First Week of School is Over

     So it's Friday, and the first week of school is officially over. I survived that angst ridden official first day of school as an unemployed teacher.  Phew. I signed up to be a sub in my old district, so I am ready to start receiving those crazy morning phone calls.
     The best part of this week was reading through the excited posts from my friends who finally - and deservedly - landed full time jobs this year.  A friend who is teaching in Ecuador is enjoying his position, and it is with such excitement and pride that I read through his blog. Another friend who landed a last minute kindergarten job is also briefly posting updates, and I am so thrilled for her, as she stayed true to the one district she wanted most to teach in. I am also in touch with another friend who has been teaching in Vietnam for the past 3 years, and she generously has shared her daily journey with me via phone calls and e-mails. All of these experiences that I am observing from afar allow me to "stay in the game" and learn from other teachers' experiences, just as I might in teaching at a school like a normal person. It's nice to feel included, even if I am working vicariously though others.
     Another fun part of the week is seeing all of those pictures of children of friends who are starting school... the eager faces, the new clothes, the stiff nylon backpacks, and the proud parents digitally downloading all of the images for all to see.  While I delighted in watching my god-daughter board the bus for the first time, I wanted so much more to be on the receiving end of that same bus. And yet, had I been on the receiving end, I never would have had that opportunity.
     So for now, I have to sit back and await the trill of the phone. And while I wait, I can lesson plan with the CCSS in mind, look into charter school establishment, research STEM schools, and take breaks from cleaning the house by playing with my dogs. Not such a bad life. Hard to make the transition, but once I begin to ease into it, the angst of unemployment will fade.