Unsolicited Advice

When I was teaching third grade at Moyer School and overwhelmed with all the paperwork, I’d often eat lunch at my desk as I graded papers. (Certainly third grade papers are not a challenge, but the sheer volume is.)

Then I read an article citing studies showing that people who take a lunch break and socialize while they eat are more productive. Point taken! So I returned to eating lunch with the other teachers.

And did it pay off! At the time, we were living across the street from Johnson School. I heard there was a fifth grade opening there, and I was eager to teach fifth grade again as well as be able to walk to school. At lunch, I mentioned my interest in the job. One of the women eating with us was a substitute teacher who had subbed at Johnson. “The teachers there are lovely,” she said, “but do you really want to have your kids bundle up or get umbrellas every time they go to lunch or to gym or to another special class?”

I’d not thought of that, though I’d often felt sorry for the folks at a school that was spread out to three separate buildings, and I’d wondered how on earth it worked. Evidently, not well.

I was so grateful for that woman’s unsolicited advice! I dropped the idea and enjoyed my twenty-three years at Moyer.

I still wanted a fifth-grade position. Third graders are sweet, and they don’t challenge the teacher’s word, but neither do they catch on to puns or (what I consider) witty comments. So again, at lunch, I mentioned that I might apply for the open fifth-grade position—this time at Moyer, where I wanted to stay.

One of my colleagues at lunch heard me mention it and asked, “Well, you just had half of that class last year. Do you want to have them again?” I looked at her, startled.

“Oh, no!” I almost shouted. “I couldn’t bear to have Clark Rollins again!” Everyone laughed, but they remembered my challenges the previous year, and his fourth grade teacher’s challenges this year. No one encouraged me to move. (Sorry, Clark! With your specific talents, you are probably a great lawyer or judge!)

Two years later, when the position again came open, I jumped at the chance. I loved the next two classes coming up and looked forward to teaching them again. After teaching third grade there for 13 years, I was glad to get the older children and a new curriculum. I taught fifth grade at Moyer for ten years before taking early retirement. I loved it.

I was immensely blessed all because of two instances of unsolicited advice!

I am also guilty of offering unsolicited advice; I hope it is as wise and useful as these were to me. A good friend, Ruth Williams, once told me never to give advice if a church member called with a problem. “If you give good advice, they’ll never give you credit for it, and if they follow your advice and it turns out badly, they’ll blame you to everyone they know.”

This advice from her has been useful at various times. I appreciate it, but I don’t always follow it. So if you need direction, I always have a listening ear and probably good advice. And you might also be the recipient of my advice even when you haven’t solicited it!

Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. [Advice to Moses from his father-in-law Jethro.]  Exodus 18:19a (NIV)