I come from a family of quilters. My great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and sisters are all quilters. I have been quilting for about 25 years. It runs in my blood. It makes my heart happy. I love taking fabric, cutting it up, and sewing it back together with other fabrics to create colorful patterns and beautiful designs.
Each part of a quilt adds to its overall beauty. Each tiny square supports the finished product. Teaching is much like quilting. There are so many people involved in a child’s education: parents, teachers, and administrators. When a child receives Special Education services, the circle widens to include monitoring teachers, paras, speech therapists, school psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other school personnel.
Seventeen years ago, my husband’s job brought us to Texas and Friendswood became our home. I taught Quest at the high school. I remember each student with their unique talents, personality, and skills. They taught me more than I ever taught them. Each one on a different educational path. Each one supported by a variety of people to help them learn and achieve their goals. Each, like their own individual quilt block sewn together, is one magnificent work of art made of different fabrics and colorful patterns.
I have a quilt that took me over two years to finish. It is detailed with a lot of small pieces. I named this quilt, “West Isle Urgent Care” since I cut the top of my finger while making it. I will always have a scar reminding me of the work that went into the quilt. There will be bumps along the way in a student's educational journey; frustrations, hard subjects, relationships, or being discouraged. Just like the making of my quilt, these struggles add to the overall experience of learning and growing.
Quilters spend hours in planning, choosing and designing their quilts and follow a traditional pattern or original design. A few years ago we made a brief move to Austin, Texas which was not in our design. During that time I worked as a Special Education Campus Coordinator and a District Instructional Specialist. I learned a lot but my heart never stopped beating blue. When we had the opportunity to return to Houston, I reached out to Mrs. Driskell, Mr. Griffon and Mr. Roher. I remember my signature in those emails…Always a Mustang. Maybe it was subliminal or maybe it was direct, but I have never been so excited to receive that phone call welcoming me back as a Mustang.
This quote, by an unknown author, expresses my feelings about FISD and Always a Mustang.
"Each piece of a quilt has its own color, pattern, texture and design with unique beauty and charm. But when the individual pieces of a quilt are sewn together, they become one magnificent work of art. Just as the pieces of a quilt have unique beauty, the people in my life have unique personalities, talents and skills. Their presence bless me in countless ways. Who are the people in the patchwork of my life? They are those I am close to as well as those I meet in passing. I give thanks for all of the people who touch my life in some way. I enfold them in prayer and hold them in a special place in my heart. They are an important part of the fabric of my life."
Jann Davies, Special Education Transition Coordinator