Transition
Transition.
That word has been echoing through my heart and my mind since June when I first sat down to plan for this school year. I was finishing graduate school in December. Finally. For the second time. I was looking forward to having time to relax a little more, spend more time with my family, and take back over my share of the household responsibilities that my husband had been doing. Then we found out that my husband had gotten excepted into a program at a college that was working in tandem with a local hospital. He had quite the acceptance process to make it through, and it was truly an answer to our prayers that he was accepted this year. That word rang a little louder in my head each time another commitment would come up with either of our programs. Being in school at the same time as your spouse is a special kind of something, and has turned us into expert strategists. Every time I would see a cool idea online (that was cool, but could also be taught effectively in a simpler way), see something that I would just have to buy for my classroom or any of the other million decorations and props teachers seem to collect over the summer I would just hear the word transition. It didn't take me long to realize I was going to have to resort to effective, but simple lessons for this year. Luckily, I had been teaching the exact same subject and grade level for the past 4 years, and I had a vault of old reliable lessons to pull from. I made a deal with myself that if I had to buy anything for it, or spend longer than 20 minutes prepping a single activity, it wouldn't get done this year. It made me sad at first. I didn't do a lot of things that I normally did with my classes, but I knew I wasn't sacrificing the quality of their education so I was okay with it. Now, that the school year is over I realize that simple is sometimes the way to go. It didn't mean that we didn't have fun. It didn't mean that I didn't connect as well with my students. It was just. Simple. I gave myself grace, and I gave my students grace. It was a wonderful school year.
Over spring break I did something that I told myself I would never, ever, in a million years do. I resigned from my school without having another job lined up. It was scary. It's still scary as I end the school year with no contract of employment for the next school year. My husband will graduate in June, and he was recruited and eventually offered a position for a hospital at the other end of the state. It's also an area that has excellent schools, and teaching positions are highly sought after. They have the resources to only choose the best of the best teachers, and it is very competitive. While I have many promising interviews over with (waiting on positions in the district to open up and waiting for round 2 interviews), and interviews that are scheduled for next week I have nothing solid. Which makes this control freak a nervous wreck! But, my husband said he couldn't pass up this opportunity, and this is a wonderful area to live in and raise our family. My husband has always put my career first, and now it is my turn to return the favor. So I am taking a huge leap of faith that something will open up before July. :)
So during the time that I am normally putting a million ideas into pretty notebooks, searching the internet for the best new things, and planning the layout of my classroom for my new learners, I will be taking a breath. I will be pouring into my own children, that never get as much time as they would like with their mom during the school year. I will be moving, organizing, and decorating my new home. I will be learning the ins and outs of my new community and getting my children, and my dogs (They are country dogs moving to the city!) acclimated and settled into their new environment. I have one child that is openly very nervous about the move and has coined the phrase "scare-cited" to describe her feelings and one child that puts on a brave face but is very nervous about the move as well.
So as this school year ends I am learning to embrace the changes. To realize that closed doors open even better ones, and enjoy this time to have a relaxing and fulfilling summer!
That word has been echoing through my heart and my mind since June when I first sat down to plan for this school year. I was finishing graduate school in December. Finally. For the second time. I was looking forward to having time to relax a little more, spend more time with my family, and take back over my share of the household responsibilities that my husband had been doing. Then we found out that my husband had gotten excepted into a program at a college that was working in tandem with a local hospital. He had quite the acceptance process to make it through, and it was truly an answer to our prayers that he was accepted this year. That word rang a little louder in my head each time another commitment would come up with either of our programs. Being in school at the same time as your spouse is a special kind of something, and has turned us into expert strategists. Every time I would see a cool idea online (that was cool, but could also be taught effectively in a simpler way), see something that I would just have to buy for my classroom or any of the other million decorations and props teachers seem to collect over the summer I would just hear the word transition. It didn't take me long to realize I was going to have to resort to effective, but simple lessons for this year. Luckily, I had been teaching the exact same subject and grade level for the past 4 years, and I had a vault of old reliable lessons to pull from. I made a deal with myself that if I had to buy anything for it, or spend longer than 20 minutes prepping a single activity, it wouldn't get done this year. It made me sad at first. I didn't do a lot of things that I normally did with my classes, but I knew I wasn't sacrificing the quality of their education so I was okay with it. Now, that the school year is over I realize that simple is sometimes the way to go. It didn't mean that we didn't have fun. It didn't mean that I didn't connect as well with my students. It was just. Simple. I gave myself grace, and I gave my students grace. It was a wonderful school year.
Over spring break I did something that I told myself I would never, ever, in a million years do. I resigned from my school without having another job lined up. It was scary. It's still scary as I end the school year with no contract of employment for the next school year. My husband will graduate in June, and he was recruited and eventually offered a position for a hospital at the other end of the state. It's also an area that has excellent schools, and teaching positions are highly sought after. They have the resources to only choose the best of the best teachers, and it is very competitive. While I have many promising interviews over with (waiting on positions in the district to open up and waiting for round 2 interviews), and interviews that are scheduled for next week I have nothing solid. Which makes this control freak a nervous wreck! But, my husband said he couldn't pass up this opportunity, and this is a wonderful area to live in and raise our family. My husband has always put my career first, and now it is my turn to return the favor. So I am taking a huge leap of faith that something will open up before July. :)
So during the time that I am normally putting a million ideas into pretty notebooks, searching the internet for the best new things, and planning the layout of my classroom for my new learners, I will be taking a breath. I will be pouring into my own children, that never get as much time as they would like with their mom during the school year. I will be moving, organizing, and decorating my new home. I will be learning the ins and outs of my new community and getting my children, and my dogs (They are country dogs moving to the city!) acclimated and settled into their new environment. I have one child that is openly very nervous about the move and has coined the phrase "scare-cited" to describe her feelings and one child that puts on a brave face but is very nervous about the move as well.
So as this school year ends I am learning to embrace the changes. To realize that closed doors open even better ones, and enjoy this time to have a relaxing and fulfilling summer!
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