Since I've stepped down from classroom teaching as my full-time job, I've been excited to see how I still have so many opportunities to teach. Frequently, these opportunities have been one-on-one. And I really like it! I've been teaching Sunday School teachers how to be better teachers by stepping in to observe their classes and then meeting with them about how to better prepare their lessons or handle classroom management. It's been great to do this one-on-one. I get to know the teachers better. I can acknowledge their strengths, target their specific needs, and ask them questions to help them evaluate their own ministry. Of course, there is also time for their questions.
Outside of my job, I've also been coaching others in sewing. There have been several teen girls I've coached how to make an outfit from a pattern. It has been so fun! Instead of classroom lessons, they each picked an outfit they wanted to make and we started making it together. This meant when I taught them something new, they were trying it out right away, and in most cases, they had something to show for it at the end. Again, the one-on-one aspect provided opportunities to give them what they needed based on how much experience they already had and the kinds of sewing they were interested in. By the way, I have availability for new students if anyone local is interested!
More recently, I chose to reach out to a published author for coaching in the writing process. I feel like I've made a lot of progress in my writing/publishing goals over the last few years, but felt I had reached a plateau. Online writing classes and a collaborative writing community have been really helpful, but I was at the point where I felt the need for more individual direction and guidance. Meeting with a more experienced author (Helena Sorenson) was really helpful. She was really insightful and was able to target her advice for me. Sometimes, courses or "how to"s just don't fit your situation, but that doesn't mean you don't have more to learn.
Finally, I'm reminded how valuable one-on-one or small group relationships are for spiritual growth. Though the larger church gathering together is vital for growth in Christian community, coaching or one-on-one discipleship is often needed to really develop a person.
There are things I miss about teaching, but for now, this coaching role is pretty exciting.
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