Je suis Madame Scott

I loved teaching when I did it before.  Quitting to take care of my baby girl when she was sick was an easy decision.  Missing it every day for years after was the tough part.  I tried convincing myself that it was ok.  I didn't need to teach again.  I had already taught the best students, I told myself.  I was content with Heroes for Children and liked my new career.  I was ok.  Except I wasn't.  I missed teaching.  I missed the constant interaction with students. I missed the school environment and speaking French.  So, in October last year, I made the final decision to return to teaching and starting telling a few people of my plan.  As luck would have it, my mentor teacher was retiring after 39 years of teaching, and the principal trusted her to help find the right replacement.  This job was meant to be mine. 

We announced in December to the board and staff that I was leaving.  It was the same day that we closed on our new home.  I remember saying that my life would be so different and everything was changing.  I had NO IDEA how true that statement would be a few months later.  In January, we sent an email going out to over 11,000 constituents announcing my stepping down.  No turning back.  It was out there and this was happening. 

In March, A ended our marriage.  Panic set in.  My marriage was over, my career was changing, and I was panic stricken.  Was this the right time to then make a massive career change?  Would this, including a significant pay cut in salary for me, put me too far over the edge? 

Could I do this?

More than three months after returning the classroom, I know without a doubt, the answer to this question is a resounding YES.  I could do it.  I AM doing it. 

I LOVE TEACHING AGAIN.

Granted, there is the tediuous exhausting and frustrating parts to this job.  The grading consumes me and I am often behind.  The curriculum is entirely new from what it was before and is proving to be more of a challenge for me every day to figure out how to navigate my way through it.  I have to get three of us to three different schools before 8am which is often a race of the clock that I lose.  It's a lot of work, but boy do I ever love it.

I am the co-sponsor of National Junior Honor Society as well as the Department Head of Foreign Language. NJHS is a tremendous amount of work. We have over 150 8th graders in the group and there is a lot of activities and high expectations of the students. I love my co-sponsor and working with her makes my job even better (we even were twins on Twin Day for Red Ribbon Week!)

I've found ME again this year and in this.  In so many ways.  One of the biggest things, I found myself happy again professionally.  I am EXCITED to go to work each day.  I love my students who are silly and fun.  They write me notes and hang pictures they make for me on my board.  We have "video vendredi" every Friday with my 8th graders where we watch something silly on YouTube.  Today is a video of Mr. Bean at a restaurant because we're reviewing food. 

Je suis Madame Scott et je suis très heureuse.