Job(s)

It's been a little while since I've shared about my job teaching and I thought I should give an update.  The position is absolutely marvelous and I'm really enjoying it.  The kids are fabulous, the marking is under control and I'm feeling creative, the students are excited about the things they are learning.....it's a great time.

So much in fact that there have been moments where I would really like to continue what I'm doing.  Sure, it's been a juggle with my job at home (aka raising the next generation by baking cookies and washing socks), but it has worked out quite well.  I thought that this could be the beginning of my return to full time teaching.  Carl and I talked and discussed and maybe wondered if I would teach come the fall.

I decided to take steps forward and see if the doors keep opening, maybe I'm on the right path.  So I talked to my current principal and let him know that I would be interested in full time.  Then I also submitted my resume to a city school division, since we'll be moving there and a local position might come up.  And most importantly, we put our kids' names on the childcare registry because that has to work out before I can even think of working.

We decided that unless childcare is set up, I couldn't pursue a position.  So that had to be the prerequisite.  And we had peace about that.  But then things got a bit complicated.

I was offered a couple of full time term positions at my current school.  My fabulously supportive and exciting school.  Granted it wasn't the grade I had hoped, but with the new marking system being held off another year and an amazing colleague to work with, I was very VERY interested.  Yet, we hadn't heard back about childcare.  What to do?  I would have to give an answer shortly.  Do I say yes and then hope for the childcare to work out?

Then a co-worker for a brief time offered to provide after school care to our kids since she lives 3 blocks from their new school.  I couldn't believe it.  Could this mean another push for the door to open?  But after talking to her husband a bit more, they realized they might not be as reliable for us as we would need.  Actually, I was a bit relieved for their answer because that meant we were at square one again and I wasn't trying to juggle another scenario in my head.  I talked to friends and family and from most of them, those that were at home full time and those that work full time gave me great advice.

A friend/former co-worker told me that I should call my old principal because he would definitely give me a job in the fall.  Oh, I was tempted to.  I even picked up the phone a couple of times.  But going back to what Carl and I had decided.  Childcare was the prerequisite.   So I didn't because how do I ask for a job when my kids' fall is so uncertain?

The next day I got word that one of the positions in my school that I was offered was offered to someone else because they couldn't wait any longer.  I had peace about it; it wasn't meant to be.

Two days later the other 2 positions were grabbed up.  Sigh.....

The next day at the staff meeting it was announced my position was going to someone else in fall as well.  *pang in the chest/peace*

We made a decision and we stuck by it.  We set out a fleece and didn't rip it back.  It feels a bit sad to be on the out now.  I won't be back at the school next fall, which is sad, but also a good thing.  I would have been commuting and maybe even commuting with my lil' one if she didn't get into a daycare in the city.  I still haven't gotten a call from the division in the city and most likely positions have already been filled.

But stopping and thinking about it realistically, do I want the kids in a daycare?  Do I want them at school until 5 p.m.?  Do I want to miss first words, developmental milestones, stories about a caterpillar that was caught?  Do I want to try and whip together supper at 6 p.m. and race to piano lessons and grocery shop at 11 at night?  Do my students want to wait 3 weeks for their reports back because I didn't have time to mark?  I don't think I want that, and I don't think my family would want that either.

I love teaching immensely but I love my job at home even more.  I have 33 years before I would be eligible to retire....that's a lot of time left to teach.  And the kids are young only for a short while.  I can have both careers that I love, but just not full time at the same time.  So unless there's a crazy curve in the road, I'll be changing jobs again in the fall.  And I couldn't have more peace and joy about it.