A Powerful Soul: Miss Hall
A Powerful Soul: Miss Hall
If you haven’t heard of Miss Hall, she is well known on the high school campus for her powerful ability to teach math, her love of sports and coaching and, most importantly, for her passion to see students succeed. She is an amazing woman who loves the Lord, is tremendously humble, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference at Woodcrest Christian. We caught up to Miss Hall recently and asked her to share some of her story.
Q. Why did you go into teaching as a career?
I wanted to be a teacher because I had a great math teacher in high school who poured into my life. I wanted to help others the way she helped me. I love it when a student says: “I never understood this (math) before and now I get it.” I really enjoy teaching the students who think they will never understand. I remember struggling with the concepts until the light went on.
Q. Why math of all the subjects?
I chose to teach math because I can’t spell. No, I chose geometry especially, because of my geometry teacher in high school. It was the first time I excelled in any subject. She encouraged me and challenged me to work hard. She spent time with her students and got to know us beyond the classroom. She was a big part of my life when I lost my own father in a fire. She checked on me and listened when I needed to talk. I learned years later that she was a Christian. It did not surprise me.
Q. You worked at Woodcrest Christian for 13 years then went to public school for six years to work on your master’s degree. What did you find was the biggest difference between public and Christian schools?
The biggest difference from public school to private is the opportunities to build relationships outside of the classroom. When I taught in the public school, it was more difficult to build those relationships because the students seemed more distracted. When they left my classroom, I very seldom saw them again that day. At Woodcrest Christian, I get to see them at lunch, athletic events, clubs, mission trips, and many just drop by my room to hang out. Those are the times you get to see where their relationship is with the Lord and pour into their lives.
Q. You have coached students for many years including basketball, volleyball, tennis, softball, and soccer and I know you love it. What drives that passion when you are coaching students?
My first coaching job here was middle school boys’ soccer. I really want my players to see how much sports are like real life. I think playing a team sport really prepares you for the real world. There are successes and failures. You have to work with many different personalities. You practice and play even when you do not feel well. There are times you lead and times you follow. Sports reveals your character and God molds it. (Miss Hall is a much beloved coach on campus as her style of coaching is a well-balanced approach between soft-spoken and very loud “encouragement.” And the kids love every minute of it.)
Q. One of the biggest and most courageous decisions you’ve ever made was seventeen years ago when you adopted a two-year-old little boy. How did that come about and what were the biggest challenges and victories as you started a family?
My decision was really a selfish one. I wanted to be a mom. The Lord has put in me the desire to help others and protect. Even though I adopted Allen as a single mom, I had an amazing network of other adults in my life ready to come alongside of Allen and me to help. My biggest challenge raising Allen as a single mom was time! I always want to do everything and there were times I put work before spending time with my son. I love teaching and coaching and wanted to do it all. Another challenge was discipline. Not having a father to bring down the hammer so to speak, I was too soft on him from time to time. He would say I wasn’t but I think so. What makes me the proudest of my son is when I see him care for people. I say to him a lot: Love God and love others. I always had a dream my son one day would be a lifer at WCSS. When he graduated from Woodcrest Christian, that dream came true.
Q. As a single parent, you have a unique perspective on raising a child. What has God shown you in that journey that you can share with others?
I do not really feel I can give advice to any parent, but I will. I focused many times on Allen’s performance in the classroom. I forgot to look for everyday times to encourage and praise him. His love language is words of affirmation and touch. Remember to love your children the way they are created by God not the way you were. Take every opportunity to spend time together. They will be out on their own before you can blink an eye. My son is in college now and I do really enjoy watching him grow into adulthood but I also miss the cute little boy that would wake up and say: “Mama, I think I grew last night!”
Miss Hall will be the first to tell you that everything she has ever done well has come through the power of Christ working in her life. She takes no credit and realizes that she is a sinner saved by grace. That same grace, has both allowed her and compelled her to challenge students to see how God has made them and to commit their lives to Him. All of the coaching and all of the teaching are means to that end. Yes, she wants students to succeed in every area of life and, having a not-so-easy childhood, she knows how hard it can be. Those hardships and Christ’s love have molded her into who she is and her desire to help others.
Every school has teachers that have a reputation for connecting to students and becoming a significant voice in their lives. At Woodcrest Christian, we are blessed that truly every teacher makes those connections with students. Whether it takes place in the classroom, on an athletic team, participating in a missions trip, or being involved with a club, our teachers are committed to ministering to the whole child and helping them navigate life in the “right now” and in the future. Thirty-four years ago, one such teacher walked on to the Royals campus and has been impacting student lives ever since. We are blessed beyond measure to have Miss Hall as part of the Woodcrest Christian faculty and praise God for her faithful obedience as she continues to mold young hearts and minds for Christ.
