Oh August

     So here we are again, August... eyeing each other with that dwindling hope of a job in the wind as back to school sales rage all around.
     I completed my year in good stead. Based on the posted state test results, the students did a great job. (The school as a whole actually did better.) Reflecting back on my experience, I LOVED teaching my students. Yes, I felt frustrated at times. Yes, I wanted to strangle them periodically. But yes, I also delighted as they began to understand and I could finally see the light dawning in their eyes. I adored seeing them begin to take pride in their work, in beginning to think independently.
     Was it worth it? Absolutely. Worth the angst with administration, worth leaving family and friends for a few months, worth leaving an educational system I was comfortable with and trading it for one that was weird. 
     As I contemplate submitting my substitute teacher documents so that I can once again enter into that arena, I feel conflicting emotions. I want to teach, but not substitute. Not working in a school this next year would be impossible, yet not knowing who, when, or where is hugely challenging. I have to wonder if I am taking a step backward, or just taking a breather to reassess the situation.
     Then there is the idea that has been rolling around in my mind for the past year... instead of waiting for a school to offer me a job, why can't I create a school?  There is need. The more research I complete, the more I see potential for the future of our children, for the future of our country, and perhaps selfishly, my own future. Hence the idea for a name: Future Start. As in, your future starts now, and it starts here, in a school that is looking to prepare our students for the future.
     Do I long to be one of those teachers getting ready for the year? Yes. But I guess my life is taking a different turn, and for now, I need to focus on what I can do to make my dreams happen, rather than waiting for a school to finally recognize what I can offer their students and their community.

     August might just be another month after all. Not a death sentence for an unemployed teacher.