the heinricy family: A Tribute to Wawona

Wow! I have spent the past 8 years of my life working at Wawona. What a great experience. The first year I taught, I was at a year round elementary school teaching a fourth and fifth grade combination class. I never in my life thought or planned on ever teaching middle school. But when I lost my job my first year because of budget cuts, and after praying and praying, that was the door God had chosen to open for me! I was so scared to do something completely different. The opening was teaching 7th/8th grade history/language arts at the middle school level. AND it also happened to be at the same school my sister was teaching! This was before the no child left behind ordeal, so the fact that I had a multiple subject credential was no biggie. Soon after I started, I fell in love with it. A few years down the road, I did have to go back to school and take a couple of classes so that I could get my supplemental in history so that I could continue teaching history at Wawona. God worked it all out, each and every time. I had to learn history, since it was the only D I received during my college years! Over the years, I actually ended up teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade history which are ancient, world, and U.S. history. I also ended up loving history, although I am still not much of a history buff.

I do love teaching, but far greater is the love and passion I have for kids. Especially the kind of kids my students were. I am a teacher who is stirred and motivated by relationships. I think God has gifted me with the ability to relate to students and have their trust. This allowed me as a teacher to have some amazing moments with many of my students. Those are the times I remember, the times I love. We had so much fun on so many occasions. And sure it was great to have results; high test scores, gains and improvement, utilizing and practicing new strategies, but the relationships that were built and those kids faces, is really what means the most to me. So many names. . .so many faces. . . so many stories. . . I will miss it. . . I am so excited for this new journey though. Taking a step of faith and watching God provide for us.