Testimony About Trish Becoming A Home Economics Teacher
About seven years ago our smallest kids reached that age where it seemed like a good idea for Trish to stop being a full-time Mum and homemaker and get a job. After a time of prayer and deep thought she chose to teach swimming. She would do a course of training then work for the Department of Education for three terms a year (but not the winter term) and teach primary-school kids to swim. Trish has always been a great swimmer. At high school she was so good she trained with the boys' team. She has an effortless style and speeds through the water looking relaxed and gorgeous.
We knew that Jesus was with Trish in all this because such unlikely things all worked out. Just the thought of going to school and learning to teach was pretty scary for Trish. Then the job she got was just the Lord! She got to teach in an indoor pool just seven minutes drive from our home, so she knew some of the kids she taught, others we would see in local shops or at our boys football games, they would all smile and wave to her. Her boss was recognised as the very best supervisor for several counties round about. Trish loved the work and came home full of stories about the people and funny things from her day. She delighted in how she was able to help the kids progress from abject fear of the water to confidence and joy and actual skills which would add to their lives for decades.
After three years Trish knew it was time to move up. By the end of each autumn term, she was invariably pretty sick with a chronic cough and general flu symptoms; it would take her several weeks to recover. Also, swim teaching had serious responsibilities, the teacher was personally liable for any drowning or injury, and the pay was about one third of that for a regular school teacher.
So, something easier? Something with similar money? Something less demanding, Something which would allow her to give more time to the Lord's activities like prayer and helps? Something more of a career? Teaching? No, not teaching. Teaching home economics? No, not teaching, not home economics!
Trish had just turned fifty. She knew that she did not want to work in a café as our youngest daughter did, nor in a shop or department store as our daughter-in-law did. A chemistry teacher friend shared with Trish about teaching: "It's not so much about the subject, though you do impart some knowledge to the students; no, it is mainly about life; in your time with these kids you impart life, you give of yourself, this helps prepare them for the world". The life he was talking about, the life Trish would impart as a Christian teacher, would be Jesus.
Four years of university? But not home economics. OK.
Much prayer. Jesus was speaking into Trish. He guided her, brought her to His thinking. OK. Home economics. Decision made. Is this even possible? Can Trish even go to Uni or does she need to do pre-admission studies?
When she enquired, Trish found that there was just one university teaching Home Economics in our state. Could she enroll now to start in four weeks? This seemed impossible, certain important enrolment dates had already gone by. Trish had graduated High School in New Jersey and matriculated for university in New York City decades previously. Cathleen, Trish's sister was contacted; she is a very "can do" kind of person, she got busy.
Such a flurry of activity. Suddenly Trish was enrolled at Edith Cowan University and starting a four year course "next week"! Our second son, Daniel, said Trish could have his old (very old) laptop for her studies, it no longer worked off its batteries but only had mains power supply, one USB port, and a port so she could connect to the Internet.
First Year: Oh the excitement! Home Economics was such a great choice - there was such a shortage of teachers, Trish would almost be able to choose the school where she would work. Was Jesus telling us that she would work in the country? This was one on those thoughts we have that will not go away. The country? First there were four years of study. The country seemed likely, and, if He wants it, we will go. Trish's studies went well. Trish gained so many learning skills, communication skills, computer skills. She could already type like the wind but that was on typewriters. Now everything was computers and bit by bit she learned: Microsoft, email, Word, files, documents, folders, PowerPoint, Google, Excel. Her schoolwork was great, right from the get-go Trish got great marks and her enthusiasm was infectious amongst her classmates and teachers. Trish started to shine. She was very busy and had to put some things aside. It was hard for her to rely on John and the children to do most of the meals and housework; we did not meet her standards and it was hard for her to live in a partly messy house.
Second Year: There was still a big shortage of home economics teachers, Trish was assured that she would get to choose her job and the school where she would work. Her work went well. Her grades were much better than when she was at high school or attending classes at New York University: distinctions, high distinctions, she worried if she got a Credit (C+ B- or B). She was loving it.
It was about this time that a prophetic preacher came to our city. He gave a word that a group of people were going to gather around John and Trish "in a farmhouse, all supplied, near the city". John had completed a Bible College degree a couple of years previously and was beginning to teach; it seemed clear that this was Jesus' work for him. Was this God's framework in which Trish's country service as a teacher would fit?
Third Year: Trish was getting to be senior at the Uni now. More than half way! There was still a serious shortage of home economics teachers, Trish would definitely get a great job. She excelled at her work; for her prac work she was sent to the best public school in the state. This had to be a great honour and a recognition of the kind of work she was doing in the classroom.
Somewhere along the way John and Trish had become very involved in our new and exciting church. This was important to us. Our children were getting involved in churches too. The middle kids, Kate and Patrick, were starting Uni and the twins (our babies, Peter and Rebecca) were in their last year at high school. Our oldest son, Thomas, was married, we had a lovely daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. So, five kids living at home - four students, and Daniel who had finished his degree and was working. We no longer believed that the Lord would move us to the country just yet, maybe after a year or two of Trish teaching in the city?
Year 4: Final year. Suddenly the whole world of education was turned on its head; the Global Financial Crisis had hit and many people planning to retire no longer could afford to do so. Now there were too many teachers, including home economics. Many of the graduating class had no hope of getting work. None. Others would get bits and pieces of fill-in and relief work, possibly at primary schools or in an entirely different subject. The Uni work went on but in an atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty. Trish had a couple of very difficult units to do in the last semester with much humanist material and a strong humanist emphasis from the Uni. It was a very hard year for her.
Our Lord directed Trish to request that she do her big final prac at a pretty tough high school a couple of suburbs away from our house. She knew some Christians working there so felt comfortable that this would work, especially as it was His will. The prac project lasted a whole term and was such an adventure! Every day Trish came home with great stories, especially about the students. Grace abounded. Many of the kids came from disadvantaged circumstances but they responded to Trish in amazing ways. It became clear to us, who heard all the stories, that something precious was coming from Trish and into the kids. This was God's plan. The school where Trish worked was going to be her mission field, this prac showed that in just a few weeks.
As this final year of study was ending Trish missed an exam. She was home studying and the phone rang. Her friend asked "Where are you?" "Home studying for the exam tomorrow" Trish replied. "Well we've all just come out of the exam, it was today". On checking her notes Trish discovered that this was true. She had made a mistake on her calendar. Universities take these things very seriously. Trish immediately contacted her teacher, the one whose humanist class Trish had so struggled with, who said that arrangements could be made and Trish would have an opportunity to sit that exam later, however, this would probably mean that her paper would not be marked at the same time as her classmates and she may not be able to graduate with them. Four years work. Trish was devastated. We prayed that the Lord would find favour at the university for Trish. Soon enough the phone rang. It was the teacher: "can you come in tomorrow?” She had found a group Trish could sit with while they did their exam. Yes. Trish sat the paper and it was marked with those of her classmates, she passed and was able to get her (essential) teacher's accreditation and graduate at the proper time! Grace!
Once all her pass marks came in Trish arranged for her WACOTT teacher accreditation number and started looking for work. The Education Department arranges all postings to Government schools. For casual or temporary work (to cover teachers who are sick or absent) the teacher must make her own arrangements to be in the available pool. Teachers must also find their own work in the private school sector. Trish was very aware that her chances of getting a Government school posting were very small. She started applying to Christian schools and for casual teaching work, anywhere and everywhere. It was hard going.
With just three weeks to go before the new school year started Trish noticed an anomaly; a new private school was advertising for a home economics teacher on a general employment web page, but there was no parallel vacancy listed on their own School web page. We figured that the position had been advertised and filled and the general Internet site had neglected to pull the add. Trish phoned the school to find out the state-of-play; no answer. So she wrote: did they still have the job? She was qualified and very interested, here was her resume.
Imagine her surprise when Trish got a call requesting that she comes for an interview. Her first! She prepared carefully and headed out for what she thought, at best, would be the first of two or three interviews. But, glory be to Jesus, Trish was offered the job!
And what a job it is! Trish is not the new junior teacher in a team of eight. She has a senior position because her department head is also the school principal; Trish must carry some of the load to plan studies and programs, she has considerable independence and is expected to implement the newer approaches to Home Economics as she learned them at university.
The school was established by local people in the community who felt that their kids were having to travel too far to Government schools. It is a Christian school yet is independent of any denomination; they are free to be simply Christian. The school is almost brand new, it is still growing with new classes starting each year.
And . . the school is in the country. It is just south of the city but far enough away that it still has a country feel. Most homes have acreage and there are farms in the region. There are cows in the pasture right next to the school. All this and it is just a twenty-five minute drive for Trish, each way, against the rush hour traffic! Favour! Grace! A permanent job where Trish will have the same kids every week, some for years. Trish loves children and will teach life-skills to teenagers! She can surely be that river of living water for the students our Lord is giving her!
And another thing. Jesus has such a sense of timing. Once she had finished her final Uni year, Trish tidied up her computer files so they would be ready for when she was actually teaching. We made a backup onto a memory stick and turned this into a CD. Solid. Trish checked everything again, all was tidy and complete. Next day she wanted to check her email – the laptop acted funny. It never worked again. This old laptop which Daniel had used for his degree and had given to Trish, lasted by God’s grace exactly long enough for Trish to earn her teaching degrees and get her fantastic job. It is dead, finished. Trish now is a teacher who loves her work and loves her students. She has a brand new laptop.
Praise Jesus.
February 2010 – John (with Trish’s help) – Perth, Western Australia.
