Working in education demands flexibility. A crazy amount. This week was my first experience at reduction in force. RIF. I sat blindsided and stared into the screen as if it was a black hole. Me, after 20 plus years? Yes, and a host of others, all of us, staring into our respective screens as if we lost our souls. We did. Bits and pieces of our lives and hearts blew up instantaneously.
Our public education system, for a myriad of reasons, fell apart in a variety of areas in the United States. Kids went missing in droves, not just to other systems, but truly missing and now teachers are paying the price. All those that make the real decisions can argue the reason. I no longer care. My life is just inside the classroom where I create my corner of the world. That’s all I want. Just my little piece of educational real estate that allows me to create connections and take them from their starting to point to the end.
I truly believed I would be creating virtual masterpieces for the remainder of my career. I loved it, as it sparked my creative juices, obviously I was wrong. 😜 Due to whatever reasoning I was part of the lot that stared into the abyss and quickly scrambled during an educational drought of positions. I cried. I prayed. I called. I applied. I begged. In the midst of this first time fear we are state testing and finally I saw my kids. My heart softened and I knew that going back to in-person is what I needed, wanted, and truly missed.
So, in the end I truly spun through the year and landed where life really needs me. Those moments of terror in hindsight were needed as it forced me to truly listen and follow my ❤
I need kids and I know they need teachers like all of us that head back to the schools starting in the fall of 2021-2022. My gratitude for the sun, stars, and moon aligning for me, not only to be back with kids, but truly thrilled on my grade level and a team brings me great joy and as I possibly roll through an RV summer I know I will be planning and creating products along the way. Oh, the RV thing is a possibility that will test us to the core but what else do you do post pandemic. That’s right, rent a RV and see the USA. Yes, my idea. Mmmm. Lots of planning and products to come! 😉
Mrs. Livingston's World 