Welcome, fellow educators!
I am so glad that you have popped in!
- Is your career in education fizzling out?
- Are you exhausted from constant positive behavior management while also teaching curriculum?
- Do you have administration difficult to deal with?
- Are you already over the next staff meeting or professional development session?
- How do you feel about evaluations?
- When you get home, do you really have time for your family?
I need to be honest, friends. I am one exhausted (and broke!) teacher and single mom.
My significant other mentioned a few weeks back that when I get home, he notices I am short-tempered with my preschooler. He says I need to stop giving all of my love and attention to my students, so that I have patience and love to give to our little.
Y’all, that hit me hard. Stop loving my students? Then how would I ever get anything accomplished in my classroom?? We all know that relationships matter. How am I supposed to create better boundaries at school, so that when I’m home I am still a great mom. I took one look at my baby and knew it was time to make a change.
See, three years ago, I had a complicated pregnancy while working in an urban school. It was the worst year of teaching I have ever experienced. Per doctor recommendation, I left half-way through the school year, feeling like a failure.
I was elated at the birth of my daughter but she became sick with bronchitis and then pneumonia, we ended up in and out of the hospital for the next year. I just knew I couldn’t return to teaching until she stayed better. Shortly after she was better for an extended period of time, my initial teaching license expired without the option of renewal and I found myself a single mom. I moved back across the country to have family support.
I didn’t realize that Praxis’ exams requirements were different for different states. Cough up $700 for the exams you need, they said. Then, pay for the certification fee and background check fee, they said. Go back to the politics, stress, lesson plans, assessments, evaluations, PD, PBIS, intervention tiers, etc. No thank you, I said.
Instead, I opted for what I thought was a low-stress, preschool job making enough to live off and have some to put back, with my little girl in the same building.
False. So many times over, false.
I was swindled, y’all! I quickly discovered what a turnover rate is! Also, for half of what I could be making in public school, I am lesson planning and the lessons have to be on display.
I have to create in-depth displays of learning that show early childhood education standards and descriptions of the assignment. There must be authentic work, pictures and quotes from the children.
I assess, at least 120 times per month.
We are evaluated by administration and must strictly adhere to the displayed schedule set by the “academy”.
I can have up to seventeen four-year old children, a few not potty trained, and several behavioral or cognitive needs.
Communication? What’s that?! We don’t find out if we are getting new students until their parents drop them off. Kid leaving the “academy” is also not communicated.
The paperwork is tedious and is required to be done on the hour and we have an app that we are required to use to communicate with parents several times a day. Those displays of learning I vented about? Yeah, the messages to parents are supposed to be similar to that.
I thought about going back to public school because hey, more money. Until my honey told me to stop giving so much of myself as a teacher. He’s right. My kid is AMAZING, y’all! She is so sweet, loving, and smart. She deserves me in all my glory.
Guys, I’m tired of teaching this way. Note: I’ve taught public and charter, Prek-5th grade.
I’m ready for freedom. Are you?
I have researched hours upon hours on how to begin working remotely. There are so many coaches and paid membership out there. Guys, I am broke. I have a few coaches I intend to work with when I save up. Right now, though, I am looking for a community that is free. I need to find other educators who want to support each other. That is why I’ve decided to start blogging about me experience. Everyone promises a free community but then there are numerous restrictions or they end up needing a fee.
Here is my challenge to you: join me on this journey for free. Let’s support each other. Also, I’m going to invite interested educators to guest-blog about their transition from teaching on here. Membership will always be free. Are you in?
SHIFT: Transition from Teaching 