News...
Well, it's been a while and a lot has happened over the past few weeks....
On the 9th May I handed in my notice at church. It was a hard decision, one that I angonished over and prayed about for a long time. Basically whilst I really enjoy doing the 'hands on' stuff with the kids, I don't like working on my own (we're a big staff team, there's 5 of us, but we all work from home as our church building has no space for offices). It got to the point where I was struggling in work and feeling very miserable and I knew something had to be done. I wrote my resignation letter and handed it to my boss with great sadness.
As I was thinking about handing in my notice, I wondered what I would do next. The two options seemed to be get another children's worker's job in a church or go back to teaching.
Changing jobs is quite a stressful and uncertain time so to change jobs and change church families would be too much. And as I am sad about stopping doing my job I wanted, and knew I'd need, the support of my church family around. Also I think I need a bit of 'time out' from full time paid ministry to get 'refreshed', re-energised and restore my confidence to do this work.
But going back to teaching wouldn't be easy. I have been out of the classroom for 7 years. I thought initially that I could just do supply, but the main supply agency on the Wirral and Liverpool said they wouldn't take me on as I'd been out of the classroom for more than 6 years. As I looked around at job vacancies on the Wirral, Liverpool, Cheshire etc there were lots about but also lots of competition. I went to have a look around a couple of schools and both heads said that they'd had interest from over 30 applicants!
The day after I handed in my notice I went on holiday to Devon with Bex. This was perfect timing. On holiday I took some time to think things through. I took with me some of my old journals and as I read through them I was reminded of God's goodness to his people and how he has complete control over all things. He has always looked after me, and things have always worked out for me. I needed to tell myself that God had it sorted. And whilst in my head my plan would be a teaching job for September, if that wasn't God's plan then I could trust that God really does know best for me etc.
I filled in a few job applications. As the deadlines passed and I wasn't shortlisted for interviews I told myself, "This is not rejection, this is just God's plan". (I remember when I was first looking for a job, I went for nine interviews. In my last interview the head teacher asked me how many schools I'd had interviews for so I told him. Then he said, "What do you think you're doing wrong?" "I don't know!" came back my reply! He then offered me the job and it was such the right school for me. Lovely staff, great kids, a really nice ethos and I had four very happy years there. God knew the best school for me at that time, the previous 9 schools were not the right ones for me whether I was terrible or perfect in the interview!)
A temporary job came up in my friend's school in Tamworth (I used to teach in a school a few miles away). Should I apply or not? Working in Tamworth would involve lots of practical changes. I submitted an application 10 days ago and asked that God who can part the red sea would shut this door clearly if it wasn't a wise decision. My main concern was my parents. But my mum said two things....Firstly she never wanted me to move away when I was 18, given the choice she'd want me living in Liverpool and secondly, this might be God's plan for your life.
On Tuesday I was called for an interview. And yesterday I went for it. I had to teach a short numeracy activity then have a formal interview. As I drove down I thought I just need to be myself. So despite wearing a suit (which is not me) and heeled shoes (I much prefer flip flops) I just got on with teaching it, ignoring who was observing me. Then I had my interview. After which I went and sat in my friend's class until they'd made a decision feeling at peace that I'd taught as I would normally, answered honestly and could do no more.
The head came and got me and I was offered the job :-) He said I interviewed really well as they were tough questions, and that I was just the sort of person they were looking for to fit into the school.
I am thankful to God for making it all very clear. As I walked around the school I had the same good feeling that I had when I first went around the school where I used to teach. And if I was in any doubt that it wasn't God's plan and maybe I got the job because my friend works there, she said after I told her what had happened in the interview, that she'd not been involved in the process (apart from praying!) and that the head simply wouldn't have taken me if I wasn't the right person.
I am also thankful to God for the timing of this provision of a job. Now I can finish my work here at church without the worry and stress of 'what next?'
So now I have 9 weeks left to handover, sort out the practical arrangements of where to live (plan is to work away during the week, and be back in the north for weekends and school holidays), move house (boys - you know you'll be needed to shift furniture), sort out my old teaching resources and practise speaking slowly so that they can understand my accent!!!
Happy days :-)
On the 9th May I handed in my notice at church. It was a hard decision, one that I angonished over and prayed about for a long time. Basically whilst I really enjoy doing the 'hands on' stuff with the kids, I don't like working on my own (we're a big staff team, there's 5 of us, but we all work from home as our church building has no space for offices). It got to the point where I was struggling in work and feeling very miserable and I knew something had to be done. I wrote my resignation letter and handed it to my boss with great sadness.
As I was thinking about handing in my notice, I wondered what I would do next. The two options seemed to be get another children's worker's job in a church or go back to teaching.
Changing jobs is quite a stressful and uncertain time so to change jobs and change church families would be too much. And as I am sad about stopping doing my job I wanted, and knew I'd need, the support of my church family around. Also I think I need a bit of 'time out' from full time paid ministry to get 'refreshed', re-energised and restore my confidence to do this work.
But going back to teaching wouldn't be easy. I have been out of the classroom for 7 years. I thought initially that I could just do supply, but the main supply agency on the Wirral and Liverpool said they wouldn't take me on as I'd been out of the classroom for more than 6 years. As I looked around at job vacancies on the Wirral, Liverpool, Cheshire etc there were lots about but also lots of competition. I went to have a look around a couple of schools and both heads said that they'd had interest from over 30 applicants!
The day after I handed in my notice I went on holiday to Devon with Bex. This was perfect timing. On holiday I took some time to think things through. I took with me some of my old journals and as I read through them I was reminded of God's goodness to his people and how he has complete control over all things. He has always looked after me, and things have always worked out for me. I needed to tell myself that God had it sorted. And whilst in my head my plan would be a teaching job for September, if that wasn't God's plan then I could trust that God really does know best for me etc.
I filled in a few job applications. As the deadlines passed and I wasn't shortlisted for interviews I told myself, "This is not rejection, this is just God's plan". (I remember when I was first looking for a job, I went for nine interviews. In my last interview the head teacher asked me how many schools I'd had interviews for so I told him. Then he said, "What do you think you're doing wrong?" "I don't know!" came back my reply! He then offered me the job and it was such the right school for me. Lovely staff, great kids, a really nice ethos and I had four very happy years there. God knew the best school for me at that time, the previous 9 schools were not the right ones for me whether I was terrible or perfect in the interview!)
A temporary job came up in my friend's school in Tamworth (I used to teach in a school a few miles away). Should I apply or not? Working in Tamworth would involve lots of practical changes. I submitted an application 10 days ago and asked that God who can part the red sea would shut this door clearly if it wasn't a wise decision. My main concern was my parents. But my mum said two things....Firstly she never wanted me to move away when I was 18, given the choice she'd want me living in Liverpool and secondly, this might be God's plan for your life.
On Tuesday I was called for an interview. And yesterday I went for it. I had to teach a short numeracy activity then have a formal interview. As I drove down I thought I just need to be myself. So despite wearing a suit (which is not me) and heeled shoes (I much prefer flip flops) I just got on with teaching it, ignoring who was observing me. Then I had my interview. After which I went and sat in my friend's class until they'd made a decision feeling at peace that I'd taught as I would normally, answered honestly and could do no more.
The head came and got me and I was offered the job :-) He said I interviewed really well as they were tough questions, and that I was just the sort of person they were looking for to fit into the school.
I am thankful to God for making it all very clear. As I walked around the school I had the same good feeling that I had when I first went around the school where I used to teach. And if I was in any doubt that it wasn't God's plan and maybe I got the job because my friend works there, she said after I told her what had happened in the interview, that she'd not been involved in the process (apart from praying!) and that the head simply wouldn't have taken me if I wasn't the right person.
I am also thankful to God for the timing of this provision of a job. Now I can finish my work here at church without the worry and stress of 'what next?'
So now I have 9 weeks left to handover, sort out the practical arrangements of where to live (plan is to work away during the week, and be back in the north for weekends and school holidays), move house (boys - you know you'll be needed to shift furniture), sort out my old teaching resources and practise speaking slowly so that they can understand my accent!!!
Happy days :-)
posted by Dawn at 5:12 AM
2 Comments:
Big decisions Dawn! Thankful for our gracious God's provision for you in all of this. I'll be praying for you in the changes and adjustment. Wheee is tamworth? How far from your mum and dad will you be? xM
Hi Mandy. Thanks for prayers. Tamworth is about 95 miles away, takes about 1 hour 45 on a clear run. So not far. xx
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