Cardboard, Duct Tape, and Opportunities

My daughter Kate turns 10 tomorrow and for her birthday she would like an arcade theme. You see, my kids get to pick what they want to do on their day and choose how they want the dining room decorated. Then I do my best to make their vision a reality.

Kate is a maker. She can create anything out of nothing. Her current love is cardboard and duct tape. Her room is lined with games that she has made complete with a ticket dispenser and prize area. Games cost tokens that she will gladly give you as long as you spend time there.

Kate gets her creativity from me. And I get it from my father.  My father is a retired architect with a knack for drawing. I was an art major in college who loved all things color. I can always see the end product, and I know how to get to it. I didn't choose to be an art major because I thought I was going to be a great artist one day. I chose it because I liked art and frankly, I didn't think I was smart enough for any other field.

I didn't want to be an art teacher though. I wanted to be in the classroom teaching all subjects while incorporating art into my curriculum.

And I did.

For 21 years.

Some years I was able to include more art than others, but I still loved being in that type of classroom setting. The one where I was teaching students everything. I taught second grade for two years in Detroit. My first teaching home and one that helped mold the teacher I am today. I then moved onto  a small rural school in Leslie. I called White Pine  home for 13 years. White Pine gave me the flexibility to develop into the the teacher I knew I wanted to be. I cried when I left. After that, I spent six years as a fifth grade teacher in Bath at a school that would ultimately bring me full circle to the teacher I knew I was capable of being.

But things have changed since I started teaching 21 years ago and lately, I have been finding myself ready to go into the field of teaching I never imagined I would be.

This past May an opportunity presented itself to me. I spent a lot of time standing on the end of a diving board thinking. Wondering. Is this what I want to do? Is it the right time? What about my school? My team? The families that I have grown to love?

And after a while, I jumped.

This fall I will be creating my fourth home during my 22nd year of teaching. I will be teaching K-1 STEAM in Haslett, a job that I feel was made for me.

My mother would call this an opportunity. And she would be proud if she were here today. If anything, she taught me to never let opportunities pass you by. Opportunities, she would say, lead to growth. And growth allows you to be the person you were meant to be.

Kate's Birthday Arcade Game Creation

My Vision for Kate