[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Welcome to the collective table where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice and joy.
This podcast is brought to you by Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture with into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and even the podcast.
So we're glad you're here and thanks for listening.
[00:00:40] Speaker C: Well, good morning. My name is Janelle Coker. I am the other co lead minister. And with it being back to school Sunday today, we're going to be doing something a little bit differently than we normally would, which is to listen to one talking head up here and we're going to listen to a panel discussion today.
But of course, before we do that, I had to get a few words in.
So as Jason and I were considering a few special occasions this year, we thought, let's celebrate educators, let's celebrate kids, and let's make that something special.
And that is because we're seeing our education department dismantled.
We are seeing that whether you teach at a kitchen table, through a charter school or through a public school, through a private school, that we're hearing that maybe we shouldn't be talking about history any longer.
Maybe a history that should be whitewashed or changed because it doesn't sound as glamorous to talk about things like racism any longer. And that maybe we should just make it a little sweeter, a little kinder, a little nicer.
And so we wanted to bring a highlight to the fact that as Christians, as followers of Jesus, Jesus at his core was a teacher.
In fact, we hear Jesus being called teacher more than any other name throughout the Gospels.
We don't hear him called Rabbi quite as often, definitely not healer, miracle worker, nearly as often as we hear him called teacher.
And I think that is because at the very heart of our faith, learning, reflection, sitting at the feet of our God and seeing how we can create a better world is absolutely what Christianity is about.
So let us make no mistake, as I've shared, regardless of how you may educate your children, whether it's at your kitchen table, all the way up to sending them off to school every day and to an after school program because you're working parents, we want to honor what we do.
We want to say that kids in the United States deserve truthful, honest education.
One that honors them, one that is not punishing or violent, one that is kind and allows them to flourish.
And because I care so deeply about our pantry and I get to see families every day who are food insecure, I will also say That I believe that every child that goes to school deserves free lunch, regardless of their income.
We decided today that we had so many fabulous educators that we would ask a couple of them to come forward and share how fast and their vocation come together.
So instead of a typical sermon, I'm going to invite our three panelists forward to have a seat. And we are going to listen to some of their beautiful responses. No pressure.
And how they create this dream of an education system that is honoring and beautiful and welcoming to all.
So can I invite my three panelists forward?
You can sit right next to me. I know it's scary.
Okay. And sue, be careful because that's just hanging off the edge.
Yeah.
Okay, so I'm going to let you all introduce yourselves and I'm going to give you the mic. Please put it up to your mouth closely so everyone can hear.
And the first question is just tell us your name and what you do. And then I gave you. Let me see. I want to state my question exactly because I know you have one sentence which I thought was really hard. In one sentence, tell us why you became an educator.
So we'll start with you, Jordi.
[00:06:25] Speaker A: All right. Good morning.
My name is Jordi Sparks, and I am in my 20th year being a public school educator.
So very, very grateful to be there. My current role is I serve as a executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion and student supports for the Oceanside Unified School District.
And I believe I wanted to become a teacher, an educator, because I wanted to be a millionaire.
[00:06:56] Speaker C: That's exactly why I became a minister.
[00:07:00] Speaker A: No, but honestly, I think the most influential people in my life have always been teachers. I always go back to my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Brown, who inspired me to love people the way that he loved us. And since that, that fourth grade, you know, 10 year old self, I knew I wanted to teach.
And so that was where I begin my journey.
[00:07:19] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:07:24] Speaker D: Hello, I'm Jillian Porter Eshelman. And for the past 11 years, I've been the drama teacher at Sage Creek High School.
Yay.
But I'm actually, I don't even know if you know this. I'm moving schools this year, so I'm starting elementary music so I. I can teach at my kids school this year. So, yeah, and I became an educator.
It's kind of funny. It's more art and theater forward. I think I wouldn't be who I am today without theater and arts programming opportunities that I got in high school and junior high and I wanted to do that. So I wanted to provide that and make sure that was an available outlet for kids.
[00:08:06] Speaker C: Beautiful.
[00:08:10] Speaker E: Good morning. I'm Sue Dwyer Voss. I am a licensed clinical social worker.
Thank you. And have been working in schools for my whole career, 35 years. So many people don't know there are social workers in schools.
So maybe I'll just tell you a little bit about what we do in that role.
We're different from school counselors. School counselors are typically focused on academic achievement and college career, you know, where the student is headed.
And social workers are there to really try to remove any barriers that students are facing that get in the way of their education, like trauma, abuse, neglect, anxiety, depression, suicidality, all of those really difficult things.
So social workers provide individual and group counseling as well as crisis intervention and really try to build bridge the gap between schools, families, and community.
So bringing resources on campus, things like that.
So the reason that I decided once I learned there was such a thing as a school social worker, I was all in because I really value education.
And my childhood was a bit tumultuous, you could say.
And once I realized there were school social workers, I was like, I could have used somebody like that. I could have used somebody on campus that I could have, you know, talked to and worked through some things with. So that's why I got into the field once I learned about it.
[00:09:57] Speaker C: Well, you can. I'm going to let you keep the. We'll just kind of keep going down. Thank you for sharing that. And I think that moves a little bit into our next question, so I'll let you answer and then bring it down the line. They all have three of the same questions, but I'm interested to hear how each one of you in your different roles might answer this differently or similarly similar.
Thank you.
I know I'm a little nervous with these teachers up here.
So how does your faith or spiritual values influence the way that you show up in your work?
[00:10:41] Speaker E: Okay, I'm going to get out my phone. A little cheat sheet here.
So the social work profession has a code of ethics that goes into a lot of detail, but at the base of that code of ethics are a set of core values which I believe fit perfectly with my faith as well. And they are.
Those core values are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
So again, once I found this profession of mine, it just fit perfectly hand in hand with my faith. And it's been really wonderful to spend a career kind of keeping those things hand in hand all the way.
Yeah. So my faith Impacts my work and my work impacts my faith and yeah, that's it.
[00:11:48] Speaker C: Great way to be. Thank you.
[00:11:51] Speaker D: I'm pretty similar, I think I as like in the teacher role and especially with the opportunity I got to build the drama program that I teached at or taught at.
And the community element was so important to me and to make sure that I was community forward and providing a community where any kid felt like they could walk in and be themselves and make friends and be heard and understood, be vulnerable and kind of go through high school with that team.
So that very much aligned with my faith and making sure that students felt like they belonged to and then just faith is always there when it gets hard. Like being a teacher is not easy at all.
And at the end of the day it's really positive to like it's doing good work. Educators are doing really worthwhile work that is so necessary and they need it like kids need it. We're teaching kids how to problem solve their life in the long run. And that's a good thing. That's a really good thing. So faith reminds me of that on a daily basis.
[00:13:02] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: I would say first of all that every person, every child is sacred and should be treated as such.
Being a teacher, being an educator, being in schools allows you to really live that value out on a day to day basis. Whether you're serving in a classroom or serving at the school or district level, you get to treat people as God sees them.
I think outside of being a parent, and I didn't learn this until I later became a parent, it's like the best way to practice unconditional love like Jesus did.
And I also think that everyone needs people who will come alongside them and live life alongside them and walk alongside them and to your point, help them develop problem solving skills and life skills. And I think there's no better way to do that than being an educator and being with students each and every day and watching them as they grow.
So those are the reasons why I think my faith and also my work around education intersects.
[00:14:06] Speaker C: All right, I'm gonna let you hold on to that because you'll ask Jill. You'll always be the second one.
Have there been any moments where you're spiritual or, or emotional resilience was tested in your job?
What helped you get through it?
[00:14:28] Speaker A: All right, so as I said, I'm in DEI work, so that's been a little popular the past year or so.
But I would say a couple things.
The attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion work specifically around equity and inclusion have been numerous and wide and broad. And I think even last year, I kind of hit a low point just thinking, like, man, do I need to take a step back from this and just take a break and catch my breath? Like, it was really, really heavy.
And then the election happened, and public education became under attack even more so. And I said, there's no way I can walk away from it at this point. I have to recommit. So I'm a lease here, I think, for another 20 years. That's my goal anyways.
But I would say, other than that, I mean, really, this summer, my team and I work with a growing team of social workers. So I really appreciate the work that you do. We've been growing our team in Oceanside, but we spent a lot of time working with families here in Oceanside who were directly impacted by immigration enforcement, particularly supporting families through counseling and therapy and trauma response. And so that was heavy and necessary.
But then also thinking about this school year as we're stepping into, you know, we opened up school Thursday last week, we're paying very, very close attention to our students and our families and how what's going on in our neighborhoods, especially on the east side here in Oceanside, how that's impacting students and families on a daily basis. And so that's definitely testing our resolve and our resilience.
And I just hope and pray that we can continue to show up each and every day for the students who are impacted by that, but also students who are indirectly impacted by that.
[00:16:17] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:16:21] Speaker D: I've been trying to figure out how to say this a little delicately, because I don't want to sound, like, unsympathetic, I guess, at the end of it, But I deal with a lot of high school drama, or I have for the last 11 years, and a lot of it is not on the stage. And a lot of it is when you put a bunch of high school students in a kind of a bubble, and they go through four years together as a program, and there's sort of a metaphor there. Like, we're always working on a show. We're always working on something together that there's a point A to point B.
And I think especially in the last five years, there's been this shift where kids have such a hard time getting from point A to point B because they get caught up, like, in this hamster wheel along the way, where we all know that it's a very.
I'm, myself included, very anxious generation. But it's also. There's just this increase in Anger and fear and a blame game. And I see a lot in my students, like they deflect. Everything is happening to them and they are forgetting how to be agents of change.
Like they can't solve a problem because the problem happened to them and they don't see a way out. And so a lot of my time in the last five years has been spent with my students in restorative circles, trying to figure out how to move forward together, even in difference. And these kids have so much to say and have so much in there. It's not petty. These, like high school dramas, they sound petty, but they're.
They're in it, they're living it, and they need coping skills and they need coping mechanisms.
But one thing I think that has helped so much, at least for me and hopefully for a few of them, without overreaching, I find myself trying to teach forgiveness and trying to help them move forward and not like, forget, but maybe just try to forgive and try to see the other perspective and, and modeling that and how I interact because I've noticed, I don't think forgiveness is something that's talked about a lot in homes and talked about like by their parents very much either. So when I say things like that, it's almost like a new art form.
But it's also really powerful when you see two teenage girls who couldn't stand each other, whose moms can't stand each other, you know, things like that by the end of senior year, like they get each other and there's, there's a piece there and I, I've found that that became 60% of my job over the last five years. So, yeah, that, that.
[00:19:03] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:19:09] Speaker E: I think the question.
Say, say it again because I want to make sure I'm on the right track here.
[00:19:15] Speaker C: Have there been any moments where your spiritual or emotional resilience was temporary tested in your job?
What helped you get through it?
[00:19:24] Speaker E: Okay, yeah, as I mentioned, my job can be pretty heavy emotionally.
So, yeah, pretty much every day.
And that, you know, has required me to really learn how to set boundaries and how to really take self care seriously.
My husband can attest to, you know, like, I don't come home and tell him everything because a lot of it's all confidential, my conversations, but he can tell if I've put on a Hallmark movie, it means it was a rough day.
I just need some, like, I need predictability.
I need to know this is gonna end well.
So, yeah, from a personal level, it does take an emotional toll.
And I did retire from full time work this past June. And that was partly the reason. I just feel like I'm not as resilient, I guess, to be able to bounce back and move on to the next situation or the next person. So on a personal level, I thought, well, I need to take a little bit of a step back and make sure I can still balance it all.
But yeah, I loved what both of you said. You know, how I mean, really, mental health and taking care of our kids and families in whatever situations they're in is just the most important thing. And then as educators, making sure we're doing what we need to do so that we stay healthy so we can, you know, continue to try to impact them in a positive way.
And one of the other things that I really enjoy is watching my students build their own resilience and start to understand their strengths and start to feel like they have some agency over their lives.
So that's always a treasure as well.
[00:21:26] Speaker C: I'm really hearing that from all of you, so that's beautiful.
Okay, so the final question is if the Oceanside Sanctuary could commit to one small but meaningful action this year to support local education, what would you love to see?
So you have the mic?
[00:21:50] Speaker E: Yeah.
I don't know that I can dial it into one action, but I do love that this church shows up for school board meetings and city council meetings.
So we're looking at things from a higher level, but I guess I would just say that always supporting mental health workers in schools, whether they be social workers or MFTs or any other kind of mental health care, our kids really need it and this current administration does not value that.
So as much as we can do to continue to keep those social workers in the Oceanside schools and all the schools around here.
[00:22:37] Speaker C: Thank you.
Woohoo.
[00:22:41] Speaker D: I. I apologize. I have two, but one's easy.
[00:22:44] Speaker C: No, go ahead, you can give.
[00:22:46] Speaker D: One of them is, I know, and I only really know the high school world. That's why this year is going to be so fun. But so many high school kids, it's like a time in your life where you lose faith.
I know that I struggled with that. And I think for a lot of them, it's because they don't know churches like this place exist. And I think especially in my classroom, if I knew, like, oh, Oceanside Sanctuary, you could go, like, all can bring all my friends. Great, let's do it.
I think just word of mouth, just telling people that this place is here, that it exists, and this church doesn't have to look like the church you went to forever and ever and ever.
So that's one. And then the other one is, I think, like, I love high school football and high school basketball. My husband was a high school basketball coach.
But those, those sports, those things, they get the community there and people go and they rah, rah, and they have fun. And I think that you would be so surprised what's happening on the other days of the week and what art shows students are putting together and robotics competitions or the girls basketball team at five o' clock right before the boys game. Like, there's so many other things on a high school campus that the community can come to where nobody comes. So look for that because it means so much. It means so much to them when you show up.
[00:24:16] Speaker A: So being on the receiving end of folks participating in our school board meetings, I've been very, very grateful for that. We had a long period where, you know, the most hateful rhetoric was spewed at our board meetings in the most kind of malicious ways. And it was coming from people from other faith communities as well. And so to see this church show up and speak truth in those spaces or just to be there in solidarity, it mattered a lot to a lot of people. Some people who would say it and some people who, you know, would just kind of keep to themselves. But it mattered and it still matters. And so I think showing up in that way makes a huge difference.
I think also we need folks just to speak truth and to seek truth. There's so much information misinformation out there right now about public schools and what is and is not taught and what, what is and is not acceptable.
You know, at least three educators now. So if you have questions, ask, you saw the other ones stand up, ask. They're all great sources of information.
And especially being kind of on the ground each day with students and with families and with the curriculum that we use in our schools, it's important for you to know the truth around what school experience is like for a student each and every day.
And then finally, I would just say, and this has kind of been said, but be a place like the Oceanside Sanctuary.
We encourage our schools and our staff across Oceanside just to practice being places of radical inclusion.
And so I really believe the Oceanside Sanctuary models that in a lot of ways. And so I think continuing to be that, continue to be that for place for students who don't maybe know that a place like this exists is incredibly important. So I'm thankful for the partnership and thankful for the opportunity even to speak about this Today.
[00:26:09] Speaker C: All right, well, give them a hand and then I will let you guys go have a seat. Thank you so much.
So before we end, I'm going to give a little bit more of an answer to this. Because they were so easy on you guys.
I had the privilege of spending time with our Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Vitale.
She was kind enough in her busy schedule to meet with me during our Mission 2030 envisioning process. And she actually said she had two things she would like to see Oceanside Sanctuary do.
And one was she said, you know, we need more volunteers in the classrooms, more parents. Aaron's an educator going, yes, more parents are working full time jobs or double jobs. And so if you have anybody who finds themselves, maybe their grandkids live at a distance and they feel, you know, they're retired or they are at home and have time through their business that they can give to a. You know, some businesses will pay you a couple hours a month to go and volunteer. We could really use volunteers.
So if you are somebody that's possibly interested in that. She said that we could get a group together. You would have to agree to kind of one day a week for an hour or two each week. So it's not something you can come in and come out of.
Certainly you can take vacations, but they want consistency. They will pay for your background check.
And there are all kinds of opportunities, whether that's helping with reading, reading books to kindergarteners, cutting out things. If you just want to help the teacher by cutting out art projects for the next day, let me know if that's something that you're interested in doing because it is needed.
And then I will say that this can, I understand, be a hot button issue.
We care deeply about how our kiddos are educated. And not everybody has had the easiest time navigating the school system.
So I will also say this, especially with kids who have special needs, if you can come alongside and help, pray with them, listen to them, introduce them to an educator that, you know, cares about what's going on, that's also important because it is. It is a big system and it's not always easy to navigate. So as educators, we want to honor you and thank you so much because you're in that system and just trying to meet massive needs every single day.
And then finally, I know the band is here, but finally, I know you're not all educators. So what does this mean for you? Why did you come to church today?
Vocation and our faith are important to marry together.
Just as Leanne shared All the little things that she was watching in the lake, all the little organisms had a particular place to be and a role to play.
We all have a role to play.
And so I think these questions, these first two questions I'd like to encourage you to take back with you.
How does your faith influence the way you show up in your work?
Have there been moments where your spiritual resilience was tested in your position?
And that could even. I mean, that's all kinds of work, let me tell you. As I stayed home with my kiddos, my spiritual resistance was tested.
So this doesn't have to be paid work, although it should be.
What helps you get through it?
Being able to answer that question for yourself will help you. The next time that your spiritual resilience is tested, you'll go, all right. I did this exercise at church, and I remember that I needed to go sit on the beach or I needed to go have a really tasty cup of coffee.
Yes.
All right, so can we pray this morning? And then we'll have our last song. And I'm gonna. For Nico, we have a youth pizza day after church, so go grab your kiddos from their class and they're going to be going down to the basement. There's pizza for junior high and high school with Nico and Gabby. And then for the rest of you, we're going to have some pastries and coffee. So stick around, pat somebody on the back who's carrying one of those beautiful trophies that I found and spend a little time getting to know one another.
God, thank you for kiddos and life and growth and learning. And thank you that you are our teacher and that we are always learning and always growing.
Be with us, guide us, hold us in Jesus name. Amen.
[00:32:24] Speaker B: Thank you for joining us for this Sunday teaching, no matter when or where you're tuning in.
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