Delmar Consulting...Officially Open for Business

Well, it's official. I have now stepped out to begin my own personal educational consulting business. It's both exciting and scarey at the same time. I am officially registered with the Florida Dept. of State Divisions of Corporations under the fictitious name of Delmar Consulting. No one else can use that name in Florida for at least 5 years which is when my registration ends and I have to renew. Slowly but surely the training requests are coming in. I've already signed two consulting agreements: one through the end of this year with Sopris West/Cambium Learning for their Step Up to Writing program and the other with a highly respected University to provide professional development to Catholic educators in Pensacola and Mobile schools in various Content Enhancement Routines of the Strategic Instruction Model. That contract runs through June of 2008. The greatest thing about all of this is that I'm continuing to provide professional development in programs that I previously trained teachers in in my prior employment, but at 2-3 times my former daily rate of pay. That's very cool. The downside is that I'm now responsible for all of the usual withholding taxes/deductions and such so hopefully there will be enough left over for me to stay financially ahead.

Being self-employed is pretty plain and simple; you know that your income is now based on your own personal motivation and your ability to perform and (as in most companies today) not at the hands or opinions of what other people say you should make or on the fact that only a maximum quota of people can achieve a certain level of pay in an organization/company based on the appraisals of persons who think they know all that you do in the course of performing your job responsibilites and then some each and every day. That sense of self-assuredness is very freeing since I and my peers know the quality and thoroughness that I bring to the area of professional staff development. I will work just as hard as I ever did in the planning, delivery, follow-up, and evaluation stages required in all professional development activities, but with the knowledge that I can now set my own hours and pace at which I want to work and that with God's help will realize the financial gains of being paid "an honest day's wages for an honest day's work".

I believe that God blessed me with the gift and love of teaching. I don't know why since I went off to FSU in 1969 as a music major. But He definitely closed that door (at that time, but opened it back up later in other ways) and gradually led me over into the field of Special Education (back in the old days it was called "Habilitative Sciences"). Somehow it doesn't matter whether or not the audience is children or adults, school or church related...teaching is just something I love to do. I generally find that I'm always learning myself as I plan and research whatever it is I'm focusing my teaching on. I also gain much insight and many ideas from the interactions with my audience, particularly classroom teachers. And then there's the part that I really do miss...the direct contact with students. So, I'm praying for discernment in how I might be able to continue to use my gift of teaching to help children/others in need and run my business at the same time.

The last 8 years working for FDLRS/PAEC really afforded me many opportunities to hone my presentation skills as well as to be trained as a trainer in several programs and initiatives that are considered to be highly effective practices for today's students and educators. For that, I will ever be grateful to both Gail Curry and Faye Yongue, both FDLRS/PAEC Program Coordinators who allowed that to happen seeing as how I could never have taken advantage of all the trainings, conferences, workshops, etc. if I had still been in the classroom.

Well, the past 3 months of retirement were very relaxing and stress-free, but it's time now to get on with it. So, I'm stepping out in faith as the Lord knows the desires of my heart. I'm claiming the following verses as I move forward in this new business/career phase of being "repurposed" in retirement: Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" and Matthew 19:26: ..."with God all things are possible". Amen!