Episode Summary

In this episode, I reflect on what happened when I took one of the biggest leaps of faith in my teaching career. After spending 22 years in South Sioux City, I stepped away from a place filled with relationships, memories, credibility, and comfort to begin again at Winnebago Public Schools.

I share the uncertainty that came with starting over and the lessons I learned along the way. I discovered that experience travels with you, relationships still matter most, trust must be earned again, and some of life's greatest opportunities are waiting on the other side of uncertainty.

I also reflect on two deeply meaningful gifts—a seed bead necklace from a student and his mother and a Mr. Funky Teacher beaded medallion created by my students with help from Ms. Shipman. Those gifts represented far more than objects. They represented connection, trust, belonging, and acceptance.

As I look back on the year, I'm grateful I was willing to take the leap. My building changed, my community changed, and my routines changed, but my purpose came with me. This experience reminded me that when we genuinely care, serve others, and believe in young people, we can make a difference wherever we are.

Show Notes

• Leaving South Sioux City after 22 years
• Beginning again at Winnebago
• Experience and purpose travel with you
• Earning trust in a new community
• Meaningful gifts of belonging
• Growth on the other side of uncertainty

Key Takeaways

• Leaving something good can still be the right decision.
• Experience travels with you when you begin again.
• Trust must be earned through consistent relationships.
• Meaningful gifts can represent belonging and acceptance.
• Some of life's greatest blessings wait beyond uncertainty.

This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome back, everyone.

Today's episode is called What Happens When You Take a Leap of Faith?

There are moments in life when you know a decision will change everything.

Not because it's easy.

Not because it's safe.

But because you believe it's the right thing to do.

A year ago, I made one of those decisions.

After spending 22 years teaching in South Sioux City, I accepted a position at Winnebago Public Schools.

It was exciting.

It was emotional.

It was uncertain.

And if I'm being honest, it was a little scary.

I was leaving behind relationships.

I was leaving behind familiarity.

I was leaving behind a place where I had spent more than two decades building a reputation and a career.

I knew who I was there.

What I didn't know was who I would become somewhere else.

But sometimes growth requires a leap of faith.

Today, I want to share what happened when I took one.

Before we get into it, though, I want to ground myself in gratitude.

Here are three things that I'm thankful for.

The first thing that I'm thankful for is encouraging messages.

I'm thankful when I get an encouraging message from someone, whether it is an email, a text message, or a phone call.

Sometimes a few simple, kind, encouraging words arrive exactly when you need them and make a difference.

The second thing that I'm thankful for is open doors.

I'm thankful for opportunities.

When opportunities arrive unexpectedly, looking back, they often lead us exactly where we need to be.

And the third thing that I'm thankful for is people who cheer for your success.

I'm thankful for people who encourage us, support us, and believe in us, even when we're stepping into the unknown.

We all need people like that in our corner.

Well, let's get back into the main topic, y'all.

The topic, once again, is What Happens When You Take a Leap of Faith?

When I accepted the position at Winnebago, there were a lot of unknowns.

Would students connect with me?

Would I fit into the community?

Would I be accepted?

Would I be successful?

Would I miss my former district too much?

Would I regret leaving?

Those questions are normal when you start over.

The reality is that after 22 years, I had become comfortable.

I had relationships.

I had routines.

I had history.

I had credibility.

Starting over meant building all of those things again.

But what I learned this year is that sometimes the greatest opportunities in life are waiting on the other side of uncertainty.

So let's talk about some of those lessons I learned.

One thing I learned is that leaving something good is hard.

One thing people sometimes misunderstand is that I didn't leave a bad situation.

I left a place filled with relationships, memories, and experiences.

That's what made it difficult.

Sometimes the hardest decisions aren't choosing between bad and good.

Sometimes they're choosing between two good opportunities.

Leaving something meaningful is never easy.

Another thing I learned is that the unknown can be scary.

One of my biggest fears wasn't failure.

It was uncertainty.

There were so many unknowns.

I had spent years establishing myself professionally.

I knew how things worked.

I knew people.

I knew expectations.

Starting over meant stepping into uncertainty.

Most growth opportunities begin that way.

They do.

Another thing I learned is that experience travels with you.

One thing I learned quickly is that while buildings may change, experience doesn't disappear.

You can change school districts, but your experience travels with you.

It doesn't just vaporize.

The lessons I learned over 22 years came right with me.

The skills came with me.

The leadership experience came with me.

The relationships I built over a career helped shape the educator I had become.

I wasn't starting from scratch.

I was starting from experience.

Another thing I learned is that relationships still matter most.

No matter where you teach, relationships matter.

Students want to know you care.

Families want to know you care.

Colleagues want to know you care.

Communities want to know you care.

The older I get, the more convinced I become that relationships are the foundation of everything else.

Another thing I learned is that trust must be earned again.

One lesson I learned this year is that trust doesn't transfer automatically.

You earn it one conversation at a time.

One interaction at a time.

One relationship at a time.

And that's okay.

Because trust that is earned tends to be trust that lasts.

Another thing I learned centers around the seed bead necklace I received as a gift.

One of my students and his mother made me a beautiful seed bead necklace.

It wasn't expensive.

It wasn't flashy.

But it was meaningful.

I could tell a lot of time and effort had gone into it.

It represented something far more valuable than money or anything flashy.

It represented connection.

Acceptance.

Relationship.

When I received that gift, I became emotional.

I started tearing up.

It was one of the first moments when I truly felt that I belonged in the school.

It meant more than I can possibly convey in words.

I get choked up just thinking about it right now.

There was also something I learned from the Mr. Funky Teacher medallion I received this year.

Later in the school year, something happened that reaffirmed everything.

My students surprised me with a special Mr. Funky Teacher seed bead medallion.

The project had been completed over time with the help of our family and consumer science teacher.

Students worked on it a little at a time, little by little.

Each student can tell you what part of the medallion they worked on.

Medallions are very important in Indigenous culture.

One day, the students surprised me with the completed medallion.

I was overwhelmed.

Not because of the gift itself, but because of what it represented.

The relationships we had built.

The trust we had developed.

The impact we had on one another.

It's something I will treasure forever.

It says Mr. Funky Teacher on it, and below that it says, We Can Change the World.

That's one thing I truly believe.

We can change the world.

There are a lot of ways we can change the world.

You don't have to be famous.

You don't have to be rich.

We all have the ability to change the world in our own community or beyond.

There are so many ways to change the world.

Boy, it just took my breath away.

It was so emotionally impactful for me.

It touched my heart and soul in a way that I don't even know how to say thank you for.

I can say thank you, but I don't even know if that does it justice.

I want to thank my students and our family and consumer science teacher.

Shout-out to Ms. Shipman for the work they did on a special medallion that I will treasure for a lifetime.

It's something I will keep with me forever.

Another thing I learned is that learning a new community is a gift.

One of the greatest blessings of this year has been learning more about the Winnebago community.

Learning about Native culture.

Learning about traditions.

Learning about history.

Learning about perspectives different from my own.

Every community has something to teach us if we're willing to listen.

I learned a lot this year.

Another thing I learned is that students are students.

One realization that kept coming back to me throughout the year is that students are students.

They want to belong.

They want to be successful.

They want to be seen.

They want to be encouraged.

They want adults who believe in them.

Those things are true no matter where you teach.

That realization reminded me that all students deserve great teachers.

Another thing I learned is that your purpose comes with you.

This may be the most important lesson I learned all year.

When I left South Sioux City, I wasn't sure exactly what would happen.

What I learned is that your purpose comes with you.

Your building may change.

Your community may change.

Your routines may change.

But if your purpose is serving students, that purpose travels with you.

And when you carry that purpose with you, you can make a difference wherever you are.

As I close and look back on this first year at Winnebago, I feel grateful.

Grateful for the students.

Grateful for the staff.

Grateful for the families.

Grateful for the community.

Grateful for the opportunity.

Most of all, I'm grateful that I was willing to take the leap.

Because some of life's greatest blessings are found on the other side of uncertainty.

Having the courage to start over taught me that your purpose comes with you.

The relationships may change.

The building may change.

The community may change.

But if you're willing to show that you genuinely care about young people, serve others, and have the heart of a servant, you can make a difference wherever you are.

Students deserve great teachers everywhere.

Sometimes the greatest growth in our lives happens when we're willing to step into the unknown.

My challenge for you is simple.

Is there an opportunity in your life that you've been avoiding because it feels uncertain?

Maybe it's time to take the leap.

You may discover that something wonderful is waiting on the other side.

Well, if you found value in this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts and leave a five-star review.

Let me know what you think.

It helps more teachers find this space.

As you go into your day, remember to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a funky teacher.

Bye now.