In 1997 I did some student teaching at Kilgore Intermediate School. I LOVED it there. We lived in Longview at the time and didn't have any plans to live anywhere else, but I told Ben that when I started teaching I wanted to teach at Kilgore Intermediate. It was/is a very nice campus comprised of 4th and 5th grade students. The teachers there were amazing, and the atmosphere was very welcoming. I knew it would be difficult to get on there because no one would ever leave! 2 months after I finished my student teaching there I found out I was pregnant with our first child, and I started my last semester of college. I knew that I would not be teaching in the fall because when Ben and I first got married we decided that one of us would stay home with our children until they started school. I wanted to be the one to stay home, so I graduated in May of 1998 6 months pregnant. We also bought our first house in May of 1998, and it was in Kilgore. In August of 1998 I gave birth to our first child. In February of 2000 I had our second child, and in September of 2002 I had our 3rd child. I still had not taught in the classroom, but I was always thinking that when I did I wanted to teach at Kilgore Intermediate. That desire had not gone away or changed. In the summer of 2003 I started applying for teaching jobs for the fall. I couldn't understand why no one was calling or interviewing me. I didn't apply to work at Kilgore Intermediate, though, and I am not sure why I didn't. I had one interview at a middle school in Tyler and one interview at a private school. What I didn't know then that GOD did know was that in August of 2003 my husband and oldest son were going to be in an accident, and Ben would lose his job. GOD didn't allow me to get a teaching job because HE knew we would move to Dallas for 4 months while Ben was in rehab. When we moved back home I began substitute teaching for Kilgore. The only school that ever called me to substitute was the Intermediate school. I knew then that I would teach there for sure. I knew that is where GOD wanted me. There was an opening that year, and the principal "interviewed" me by asking me 2 questions! It was the dream interview! I was hired to teach 4th grade but was moved to 5th by the end of the first week of school. I never had any doubt that is where GOD wanted me even though it was 2004 (7 years after I first believed I would teach there) before HE opened that door. Fast forward 6 years. We moved to Huntsville, TX from CO and enrolled our kids in school. Annalisa's school was Scott Johnson. We never planned to stay in Huntsville, but the first time I walked into Scott Johnson I thought, "If I ever teach in Huntsville, this is where it will be." I just had that impression that I get-- that belief that this is where I belong. It was just like with Kilgore Intermediate. Benjamin was only 1 at the time, so I knew I wouldn't be teaching for a few years. Over the next year I would randomly check to see if there were any openings at Scott Johnson, and I never saw one. This past Spring (2012) I began to apply to teach this fall. I applied at A LOT of school districts all over East Texas because we really wanted to move. No one called. No interviews. I was devastated. The small voice in the back of my head said, "check Huntsville." I checked for an opening at Scott Johnson--none. So I applied at more districts. Still no calls. Still the voice--"check Huntsville". I did and there showed 1 opening at Scott Johnson. So, I thought, "Ok, I will apply." But you couldn't specify which campus you wanted to apply for, and there were other elementary campuses with openings. I didn't want any campus other than Scott Johnson! 1 week after I applied I got a call for an interview! My first interview!! I knew in my heart that I would get the job, but my brain kept saying, "maybe not". I went for the interview and thought it went very well. I felt good about it and waited for a call or an email telling me "No thanks". I waited every day (from Monday to Friday) wondering why I hadn't had a call back. That voice kept telling me, "They haven't checked your references yet. They will call." I had decided that if I didn't hear anything back by Friday afternoon then I would apply somewhere else, but I really believed I would hear something. I went to the school on Friday morning for field day and the principal pulled me aside to tell me that the reason she hadn't called was because she hadn't checked my references yet! It wasn't me making things up in my mind....it was the HOLY SPIRIT talking to me. Telling me things would be ok! I love it when I have confirmation of the SPIRIT speaking to my heart! The principal asked me to come see her before I left for the day. When I went to visit with her she said, "I don't know how you feel about this, but I really think this is a GOD thing." I told her that I agreed 100%! She said that she literally had 100's of applications and the fact that she saw mine was amazing! She said that after they talked with me they knew I was supposed to be there!!! I believe GOD moved my application to the top and HE prepared their hearts for me before I went in there. 1 phone call. 1 interview. 1 job. GOD works amazing wonders!! HE answered our prayers for a job for me. HE answered our prayers about where our kids would go to school in the fall.....and my prayer for consistency for them. Cole will be starting High School and I didn't want to move him any more than necessary. HE spoke to my heart about that school the first time I ever walked in, and HE prepared me to want to be there. I know HE has some special kids prepared to be in my classroom this fall, and I pray that HE uses me in their lives the way HE wants to. I am very excited about going back into the classroom, and I am excited when I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am in the place GOD wants me to be!
