Deep Inside

I was in the classroom for about twenty years. 

I loved it.

I built relationships with students that today I call my friends. Teaching consumed pretty much every aspect of my life in those days: planning lessons that I hoped would be inspiring; grading on evenings and weekends; worrying about troubled kids; scheming about classroom management…the whole gamut.

When I got out of teaching in 2015, a piece of me was torn: will I be happy? Education is all I have ever known - my entire life. 

But surprise…I was actually happy! I loved my job at Buncombe County. 

And yet…

A piece of me longed for the classroom. I missed relationships with students, first day jitters, planning fun activities. I missed the long days of summer.

When we first moved to Texas, I determined to get my teacher certification up to date so that I could have the option of getting back into the classroom if I ever chose that route again. And so, I gathered all of my preliminary certificates together (from California and Oklahoma), wrote out a check for $175, and sent it in to the Texas teacher certification agency in February 2016.

And then I received an email stating that I had not included a standard teaching certificate from any state and that, in order for certification to be granted, I needed to send one in or else my only option would be to take my transcripts to a university and have them evaluated in order for the university to clear me for teaching.

And so, when I received that email, I basically slammed the book firmly shut on the idea of ever teaching again.

Here is why:

When I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, we immediately moved to California and I applied for California state certification. I don’t remember ever receiving a Colorado state certificate. Maybe I did? I have no idea…I have never found it in my files. And I only taught in California for one year so I never went beyond a preliminary certificate. Once I started teaching in the Adventist system, I never bothered to get a state certificate as that isn’t required for the Adventist system.

Secondly, having my transcripts re-evaluated sounded overwhelming. Who even knows what classes I would have to take in order to be cleared for teaching.

So I just shelved the idea.

I had one year from February to submit my standard certificate. 

Last week, I decided that I need to give it one more try. Now I really like my job - I am not making any proclamations that I have any intention of leaving. My job is a good one and I love the team. Good hearted peeps. But, you know…I still have that wandering eye for the classroom…

And so I contacted the Education department chair, Donna, and asked her to drop by my office so I could talk about what I need to do to get my state certification in Texas.

After I told her my story, she said, “Vonda, if you graduated with teaching certification in Colorado, you can find your information online that will show you had a standard certificate.”

What?? Are you kidding me??

And sure enough. She told me the website, I logged in, and there I was — my full name, my certificate ID information, the beginning date, the expiration date…the works.

And so, I took a screen shot and submitted it to the Texas certification agency.

I am still shaking my head that it was that simple. 

Now I am just waiting for clearance and then I will take a test and be ready to hit that classroom if I so choose.

I love my current job: zero stress, flying around the country and hosting events and seeing good friends, co-workers that fill me up, great benefits…the list continues.

But there is a little piece of me deep inside…