Look and Be: July 2022

Terrance Niedziela is both a teacher and an author plus, we discovered this year, a pretty good swordsman! I bumped into him on opening night at a North Carolina writing conference (BRMCWC) and then again in the swordsmanship class later on in the week. I enjoyed meeting this very interesting wielder of words, middle school English teacher and author!

Welcome to the Extraordinary Ordinary blog, Terrance!

Learning sword play

Q) First off, how did you get drawn into your full-time profession as a middle school teacher?

My original plan was to be a history professor, so I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Ancient Middle East History and a minor in Creative Fiction. In 2012, I moved to South Carolina and married an awesome and beautiful nerd. I worked as a substitute teacher and behavior manager for a couple years, and my mother-in-law encouraged me to pursue a master's degree. I looked into master's programs for history but found none close by. I investigated English (my second academic passion) and discovered I could get a degree online. So I attended Southern New Hampshire University and graduated in 2017. Once graduated, the Lord told me to apply to the local school district. Since I didn't have an education degree, I needed to certify through an alternative process. I applied to the certification program and for a position as a 7th grade English teacher. A few months later, the district hired me and now I'm beginning my 5th year. I am 100% confident that Jesus called me to teach, and until he releases me, I will continue in this position!

Q) What subject is your favorite teach and why?

I enjoy teaching story writing. Nonfiction/informational writing is all right, but fiction writing enables students to delve into the recesses of their imaginations to create all sorts of interesting stories. It has been rewarding for some students to express the desire to be writers when they grow up. Some former students are still writing! An awesome young man from my first year of teaching has allowed me to give feedback for a fantasy novel he is writing.

Q) So as you wield words in your classroom, where do you see the most impact on students?

I see the most impact when I tell my story, and they find out how my life experiences match theirs. As I model and teach Jesus' transformational love, I have had some sweet God encounters. Every year I have had at least one student tell me how much they appreciated my demanding their best while listening to and supporting them. The old saying of people not caring what you know until they know how much you care is true. Teachers wear many "hats" and I won't go into all that. Suffice it to say, being able to minister hope and love to a student whose life is consumed with hopelessness means more than teaching them grammar or anything else.

Q) How did you morph into becoming an author? Was it something you always wanted to do?

I like how you used the word morph. I am a kid of the 80s and 90s and at once thought of the green ranger from the original Power Rangers series. My journey to becoming a writer began with what I read and watched. The Bible as well as fantasy and science fiction stories in books, television, and movies about honor, chivalry good fighting evil, adventures, etc. inspired me to create my own stories like them.

What started out as daydreaming, telling stories to my siblings, and acting out our own stories as we fought monsters and dragons on my dad's property developed into putting them down on paper. As my family and school situation deteriorated, I created stories where I was all powerful, invulnerable to any injury, and always the winner. Over time, my motive changed to writing to minister the gospel in story the way C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and other favorite authors did.

Q) Who influenced you the most into becoming a wielder of words, both in the classroom and in stories?

I know it sounds cliche, but the one who influenced me the most to wield words is the Holy Spirit. I have developed the habit of praying before I do anything in regard to writing. Even if all I am doing is brainstorming. I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to write through me. God is the original storyteller, and it was His words that brought our universe into existence. He is infinitely creative. If you don't believe me, look at the duckbill platypus and pictures coming from the Webb Telescope. My motto verse is Psalm 45:1: "My heart is overflowing with a good theme, I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." God dictates, and I am the scribe. Things flow much more smoothly when I am submitted to His Lordship.

The human who influenced me the most in my youth in regard to my writing was my seventh-grade English teacher, Miss Cepitis. She encouraged me to keep writing at a time when I was ready to give up on everything. Now I'm a seventh-grade English teacher, and I get to do the same thing she did.

Q) When did you know that you wanted to be an author?

I have wanted to be an author since elementary school. I reveled in writing stories for my English classes. My first attempt at authoring a book was in fourth grade. Some harsh criticism from someone close to me ended that endeavor. I made another attempt at authoring a novel in high school and continued writing into my adult years.

Q) At the writing conference this year, we attended a sword fighting class together and I have to ask the obvious—how did you get so good so quickly at wielding a sword?

The grace of God enabled me to learn.

Q) Last question: what's something surprising about you that you would share with us?

I really can't think of anything surprising. My wife and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage soon. It's not surprising, just a testament to God's grace and love.

To learn more about Terrance, check out his social media:

Thanks, Terrance, for being interviewed on the Extraordinary Ordinary blog where folks and their extraordinary adventures come to light!