Lydia Part 1: When We Were Two
“You should be a teacher so we can have the summers off together.” While I understood that Paul’s suggestion was somewhat selfishly motivated, he did have a point. Teaching was not only a noble profession, but it also had the distinct benefit of vacation days.
You see, I was at a time in my life where many college-aged kids find themselves. Attending undergraduate classes at a university with a strong academic program for the field I was pursuing: teaching. But at the same time, I was at a point that I could change my major without much fallout from the decision to switch.
I had always wanted to be a teacher. My distinct knack for understanding concepts and being able to break them down for fellow classmates served me well over the years. Quick to learn, I had plenty of extra time to hone my instruction skills as I looked to help others that seemed to struggle with the work. They were quick to “get it” under my tutelage and I very much enjoyed the success and accolades I received.
College Years
Recruited for basketball, I was offered a full-ride college scholarship. I am sure Fresno Pacific University would not have come across my radar any other way. But as it turned out, they were known for their expertise in training teachers. Finishing up my senior year in high school, inspired by my own English teacher (Ms. Cook) and college-bound, I was determined to help others find their voice
But at the same time, I started questioning what I was doing. I enjoyed writing, and people seemed to enjoy my perspective. Maybe I was more interested in developing and sharing my own voice? “I think I might want to be a journalist.”
Of course, this caught Paul off-guard. We had been dating for the past two years and had just recently married. He was a teacher, in his third year of the profession. After graduation, we were going to have children, and the summers off with them. We had a plan.
He had a very good point. Although an idealist, I was also a realist at heart. Teaching afforded financial security and an abundance of vacation time. I wanted to be able to be involved in my children’s lives and take adventures as a family.
On Becoming a Teacher
So it was settled. I graduated with a BA in English, with a supplement in Math, and a secondary teaching focus. My first year after graduation Paul and I taught full time at a charter home school program, directing grades K-12 in English (me) and Science (Paul).
It was in this position that I learned about my love for teaching 3rd-4th grade and, in addition to a year of student-teaching, earned a Single-Subject Credential, passed the MSAT (now CSET) and RICA, and added on a Multiple-Subject Credential. After teaching four years at the elementary level, I went back to school and earned an MA in English Composition.
The Juggle Begins
This is about the time when we brought our first child home, spring 2003. Lydia was everything we had hoped for, and we were happy to finally be parents. Paul and I began job-sharing (two teachers to one classroom) so that one of us could be home with her at all times, and I picked up an adjunct teaching position at Azusa Pacific University, night classes.
As our family grew, we carefully balanced our time with them and our professions. I would teach during the day on Monday and Paul Tuesday-Friday. We did this for 13 years. At night, I would head to an extension campus to teach Literacy in their teacher-credential program. In time, I transitioned to teaching online in their Master’s Program for Gifted Education.
Paul was right. Teaching did afford us a lot of family time as well as dependable careers. When Naomi (our youngest) started Kindergarten in fall 2015, I stopped teaching adjunct, and went back into the classroom full-time. Although all of this might seem like a smooth transition, in fact, this is when life took some drastic and unavoidable turns.
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