When you are only 30 years old, 6 years is a really long time.
I spent more than half my 20's teaching highschool art - more than half the 3rd decade of my life. 1/6 of my life has been spent teaching. (you can tell I've thought about this quite a bit, right?)
And despite how much I love my summers, Thanksgivings, Christmas and Spring Breaks, and the occasional "sick day" (cough cough), I really had fun in that classroom of mine.
It's time to move on, and I'm so excited to discover what God's plan is for Brent and I in Lynchburg...but first, I want to reminisce about how far I've come in the past 6 years...
YEAR ONE 2006-2007
No idea what I was doing - Self conscious - Confused about life, shocked that I was suddenly supposed to be a "role model"
Favorite Memory: Student who painted his name across my classroom cabinets and later said, "Miss Wackes, it's not that I don't like you, I just hate your class."
Worst Memory: Student having seizure in my classroom...every day of 4th period...being in charge of "prom"...too many to even list. I cried a lot. Once, I even hid under someone else's desk and cried. True story.
Biggest Lesson: I could be good at this, but only if I learned how to say no to all the other things the school wanted me to do.
YEAR TWO 2007-2008
Figuring it out - A tiny bit more confident - Personal life a disaster
Favorite Memory: Taking a group of students to NYC - even though I was stressed out, it was a great trip.
Worst Memory: Realizing it was hard to ignore personal life while at work - quarter-life crisis at it's worst.
Biggest Lesson: When life throws you lemons, cut out the rotten parts and press on.
YEAR THREE - 2008-2009
Got it down - First year teaching AP - Personal life turned a corner
Favorite Memory: Bonding with my 9 girls in AP art - lot's of talks, lot's of encouraging, lot's of amazing art made.
Worst Memory: Student stabbing himself with exacto blade so that I would let him go to the nurse. Yep, that happened. He also asked if he could go get a beer from my fridge, and when I had a pimple on my forehead he asked, "since when are you Hindu?"
Biggest Lesson: Teaching AP art is my favorite thing and it totally changed my perspective on teaching. Love love love.
YEAR FOUR - 2009-2010
Feeling like an old pro - Started doing murals around the school - Discovered who I am outside of school
Favorite Memory: Sharing with my students that I would be "Mrs. Wells" the following year. Hoorah! I'm getting married!
Worst Memory: Besides tearing my ACL in the faculty-alumni football game and having to wheel myself around the classroom for a month?
Biggest Lesson: No matter how good the art is, it's the lives touched that matters.
YEAR FIVE: 2010-2011
No longer "Miss Wackes", I'm "Mrs. Wells" now - Unbelievably talented group of students - learning how to be Mrs. Wells the teacher, and Mrs. Wells the wifey.
Favorite Memory: Hearing the words, "Mrs. Wells, I prayed to ask Jesus into my heart last night".
Worst Memory: Feeling like I let a student down and realizing that you can't reach them all.
Biggest Lesson: Praying for my students was more effective than I even knew.
YEAR SIX: 2011-2012
Knowing deep down that it was time for something new - Felt incredibly blessed by the students I got to know this school year - Missing my husband, my other half
Favorite Memory: Being blessed and inspired by my student's unique personalities and creativity. I felt truly cared for this year by the kids I had the honor to teach.
Worst Memory: It's been a hard year. We'll leave it at that. So many ups and downs...strangely the classroom has become a sanctuary.
Biggest Lesson: The best choices usually aren't the easiest choices. Following the Lord is not always going to be comfortable, but it will be exciting...and it's always right.
So there it is in a nutshell...my 6 years of teaching high school art.
That really didn't even scratch the surface of the things I've learned and the ways I've grown from being in the classroom.
I learned a lot about myself: I'm more selfish than I thought. But I'm also more caring that I thought. I root for the underdogs. I have a hard time not becoming friends with my students. I also have a hard time not bringing their problems home with me. I've learned that giving up my lunch break to talk and pray with a student is always worth it. I do not know how to deal with middleschoolers. Nor with highschool boys who act like middleschoolers. I am more sarcastic than I ever knew.
I've grown as an artist: I know the importance of fundamentals. The more I make art, the better I get. Some things just aren't teachable - you just have to practice. Drawing is key. Just because you don't feel like making art, doesn't mean you shouldn't. A true artist makes art outside the classroom. Creativity CAN be learned...to some degree.
I've grown closer to the Lord: I've learned the importance of practicing what I preach. I've seen Him answer specific prayers. I've seen the monster in me when I'm not seeking Him. God's timing is ALWAYS PERFECT. He knows when it's best to stay put, and when it's best to make a move. His ways are ALWAYS higher than our ways.
I've learned about life: A good home life can make all the difference, and unfortunately, so can a bad one. When I'm a parent one day, I'm going to hold my child responsible - responsibility is truly lacking these days (excuse making is rapant). So is respect...what happened to the teacher being right? Sometimes "giving grace" means "giving consequences". It's hard to be 'on' everyday, but when you fake it, it truly helps. A compliment goes a long, long way (such as, "Mrs. Wells, I love your make up today! Or "Billy Bob, that drawing is fantastic!)
So, thank you to all the 400 + students I've taught the past 6 years - and thank you Lord for letting me be a part of their teenage years. And for letting them be a huge part of my 20's. My biggest prayer is that I made a difference somehow...that despite my bad days, I showed them that there is such thing as a fun, artsy Christian.
Brent Wells - I'm coming to be with you my love. One chapter is closing, and a new one is beginning. It's time to make art like crazy, be a wifey supporting her husbands career, and explore a new realm of possibilities.
Lynchburg, Virginia...here I come!
Megan, this is SO exciting, this new chapter. We have been SO blessed to have you. It's so neat to see your student become a teacher...and you've learned so many valuable lessons in such a short time.
...and you express yourself well. You must have had a good English teacher in 10th grade...
We'll miss you TERRIBLY! Our loss!
Posted by: Laura | 05/11/2012 at 02:36 PM
Amy and I are certainly going to miss you (and Uncle Bwent)! But at least we have an excuse to come visit Lynchburg!
Love ya kiddo!
Posted by: Chris | 05/11/2012 at 03:30 PM
What a great adventure you've had... teaching! I'm sure you were a treasure in that school, to those students. I know God will bless you now and in everything you do! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Vicki | 05/12/2012 at 07:27 PM
Thanks friends! I will miss it, but definitely ready for a new chapter! (and definitely ready to get to live in the same place as Brent again!)
Posted by: Megan | 05/14/2012 at 10:49 PM
Megan, I very much enjoyed this post.
We have been leading parallel lives! After teaching high school art for the last 14 years, I left my job mid-school year so that I could move with my husband for his new job. Though I did enjoy teaching, I am thrilled to be able to focus on my own art full time. (And there is a lot about teaching I don't miss at all!)
I wish you all the best in your artistic endeavors and am really enjoying your new lettering work. Cheers!
Posted by: JenniferJohansson | 08/04/2012 at 05:37 PM
Thank you Jennifer! That's funny - we really are leading parallel lives!!
Just checked out some of your work and I LOVE those chair pieces, very cool. Good luck with your new phase of life! We'll have to keep in touch!
Megan
Posted by: Megan | 08/04/2012 at 06:11 PM