by Jason Byassee, May 19, 2014
Jason Byassee
May is Teacher Appreciation month. It is a good time to reach back out to teachers who influenced and blessed and loved us well. It is also a good time for our church to think about the God-given goodness of the vocation of teaching. Each week in May we’ll interview one of our teachers about their work and the ways they find God in it. I hope we’ll all learn more about the richness of the body of Christ of which we are all a part.
Ronald Holste
What got you into teaching?
After graduating from high school, I was unsure about my next move in life. My grades were below average, my attention span was short, and my drive was non-existent. All that seemed to matter was to get a job that provided a bigger paycheck than the one Winn-Dixie provided. I worked on the assembly line at Thomas Built Bus, but something was not clicking. My parents insisted that I continue with my education and strive for more. That next fall I enrolled in the local community college.
For some reason, that instructor in a required calculus course made me feel like I wanted do well, if not for myself, for his respect. I am not sure why I felt compelled to impress him, but that desire pushed me to study hard. After several classes with this teacher, I realized teaching at the Community College level was my professional calling. I wanted to be a teacher that had high expectations for every student and encourage them to do their best.
Tell me about a teacher you admired.
Rupert Nacoste at NC State was one of the most inspiring teachers I had. I could not wait for each new class with him to begin. His stories and lectures always captured my attention. I use his lecture/story method to teach my classes today. Dr. Nacoste’s showed me that students have their own role in learning. When teachers inspire students, students can take that information and transform it in ways they learn best.
How does your faith weigh into your work as a teacher, since obviously it shouldn’t explicitly do so in a public school setting?
Faith is a part of who we are. It is impossible for us to separate it from our lives. I cannot walk into class and preach the word of God to my Psychology students. I can walk into the class and accept every single student wherever they are. Whether I agree with their beliefs or values is irrelevant. God works within them, just as He works within me. Practicing acceptance allows me to be present, to encourage all my students, and push them towards excellence.
Tell me about a time when God surprised you with the goodness of your vocation?
My surprise at God’s goodness came when I received my current full time teaching position at CCC&TI. Although I had long felt called to teach, it took nearly 15 years before I was confident enough to place myself at that level. Growing up, my respect for teachers was very high. I felt unworthy to place myself at that level. When I finally earned the courage to place my name on the list to adjunct for CCC&TI, it took only one meeting with the chair to obtain a General Psychology class. I loved it! During that semester, a position for a full-time Psychology Instructor came open. The chair mentioned the opportunity, but was very honest that I was new and several other longer-term adjuncts were applying. I perceived my chances as low, but my calling was in the back of my mind and I could use the experience preparing for future interviews. I applied for the position. A month after the interview, I received the call: “We want you to be our next Psychology Instructor.” I was shocked. This was my first semester teaching a course and I got a request to teach full time. This was an actual classroom! That entire situation was clearly God’s work.
Ronny Holste is a full time Instructor of Psychology at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute (CCC&TI). He has been a member of Boone United Methodist Church since 2010 with his wife, Gina, and 2 year old daughter, Ava. Prior to his work at CCC&TI, Ronny was the Substance Abuse Prevention Director for the Western Youth Network (WYN).