After retiring I felt God was calling me to return to my first love, teaching. As a United Methodist, I decided to look for opportunities with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries Individual Volunteer program. I found that Red Bird Christian School wanted a volunteer to teach high school mathematics. After going through the training program for volunteers, I visited Red Bird and was given a tour and talked about the opportunity with Dr. Collins, the director. When Dr. Collins expressed his vision for Red Bird Christian School so passionately, I became convinced that I wanted to become a part of that vision.
I was especially fortunate to be asked to join the faculty at Red Bird this year when Red Bird re-opened its dormitories. The addition of the international students has enhanced the Red Bird experience for both the day students and the dorm students. It is interesting for each group to see the differences in their education systems. In mathematics, examples include the metric system for our international students versus the British imperial system for our local students and also, the use of a comma for international students versus the period for the decimal mark. This enables students to see that the method they learn is not necessarily the only or even the best way of doing things.
I am particularly pleased to be at Red Bird because Christian roots are embraced. As opposed to public schools where education and religion are strictly separated, at Red Bird, we are encouraged to actively share our faith with our students. Red Bird has a full worship service every week and devotions every day. Also, in our lesson planning, we are encouraged to bring God into the classroom. In mathematics, this is very simple because all of creation is driven by the precise mathematics laws of God’s creation more of which are being discovered every day. I have been very happy at Red Bird and much honored that I have had the opportunity to teach at here.
