I've done my best to make my classroom instruction more effective and make dramatic changes in the way we approach learning. There was a time when I offered points for students who brought tissues and didn't use their bathroom passes. But there's no learning target in that and it didn't belong in my gradebook. Guess what - parents still send me hand sanitizer and tissues just because I ask for them, not because I've bribed them somehow. There was a time when 50 minutes of lecture was the norm because we have to get students ready for college. I've learned a better way.
But now I'm at a crossroads: do I teach until I'm a blue-haired old granny (by the way, I'm gonna rock the blue hair when the time comes), or do I take my expertise and skills in a new direction and FINALLY get paid what I'm worth and get my life back? Instead of spending every waking moment grading papers and planning lessons, I could spend time with my family - WHAT?!?
Teaching is still what I'm here to do, but there are many ways to teach:
- health care - teaching people to take care of themselves and their loved ones
- corporate training - get the most from your employees by treating them like team members, not underlings
- ministry - learn to seek the Lord and His will for your life
- life coach - I've been doing this for 20 years, just started with middle school kids instead of adults.
- consultant - so many directions to go with this...
I'm good at what I do. I'm just not sure that the public school system has much to offer me anymore. The only thing that keeps me here is the question my 16-year old asked: Are you really ready to walk away and let someone else take over YOUR classroom and YOUR kids?
I guess I'm a little possessive.