Become A Teacher, They Said. It'll Be Fun, They Said...

LET ME START OFF BY SAYING THIS: If you ever want to test your patience, multi-tasking abilities, caffeine tolerance, and your ability to survive on a mere three hours of sleep, then you should definitely become a first-year teacher. 

Somewhere down the line, my parents (who are both veteran teachers since the early 90's) forgot to mention one thing: to say this job is EXHAUSTING is a HUGE understatement. And the funniest part? I teach ASL— where, half the time, my students will 'forget' to sign but waste no time giving me ALL the sarcasm. I may teach sign language to native English speakers... but sarcasm is their real second language. 

So, if you thought the life of a high school teacher was all laughs and giggles— boy, let me be the first to burst that bubble for you. Here is the basic run down of my day:

My Doctor-Who-themed alarm wakes me up every morning at the UNGODLY hour of 5:45 AM (okay truthfully, I don't get physically out of bed until 6 AM, but don't judge me!). By 6:45, I'm usually downing my morning meds with an ice cold glass of milk (diabetes life, yaaaay...) before hopping in the car. My loving wife drives me to work while blasting the same 14-song Spotify playlist she’s been obsessed with for weeks. It’s basically the soundtrack to my morning grogginess at this point. After a while, I arrive at my Western/cowboy-themed classroom, where I pray to God for patience and knowledge that I clearly don't have at 7:30 in the blessed morning. 

They often say that the 'glamorous life' of a teacher is where every day is an adventure and coffee is a major food group. And I mean, who needs sanity when you have the thrill of balancing two sections of high school ASL I, where eager beginners accidentally sign things that could start an international incident, two sections of high school ASL II, where students finally realize ASL has actual grammar (and suddenly question all their life choices), and one lively middle school Introduction to ASL class, where energy levels rival a pack of caffeinated squirrels? My days are filled with a plethora of creative—but questionably accurate—hand-shapes, often accompanied with the phrase,  “Wait, what did I just sign?” at least a thousand times before lunch. It’s a nonstop adventure, fueled by caffeine, a love for language, and the sheer willpower to keep a straight face when a student accidentally signs something wildly inappropriate. Truly, living the dream—one sign at a time!

OKAY! If you made it this far into the post, you probably figured out that I talk about all of these experiences as a first year teacher in jest. Deep down, and even at the surface, I love and adore each and everyone of my students. Becoming an ASL teacher is something that I have wanted for a VERY LONG TIME. More specifically, I have prayed to God for a teaching position in a Christian school environment for as long as I can remember. 

But... Can you believe so many people tried to discourage me from BOTH pursuing a career in ASL and working at a Christian School?!

The responses I got on the ASL side of things typically went as follows:

• "Wait...ASL? You can major in something like that?"
• "ASL isn't a real degree!"
• "No one with a visual disability (amblyopia) will ever make a career with a visual language."

The responses I got on the Christian school side of things typically went as follows:

• "Don't teach at one of those places. Public schools make better money anyway."
• "You'll always be broke."
• "Why be an influence on kids who are already saved?"

All of these misconceptions thrown in my direction are exactly that ---- misconceptions. Truth be told, yes... I complain about certain aspects of my job to my wife, friends and family (who DOESN'T?). But on the same level, I thank God everyday for making my dream job into a reality. I had to work INSANELY hard to get where I am today. I worked A LOT of odd jobs just to get the experience in order to 'qualify' for this position. But it was truly all worth it in the end. I have had an overwhelming amount of support from our local Deaf church and Deaf Community, whose assistance has been instrumental in my success this year. 

And yes... I owe a lot of my success to my students. When I decided that I wanted to become a teacher, I made one rule above all others: I wanted to be the type of teacher that encouraged my students to pursue Christ in their everyday lives...much like my high school teachers did for me back in the day. And the crazy thing is? I drag my feet to work everyday and get to see evidence of that very goal on the faces of my students as I continue to build relationships with them and support them any way I can. 

I would like to believe that I am making a difference in this way. 

Till next time, the moral of the story is... if you have a dream... no matter how out of reach it may seem, or how hard it may be to achieve, or how many people tell you its not a good idea... GO FOR IT ANYWAY. You never know what God may have in store for you. :)

Warm regards, 

Josh

P.S. What is a dream that you are working towards these days? Leave an answer in the comments below!