life beyond the well…

Author Archives: erin.almond


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About Education: I Have to Get This Off My Chest

I am a teacher.

I am a teacher because I choose to do so, not because I didn’t have the skills necessary to do anything else.

I am a teacher because I believe that unequal access to a good education is a MAJOR civil rights issue.

I am a teacher because I believe that the best way to propel my country and my world forward is to positively impact and educate a child.

I know that EVERY teacher doesn’t teach for those reasons. But I get sick and tired of adult agendas hampering the future of our children. If you’re interested in protecting the status quo, you need not be in education, nor should you be a public official who has the power to negatively affect the education of children.

If you’re an educator and you are more considered with your pay, your benefits, your job, yourself- please write and sign a resignation letter and submit it to your principal ASAP. Does your pay and benefits matter? ABSOLUTELY. However if you are MORE concerned with those things than making sure that your classroom is a safe space where children are learning and mastering new material every day, you need to go ahead and be done with it.

If you’re an educator and you only care about your kids (not THOSE kids, or THAT child) or kids who look like you, come from a similar background as yours- you ought to be ashamed of yourself (first) AND then you need to go and submit a resignation letter stating that you are unable to protect the best interests of every student; therefore you are unfit to be a teacher. Make sure you handle that ASAP. Please and thank you.

This shouldn’t have to be said, but it seems that people are confused about who education is about. It’s about the CHILDREN. It’s ALWAYS about the children. Every time adults manipulate conversations about education and make them about adult interests, I cringe inside.

There is no magic formula to fix the education system that is so clearly broken. However, if we continue to make the conversation about what’s best for adults, we will never arrive at the solution of what is best for children. And if it’s not about them, we need to leave this system behind and create one that IS about them.

I want ALL children to have access to an excellent education. I believe it is possible. And because I believe it’s possible, I work to make it a reality.

Whew! Glad I got that off my chest…

Until next time…


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The Challenge to Be Different

This summer I had the opportunity to learn more about the financial aid process through an internship at Duke University. While I learned tons and feel that I added a few tools to my professional toolkit, I also had the opportunity to fellowship regularly at a church that I’ve loved since first visiting in college.

There was a Wednesday night service where the pastor preached a word about the importance of being different. Essentially as Christians, we can no longer be satisfied with doing things the way the world does things- we have to be true to what we say we believe and be willing to be different.

That word has stuck with me, and has become my “theme” for the year. And, while I knew it would be challenging, I think I slightly underestimated the challenge. For me, the biggest challenge encounters occur with people who are Christians in name, but perhaps not in deed. I won’t hate on that because I’ve been there, I’m coming from there, and I realize it’s a process. But as I desire more for my life and to live for God at the highest level, I can’t allow myself to be surrounded by everyone. And I can’t surround myself with everyone. Everyone isn’t for me. I’m not for everybody. Just because I see you on this road with me doesn’t mean that we have (or even desire to have) the same destination.

The challenge in being different lies in the fact that you may have to be alone.

I struggle with this. At the end of the day, I always want to feel that someone is in my corner, that they have my back, that they know me and love me for who I am.

I also struggle with this because I know that a current environment where I spend the majority of my time can’t provide this- nor should I expect it to. It’s like craving something that you know is unavailable- and will be unavailable indefinitely.

It seems that God has heard my sincere plea in that I desire to be different; that I want to live for Him and serve Him to the highest ability. And it seems like He’s issued me a challenge: will I desire this and pursue this through the most difficult, uncomfortable, isolating situations; trusting Him to comfort and provide in areas where I lack?

Challenge accepted.

Until next time- peace and blessings!