Back in the saddle again...

For those of you who didn’t already catch my employment update via Facebook, I secured a part-time position! The whole process moved pretty quickly. On Wednesday night, I applied to “Chyten Tutors and Test Preparation of Scottsdale” (their long, official name) via an online application, thanks to a listing I found in higheredjobs.com and reinforced by an encouraging e-mail about that same position from dear friend and former teacher, Joyce Sponcia. :-) Literally the next morning, one of the owners called me, saying they were “very eager” for me to meet them in person for an interview. After sharing my career experience, including extensive teaching in college-prep writing and review sessions for the ACT, they excitedly offered me a position on the spot. I have already begun the training process and hope to begin direct work with students in the coming week!

Last week was really difficult for me from the standpoint of knowing that my teacher friends—especially those at Brookfield East—were moving forward and starting anew without me. There was always such camaraderie at the beginning of each new school year, as we all excitedly and nervously prepared for the mass of students to enter our classrooms once again. I was sad when I left BEHS for the last time this summer, turning in my key and giving tearful goodbye hugs to the office staff…but reality really hit me at the end of August. I’ve heard from retirees that the delayed sadness is common because having the mutual summers off somehow lessens the blow a bit; it’s not as obvious as to who is and is not still employed.

Although it may sound strange, I had felt that part of my identity was missing by not having a teaching position anymore—as if I were no longer a “teacher.” Unless you are a teacher yourself, it may be hard to understand that such a career is more than just a job; it’s a lifestyle. So much of one’s heart, soul, intellect, compassion, beliefs, motivations, and affirmations go into the everyday interactions with students. Without a classroom, I felt lost, empty. Two nights in a row, I even had the infamous “back-to-school dreams” that teachers know so well, only to wake up with a mixture of relief (because the dreams usually involved me not being ready for the first day or unable to find my classroom in the maze of the building) and utterly heavy sadness, knowing that a back-to-school dream is meaningless without a school to which to return.

This tutoring position came at exactly the time I emotionally needed it, reassuring me that I am still a teacher and I do still hold value to the education of teenagers. I can’t wait to get started! Being that such a job is limited to late afternoons, nights, and weekends, the likelihood of getting more than about 20 hours per week is low. Plus, I still need insurance and other benefits. I will continue to look for a full-time, permanent position but will likely maintain at least some tutoring connections even with another job in the future.  One way or another, I know I belong in the field of education in some capacity...it's just an another area to see where life takes me.

Random observation #6: Where else in the country would you open a container of sour cream to find a beautiful photo of the Grand Canyon on the foil seal?!