Teachers, Preachers and Faith Keepers

We survived the first week of school. I was sort of hoping we would. In this case, it’s not just my son, but the collective we that makes up my entire family. There’s a lot of us, and a lot of us are intimately involved with education in all of its forms.

My niece Jennifer has a significant other. He survived his first days on a new college campus. My nephew Drew survived the first week of tenth grade in Little Rock at his charter school, as did his teachers. Jen’s law school is still standing.

My Dad got his official school identification badge. Once again this year, he and other ministers in this area will participate in the Pastors on the Premises program. They will be in participating schools giving support to both teachers and students.

My sister survived her first week as a principal. Prayers were bombarding heaven on her, and her students, behalf. I’ve never had so much sympathy for what school administrators deal with.
As a parent, my focus has always been on my one student. I’ve never thought all that much on what one student multiplied by hundreds might mean. Watching my sister deal with the details of those hundreds has given me a new appreciation for that position.

My sister was just graduating from college as I was starting college. I was majoring in journalism but minoring in education at the time. I thought I might want to switch, and major in education like my sister.

Her first year as a teacher was enough to convince me otherwise. I don’t have what it takes. I don’t have the patience, I don’t have the ability to communicate, and I don’t have the organizational skills. I could deal with the kids. I could deal with the parents. I could deal with all the paperwork. I could deal with the rules handed down by the administration and the state. I could deal with any one of those things. But I absolutely could not deal with all of those things, all day long and into the evening, all at the same time.

The further along Teresa went in her career, the more I was convinced I did the right thing by sticking with my original major. I didn’t have what it took back then. I certainly don’t now. I don’t know how educators do it. I’m glad they do; I just don’t know how they do.

Logan survived his first week too, and we all survived right along with him. Changing classes, getting to the locker and then getting to the next class on time, figuring out where things are in a new school...it’s a scene that repeats itself every year for millions of kids, but this time it was my kid.

The first day, my mom was calling for hourly updates. Right before she went to bed, she needed to know if we were ready for tomorrow. Had I signed everything? Had I made sure his clothes were ready? The alarm clock set? Sigh. I guess no matter how old your own child gets, you still need to make sure they are capable of taking care of your grandchild.

The Jonesboro side also called. Each and every one of them. They too needed a play by play of his day. The benefit, or not, of being the only child on that side of the family. The rest of the world may think Logan started to school Monday. We know the truth. We know the entire Furnish/Decanter clan started school Monday.

And so another school year begins for my family. Some of us are actively involved and some us are just supporters, like me. Some of us do what we do best, like my mom. Her role can’t be underestimated. She prays. If Nana is praying, everything is going to work out all right.

This school year, those prayers are going to be focused on the UCA campus in Conway, where Jen’s boyfriend is. In Little Rock, they will be focused on the UALR law school campus, where Jen is; the LISA Academy, where Drew is; and McDermott Elementary, where Teresa is. Here they will be focused on practically every school, but Logan’s school may get a bit of priority.

If someone you love is attending any of those places, this just might be the best school year they have ever had. Mom’s prayers are powerful things.