I'm no longer a Lubbockite

Thursday afternoon it became official that I was no longer a Lubbockite when my resignation went into effect at 5 PM and I signed my new contract at 1:30 PM. I have mixed feelings, but I know that if I'm going to give the move a chance this is what the decision should be. I suppose my feelings can be summarized best in the email I sent my coworkers Thursday. Say a prayer for me...I had no idea I would be taking it this hard.


Dear Friends,

I got back from student council camp last night, and it was actually fun! You will have four great leaders at Evans next year in your student council program. Late last week I accepted a fourth grade position at Highland Elementary in Plainview. I cannot tell you how difficult the decision was to leave. I feel like I just now “get” middle school and how things work at Evans! I had chatted at Wayland about a few neat positions at the end of last year and at the beginning of summer, but decided I really wanted to teach. I received a call from the high school to coach (really, can anyone fathom this!) and teach history, but decided no, again. Highland Elementary had a first grade opening which later turned into a fourth grade job when the fourth grade teacher decided to move down. I won't lie...I'm scared out of my mind. I will be teaching all subjects at the oldest title school in town--a vast change from Evans. I randomly came across a Beth Moore devotional late one night mid-June talking about stepping out of our comfort zones. She went on to talk about experiencing God’s blessings by doing something you wouldn’t normally do. As I was groveling with the decision to leave, her sermon kept playing in the back of my mind. Evans is my comfort. I grew up in a school very similar to Evans. I teach Pre-AP, and I was the Pre-AP kids I teach. Now, I will be with children whose parents may not speak English and I will be teaching math, science, writing, reading, English, and social studies. This is far from my comfort zone. Evans has become a family to me. I cannot tell you how appreciative of the support you all have given me. I came into teaching and didn’t love it at first. It was much more difficult than I imagined it being, but you all gave me ideas and tips and were so encouraging. I now can’t imagine not teaching. On a personal level, you’ve been there during my engagement, wedding, and the turmoil when my mom was ill. It’s hard not to feel extremely sad since I feel like I’ve become an adult while at Evans. I just wanted to say goodbye and thank you since I didn’t have that opportunity at the end of the year.

Much love,