I go back to work in about a week and a half. I can't say that I am completely looking forward to it. After two straight years of having really difficult kids in my class, along with other "issues," I am still feeling a little burnt out. It's not a burnt-out, I can't think about working ever again, feeling. Believe me, most of the time, I like to go to work. I get bored when I don't have anything to do or anywhere to go. This is a specific burnt-out on teaching type of deal. I remember at the start of my second year of teaching I was looking forward to things. I had hope for the future. I told myself that the year would be easier. I would have students that were a little easier to work with, not that I didn't love some of my previous students--because I totally did. I told myself to have faith in the district, that they would start to appreciate their employees. I looked forward to adjusting my curriculum and changing little things that I wasn't quite satisfied with the year before. Instead I spent the year frustrated...again.
I have been doing a lot of thinking over the summer. When I first got a teaching job in Utah I told myself that I would stick it out, no matter what the situation was, for three years. In three years, I would have cleared my credential and have my Level 2 licence. I now have two years under my belt. My third year looms ahead. I have decided to start looking for jobs outside of my district. I wish I could just transport my school and co-workers to a different district. I love my co-workers! I feel like I got so lucky with where I ended up. I found myself in a team of people where everyone got along. Unfortunately, the district is the problem. I am tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I am tired of feeling over-whelmed with everything that I have to do. I am tired of staying up until all hours of the night doing work. I know that not all of this will be fixed if I move districts; but, believe me, a lot of other things will.
So, as much I love my co-workers and wish I could continue to work with them, I feel like I need to start to figure out what is best for me and my life. There is a bigger district near me that pays a little bit more. I am pretty sure that it will be difficult to get a job there, because it seems very competitive. I am hoping that I can get some really good references together and that those, along with my teaching experience, will give me some edge. This whole process has become even more necessary as I just learned that my rent will be going up by $50/month. Plus, it continues to go up by about $10/month every time I sign a new lease. So, along with my decision to look at other jobs, I will also be re-thinking my living situation. The biggest decision is whether to rent, knowing that life can change quickly and without notice, or should I buy, while interest rates and housing prices are low. If I buy, I want to figure out the job thing quickly so I can get a place close to wherever I work.
The last decision that I am trying to make is what grade to teach. When I was going through my teaching program, I was placed in a 4th grade class for about a year and a second grade class for a few months. Then I was hired in a fourth grade class. It seems like the world wants me to be a fourth grade teacher. Yet, I have always felt drawn to the lower grades. The slightly lower class size being just one of the perks. The students seem to be a little more respectful. They don't have that "big-kid" attitude. So, I am thinking of looking at anything from K-2nd. I am hoping to get an early jump on the job search and maybe start to get an idea of what the curriculum is like in those grades. Luckily, I have a good friend at my school who teaches the second grade. I don't want to tell a lot of people about my job search, just in case it doesn't work out. Unfortunately, that makes getting references a little tricky. I am going to have to find a way to let a few people that I am looking. Let's just hope this doesn't turn into an awkward year.
In other news, one of my good friends was married in June. I went to California and Idaho for most of the summer. I would get texts from her every once in a while that let me know that she was bored. Her husband works and she is, like me, off for the summer. We have hung out a few times since I have been back. She is convinced that her relationships with her friends will not change now that she is married. However, I have a feeling that once work comes back into the picture she will find that she doesn't have that kind of time. As one of the few people left who are my age and single, I have come to expect this. I have more married friends than single ones now. That is how life goes. What are you going to do? ;) So, that's it. The next few weeks won't be very news-worthy. I will just be planning, shopping, and going to church. I will keep you updated on life, work, job searches, etc... Take care!
