This Year Is Different...

Let's be real here.. 
We all have our days, don't we? 
Those days when you're kinda down, not feeling 100%....those days when you can't see the bright side of things {though I know I have a lot to be thankful for}, those days when, well, quite frankly, you feel like life sucks!! 

Today is one of those days for me....

Ever have one of those days when you want something so bad, you'd do almost anything to have it? Those days when you are thankful for what you are blessed with, but you are so sad because you feel like you are missing that ONE thing in your life. 

We've all been there, right???

I recently came across this quote..
How true is this? 

The quote above can relate to anything in life--be it education, jobs, a significant other, children, money, happiness, etc.

At this moment, this quote speaks to me.
 And it's this time of the year, I feel it the most.

See, today is the 1st day of school for my "old" school.

As school is starting back, I feel lost. 
This is the first time in years that I haven't set up a classroom, I haven't been organizing like crazy, I haven't had a to-do list a mile long, I have lost sleep thinking about my new students.....

I haven't done any of those things because this year, I don't have a teaching job. 

You know my story...I left the United States 4 months ago to come to the UK, courtesy of the United States Air Force. We got orders to move last year and we finally made the big move at the end of March. I had to say goodbye to my sweet students 2 months early...which, as you can imagine, was devastating for me personally. And now, months later, when everyone is gearing up for back to school, I'm not!

I spent a while telling myself it was the best choice to leave early...maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, I'll never know. But what I did know was at the end of the day, I had to be with my family on this journey across the world. 

I've looked into getting a teaching job over here but jobs are hard to come by! It's hard to get in to a school if you aren't a familiar face to them. They don't have many openings and what openings they do have, they fill with others who have subbed in their school before. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not over here twiddling my thumbs away....
I have 2 kids, who will be starting school soon themselves, and I'm working on my Master's degree. Both of these things occupy my time, so I keep myself busy.... 

But dang it, at the end of the day, I just want to teach!
I love teaching!
 It's my passion, my life, my calling. 
It's what I went to school for, for so many years. 

I want to make a difference. 
I want that sense of family back with my coworkers.
I want to surround myself with others who share my same passion.

I just want to teach.
Bottom line!

I guess I tell you all of this, to again remind you of that quote from above.  
As you are heading off to start another school year, be thankful. 
Be thankful for your job, be thankful that you get to make a difference, be thankful that you were chosen to touch lives.

Because halfway through the year, when everyone is stressed, complaining, and ready for school to be over, there is someone out there who is praying for their time to come. Be passionate and don't take your job for granted!

I wish you all nothing but happiness for the upcoming school year. 
Go forth and make a difference in as many lives as you can.
You are a teacher and you are making a difference!

From one passionate teacher to another.....

1 comment

  1. You took the words right out of my mouth! I am not teaching this year due to my husband's clinical rotations for grad school. We'll be moving around a few times so I've just been hanging out. As I was reading your post I felt like you were saying everything I feel right now. It's been rough not going back to school like usual. I've thought about volunteering at schools...at least it'd be something to keep me busy a couple days a week!
    Thank you. I feel grateful knowing there are others who know how I feel. Thank you for taking the time to write this post. I deeply appreciate it. Know that you are not alone and that we can be "Cyber Friends" to help each other out this year.

    Sincerely your friend on the other side of the world,
    Melissa

    Jungle Learners TpT Store
    Jungle Learners FB
    Jungle Learners Blog

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my site. I love to hear comments and feedback. If you need immediate help, use the contact form to get in touch with me.