Finding one’s purpose in life can be easy for some and challenging for others. While I always knew I loved children, I wasn’t always convinced that education in the sense of being a teacher was my purpose. And yet somewhere along the way, God convinced me to follow my heart into the education field.
For the past 14 years, I have been a classroom teacher in 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades working in three different communities. While there are some differences, there is a greater commonality of providing students with a sense of worth, guidance, and love. I can think of no other profession that would allow me to build relationships with kids to a level of knowing their happy moments while also digging deep enough to know why they spend an hour in the hallway because of a rough morning at home or a fear of failure on an assignment that has them putting their head down on their desk. It is understanding what a student needs when he/she cannot follow directions and a desire to understand their thinking behind an answer that keeps me pondering at night and problem solving for the next day.
There are times when my patience wavers, when my exhaustion from 25 children at school all day before coming home to my own two kids starts to show, and when I question how much more I can give. And yet, God has found a way to keep me going. He continues to show me that I matter and through him, I can show others how much they matter.
This year, my journey is taking me on a new path. While still in the elementary school, I switched roles to become a specialist working with all teachers and students. Will I have the same impact? Will I still be able to build deep connections and find my purpose? I hope so. God has a plan for me, and I am excited to see where he leads.
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3
-Kristin Pavelec
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