Professional Development

On Saturday, I went to an AP Economics conference in Los Angeles.  While I'm sure a lot of teachers would hate to have to give up an entire Saturday, to talk about the subject that they taught all week, I'm always excited to go to these conferences and workshops.  Teaching is not something that you ever master.  It is something that you must continue to develop.  The same can be said for our content knowledge.  History and the social sciences is one of the few subject areas that you truly never stop learning in.  New history is constantly being created, new trends develop in the field of political science, and economic models are disproved and new models created.  I am always trying to find some time to read a great book on one of these subjects, but we all know time can be very scarce.

For me, this is what makes these conferences so great.  First, the simple ability to get together with other teachers who are passionate about their subject, and the success of their students is always refreshing.  Plus, for me, still being a relatively new teacher, it is always great to be able to pick their brains for new ideas, strategies they've had success with, and to have the opportunity to bounce ideas off of them.  While it was a long day, I left with many wonderful resources and ideas, and a renewed vigor to be the best teacher that I can possibly be. 

On a similar note, I have also begun to look into some opportunities for this summer, again in the area of professional development.  I have applied/in the process of applying for several week long institutes, and even some 6-8 week fellowships.  Here are a few of the ones that I have applied for or will apply for in the next week or so:

James Madison Fellowship:  A program where they choose a teacher from every state to spend the summer in Washington D.C. with an emphasis on constitutional theory.  If chosen as a fellow, they also award you $24,000 to put towards a Masters program.  The hardest part of the application, however, is finding a master's program I would be interested in that would meet the requirements.

University of Delaware's Masters in Economic Education:  This master's program is largely paid for, but they only select 35 in each cohort.  You would spend 6 weeks for two summers on their campus, and complete the rest of your work during the school year online. 

College Board AP Fellow:  This would award $1000 to go towards attending a week long AP Summer Institute.  Even if I don't get this, I will most likely still attend one for Economics.  The AP Summer Institute I attended for US Government was fantastic, and an invaluable experience.

FTE's Economics for Leaders: A fantastic week long workshop for teachers of economics.  Every time I've been around an economics teacher that has attended one of the FTE's workshops, they all say at some point, you have to try and go to one of these.  They only have five or six sites around the country, and only take 30 at each site, so it is fairly hard to get chosen for these.  I applied for the one in Santa Barbara, CA.

TAH's week long programs:  I also applied for a couple of the TAH seminars (Teaching American History) in political parties and Congress.  They are probably best known by teachers for the grants that many districts have across the country, and very well respected in the social studies field.  Plus, the program is free, and you actually receive a stipend for attending.

I'll keep you posted as I hear back from these great opportunities.  Hopefully, I'll be able to do one or two of them this summer.  I'm positive any of these experiences would make me a better teacher.

A Different Kind of Education

Megan, Mr. & Mrs. Temple, and Emily at Kerri and Tim's wedding. 

Theresa Lynn DeBruhl Temple (pictured above). You may know her as Terri, Mrs. Temple, or one of the WPHS lunch ladies; however, I call her Moma. She is one of the most intelligent people I know. Here is a little of her story:


She was born the oldest, only daughter, of five children. Her parents divorced when she was in elementary school. She moved more times than I can accurately account. She endured her teenage years in less than desirable circumstances with an alcoholic stepfather. She met a tall red-headed bag boy at the local grocery store at age fifteen. A few years later she graduated high school and got married to that bag boy a few months later. She entered the work force and within five years, after my birth, filled the role of stay-at-home-mom. Obviously, I spent countless hours with her. She taught me how to say my ABC’s, write my name, recognize colors, and countless other things. She even read my favorite book, Martha’s House, so many times that I had it memorized by age three or four and she thought I could read it (yeah, I’ve been fooling people for years). As I reflect upon my mother I can rarely remember a time that she was not reading something. She loved to read and still does. Her love of reading, study, and the world has led to her vast knowledge base. While she has never set foot in a college classroom she knows more than many college graduates. Let me be clear: if I were going to be on a trivia based game show like, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” she would be at the top of my phone-a-friend list.

We are all on a specific path in life. Each path is distinctly different. Educationally speaking, God places each of us in a different place. Sure, we should all seek to be continual learners; however, for some people this does not mean additional formal education. Some are supposed to work right after high school, some are supposed to go to a trade/technical school, some are supposed to go to college, some are supposed to go on to graduate school, medical school, law school, or some other form of higher education, and some are supposed to be parents right away. In the end, the formal education story we have to tell is not as important as the educational journey we are on. Some of the most learned, wise, knowledgeable people I know have never taken a single class beyond high school! Education comes in many forms.

Lately, I have been reflecting on where my path has taken me. Many of my friends are done with school, have full-time jobs, have purchased homes, and have started families. Sometimes I wonder why my path is so different. I wonder if I am going in the right direction. And, sometimes (ok–often), I am a bit jealous of their lives.

This week in one of my classes the professor offered the following bit of his personal story for encouragement. He told us how he too, as a young graduate student, felt inferior to others around him with full-time teaching positions. However, he stressed not to worry. God has placed us on our particular paths. We have no need to complain, apologize, or doubt that which we cannot control. God has a plan. God will guide. As my professor encouraged: your path, as long as you are following the Lord in obedience, is the perfect path for you.

So, in light of my constant self-doubt and uncertainty I am reminded that God has a plan. My path is not exactly “traditional” or just how I imagined it would be—but it is mine. I am assured that the desires of my heart will be fulfilled in God’s good time. I will, one day, have a full-time job, my own home, and a family. For now, I am privileged to be a part of a Ph.D. program and have wonderful friends and family behind me as I “endure” this formal education process of my journey!

--Megan

The Joy of Reading: Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries

Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries is the fifth book that I read during the break and is also a text for the class I’m helping with. If you are a part of a search committee, pastoral leadership team, deacon board, youth ministry team/staff, a good ol’ fashioned nosey church person, or a church staff member you NEED this book. It offers invaluable information that you need to know. Much of it you have probably heard and refused to believe. If you, or your church, are too stubborn to utilize the consulting resources your denominational agencies offer the least you can do is read this book and gain some minimal clarity about the ins and outs of a “Sustainable Youth Ministry.”


Mark DeVries and I have never met face-to-face; however, I know we’d be best friends! He believes in the same kind of youth ministry I believe in and even uses the term I thought my New Pleasant students coined, “youth family.”

In the book he addresses everything from documents you need within a youth ministry, to how to create the right atmosphere, to how to keep the ministry going with or without a hired youth director. Everything from the behind the scenes details to the wide open in front of everyone details are addressed. It is a great handbook for those that oversee the hiring, evaluating, and “firing” of staff. And it’s a great text for youth pastors to read too.

In light of all my reading, particularly within the youth ministry field, and stories I have heard from NPBC I have been encouraged. I walked away from my ministry at NPBC in August tired, weary, and feeling as though I failed in so many ways. I felt I did not clearly cast my vision, prepare my team, train mentors and volunteers effectively, or show my students what it means to be a “family,” see a need and meet it, and follow God at all costs. However, in taking a God-required sabbatical from youth ministry to pursue further education I have been refreshed, encouraged, and revived. In fact, many of the things I did were right! I was by no means perfect, but for a first-timer I was on the right track. I learned a great deal of valuable lessons during my time at NPBC and I have gained even more since I arrived at Talbot. If, and when, God does call me to church ministry I feel better prepared and encouraged that I do have something to contribute. I am foundationally skilled at transforming a ministry from frail and floundering to faithful and “family-like.”


Buy Sustainable Youth Ministry

--Megan