TEDx - third post
I taught high school math for seven years. I assumed it would be my career - get up, get dressed, teach algebra and geometry, come home, and repeat for 40 years.
But financially, we were hurting. Our first child came about 18 months into our marriage, and my wife stopped working and became a full-time Mom. We bought a house (aside from the price being $10,000), and I didn't know how we would pay for it!!. I didn't make enough as a teacher—even though I had a master's degree.
We needed a twelve-month income. In education, the way to get there was to become an administrator. So, I started on an educational specialist degree. I took school law and a student services course. I was on my way.
I opened my college placement file and started looking at administrative jobs (even though I wasn't there yet). Maybe I could be an assistant principal at a small school and work my way up to the upper administrative roles.
I was an active Christian and adopted Psalm 37:4: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." I applied for a position in Emmons, Minnesota (on the Iowa/Minnesota border), but I was rejected. Oh well, I'll take more classes, and next year, I can look again.
On August 1st, I received a phone call from Dr. Norman Johnson from Winona State University, where I had received my undergraduate and master's degrees.
Dr. Johnson said:
"We have two faculty members on sabbatical leave next year, and we've been trying to find one-year replacements. I looked and saw that your placement file was open. Would you be interested in a one-year college teaching position?"
I was EXCITED—this was the answer to my prayer, the desire of my heart. I loved college life, and I wanted to teach at the college level—YES, YES, YES!!!
Later that afternoon, I saw the Keokuk Iowa Superintendent of Schools. He said, "Sorry, but you have a signed contract to teach for us next year." I realized that this was August 1st, and school was going to start in three weeks. He was sympathetic, but he needed a person in the math classroom at Keokuk High School.
He added, "I'll tell you what I will do. I will put an announcement in the local newspaper and see if anyone might be interested."
That started two weeks of fantastic miracles. Yes, the superintendent found a well-qualified math teacher, we listed our house (which we bought for $10,000 and sold for $20,000), had a garage sale where everything except two items sold (and two hours after the sale was over, a man came by and said he missed the sale but was interested in those two items), and we found a place in Winona to buy.
BOOM.
That started a thirty-eight-year career as a college professor (well, as a college instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and finally a full professor!!!)
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