Teacher Tuesday: Blessed Reminders

Day 9 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

Some days I forget.

I forget that I have an amazing family. I forget that my neighbors could win regional awards for “THE BEST NEIGHBORS EVER.” I forget that my bills are paid and my refrigerator is full and I have a car that runs.

I forget that I have work when so many people have lost their jobs. I forget that God called me to a job that He equipped me to do. I forget how much I love my job.

On these forgetful days, I grumble.

I obviously forget that God is good all the time. Little irritations become big stumbling blocks in my day. The copy machine that suddenly started printing upside down has me sitting on the floor in tears. I can’t think of a word to express a thought and I question my ability to write. The camera jams and I realize that my education wasn’t broad enough to cover the problem so obviously I’m not the right person for this job. I gripe, I fret and I doubt.

I forget that grumbly days aren’t quite based on the total picture of reality. They’re like trying to see your reflection in a piece of tinfoil. You can see yourself in the shiny surface, but it’s all crumpled and distorted. It’s you… but not quite.  It’s the outline of your head, a blur of your features, but not the vivid blue of your eyes, the healthy shine of your hair, your personality coming through in a smile.  Too many crinkles mar the foil image for you to see the real you.

And so it is with these grumbly, forgetful days. I can’t see the beauty of my life through all the crinkled moments.

Then, because God is good all the time, something happens to change the temporary, misguided perceptions. 

My recent “something” was a visitor to Shepherds College. As I gave him a tour, I saw with fresh eyes all the amazing things that happen every day at Shepherds. I heard his admiration and respect for the dedication of the faculty and staff. Students shook his hand, clapped his back, greeted him with hugs and spoke with excitement about all that they had learned that day, and I watched the simple interest in his eyes turn to caring and commitment. I realized that I’m surrounded every day by incredible people at work who bless my life and make living it a rewarding adventure. The students are a big part of that.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. The students are the adventure and the reward and the reality of our teachers’ days in ways I can only begin to imagine. 

Our students with intellectual disabilities are challenging to be sure, but they also grow the teachers’ character, strengthen their resolve to bring about positive change in this world and bless their lives immensely. 

I asked them to remember and to share how they are blessed to be teachers at Shepherds College: 

“It is a blessing to bless others with the knowledge and expertise that God has gifted us with.” Chef McCarthy

“Students occasionally tell me, ‘I’m so glad you’re here!’ I thank the Lord for bringing me to Shepherds to help that person.” Mrs. Oneby

“When I see a light click, when there is an understanding and an application as to what we just learned. When I see a student changing paths, finding the right direction, I know that God has His hand over it all and that His purpose for me is here.” Mrs. Kolkman 

“When I see students doing what we teach – interviewing, going to their internships, getting jobs, introducing themselves to someone new, making wise choices. When students graduate from the program and express appreciation for what they had learned, that is when I feel blessed.” Mrs. Konopasek

“I’ve felt blessed to be here ever since we brought Zoe here as a student. I had hoped that God would find a way for me to become more involved in the college. Then my husband took a job as a pastor in Milwaukee and I got a job at the college! We believe so much in what Shepherds College is doing!” Mrs. Anderson

“I’m so thankful for my students – my advising and my classroom students. I feel blessed working with students who are hard workers and try to do their best. Students don’t have to be perfect in their work, but it’s a blessing when they try, and care about doing their best.” Mrs. Luchterhand

“I feel blessed to be able to develop my own curriculum. I can focus on the students’ needs rather than teaching toward successful test results. I’m teaching for success in real life.” Miss Luchterhand

Blessings are earthly hints of the vast, unending love God has for us. They are sprinkled and strewn and cast with a liberal Hand throughout every aspect of our lives. On those days of griping and fretting and doubting, look with fresh eyes at the world around you … and remember, God has a plan and purpose for you. Even on the grumbly days - you are blessed.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.”  Psalm 67:1-2
 


Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

The Office: Blessings In Disguise

We all have those moments when, in retrospect, we’re less than happy with our words or actions. Maybe our conversation wasn’t filled with grace or kindness. Maybe our actions weren’t motivated by love or patience. Or maybe our interactions with others didn’t reflect the person we normally are or strive to be every day. 

Although I’m never happy about my personal embarrassment in these situations, one thing I love is that God always uses these moments to teach me, to grow me and to mold me into a person that resembles Him a tiny bit more each day. I just pray that my heart is always ready to accept each lesson.

Cathy, our dear Administrative Assistant, asked to share one of these lessons in her own life:

During this past spring semester, the college director asked us to choose one word that we wanted to work on for our semester goal.  After much thought and for various reasons, I chose “humility.”  There were numerous opportunities within the semester for this word to challenge and stretch me.  Even today, I was caught off-guard when an e-mail conversation with a co-worker turned into one such opportunity for me to learn (yet another) lesson in humility. 

My e-mail request to make a room reservation in the Wood Center morphed into a dialogue about the noise level in the building during the work day.  Noise, in this bustling college environment, comes with the territory, I know, but for whatever reason I was carrying on about it, complaining about the talking in the hallways, the cleaning staff vacuuming the carpet during work hours, the lockers banging, days when my office seems like Grand Central Station. I ended the e-mail with, “I appreciate the break times when I can actually think with some quiet. (sigh)”

My co-worker’s compassionate and Godly reply humbled me and brought tears to my eyes.  I had to stop what I was doing and go outside to process the conviction born in my heart from her description of noise that interrupts the days at Shepherds.  She wrote,

“The noise and interruptions can be a blessing – when Dennis is going down the hall singing praise to Jesus, when students just stop by to talk or to show me their Special Olympics ribbons or their birthday presents...

...when Peter walks into my office to adjust my furniture so it is positioned just right, when Ron stops by to tell me I look very pretty today, when a student from Horticulture brings me a special arrangement she made for my office...

...when Culinary Arts students bring tasty samples...

 ...when college students come to sing Christmas carols...

 ...when Doug comes to share the burdens of his heart, when Sean stops by just to see how I am doing, when JoEllen stops in to share whatever is happening in her life that day. 

As my pastor has often said, ‘it is during the interruptions when ministry happens.’” 

I think I need another semester on the goal word of “humility.”

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Friday's Top Five

We have a lot to be thankful for at Shepherds College, and we want to share those blessings with you. So, every Friday, we plan to produce a list of our top accomplishments, moments, memories, and of course, blessings. Every list will be a little different, but they’ll all communicate the amazing things that are going on at Shepherds College.

Today, we want to share with you the top five most exciting things that have recently happened at Shepherds College:

1. The start-up of our blog!

Shepherds College blog, Time to Fly, went live on June 15. We are eager to see this blog reach more potential students, their parents, and education professionals. This blog will be used to share the stories of the students and faculty at Shepherds College because after all, they are the true face of the college. We hope to introduce you to our teachers through Teacher Tuesdays and the college’s main office staff through the weekly segment, The Office. So, if you haven’t taken the time to peruse the previous posts on our blog, read them and spread the word about Time to Fly.

2. The Class of 2012 has graduated!

June 9 was a bright and beautiful day, the perfect day for seven Shepherds College students to become graduates. After spending three years at Shepherds College, the second graduating class completed their program and received their certificates. Family, friends, and Shepherds College students and staff were there to celebrate with the graduates. It was an emotional day for everyone in attendance as it was easy to see the excitement and sense of accomplishment on the students’ faces. Congratulations, Class of 2012, on a job well done!

3. Photos from the 2012 Commencement Celebration are in!

On the night before graduation, Shepherds College graduates gathered with their families and college staff to celebrate their accomplishments. It was a special time for students and faculty to share their experiences from the last three years. Jim and Cathi Leibforth of Leibforth Photography volunteered their time and services to provide beautiful, professional photography for the students and their families. The Leibforths delivered the disk of original photos to Shepherds yesterday! The photos look wonderful, and we can’t wait to share all of them with you.

4. Shepherds College has been approved for Federal Student Aid!

Shepherds College students are now able to file for federal funding. Just like other college students, families can fill out FAFSA forms and apply for grants and loans to help them offset the cost of tuition. This new accomplishment is huge for the college. It took about 15 months for Shepherds College to receive the federal aid approval. We can’t wait to see how this exciting event will impact our current and future students.

5. Shepherds College is getting some attention!

Between the 2012 graduation and the recent approval for Federal Student Aid, Shepherds College has been generating some attention from various media sources. Check out this article at My Racine County.com to read about the graduation. Read this article in the Racine Journal Times or this article at My Racine County.com to learn more about the FSA approval. Also, check back with us as we plan to see some articles about Shepherds College in other publications in the near future.

As you can see, God has blessed us in several incredible ways in the last few weeks. Join us again soon to see what else we have to be thankful for.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.