Job hunting?

I decided not to return to my job as assistant teacher at the Montessori school this year, because I really wanted to find a full-time teaching position. I want to be the boss of my own classroom! I had a frustrating summer of very few interviews and no job offers, but really that was ok and I have been ok with the idea of subbing all along. I decided this was the year to hold out for what I really want, not settle for just anything. Of course, those who have been around know that my confidence with this decision changes daily. :)

It is really hard to balance what’s best for me (exercise, mental health), my family (home for the kids, home maintenance), and my career (teaching!). I want to work on all three “pillars” but unfortunately that’s very hard to do at the same time! When I work on the career it’s a pretty full-time commitment, leaving little time for the family/home and even less time for me! When I don’t work on the career I have more time for the other two, but end up feeling guilty about the amount of time and money I’ve invested so far into teaching, only to not continue the path.

So this year I’m not working. Yet. The first week the kids were back in school was excellent! I organized all my thoughts and scraps of notes into one big, long to-do list and started checking things off! I exercised every day and even lost two pounds that first week. It was great. The only uncomfortable times were when I had to explain to acquaintances why I wasn’t working and that really I was ok with things. I would get varying levels of pity and envy in response.

The second week I applied for a kindergarten position in a neighboring district and got an email from a close acquaintance about a preschool position in my district. My brain immediately started spinning! I lost focus on my to-do list, spent hours cycling through the pros and cons of taking (or not taking) either job, and basically started falling apart. I interviewed at both places. There were a lot of pros to the preschool job (teaching, short hours, in district), but a few big cons as well. So I said no. There were a lot of pros to the kindergarten position as well (nice school, nice teaching team) but a few big cons as well. I thought really hard and eventually emailed the principal and asked him to remove me from the candidate pool. I don’t know if I would have gotten an offer, but I think it was likely. It was a really hard choice for me. It would have meant an after school nanny for the kids, something I can’t even imagine, plus me back to my UVEI days of constant work morning, noon, and night. NO time for exercise, house up-keep, or family. Also, it was a different district with a somewhat different vacation schedule. I was a mental mess trying to decide what was the best thing to do. I finally came to a decision Saturday night, emailed the principal Sunday morning, and felt calm wash over me. Back to my stay-at-home, getting stuff done, probably subbing in the future plan. All was right in my head again.

Monday afternoon I get a voicemail (my phone never rings, something else I have to figure out and take care of!) from the preschool director at the school I had just turned down. She said she heard I hadn’t taken the kindergarten job (I didn’t even have an offer yet, but we won’t be picky) and wondered if I would please consider a long-term sub position in preschool. October to December to cover a maternity leave. Brain spin commence! At the moment it seems like it will be all the pros of the preschool position above, plus many of the pros of the kindergarten position…. but none of the cons. Perhaps. I’m going tomorrow to meet the director and see the school. An interview, I suppose, disguised as a visit. This woman has a kid who plays field hockey with Eve, so we have chatted as moms on the sidelines a few times. She seems nice. The school is lovely. We shall see.

For now I have to go get some exercise while I still can. Once again my future is up in the air.

One thought on “Job hunting?

  1. wow, you are a wanted women, thats so awesome. if youre getting this many offers so soon, it seems you will be perfectly fine holding out for the one thats the right fit. Youre awesome!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.