I think it is safe to say that I was destined to be a teacher. My mom is a retired teacher who taught for 38 years. My brother is an assistant principal at a middle school. My husband taught agriculture and horticulture for 10 years. My brother-in-law is a STEM teacher. My sister-in-law teaches 1st grade. Lastly, my father-in-law is a retired assistant superintendent after being in education for 40 years. Dinner conversations at my house have always revolved around our jobs as educators. My mom taught me to spend my summers praying that God would place the right students in my classroom at just the right times. While this prayer can prove to be “testing the waters” I believe God has never let me down.
I taught for 20 years in Tennessee before moving to Texas. At the beginning of my teaching career, my husband and I adopted two girls from Guatemala. Several years after we brought them home, I had a student named Allison Edwards who brought a photo album to school. It contained pictures of her dad on a mission trip in Guatemala. God had a plan when he put Allison in my class. After seeing the pictures, I reached out to Allison’s dad who told me all about the mission trip he went on to Guatemala. About five years later, my husband and I took our own mission group to Guatemala, and guess who joined us? Allison Edwards! A few years after this trip, my principal, at the time, traveled to Guatemala with us. We were able to bring school supplies to a school in the village of Pacaya. We were also able to sit down with the principal and teachers at the school to hear about education in Guatemala. Talk about authentic learning experiences for all of us!
We moved to Texas four years ago, and God has continued to place the right kids in my classroom at just the right time. During the winter freeze, we were without power for a week. That year, I was blessed with the most wonderful parents because they offered their home with a hot shower and a warm meal to my family. I have also taught a little boy who was adopted. Due to the adoption of my own two daughters, I was able to understand some of his behaviors and have a little extra patience with him.
The stories of God putting just the right kids in my classroom could go on and on. I believe kids are put into all of our classrooms and our lives for a specific purpose. Sometimes it is because we may have special ways we can help them. Other times, it is so they can be a blessing to us!
-Jennifer Carter, Cline 2nd Grade Teacher
