Career Change: A Year in Reflection...

This week marks the last week of school. I should be annoying my students by presenting them with challenging final exams but instead I'm sitting on my couch, re-reading the Harry Potter series. :-)  I thought I'd write some concluding thoughts on my career change.

It was one year ago today that I was readying myself to leave for 6 weeks of what I now call "hell" - Teach for America's ("TFA") week long Induction and 5 week Summer Institute - to prepare myself as best I could for my new career as an educator. While this career change got off to a rocky start - thanks to TFA's incompetence - I am thrilled to report that it did get better...much better. (No thanks to TFA.) I have spent the better part of the past year attempting to mold young minds and give them much needed reading and writing skills -- despite push back from these same students due to how much most of them hate reading and writing.  As I reach the end of my first year of teaching, I cannot imagine a better way to spend my days. Yes, it's some of the hardest work I have ever done and it's not very rewarding on a daily basis because many students either don't have a strong interest in their education or are fearful of being wrong or looking dumb that they don't even try. But even through all that, I love my new career and it is rewarding over the long haul.

Despite some health issues of late, I fully intend to be back in my classroom come fall and having the same arguments with students about the importance of reading and writing and telling them to put their cell phones and hoodies away. As most are aware, for the past month I've not been teaching due to the aforementioned heath issues. Consequently, I have missed my little cherubs immensely. I get the occasional email from a student giving me updates on school and class. I've even gotten the "we didn't know how good we had it until we lost you" message. Awww, sweet. Apparently my replacement is not well loved in my English 3 Honors class. All in all, I am happy to report that I did not make a mistake 2 years ago when I made this decision to career change and even though it has not been an easy transition and I (unfortunately) am still stuck with TFA for another year before I can thankfully part company with them, I am content and happy with my career - something I never said when I was a corporate grunt.

I suspect that this posting may be the last which deals with my career change, unless something truly remarkable happens. Again, for any career changers out there who want to move into education, I highly recommend it but just be careful how you transition. I would not recommend Teach for America or any other teaching corps.  Go the traditional route if you can.

By the way, I never did give the results of the Lawrence Rotary's Teacher of the Year award for which I was nominated by my principal. As predicted in late April, I did not win - nor did I expect to win. It really was just nice being nominated. Here's the list of nominees and winners.

In case you've missed the photos, check out My First Year of Teaching photo site. I thank my students and colleagues for an amazing first year and am looking forward to some more before "shuffl[ing] off this mortal coil" (Wm. Shakespeare, Hamlet).