The 2014/2015 school year is officially over, and I once again find myself without a job for the fall. Yes, this is apparently becoming a yearly ritual for me. Last year, the school at which I was employed shut down; this year, the two campuses of the school at which I was employed consolidated, fewer teachers were needed, and I was the last one hired - and therefore, the first to go. Fortunately, I anticipated this situation, and I began applying for new jobs for next school year about a month ago.
So far, I have had a handful of interviews. Now that I have four years of experience (1.5 of which were full time) under my belt, I am receiving more calls for interviews than ever before. No job offers yet, but I have made two second-round interviews as of today, which is much better luck than I had applying for jobs last year at this time. I know that most schools do their hiring around August, so I will just be patient, enjoy my summer, and keep applying. My co-workers at the job I am leaving have been nothing but supportive, and the principal, dean, and math teacher have offered to write me glowing letters of recommendation. For this, I am truly thankful.
Right now, I am feeling conflicted. On one hand, I am optimistic about finding work for the fall (and maybe I should be much more worried, since I will have neither a salary nor insurance after early August if I am not employed.) Maybe that work will be in a different area of Michigan or in another state. Maybe it will be the start of a new chapter of my life; I think I'm due for a new, positive chapter after the stresses of the last couple of years. All I know is that I care about kids and teens, enjoy educating them, and want to continue doing that in the years to come.
On the other hand, though, this field is so unstable. I'm in my mid-20s now, and I need to be saving up for retirement. I am not married, I do not have children, and now would be the perfect time to go back to school so I can earn a degree in a field in which I can make a more substantial amount of money. So many of my classmates from my teacher education master's program have already left the field because of the working conditions, and in many ways, I don't blame them. We can all say that we do this for the kids, which most of us do (we ALL should!), but there comes a point when a lot of us realize that the stresses of the profession are too much. As much as it pains me to say this, there comes a point when we have to think of ourselves. The worst part is that under these conditions, students are losing quality teachers because many quality teachers do not want to stay in such an unstable profession, which ultimately sets amazing, capable young students up for failure. Such a tragedy for all parties involved...
...But alas, I am trying not to think about this harsh reality. For now, that is. I need a break now more than ever before. This summer, I plan to relax and explore my own hobbies, talents, and strengths. It has truly been a while since I have taken the time to relax and be me - and maybe figure out who, exactly, that person is. I will continue to apply for full-time jobs in teaching and to see where that leads, but I am also applying for full-time jobs in other fields for the sake of exploring other opportunities to use my gifts and talents for the benefit of the greater good of humanity. (Too optimistic?)
Bring it on, life, you unpredictable little beast!
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