Songs of Celebration!

"Celebrate good times, COME ON!"

"In the summer time when the weather is hot..."

and a family classsic...

School's out, school's out,
Teacher let the mules out.
One went East, One went West,
One went up the teacher's dress.

Yesterday was my final day as a high school math teacher. There was really no bitterness in it. Just sweet 100% milk chocolate pleasantness! I cleaned up, loaded up and said sayonara to my classroom and friends on staff. It is strange knowing that I will never again encounter most of the students and teachers I met this year. We've spent so much time together, have gone through thick and thin together, and now we part ways. C'est la vie. I've never been very sentimental.

With the close of this chapter, a new and exciting one begins! On Monday, I begin my new career as a full-time rock climbing instructor and guide.

Last night I went to a young adult church event where we discussed the Psalms. The pastor shared how the Psalms not only express praise to God for bringing us through tough times, but they are also a statement of hope and faith we have in God to finish the work he has started in us and bring us the rest of the way. I don't have life all figured out, and I don't have a 10 yr plan of intermediate goals to guide me. I have a guiding vision of where I'd like to be (a direction) and, so far, God has always been there for me, leading me on this journey that is sometimes straight and easy and sometimes long and winding. I trust that he will bring me through trials and uncertainty to the healthy and fulfilling place that he desires for me.

With that, as Jay-z would say, ON TO THE NEXT ONE!

Smooth Operator

This last month brought big life changes for me.

• AMGA SPI - this month I took a course and passed an assessment to gain a single pitch instructor certification from the American Mountain Guide Association. All in all, I'm now a nationally certified climbing instructor and guide, which has been a personal goal for a couple years.

• NEW JOB! - I will be managing the instruction and guiding programs at a local gym as soon as the school year lets out. This new job seems ideal. It will be a mix of teaching inside and out, guiding and managing. I'm psyched to take my skills and joy of teaching to climbing which I'm passionate and excited about. Look for me at the gym! If you want some focused training or some technical skills, hit me up!

I really dislike students right now

8 days . . . just 8 more days. I'm just sick of the talking back, rude comments, cussing, slapping, stealing, cell phones and all their other crap. I'm am consistently amazed at how poorly behaved the students are. It is so incredibly hard for me to connect with them because I do not understand their circumstances, their community, their habits, their behavior - any of it - because I am not and was never like them. Is it that hard to just listen and not interrupt me when I am speaking. Geez.

8 more days . . . At least I haven't hit any of them (hard)

Who's Guiding Whom?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Last post I elaborated on how this past year has been a time of tremendous trust and faith in God's plan for me. I have felt the pull toward outdoor ed for a long time. It's where I feel most alive!

Praise Him, for he has, does and will provide. I'm happy to announce that I am on my way to being a professional, certified climbing instructor and guide.

Two weekends ago, I completed the American Mountain Guide Association's (AMGA) Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) course. This coming weekend I will be taking the SPI certification exam, after which I will be a nationally certified SPI.

Today, I accepted a full-time position managing a climbing instruction program. This is a great leap towards my passion for outdoor education, and I trust that God will guide my steps down this road.

I am greatly appreciative to all those friends and family who have supported, empowered and trusted me in my endeavors - especially my lovely girlfriend!

Happy Climbing!

 

Lessons in Dependence

It's April. I've been teaching high school math for about 8 months. More notably, I have 2 more months until I embark on the next journey. But where?


Teaching this year has subjected me to countless lessons in trust and dependence. I had a plan coming out of college - give up engineering in order to pursue interests in education. I chose to follow my God-given passions for imparting skills and knowledge to others. It is not very productive for me to muse the validity of my thoughts and actions this time last year. One thing I know for sure, however. After choosing an Outward Bound internship over a consulting engineering internship for the summer of junior year, I chose to embark on a journey following my passions for the outdoors and education. I'm confident I learned a heck of a lot more than my students did this past year.


God has given me a heart for enjoying His natural creation from talus peaks to wildflower laden valleys, from the barren desert to the fertile Smokies. He also instilled a talent for teaching. The idea of teaching in a classroom came to me while sitting in a fifth-wheel trailer in Silverton, CO. I was supporting a 30-day mountaineering course in the San Juan Mountains with Outward Bound. It was one of many influential experiences that summer. Leading trips for 200 days per year didn't seem like an adequate career aspiration, however, for me, a college educated, talented guy with a serious girlfriend in Nashville, TN. Teaching seemed like a job that could fulfill some of my desires to share information with others. Plus, the many breaks are a bonus. Alas, being in the classroom teaching freshman algebra to inner city kids just doesn't cut it for me. There goes the plan.


Where do I go from here then? Do I really leave a stable job as a teacher to embark on some journey in outdoor education? That is the question I have struggled with for many months. The longer I thought on it, prayed about it, and searched my heart, the more confident I became in making it. In John Eldridge's book,  Wild at Heart (which has been very influential in my life), he quotes an inspiring Howard Thurman: 

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

I've spent a lot of time in scripture over the past 8 months. Passages in James, Corinthians, Psalms, Luke, Deuteronomy and more have convicted me to turn my entire life over to God, trust that he has a grand and amazing plan for me, and to follow my heart. I believe that the Jesus makes clear His purpose on Earth in John 10:10.

"I have come that they might have life, and have it to the fullest."

Personally, I feel most alive and closest to God when enjoying his Creation. I know I can fulfill my mission to share the Gospel through outdoor adventure, as well. Some day, a ways down this winding path I'm on, I would like to run a Gospel-centered outdoor program for young men and father & son groups. With that end in mind, I am trying to stay to a path that will enable me to one day accomplish such an endeavor. Thus far, my experiences with outdoor ed and traditional ed, along with the church, are a good start. I have built a solid foundation. In the future, I would like to gain more experiences in logistics, management, education/instruction, and gospel teaching. 


Currently, I am pursuing two positions in the outdoor arena. One is a climbing instructor position. The other is a representative with a gear company. Both would enable me to grow a lot and I am not sure if God will ultimately lead me to either company. Regardless, I trust that His plan is in action and He will provide for me as He always has for His people.


I will update when I get news. Until then,
Cheers.

Return from the Abyss

I'm a Teacher??

Ahoy! I am returning to the blogosphere after an Odysseian journey through my first year of teaching. There I was (and still am, and will be for the next 4 months) . . . standing in front of dozens of primarily impoverished, minority students with no experience and little idea of what to do. What a long, strange trip it's been. In the first 3 months of teaching I experienced enormous challenges, including:

• classes up to 35 students
• being cussed out and mocked daily 
• physically threatened

Then, suddenly, my admin switched my schedule, my classroom and my subject. Teaching freshmen algebra 1 for the last three months has relieved much stress (for I have an exceptional partner teacher) and offered me much more consistency in my teaching schedule (only 1 prep now compared to 3 before). Best of all, the switch allowed me to, effectively, start over as a teacher with 3 months practice - new rules, procedures, classroom arrangement, personality and strategies. I cannot say that I am now pleasantly comfortable and content now as a teacher, but the switch was a God-send; I may not have lasted.

I just want to see the sun . . .

I wake up at 5:20am and go to bed about 11pm. Most of the time between is allocated to work and preparing for work with little time allowed for rest and decompressing from all that work! I completed neglected my well-being and just stopped doing anything outdoors or physical. My first significant release came in October during fall break. The g.f. and I headed off to the Smokies for a wonderful trip. The scenery, the route, the campsites - everything - were great! I had a really difficult time letting go of my stress and worry though. I couldn't sleep well. I was quiet and sometimes moody. I cried one night as I was overwhelmed about my situation and my future.

Eyes on the Prize

Last fall I started to get an itch to thru-hike. Lauren and I were discussing some grand summer plan to celebrate and relax after our first year of teaching. I was looking through a copy of Backpacker, reading their "Favorite Hikes Ever" (or something). Numero uno was the world famous John Muir Trail. I pointed it out to the gf, who immediately said, "Let's go!" "Okay," I said, and the ball started rolling for our summer plans.

At this point, we have flights to San Francisco and permits for the JMT. We've been researching, reading books, looking at maps and have a plan. Late June, we'll fly out their with only our gear. The itinerary is to hike the entire 220 mi trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney in 15 days - 15mi/day average. The trip is my light at the end of the tunnel! I think about it often and am holding on for that release!

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” John Muir