drama, the ability to work with certain parents, the need to fit into a particular framework, or other obstacles may look overwhelming. Be realistic and understand who you are and how you handle stressful situations. But also, do not be afraid of the challenge. We aren’t promised an easy path, but we are promised that God’s presence will go with us. It is in the hard and challenging that we learn to trust the most and grow the most.
Do you go or do you stay? Only you can truly answer that question. Wherever God calls, He equips, provides, and grows. Whatever your decision, trust Him to work in you and through you.
