Crossroads is one of my favorite Bon Jovi albums, and is among the music I listened to while in Rwanda all those years ago. But today I’m going to talk about my own personal crossroads. I finished one of the hardest (and most rewarding) teaching years of my life – teaching French to high school students during a pandemic and in a hybrid program – and now I have to decide what to do next. I’m not certified in my state (loooong story), so a district has to be desperate to hire me. I’ll find out at the last minute and not receive normal teacher pay (and, as we all know, teachers aren’t paid what they’re worth, so imagine being paid even less to do the same job).
To get certified in my state, I have to go back to school. Which isn’t the easiest thing when one has a family to take care of, a kid going to college, and one’s family has survived the past year on a substitute teacher’s pay. Also, it’s not so easy to find a French program in my area – the closest is an hour away and costs more than I made in the past two years combined.
So, I could keep trying to find a teacher prep program that works for me, or I could walk away from teaching and find another job. I’m actually fine with this latter choice. I’ve had plenty of non-teaching experiences in my life that were just as interesting and rewarding. For now, I’m doing a little of both.
BUT, the big question is: If I leave teaching, what should I do with the rest of my life?
What an exciting position to be in! I could do anything – well, almost anything. I still have the same limitations about school and family and finances, etc. I just want to do something that feels rewarding and helpful. Now, back to my research!
I’m not looking for advice here, but I’d love to hear about the crossroads in your own life. When were you faced with a big decision and how did you handle it? Has the pandemic opened new opportunities for you or closed some doors? How are you doing, my friends?
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