I don’t know what to say or how to say it.  It’s one of the few times that I would just rather remain speechless, and after you see what I’ve written below, you may wonder what speechless means to me.
 
I had hoped to do this without strong emotions, but if you know me at all, you know that’s impossible.  Please don’t ask me to give a speech:  read the following instead.
 
When I told my grandparents I was studying to be a teacher, my grandpa (Popo) was very upset.  He told me I had such great potential, and he didn’t want me to throw everything away just to be a teacher.  Forgive him for saying so; he only had my best interest at heart.
 
The truth is, I never intended to teach.  I was on board to do something completely different, and by now I would have been in a very nice position.  Circumstances changed, though, and I needed to find something at which I could shine.
 
After five years of teaching in Oklahoma City, Popo realized I had found my niche – that I could make a positive difference for hundreds of kids and their families, and that I could show others how to respect, persevere, and achieve.  As for the rest of the family, they still don’t believe I do what I do.  They’ve always said that they can’t picture me working with kids in a classroom, day in and day out.
 
In 1995, I found Cecil Floyd Elementary School, and the position just fell into my lap.  During my interview, a tornado warning was called, and we completed my interview in the shelter area of the building (long before the current safe room was built after the 2011 storm).  My calmness there is probably what landed the job – the day after I arrived, in my first interview, and hired on the spot.
 
I was immediately impressed with the expectations of the educators in this place, but I knew things could be so much better.  We, together, along with team members who have gone before the current team, have fought and worked hard to finally earn the reputation of the best school climate in Southwest Missouri.  That’s a testament to us trusting each other – even when administrators, school boards, and legislators didn’t (or don’t).  Some of those principals that came before Gayle and Chris would never envision what Cecil Floyd has become in its first four decades.
 
I have had many personal events marked by time in the schools.  Kristy and I were married in December of 1991, during my second year of teaching.  Since being in Joplin, I adopted two babies.  My grandparents are all gone, as are my wife’s.  My dad and Kristy’s mom have both passed on.  Our daughter just graduated, our son just turned twelve, and in March I totaled the iconic yellow truck that I purchased new when I was hired here.  So much more could be included in this paragraph.
 
I’ve taught kids through a terrorist bombing close to our school, an EF5 tornado, and a global pandemic.  Parents of students have been murdered, died of cancer, or committed suicide.  Others have attacked their spouses or others, while still others abused their children in unspeakable manners.
 
But it all comes down to this:  the good guys outnumber the bad guys, there is goodness and potential in every child.  They and we can always find ways to persevere and hold our heads high.  Whether it is head lice or COVID, war or insurrection, God’s Word will continue to direct my path.  Like George Washington said several times (quoting Scripture), I’m going home to sit under my own vine and fig tree, but unlike the father of our country, I am fully aware that I will be called back into service in new and important ways.
 
May the Lord bless and keep you...

After a conversation with the CEO/president, I’ve been recruited to write lesson plans for the Lincoln Presidential Foundation’s Warning Signs project, teaching about the attitudes and reactions of various people when things that ultimately contributed to the war occurred.  I mentioned that I knew about about the Dredd and Harriet Scott situation made worse by the decision of the state Supreme Court of the time.  The message I received immediately following our discussion explains it better:

Thank you very much for taking the time to discuss our Warning Signs project. We appreciate your willingness to participate and look forward to working with you to help provide inquiry-based resources. 

Our goal is for lesson plans to be user-friendly for teachers. They will encourage students to use critical thinking skills to better understand what caused the Civil War, how Lincoln and others questioned the ways powerful people were interpreting the constitution, why it is important to learn from history and how these events are relevant to today. Events like the Dred Scott decision can help to teach students why it is important to look at the perspectives of others and be informed, engaged and empathetic citizens