Team Teaching

I am a teacher and I have worked in a government funded preschool program on Long Island for twenty-five years. Most of those years were in one location, close to my home. But at the end of the summer about two years ago, the day before school was to begin, I received a call from my principal’s supervisor. She told me that I was being moved to a new center much farther away. Naturally, I questioned why; I did not want to go. She gave me some excuses and mentioned another position nearer to me. But by the end of the conversation, it was obvious I had no choice but to go to the further location.

Quieting myself and going deep into my heart, I remembered something I had learned: it was the Will of God, and that we are here to obey his will. I prayed, “I am going to put this into your hands.”

The next day, I started the school year in the new location. I began as I usually do with a class of eighteen three and four year-olds, and two assistant teachers. But I had no idea of the challenges I would be facing. My first assistant was Cathy, a woman with two-and-a-half years’ experience, twenty-seven years old: the same age as my daughters! To say she was uncooperative would be putting it mildly. She would even defy me in the presence of the students, telling me “That’s not how we do things here.”

The second assistant, Emma, was sixty-seven years old and she could not wait to retire! She made no secret of the fact that she hated her job, and she teamed up with Cathy to oppose me, undermining my authority. It was two against one. I felt a horrible negative energy at my job and all I could do was pray, which I did in every spare moment, especially during my longer commute. The only thing that comforted me, was to remember Jesus on the cross, and to turn to him.

The school year finally ended, and after the summer, I found myself again with the same staff. It seemed as if all my prayers were totally in vain. 

However, In October, Cathy suddenly announced that she and her family were moving out of state. I was left with Emma, who seemed to become more resentful than ever, now that Cathy was gone. I would try to be the first to greet her, wishing her a cheerful, “Good morning Emma!” as she entered my classroom, even though it took all my strength to say it. She would not return my greeting; instead, she would announce, “I hate this job, Claudia!” And she constantly compared me with Cathy in a negative light.

We went on like this for several months, just the two of us. I tried to encourage her saying, “I know you are waiting to retire. But in the meantime, let’s do our best! I am 100 percent with you. This is the job God gave you (us) so let’s try to work together!” I tried to love her in so many little ways, mostly by putting myself in her shoes. 

I said, “This job is not easy.” I reminded her that we are together seven hours a day—more time than we spend with our families! Many times, I asked her to pray with me at the beginning of the day. But she would be on her cellphone, and would reply, “I have no time.” Finally, I said, referring to the prayer I had intended, “May I read it?” And she answered, “OK OK!!” After this, things gradually started to change. I shared little bits about my life with her, and she started to reciprocate. And we started to pray together at the beginning of each school day.

We had established a rapport, and then I was able to share about my faith, how I understood the will of God, that it was not an accident that we met, I, Salvadorian, and she, Polish. How unlikely! Yet, we discovered something in common. We are both from countries that have suffered war and adversity. 

I told her, “Emma, we are sisters because we have only one Father! I am not your enemy. I am your sister!”

She was speechless. Then to my surprise, she started to laugh! That was the beginning of a new relationship. She started to laugh more, she seemed happier. And I started to tell little jokes to lighten the mood. When she went on vacation, she brought me back something. And I invited her to have lunch. Of course, the children benefitted too, and we began to see the effects of our new, positive relationship.

At the end of this second year together, we closed the classroom, cleaning it and putting everything away. Emma excused herself to go for her end-of-year evaluation. When she returned, she told me, “Claudia, I asked out manager to put me with you next year.” I replied, “Let’s pray that if this is God’s will that we continue working together.”

After all we had been through, that meant a lot. I realized how God never fails to help us when we do his will, which is expressed above all in our love for our sisters and brothers.

The author, C.V., writes with anonymity for the same reason that names have been changed in this account of her experiences, to protect everyone from undue attention. -The Editor